Academic Programs Committee (APC)
The Academic Programs Committee (APC) has jurisdiction over the undergraduate and graduate curricula of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (AYSPS), including program policy, curricular modifications, and academic standards. It serves as the planning and research arm of the School with respect to matters pertaining to academic programs. See more at the School Bylaws. Committee members are selected from each academic unit.
Use the Academic Program Review (APR) form to request curriculum review by the Academic Program Committee within the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. This form is used for all requests including creation or changes to courses, programs, concentrations, majors, minors and all other curricular requests. Detailed procedural and proposal formatting instructions are linked in the accordion menu below. As planning tools, the Office of Academic Assistance (OAA) has developed recommended proposal timelines for departments with curricular committees that meet every semester and for departments with committees that meet only in the spring/fall.
Select a link below for detailed procedural and formatting instructions on submitting a curriculum change for review by the Academic Program Committee. Academic units should review instructions and be familiar with requirements before any committee work begins. All change requests must include updated catalog copy edited using ‘track changes’ in MS Word (instructions on how to use ‘track changes’).
The process for course changes is as follows:
- Courses to be changed/revised must be voted on and approved by the department faculty before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Course changes that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the course modification request and catalog edits using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page. Catalog edits must be done using ‘track changes’ in MS. Word (instructions on how to use ‘track changes’).
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by APC the Department scheduler must submit a revision form https://aysps.wufoo.com/forms/z1xfdbcp08hil0a/ with all relevant details to implement the course creation.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved changes are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any changes and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
- Department / College / Institution
- Lead faculty contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Proposed new course number and prefix. Consult with department scheduler to ensure number is available for use.
- Proposed title
- Schedule will only display up to 30 characters of title. Recommend short descriptive title.
- Title may be expanded in course description if desired.
- Course grading mode change.
- Current mode [Letter (A-F, I, W, WF), Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S, U, I, W, WF)].
- Proposed mode. If other is desired consult with department scheduler and OAA first.
- Credit hours. Current and Proposed
- 3 is the default but variable is available. Consult with department scheduler and OAA.
- Course Prerequisite or recommended course. Please indicate which.
- Prerequisites are enforced by default.
- Courses may be recommended for students to take but not enforced as a prerequisite.
- Any registration restrictions (ex. BSW online only students, etc)
- Terms(s) courses will be offered (spring, fall, summer)
- Complete course syllabus
- Rationale for course change
- Impact on other units of course change
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the course change proposal.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
The process for submitting program changes must follow the requirements of the AYS and comply with university and Board of Regents regulations. The process to change program requirements is as follows. Note: If the changes proposed exceed 20% of the curriculum it is considered a substantive change and will require BOR System Office notification.
- Program changes can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation for the subsequent fall catalog. Changes are not retroactive. Student already in programs are subject to their catalog year/requirements.
- Program change must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Program changes that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the change request and catalog edits using the Academic Program Review form linked at the top and bottom of this page. Catalog edits must be done using ‘track changes’ in MS. Word (instructions on how to use ‘track changes’).
- Committee can clearly see what is being changed.
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the Chair of APC will notify the Department of approval and forward to the next appropriate review if needed.
- Once approved by APC or after final approval by the final review level, OAA will partner with the academic unit to implement the changes.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved changes are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any changes and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
Before completing this form you should have your proposal, in memo format, ready to upload. It should contain all items, in order, listed below. You must also have a complete program/concentration curriculum (i.e., catalog copy using track changes in MS Word) ready to upload.
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Degree / major program
- Program title
- Program change description and objectives
- Evidence of the need for changes to the program, including projected enrollments.
- Anticipated impact on other programs within the offering department, the college, or the university.
- Additional resource requirements, if any, and budget implications (e.g., personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs, facilities and other operating costs, graduate student support). Intended method of funding additional costs if any.
- Administration of the program.
- Advisement process and resources for students in the program. OAA should be consulted
- Measures that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the changes to the program, including:
- Student learning outcomes and other program outcomes (e.g., job placements, examination pass rates, etc.).
- Plans for assessing these outcomes.
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
The process for submitting a change to an existing minor is as follows:
- Changes to a Minor can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation for the subsequent fall catalog. Changes are not retroactive. Students already in a minor are subject to their catalog year/requirements.
- Changes to a minor must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Changes to a minor that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the change proposal and catalog copy edits using the Academic Program Review form linked at the top and bottom of this page. Catalog edits must be done using ‘track changes’ in MS. Word (instructions on how to use ‘track changes’).
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the Chair of APC will notify the Department Chair of approval and forward to the next appropriate review level if needed.
- Once approved by APC or after final approval by the final review level, OAA will partner with the academic unit to implement changes.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved changes are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any changes and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
- Proposals must be voted on and approved by the department faculty before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Proposals that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the program proposal using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page. Catalog edits must be done using ‘track changes’ in MS. Word (instructions on how to use ‘track changes’).
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once reviewed and approved by the APC. The Chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. The Graduate College dean should be included if the proposal involves graduate programs. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If the provost’s recommendation is positive, he or she will notify the University System of Georgia (USG) offices of the university’s decision and will forward the program proposal to the USG for reference.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the new program.
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after return acknowledgment of the university-level approval from the USG. (The APIE will send a copy of the official University System acknowledgement to the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP upon receipt.)
External Degree Offering of Second and Subsequent Programs via Distance Learning form
The form requires the following:
- Notification Date:
- Institution:
- College/Division:
- Department:
- Program Name:
- CIP Code:
- Type of Delivery (e.g., asynchronous, synchronous, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, Broadcast Transmission):
- Total Credit Hours Required for Completion:
- Proposed Start Date:
- Indication of whether the institution seeks the program to be listed on Georgia ONmyLINE [GOML] (yes or no):
- Indication of whether the institution seeks the program to be listed with the SREB Electronic Campus (yes or no):
- Contact information for the lead person in the department in addition to the Vice President for Academic Affairs:
Please note, if alterations to the existing program constitute a substantive change by SACSCOC definitions, the proposal will require approval from the BOR Academic Affairs Committee.
Senate reference page: https://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/distance-education/
- Deactivation of a Program: A deactivated program will not admit any new students. The program will not be listed in the college bulletin. The program, although listed on the Degrees and Majors inventory, will be identified as deactivated.
- Termination of a Program: After a program has been deactivated for a period up to three years, it can be formally terminated. Terminated programs may not be reactivated without going through the defined process for approving a new academic program. Although not required, programs that have had no enrollment for several years may be terminated without the interim step of deactivation.
The approval process for deactivation/termination of a program consists of the following steps:
- Deactivation/termination proposals must be voted on and approved by the department faculty before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Deactivation/termination that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the program deactivation/termination proposal using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once reviewed and approved by the APC. The Chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. The Graduate College dean should be included if the proposal involves graduate programs. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the new program.
- If the provost’s recommendation is positive, he or she will notify the University System of Georgia (USG) offices of the university’s decision and will forward the program proposal to the USG for reference.
- Normally, the program can be officially removed from the university curriculum after return acknowledgment of the university-level approval from the USG. (The APIE will send a copy of the official University System acknowledgement to the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP upon receipt.)
Before completing the Academic Program Review form you should have your proposal, in memo format, ready to upload. It should contain all items, in order, listed below.
Proposal Format
- Type of proposal (deactivation or termination)
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Program title
- CIP code
- Rationale for change
- Program curriculum (e.g., catalog copy) program to be deactivated/terminated and any resulting changes to related programs (e.g., revised full degree program after a concentration is excised).
- Current number of students in program.
- Plans for accommodating current students in the program.
- Anticipated impact on other programs within the offering department, the college, or the university.
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
- Approval path for program proposal, noting all formal department- or college-level votes.
GSU Senate reference link: https://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/deactivation/
The catalog system was not able to provide an updated word file this year. If you need assistance with creating a word file for editing from the website please email Matt Arp at [email protected] for help.
Select a link below for more information on submitting new curriculum proposals for review by the Academic Program Committee.
The process for the approval of a new course creation is as follows:
- Courses to be created (added) must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Course creations that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative must submit the proposal and catalog copy using the the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for review and approval.
- Once approved by APC the Department scheduler must submit a revision/creation form at https://aysps.wufoo.com/forms/z1xfdbcp08hil0a/ with all relevant details to implement the course creation.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved changes are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any changes and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
- Department / College / Institution
- Lead faculty contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Proposed new course number and prefix. Consult with department scheduler to ensure number is available for use.
- Proposed title
- Schedule will only display up to 30 characters of title. Recommend short descriptive title.
- Title may be expanded in course description if desired.
- Course grading mode. [Letter (A-F, I, W, WF), Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S, U, I, W, WF)]. If other is desired consult with department scheduler and OAA first.
- Credit hours.
- 3 is the default but variable is available. Consult with department scheduler and OAA.
- Course Prerequisite or recommended course. Please indicate which.
- Prerequisites are enforced by default.
- Courses may be recommended for students to take but not enforced as a prerequisite.
- Include minimum grade as pre-req. Example ‘C-‘
- Any registration restrictions (ex. BSW online only students, etc.)
- Course subject
- Anticipated course size (number of students planned for each section of course)
- Terms(s) courses will be offered (spring, fall, summer or a selection of these)
- Instructions type (Lecture, seminar, directed study, independent study, thesis, dissertation, internship)
- Any anticipated cross-listed courses
- Complete course syllabus
- Rationale for course creation
- Impact on other units
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
Adding a new program or major requires department, college, university (CAP) and Board of Regents approval. For comprehensive information, visit the Academic Program Guide website for comprehensive information http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/.
The review of new degree/major program proposals at the university and system levels requires the development of two documents: 1) a preliminary proposal (optional) and 2) the full proposal.
- New Academic Program Proposal Form: Units use the New Academic Program Proposal Form to formally propose a new degree program.
- Two-step Proposal Option: Units that prefer to submit a new academic program proposal in two stages are required to answer questions #1 through #8 of the New Academic Program Proposal Form linked above. This half-step will be shared with all system institutions and an affiliated system academic committee similar to practices that occur with a full, one-step proposal. This path enables units to seek general college, university, and USG input with regard to potential degrees. A positive response to the preliminary review does not guarantee institutional or BOR approval of the full proposal.
The process to add a program or major is as follows:
- Program additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- Program additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Program additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page. The New Academic Program Proposal Form is attached to the APR form. Catalog copy must also be included.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using ‘track changes’ so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See process list website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the submission will sent, by the Dean’s Office, to the CAP committee for review and approval.
- Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. The Graduate College dean should be included if the proposal involves graduate programs. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the preliminary/full proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the Concept Paper or proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- The Provost, on behalf of the President, will then make the decision on whether to forward the preliminary/full proposal for the new degree program or major to the Board or Regents. If the Provost’s recommendation is positive, the Vice Provost will submit to the USG office (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs) via the designated online process.
- Preliminary proposals will be shared with all system institutions and an affiliated system academic committee similar to practices that occur with a full, one-step proposal (see 8 below). After the review has concluded, an institution will be sent notification indicating whether a formal proposal is invited. If this is the case, the college and unit will be notified that they may proceed with the development and submission of the full proposal.
- Upon receipt at the System Office, a new program proposal will be posted on the web for information and institutional feedback. The system office review is based on the criteria for evaluation. The Office of Academic Programs will also consult the appropriate Regents Advisory Committee (disciplinary committee) for additional review of the curriculum. The program review staff will make a recommendation regarding acceptance of the proposal to the University System Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor.
- As part of the process for reviewing proposals, the Office of Academic Programs will disseminate to all University System of Georgia institutions, on a regular basis, a list of program proposals under consideration, and will invite interested parties to request a copy of proposals for review and comment. Information received through this process will be considered in evaluating proposed programs.
- If accepted for consideration following system office and system-wide review, the proposal will be submitted to the Board of Regents for a formal vote. The university will receive written acknowledgement of the results of the board vote.
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after return acknowledgment of BOR approval from the USG. (The APIE will send a copy of the official University System acknowledgement to the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP upon receipt.)
- Proposing parties should be aware that the USG/BOR may request additional information from the proposers during the review process and, at times, request that the proposers appear before the Board of Regents to answer questions. Proposing parties also should be aware that this entire approval process can take over a year.
- Once acknowledgement/approval has been made by the BOR, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new program/major.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved programs are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any changes and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
Adding a new concentration requires department, college, university (CAP) and Board of Regents approval. For comprehensive information, visit the Academic Program Guide website for comprehensive information http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/. The process to add a concentration is as follows:
- Concentration additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- Concentration additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Concentration additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal and catalog copy using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using ‘track changes’ so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See below for proposal guidelines or you may also visit the Senate website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the chair of APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. The Graduate College dean should be included if the proposal involves graduate programs. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the proposal (USG approval is not required for this type of proposal except as noted in step 6 above).
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after final university approval. (The APIE will notify the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP of final university approval.)
- Once final approval has been received, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new concentration.
- To ensure new concentration is reflected in the catalog the department representative must submit finalized catalog copy via this online form: https://aysps.wufoo.com/forms/z14f8cwo1o15gqj/. The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to submit the copy each year when submissions are open.
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Degree / major program
- Concentration title
- Concentration description and objectives
- Complete program/concentration curriculum (i.e., catalog copy using track changes in MS Word)
- Evidence of the need for and interest in this concentration, including projected enrollments.
- Anticipated impact on other programs within the offering department, the college, or the university.
- Additional resource requirements, if any, and budget implications (e.g., personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs, facilities and other operating costs, graduate student support). Intended method of funding additional costs if any.
- Administration of the concentration.
- Process for admitting students to the concentration.
- Advisement process and resources for students in the concentration. OAA should be consulted
- Measures that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the concentration, including:
- Student learning outcomes and other program outcomes (e.g., job placements, examination pass rates, etc.).
- Plans for assessing these outcomes.
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
Adding a new minor requires department, college, university (CAP) and Board of Regents approval. For comprehensive information, visit the Academic Program Guide website for comprehensive information http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/. A minor consists of specified set of courses in a subject area taken in addition to the major program requirements. According to University System requirements, a minor must contain 15 to 18 semester hours of coursework with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework. Courses taken to satisfy Core Areas A through E may not be counted as coursework in the minor. Core Area F courses may be counted as coursework in the minor. The process to add or deactivate a program, major, concentration or minor is as follows:
- Minor additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- Minor additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Minor additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal and catalog copy using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using Track Changes so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See process list website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee then will make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties that changes be made in the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- If the provost’s recommendation is positive, he or she will notify the University System of Georgia (USG) offices of the university’s decision and will forward the program proposal to the USG for reference.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the new program.
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after return acknowledgment of the university-level approval from the USG. (The APIE will send a copy of the official University System acknowledgement to the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP upon receipt.)
- Once acknowledgement/approval has been made by the BOR, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new minor.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved minors are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any additions and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Minor program title
- Affiliated degree program and major (indicate if there is no affiliated degree/major)
- Minor description and objectives
- Complete program curriculum (i.e., catalog copy using track changes in MS Word)
- Evidence of the need for and interest in this minor, including projected enrollments.
- Anticipated impact on other programs within the offering department, the college, or the university.
- Additional resource requirements, if any, and budget implications (e.g., personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs, facilities and other operating costs, graduate student support). Intended method of funding additional costs if any.
- Administration of the minor.
- Process for admitting students to the minor.
- Advisement process and resources for students in the program. OAA should be consulted.
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
NOTE: Changes submitted this fall will not be effective until the next fall.
Resources
List of USG Minors (notifications submitted beginning October 25, 2010)
Certificate: University System of Georgia institutions offer a variety of certificate programs. Many of these certificates are not associated with degrees, but are a prescribed program of study at the post secondary educational level. (Academic Affairs Handbook 2.3.8). The process to add a certificate is as follows:
- Certificate additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- Certificate additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- Certificate additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal and catalog copy using Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using Track Changes so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See below for proposal guidelines or you may also visit the Senate website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by a subcommittee, most typically the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council (depending on the level of the program being considered). The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. The Graduate College dean should be included if the proposal involves graduate programs. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the new program.
- If the provost’s recommendation is positive, he or she will notify the University System of Georgia (USG) offices of the university’s decision and will forward the program proposal to the USG for reference.
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after return acknowledgment of the university-level approval from the USG. (The APIE will send a copy of the official University System acknowledgement to the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP upon receipt.)
- Once acknowledgement/approval has been made by the BOR, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new minor.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved certificates are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any additions and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
- Department / College / Institution
- Contact name and email/phone
- Date of submission
- Implementation term
- Certificate program title
- CIP code
- Certificate acronym (i.e., CERO: undergraduate certificate of less than 30 hours; CER1: undergraduate certificate greater than 30 hours; CERG: post-bachelor’s/graduate certificate; CERM: post-master’s certificate; CERP: post-first professional certificate).
- Program description and objectives
- Complete program curriculum (i.e., catalog copy)
- Number of credit hours of core curriculum courses (if applicable) and total credit hours for certificate completion.
- Evidence that the program was designed to meet local market needs; or, for online programs, that the program was designed to meet regional or national market needs. Include projected enrollments.
- Role played in the development of the proposed program by external advisory groups or prospective employers of program graduates.
- Anticipated impact on other programs within the offering department, the college, or the university.
- Additional resource requirements, if any, and budget implications (e.g., personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs, facilities and other operating costs, graduate student support). Intended method of funding additional costs if any.
- Administration of the program.
- Process for admitting students to the program. Please consult with OAA.
- Advisement process and resources for students in the program. Please consult with OAA.
- Measures that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the program, including:
- Student learning outcomes and other program outcomes (e.g., job placements, examination pass rates, etc.)
- Plans for assessing these outcomes
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal.
- Approval path for program proposal, noting all formal department- or college-level votes.
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree concentration provides educational opportunities not available through existing, traditional degree programs. The purpose of the BIS concentration is to offer students an avenue by which they may be prepared academically in instructional areas that reflect cross-collegiate and cross-disciplinary collaboration. The university-level Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program provides concentrations that require curriculum typically offered across multiple colleges while college-level Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies concentrations offer curriculum typically offered across multiple departments/institutes within their college.
The approval process for university-level BIS concentration proposals consists of the steps below:
- BIS Concentration additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- BIS Concentration additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- BIS Concentration additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal and catalog copy using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using ‘track changes’ so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See below for proposal guidelines or you may also visit the Senate website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by the Undergraduate Council. The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the proposal (USG approval is not required for this type of proposal except as noted in step 6 above).
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after final university approval. (The APIE will notify the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP of final university approval.)
- Once approval has been made by the University, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new BIS concentration.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved BIS concentrations are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any additions and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
Proposals for university-level BIS concentrations should include the following information:
Cover Page Information:
- Interdisciplinary studies program concentration title
- Sponsoring colleges(s)/department(s)/institute(s)/center(s)/unit(s)
- Collaborating department(s)/institute(s)/center(s)/unit(s)
- Contact name, email and telephone number of primary faculty member responsible for all communication about the BIS concentration
- Contact name, email and telephone number of liaison faculty responsible for BIS concentration proposal in each sponsoring department.
- Date of proposal submission
- Proposed implementation term
Concentration Overview:
- Interdisciplinary Program Concentration Description and Objectives
- Mission statement
- Program Goals
Methods that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the program:
- Student learning outcomes and other program outcomes (e.g., job placements, examination pass rates, etc.).
- Plans for assessing these outcomes.
Evidence of Need and Interest in Interdisciplinary Concentration:
- Statement of need and interest in interdisciplinary concentration. Please provide information regarding the number of projected students and basis for projection. Please explain why the interdisciplinary nature of the program is essential to the degree and why the academic preparation for this degree cannot be accomplished within an established academic unit/program
Concentration Administration:
- Program admission requirements
- Complete program curriculum (i.e., catalog copy)
- Please be sure to document all pre-requisites and course sequences required for any course in the curriculum. Also, please provide course availability information for each course in the program curriculum (i.e, for established course – how often has the course been offered and how many sections (and seats) during the past academic year; for new courses not currently offered – which department will be responsible for its development, please project availability during next academic year, how many sections (and seats). Please provide draft syllabus for any new courses required for the concentration.
- Specify how CTW program requirements will be fulfilled
- Please indicate potential student progression issues related to the availability of courses in this program. Please provide a sample 4 year schedule of courses that would allow students to graduate in 4 years from this BIS program, including all core and pre-requisite courses.
- Strategies for ensuring adequate communication among collaborating units
- Proposed administration of the program. Please identify primary academic leader(s) for concentration (faculty member(s) primarily responsible for academic support)
- Proposed advisement process for students in this program
- Additional resource requirements, if any, and budget implications (personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs) and information regarding where resources will be obtained.
- Offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the proposal
- Anticipated impact on other programs, departments or colleges
- Sign off of proposal by sponsoring dean’s/department chairs/directors committing necessary resources, faculty, and course availability to ensure success of interdisciplinary concentration.
A concentration in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) Program at Georgia State University should contribute to the university goal of providing distinctive graduate education. The specific purpose of the MIS program is to address emerging, interdisciplinary areas of study by offering a limited number of new MIS concentrations at the graduate level, with an emphasis on responding to the evolving workforce needs of the city, state and region. The MIS will not be offered as a generic degree or individualized for individual students. Instead, Georgia State will offer a limited number of specific concentrations within the MIS degree, with each concentration emerging from regional and global industry needs or from one of the university’s major strategic undertakings. In particular, MIS concentrations should target workforce demand by producing job-ready graduates with advanced comprehensive understandings, multidimensional views, and practical skills.
On a practical level, the MIS program will enhance flexibility in graduate programming, test new curricula, and explore new pedagogical models at Georgia State. To meet the interdisciplinary goals of this master’s program, each concentration must be a collaborative effort by more than one department or unit at the university, and the collaborative teams should not already offer an interdisciplinary program together at the graduate level. In most cases, collaborative teams should identify a sponsoring (lead) unit for program administration, along with collaborative unit(s). Each participating entity should be acknowledged by the university for credit hours and administrative efforts contributing to the concentration, e.g. by multiple-counting of credit hours and degrees conferred to each student in an interdisciplinary concentration.
Generally, each concentration should consist of 30-45 credit hours, including an initial proseminar or similar course that helps to unify the disciplines of the program, as well as a capstone project that provides professional readiness or transition into a subsequent program via an internship, practicum, or course-based experience. Ultimately, MIS concentrations deemed successful based on benchmarks proposed by the collaborative teams may lead to establishment of independent programs.
The approval process for university-level MIS concentration proposals consists of the steps below:
- MIS Concentration additions can only be submitted during the fall semester to ensure implementation or removal for the subsequent catalog.
- MIS Concentration additions must be voted on and approved by the department before submission for approval to the AYS Academic Programs Committee (APC).
- MIS Concentration additions that affect other departments or colleges should be approved and discussed with the Department Chair and the affected department or college must be notified prior to department approval.
- Designated department representative submits the proposal and catalog copy using the Academic Program Review (APR) form linked at the top and bottom of this page.
- The attachment must be in the format required by the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP) and in catalog copy format using ‘track changes’ so the committee can clearly see what is being changed and it is format ready for CAP and the BOR. See below for proposal guidelines or you may also visit the Senate website for instructions and formatting guidelines http://senate.gsu.edu/ap-guide/review-process-list/
- The submission will be reviewed by the Office of Academic Assistance and forwarded to the APC for approval.
- Once approved by the APC, the chair of the APC will send approved proposals to the chair of the University Senate Committee on Academic Programs. Within CAP, the proposal initially will be deliberated on by the Graduate Council. The subcommittee chairs will include the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness (APIE) and the Graduate College dean in the dissemination of proposals to committee members. The Associate Provost for International Affairs should be included if the proposal involves collaboration with an international partner institution. These university administrators may request that notable issues be addressed before subcommittee review commences, or they may provide feedback on the proposal as part of the subcommittee review process to be addressed before the final proposal goes to the full committee for further review.
- The subcommittee may elect to invite the proposing parties to attend a meeting at which the proposal is discussed. The subcommittee will then make a recommendation to CAP. At a meeting to which the proposing parties will be invited, CAP will deliberate and vote on the proposal. At both the subcommittee and full committee levels, requests may be made to the proposing parties for changes to be made to the proposal.
- The chair of CAP will notify the APIE in writing of the recommendation of CAP.
- If any aspect of the proposed program constitutes a substantive change by BOR or SACSCOC standards, the university may be required to submit additional notifications or seek approval from either or both of these bodies. In such cases, the proposing units may be required to provide additional program information.
- The provost, on behalf of the university president, will make the final decision on implementation of the proposal (USG approval is not required for this type of proposal except as noted in step 6 above).
- Normally, the program can be officially added to the university curriculum (i.e., added to the record of official programs in the Banner system) after final university approval. (The APIE will notify the originating college(s) and the chair of CAP of final university approval.)
- Once approved by the University, the Office of Academic Assistance will partner with the academic unit to implement the new BIS concentration.
- The College catalog coordinator will send out a call to review catalog copy at the end of each year for the following academic year. Approved MIS concentrations are added to the catalog and Departments are responsible for reviewing any additions and edits for accuracy and to ensure their approved changes are included in the new catalog edition.
Proposals for MIS concentrations should include the information requested below.
Cover Page
- Concentration Title
- Sponsoring colleges(s)/department(s)/institute(s)/center(s)/unit(s)
- Collaborating department(s)/institute(s)/center(s)/unit(s)
- Contact name, email and telephone number of primary faculty member responsible for communication about the MIS concentration
- Contact name, email and telephone number of each liaison faculty member responsible for communication about the MIS concentration in each collaborating unit
- Date of proposal submission
- Proposed implementation term
Concentration Overview
- Please provide an overview of this concentration proposal, e.g. including brief description of the concentration content, curriculum, target students, roles of contributing units, and modes of delivery.
- Mission Statement
- Methods that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the program, including:
- Student learning outcomes and other program outcomes (e.g., job placements, examination pass rates, etc.).
- Plans for assessing these outcomes.
- Benchmarks of success of the concentration
Evidence of Need and Interest in the MIS Concentration
- Please justify the need for the concentration, based on need in the professional field for this novel combination of departments or units, as well as need on our campus for this program of study. Describe the workforce needs in Georgia or beyond that can be met by graduates with this MIS concentration, and/or the advanced degree programs for which these graduates will be highly competitive. Include information on why the academic preparation for this degree cannot be accomplished within an established academic unit or program at this university or other institutions in the University System of Georgia, and how the new combination of departments or units will better facilitate learning in this new area of interest.
- Provide evidence of student interest in the concentration curriculum among GSU students or similar populations at other institutions or in relevant professional positions.
- Project the number of students who will apply and target numbers for admissions, along with a basis for the projections.
Plans for Concentration Administration
- Summarize program admission requirements.
- Outline the complete program curriculum (including catalog copy) with an emphasis on feasibility with respect to course availability and courses meeting expected enrollment (i.e., courses making).
- All pre-requisites and course sequences required for any course in the curriculum.
- Predicted course availability information for each course in the program curriculum.
- for each established course – how often the course has been offered and how many sections (and seats) during the past academic year.
- for each new course – which department will be responsible for course development and approval; projected availability during the next academic year, with number of sections (and seats); draft syllabus and catalog description.
- Sample schedule of courses that would allow students to graduate in 30-45 credit hours, including any anticipated pre-requisite courses.
- Use a table to map the learning outcomes onto the curriculum requirements, i.e. align learning outcomes with the courses that best enable students to demonstrate each outcome.
- Specify how the recommended proseminar or other introductory course will unify the disciplines involved in the concentration. If students in the proposed concentration will join in a proseminar with other MIS concentrations, provide documentation of approval and/or logistics of collaboration (e.g. letter of support from existing proseminar instructor and department/unit leader).
- Specify how the recommended capstone project will prepare students effectively to join the workforce or proceed to other degree programs. If capitalizing on an existing internship, practicum, capstone, or similar course or project, provide specific evidence that the existing offering will use appropriate interdisciplinary content and approach. For all capstone options, detail the final products and how they will be reviewed by a faculty member (e.g. sample grading rubrics). If the program requires internships or similar experiences, explain the process for identifying opportunities, securing approval from Legal Affairs and Risk Management, and for placing specific students.
- Prepare an administrative leadership plan.
- Proposed administration of the program, including primary academic leader(s) for concentration, i.e. faculty member(s) primarily responsible for academic support.
- Strategies for ensuring adequate communication among collaborating units, especially if leadership is to be shared equally among sponsoring and collaborative units.
- Proposed advisement process for students, e.g. which units will provide faculty advisors and which units will manage formal student complaints, etc.
- Additional resource requirements (if any), budget implications (personnel costs, library acquisitions, computing/equipment costs), and information regarding sources.
- Any offices, departments, committees, and individuals consulted during the development of the concentration proposal.
- Summarize anticipated impact on other programs, departments or colleges.
- Provide a signature page, including sign off on proposal by sponsoring and collaborating directors, department chairs, and deans committing necessary resources, faculty, and courses to ensure success of the interdisciplinary concentration.
SUBMISSION DATES:
Fall – July 1-November 1
Spring – January 1-April 1
FOR ASSISTANCE, CONTACT:
Dr. Jan Ivery
Associate Dean for Academic Programs
[email protected]
404-413-1054
Matt Arp
Director, Office of Academic Assistance
[email protected]
404-413-0024