C.22 Procedures for Changes in Graduate Curricula‌

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Procedures for the review of the graduate curriculum, including the curricular content of new programs, approval of new courses, and the modification of existing courses and program curricula are described below. Petitions for changes in curricula are available through CurriculogTM, the online curriculum management system.

  1. General Guidelines

     

    1. The term curricular program is defined as the specific course requirements for any master's, doctoral or certificate program to be applied toward some degree or certificate granting program offered by the University. Any change in these requirements is interpreted as a modification of a curricular program. Changes in the total number of credit hours required to complete a degree program or in the number of credit hours required to complete a particular degree, changes in the title of the degree or certificate, and additions and deletions of any required courses will be interpreted as modifications of a curricular program. Changing the timing of specified courses (say from fall semester to spring semester or from first year to second year) is not considered a modification requiring approval.
    2. A petition is required to introduce any new graduate course or to modify or delete any existing graduate course. Changes in the number of credit hours, in course titles, in the distribution of contact hours between lecture and laboratory, in the course content or description, or in prerequisites will be interpreted as modifications of a course.
    3. All petitions for new academic programs must be submitted to the UCC or UGC by the 3rd Monday in September or the 3rd Monday in January to ensure adequate time for review by NPDC, APC and the Board of Trustees.

    4. To be published in the semester schedule, all petitions for new courses and/or curricular programs should be submitted to the chair of the Graduate Council according to the following schedule:

      November 15 of the prior year for courses to be offered during the fall term, March 1 for courses to be offered the following spring and summer terms.

    5. Petitions are to be prepared in accordance with petition formats available in the Graduate Studies Office. All petitions must meet the following criteria:
      1. Approval by the departmental chairperson and Dean, School of Graduate Studies. A department is defined for this purpose as an academic discipline.
      2. Approval by the college level Graduate Council
      3. Approval by the dean, or in the case of interdisciplinary courses, by the deans of all affected colleges.
      4. Approval by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies.
    6. The college level Graduate Council will review all petitions for curriculum changes and, when necessary, make recommendations to the provost.
    7. The Dean, School of Graduate Studies will publish the Graduate Council's meeting time and place at least one week prior to meeting.
    8. All curriculum changes at the University are effective on August 15 each year.

     

  2. Procedures for Introducing a New Curricular Graduate Program

    The proposal is initiated or prepared at the department or college level as appropriate. A department is defined for this purpose as an academic discipline. Authorization to develop new programs is the responsibility of the Academic Planning Council. The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees reviews and approves such programs in light of the Indiana Commission of Higher Education guidelines. New program requests are then submitted to the appropriate state agencies. If the new program is not related to a present department or college, the program may be initiated and prepared through Graduate Studies or the Provost’s Office. It shall be prepared by the college requesting the change.

    1. The original of the petition must be submitted in Curriculog® to the Dean, School of Graduate Studies for review by the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs.
    2. In evaluating petitions, the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs may extend invitations to concerned faculty members to attend council sessions and may request additional information which it considers necessary. After initial evaluation by the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs, a description and the rationale for the program will be published. The faculty will be given ten instructional days from the time of publication in which to present to the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs written support or objection to the proposal. If objections have been received and cannot be resolved through discussion by the concerned parties, the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs will consider the petition again.
    3. Following its evaluation, the Council of Graduate Program Directors and Chairs will submit the recommendation to the Academic Planning Council. Upon approval by the Academic Planning Council, the recommendation will be submitted to the president.
    4. Notice of final administrative approval will be published by the provost .
    5. When final state approval to implement a new curricular program is received, all new courses for the program must be approved following the procedures for initiating new graduate courses.

     

  3. Procedures for Initiating New Graduate Courses

    1. Approval for initiating new courses is secured through the use of a Petition for a New and Modified Graduate Course available in Curriculog® curriculum management system. Each new course proposed must be listed on a separate petition. The proposal is to be prepared as a petition with the members of the program and approved by the department chair, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, the college level graduate council, the dean of the college that will have the primary evaluation responsibility for the course or program, and the Dean, School of Graduate Studies. A department is defined for this purpose as an academic discipline.

      For the course to be counted toward a second degree program, the petition must also be recommended by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies and the dean of the college of that program.

    2. Upon completion of the approval process as noted above, the petitions will be reviewed by the provost.
    3. Notice of the final administrative decision will be published by the provost.

     

  4. Procedures for Modifying and/or Deleting Graduate Courses or Programs

    1. Approval for modifications and deletions of existing courses and programs is secured through the use of a Petition for New and Modified Graduate Course. Each course or program to be modified or deleted must be listed on a separate petition. The proposal is to be prepared as a petition with the members of the program and must be approved by the department chair, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, the college level Graduate Council, the dean of the college that will have the primary evaluation responsibility for the course or program, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, and the provost. A department is defined for this purpose as an academic discipline.

      To be counted toward a second degree program, the petition must also be recommended by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies and the dean of the college of that program.

      1. Minor modifications of existing courses are not required to be submitted on petitions. The procedure for minor modifications is described in section b. below. Minor modifications include such things as changes in course title, course number in which the course level remains the same, prefix if the proposed prefix has been officially approved for use, course description, and prerequisite where the change is necessary because of a change in the title or number of the prerequisite course.
      2. Requests for approval of minor modifications are submitted to the Dean, School of Graduate Studies by the dean of the college requesting the modification. The request may be made in the form of a memorandum from the dean. A memorandum requesting approval of minor modifications may include modifications to two or more courses. For each approval requested, the memorandum should state the type of modification proposed, the reason for the modification, and both the existing and proposed course description. Upon receipt of such a request the Dean, School of Graduate Studies will consult with the provost. Their agreement will constitute approval of the modification(s) and the provost will publish a notice of this approval.

       

     

  5. Experimental and Special Graduate Courses

    In maintaining an up-to-date curriculum, it is sometimes necessary to introduce non-traditional and special credit courses on an experimental basis. These include courses of a topical or contemporary nature, the content of which may have widespread but only short-term appeal. Also included are courses which may require initial experimentation and development before inclusion as a regular part of the curriculum.

    The Provost’s Office serves as the administrative vehicle for experimental and special courses. Approval of experimental and special graduate courses is by a committee including the provost, the dean of the college involved, and the Dean, School of Graduate Studies. For courses which logically do not fall under any of the established colleges, the Dean, School of Graduate Studies will serve as college dean. Procedural steps to be followed in approving an experimental or special graduate course include the following:

    1. The proposal for an experimental or special graduate course is presented as a petition to the dean or the department chair with responsibility for the discipline or disciplines involved in the course. The petition format is the same as for introducing new courses as a regular part of the curriculum.
    2. If the dean approves of the course, the dean will assign a new or unused course number. The course number is to be followed by the letter "X" to signify a special or experimental course. If the course is offered a second time, the course number is to be followed by an "XX".
    3. The dean will present the petition to the Dean, School of Graduate Studies and the provost for approval. Approved courses will be announced.
    4. Approval for continuation of experimental or special courses may be granted for one consecutive academic semester only.
    5. After completion of the course and review of the evaluation results, the dean, provost and the Dean, School of Graduate Studies may recommend inclusion of the course in the formal curriculum, in which case the dean will collect the petition, all documents related to the course, and results of the evaluation for review. The dean will submit the material to the college level graduate council for formal approval according to the normal procedure.

     

  6. Course Removal/Irregularly Offered Course Policy

    Courses that appear in the Bulletin but are not offered within four calendar years will either be removed or designated irregularly offered in subsequent issues of the Bulletin by action of the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs in consultation with deans. Once removed, courses must be introduced via the curricular procedures for the addition of new courses. The first four-year period commences fall, 1988.

  7. Course Numbering System

    The following information should be kept in mind when assigning course numbers. Course numbers between 001 and 099 are available for credit but do not apply to the 120 hours required for graduation. Such courses are typically of a developmental nature. Generally, the following numbers are used for courses at the 100 level and above:

    Course Number Level
    100 - 199 Freshman
    200 - 299 Sophomore
    300 - 399 Junior
    400 - 499 Senior
    500 - 599 Graduate
    600 - 699 Graduate Only
    700 - 800 Doctoral Only

    Assignment of these numbers should not be construed as an indication that the course is restricted to members of the particular year noted. Additional notation is required to restrict a course if that is deemed advisable and appropriate. Courses bearing the catalog number 500 or above carry graduate credit. Courses numbered in the 500 series usually have 400 counterparts, which are open to undergraduate students. Five specific courses numbered 501 in the College of Business do not have 400 counterparts and do not count toward the M.B.A. degree. Courses numbered in the 600 series and above are open only to graduate students. Courses numbered in the 700 series and above are only open to doctoral students.

    Course numbers ending in either a 0 or 99 indicate that the class can be repeated for credit up to the maximum hours specified.