1.0  Purpose

1.1     The purpose of this University Policy is to define the process for the approval of educational policies.

2.0  Authority to Approve Educational Policy

2.1     The final authority to approve educational policy is vested in the Board of Governors.  The Board has provided for the delegation of some policy-making authority to the President and has also authorized the President to delegate that authority.  All matters of educational policy, including all additions, changes, or deletions in the curriculum, must be approved by the Board of Governors or by the president or his/her designee, acting within the scope of his/her authority delegated by the Board.

3.0  Process for Developing Educational Policies

3.1     To assure full faculty consultation and administrative review of educational policies, all such policies shall be presented to the Board of Governors or appropriate executive officer through the policy-making process defined in University Policy 99-1.  Pursuant to Statute and Section 6.3 of University Policy 99-1, the Academic Senate and, where appropriate,  the Graduate Council will be consulted in educational policy matters which significantly affect the interests of more than one school or college or the University as a whole; and school or college faculty deliberative bodies will be consulted in educational policy matters affecting the interests of their school or college.

4.0  Approval of Educational Policies

4.1     Approval by the Board of Governors shall be required for the following matters of educational policy:

a.   Establishment, consolidation and termination of degrees and free-standing certificates;

b.   Principal requirements for earning degrees;

c.    Requirements for the award of all academic honors which are noted on the diploma or transcript;

d.   The establishment, consolidation or termination of majors, co-majors, curricula, or other program designations which appear on the transcript or diploma and/or which lead to a degree or free standing certificate;

e.   Creation, termination, and reorganization of colleges, schools, departments, institutes, and centers;

f.   General admissions policies and standards, but normally excluding specific criteria for admission within those general policies and standards;

g.   General transfer admissions policies and standards, but normally excluding specific criteria for transfer admission within those general admissions policies and standards;

h.   General policies establishing student academic rights and responsibilities and academic disciplinary standards and procedures;

i.    Creation, reorganization, and termination of consortia programs of study, research and service involving substantial budgetary commitments, with other institutions;

j.    Creation, modification, and termination of affiliation agreements involving substantial budgetary commitments or shared authority to award academic degrees or other forms of recognition of academic or professional training, qualifications, or competence.

k.   Establishment, definition, modification, and elimination of grades and marks in the University grading system.

4.2    Approval by the Provost shall be required for the following matters of educational policy:

a.   Establishment, consolidation and termination of minors, concentrations, subdegree certificates, and other programs of instruction which do not lead to the award of a degree;

b.   Assignment of academic and administrative service activities to colleges, schools, and other academic or administrative units;

c.   Specific requirements for admission or transfer admission to the University and to schools or colleges;

d.   Changes in specific grading guidelines that are consistent with the grading system approved by the Board of Governors.

e.   Establishment, modification and termination of general education or distribution requirements for the attainment of degrees, majors, minors and certificates;

f.   Changes in specific course requirements for general education or distribution requirements and for degrees, majors, minors, certificates, concentrations, and other academic programs;

g.   Creation, elimination, or substantial modification of courses;

h.   Approval of articulation agreements and the articulation of individual courses;

i.    Establishment, modification, and termination of consortia programs of study, research, and service with other institutions, except those requiring approval by the Board of Governors pursuant to Section 4.1(i);

j.    Establishment, modification, and termination of affiliation agreements, except those requiring approval by the Board of Governors pursuant to Section 4.1(j);

k.    Self-studies and other submissions in support of the accreditation of academic programs;

l.    Catalogue and other printed statements of academic programs, admissions requirements, student rights and responsibilities, course content, and all other matters of educational policy;

m.  Creation, modification, or elimination of course prerequisites;

n.   Creation, modification, and elimination of codes for curricula, degrees, certificates, majors, ranks, courses and all other curricular matters;

o.   Specific admissions requirements for departments and other academic programs within colleges and schools, specifically including departmental graduate admissions standards;

p.   Approval of off-campus offerings of degree programs, including travel-study programs and courses.

5.0  Delegation of Authority

5.1     The authority exercised by the Provost under Section 4.2 is pursuant to the delegation of authority to the president in the By-Laws of the Board of Governors, the Statutes creating the  Academic Senate and the Graduate Council, and other Board definitions of the executive responsibilities of the president.  

6.0  Definitions of Authority

6.1     All matters of educational policy for which a process of approval is not specifically provided in section 4.0 shall be submitted to the president, who shall forward them to the Board of Governors for decision unless such matters are within the scope of authority already delegated to the president by the Board.

6.2     Failure to specify a process of approval for any educational policy matter in Section 4.1 does not authorize any body or person to approve or act under any policy not adopted by the Board of Governors or president.

6.3     For purposes of Section 4.1(a) and 4.2(a), a “free-standing certificate,” which requires approval of the Board of Governors, is any certificate which can be earned by pursuing a course of study and which may be awarded to a person without respect to whether he/she also earns a degree.  A “subdegree certificate” for the purposes of these sections is a certificate awarded after completion of a course of study and only on the condition that the recipient also earns a degree.

7.0  Past Policies

7.1     All educational policies adopted prior to the establishment of this University Policy and previously approved by the Board of Governors, president, or provost, shall be given full force.  Educational policies must receive the approval of the Board of Governors, president, or provost to be regarded as finally approved.  

8.0  Duration

8.1     This University Policy is revocable by the President at any time  and without notice.

9.0  Effective Date

9.1     This University Policy is effective upon issuance.

9.2     Executive Order 83-4 is hereby revoked, effective immediately.

Signed by President Irvin D. Reid October 25, 2004