Program Proposal and Approval - Instructions and Information
The Program Proposal and review process was created by the State Board of Education (SBOE) and is used to notify the Board and other state institutions of the intention to add new, modify existing, or discontinue degree programs or initiate other changes. Additional instructions and forms are located at http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/public_col_univ/program_approval.asp.
The Office of Academic Affairs oversees the submission of proposal forms to notify appropriate review committees – Undergraduate Curriculum Council, Research Council, Graduate Council, and Deans' Council – of the proposed changes. Once the proposal has been approved by one or more of these Councils and Administration, it is forwarded to the Board for approval. Please refer to the attached internal process for the approval of new proposals.
A Proposal Form is required when seeking approval to:
- Add, modify, or discontinue an instructional degree program
- Add, modify, or discontinue a program major, minor, option, or emphasis area
- Create, rename, or delete a research, instructional, or service institute or center
- Create, rename, or delete an instructional unit (division, department, school, or college)
Effective May 2008, in addition to the Program Proposal form, ISU requires completion of a Resource Allocation and Impact Summary, which provides additional information pertaining to funding of the program and the impact of the program on institutional resources (e.g., Library, Information Technology Services, and Facilities Services).
Both the Proposal Form/Budget Form and the Resource Allocation and Impact Summary must be completed with required signatures prior to being submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by the college dean. The college dean is responsible for securing the necessary signatures from the Library, Information Technology Services, and Facility Services.
FORMS
- Program Proposal Routing Sheet
- Proposal Process
- Baccalaureate Proposal/Budget Forms - located at the SBOE website http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/public_col_univ/program_approval.asp. Be sure to download both the proposal form and budget form.
- Graduate/Doctoral Proposal Form/Budget Form - located at the SBOE website http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/public_col_univ/program_approval.asp. Be sure to download the proposal form and the budget form.
- Other Academic Program Activity and PTE Form/Budget Form located at the SBOE website http://www.boardofed.idaho.gov/public_col_univ/program_approval.asp. Be sure to download the proposal form and the budget form.
- Program Proposal Resource Allocation and Impact Summary Form. Please note there are seven (7) separate worksheets (tabs along the bottom) in this Excel file that must be completed.
REVIEW PROCESS
- The department chair, program director, or dean initiates the proposal and completes the form and Resource Allocation and Impact Summary Form. The dean’s office is responsible for obtaining signatures from the Library, Information Technology Services, and Facilities Services required for the Resource Allocation and Impact Summary.
- Once all signatures are obtained, the dean’s office will forward both a signed paper copy and an electronic copy (Word/Excel not pdf's) of the documents to the Office of Academic Affairs (Stop 8063). Department and faculty members should work with the appropriate dean to ensure that college standards are met. Deans (or the equivelent) are responsible for ensuring that all program proposals are vetted by the appropriate units in the colleges (or equivalent instructional unit).
- Complete the Program Proposal Routing Sheet and forward the proposal to the Office of Academic Affairs. An ISU Tracking Number will be assigned to the Proposal Form by the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Proposal and Resource Allocation and Impact Summary forms will be forwarded to the appropriate institutional review committee:
- Curriculum Council for undergraduate programs
- Graduate Council for graduate programs
- Research Council for research centers and institutes
- All proposals will be forwarded to the Council of Deans for approval. Once the Council of Deans has approved, it will be forwarded to the Provost's Office. The Provost will sign all proposals and secure signatures from the Vice President for Finance and the President. Proposals will be forwarded to the SBOE Office for approval.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
To expedite the review process, it is critical all required forms be complete and accurate. Incomplete or inaccurate information may cause substantial delays as the documents will be returned to the originating college for completion and/or clarification. Common oversights and omissions include:
- Inaccurate or missing CIP Code
- Missing signed Resource Allocation and Impact Summary forms from the Library, Information Technology Services, and Facilities Services
- Not using the current Proposal Form (the Board changes the form from time to time, so be sure to use the form available on their website)
- Missing attachments or appendices referenced in the Proposal Form
- Inaccurate or incomplete budget calculations (all budget information required in the Proposal Form and the Resource Allocation and Tracking Summary must be complete).
- If the proposed program is not listed in the current 5-Year Plan, justification for requesting approval of the program must be included in the proposal.
If you have any questions, please contact Laura Woodworth-Ney or Kelly Plummer Sherrard in the Office of Academic Affairs at 282-2171. Forward the electronic copy of the proposal to plumkell@isu.edu.