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Home / SACS Accreditation / 3.4.1 Academic Program Approval...

3.4 Educational Programs: All Educational Programs

3.4.1 Academic Program Approval

The institution demonstrates that each educational program for which academic credit is awarded is approved by the faculty and the administration.

Judgement of Compliance:

Compliance

Narrative:

The Faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has primary responsibility for the curriculum, which must be approved by appropriate committees and the administration. Chapter 5 of the Faculty Handbook defines the responsibilities of the faculty, including contributing to the curriculum, participating in meetings to strengthen educational programs, and serving on faculty committees, such as the curriculum committee.

Curriculum proposals (new courses or course and program revisions) are initiated at the department or college level by the faculty. After proposals have been scrutinized by the department or college curriculum committee, they are submitted to a university-wide committee, the administration, and Faculty Senate for review. Undergraduate proposals are reviewed by the University Curriculum Committee. A signature cover sheet ensures that the necessary approvals are obtained at each level. Graduate proposals are reviewed by the Graduate Council Curriculum Committee. UTC has adopted protocols for approval of all curriculum proposals which define the roles of faculty and administrators in the approval process.

Curriculum Proposals (new courses, program revisions)

	Undergraduate	Graduate
1	Department/college faculty, department head(s), dean(s)	Department/college faculty, department head(s), dean(s)
2	Distance Education Council, if applicable	Distance Education Council, if applicable
3	Registrar	Registrar
4	University Curriculum Committee	Graduate Council Curriculum Committee
5	Associate Provost	Graduate Council
6	Faculty Senate	Associate Provost
7		Faculty Senate Executive Committee

In 2009-2010, the University Curriculum Committee reviewed eighty-three (83) proposals and submitted them to the Faculty Senate for approval. The Graduate Council Curriculum Committee approved thirty-seven (37) proposals. These proposals provide a representative sample of the proposals approved in 2009-2010:

New Course: History Special Topics Courses, 3000-4000
Revised course: Theater and Speech Combining Courses, 259 and 459
Revised program: Engineering Technology Management
Prerequisite change: Psychology 2010
Graduate proposals: Doctor of Nursing Practice

New Programs

Proposals for new programs undergo a similar review by the curriculum committees and Faculty Senate, but they require additional administrative approvals at the campus, system, and state levels, as well as SACS notification and/or approval.

1	Provost approval to proceed with development of proposal
2	Provost informs Chancellor of intent to create new program
3	Provost notifies UT VPAA for THEC notification
4	SACS Liaison reviews for substantive change
5	Distance Education Council reviews and makes recommendation to Provost
6	Chancellor sends letter of intent to SACS COC President 6 months prior to implementation
7	Campus approvals via normal procedure (see Curriculum Proposals)
8	Provost approves proposal
9	Provost and UT VPAA arrange for consultant visit for graduate programs
10	Provost sends approved proposal to UT VPAA for BOT approval
11	Prospectus to SACS, if required, 3 months prior to implementation
12	Proposal sent to THEC by UT VPAA for approval

Two new programs approved in recent years include the Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2010 and the Master of Science in Mathematics in 2008. Separation of the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering was also approved. New programs approved and implemented since 2001 are identified in Comprehensive Standard 3.12.1, Substantive Change.

The General Education Committee oversees the general education curriculum as approved by the faculty. The committee certifies courses for general education credit, monitors existing courses, makes recommendations concerning the content and structure of general education, reviews policies regarding transfer of general education credit, and considers appeals from students concerning general education credit. The committee is also responsible for assessing the effectiveness of the general education curriculum. The committee’s reports and recommendations are considered by the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Academic Administration.