This policy provides guidelines for the development and submission for review of proposals from University of Minnesota colleges and campuses for new and changed academic programs. Principles that frame this policy include:
- Academic programs should be aligned with the missions of their home unit, and with the University's broad institutional goals and strategic directions.
- Proposals for academic programs are to align with related policies, and to reflect common criteria: quality; centrality; comparative advantage; demand; efficiency and effectiveness; and, growth and leveraging of resources.
- Decisions to offer, change, or drop academic programs, when they have the potential to affect or involve other units within the University, require consultation early in the program development stage.
- The Board of Regents policy calls for Board approval of new academic programs, academic program name changes, and additions or discontinuations of academic programs.
- The Executive Vice President and Provost has the delegated responsibility to review and forward as appropriate academic proposals from colleges and campuses for Board consideration and approval.
- New and changed programs may not be initiated prior to formal approval by the Board of Regents.
This policy is intended to:
- Enhance quality, productivity, and efficiency in academic program development and implementation.
- Ensure that program development is aligned with unit compact statements and institutional, campus, and college mission and strategic directions.
- Make explicit commonly-held assumptions about criteria for academic programs, and connections to related policies.
- Foster shared consultation, and where appropriate, planning across academic units.
- Enhance availability, consistency, and coordination of information about the University's academic programs for transcript records, internal analysis, accountability reporting, and accreditation.
- Ensure thorough and timely review of proposals.
- Academic Program:
- Credit-bearing degrees, majors, minors, certificates, and formal tracks that appear on official University of Minnesota transcripts.
- Articulation Agreement:
- Formal arrangements to transfer academic credits between another institution and the University of Minnesota.
- Academic Exchange:
- Formal two-way relationships involving students, faculty, or both, between another institution and the University of Minnesota.
See the Process Overview section of procedure 2.2.4.1, "Development, Review and Approval of Academic Programs".
In support of this policy, the following appendices are included:
There are no frequently asked questions for this policy.
This policy conforms to the revision of Board of Regents Board Operation and Agenda Guidelines, amended in October 2006, which states:
"The Educational Planning and Policy Committee advises on academic priorities and the teaching, research, and outreach missions of the University. This committee assesses academic programs for relevance to students and consistency with the University's mission and strategies, and reviews internal evaluations of academic programs. Specifically, this committee recommends: New academic programs, academic program name changes, and additions or discontinuations of academic programs..."
This policy relates to other policies and procedures:
Amended: January 2003 - Updated phone number in contacts section and procedure.
- Effective:
- July 2002
Supercedes: January 1994 Policy on Approval of Academic Programs, and all working versions circulated since then.
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To obtain a copy of a historical policy,
e-mail the U Policy Librarian at policy@umn.edu or call 612-624-4372.
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