Academic Programs Committee

Procedures for Academic Unit and Curricular Changes

Academic and Curricular Change Portal

Welcome! The button below will take you to an interactive form, allowing you to begin your proposal submission. This form will walk you through all necessary steps required in the approval process. You will receive email notifications as your proposal progresses through the approval and implementation stages. Please be sure to consult the Year At A Glance Memo for important deadlines.

At this time, you may submit all changes requiring APC, University Council, University Senate, Course Challenge, College, or VP Academic (Provost) approval. If you require assistance, please contact catalogue.support@usask.ca .

Submit Your Proposal Now

For a detailed description of approval procedures and a list of the associated forms, please see the information below.

You can use either the Word version or the Interactive PDF version of these forms.  If you have Acrobat Pro on your computer, you can save the Interactive PDF forms, circulate to colleagues by email, update as required, and finally attach them to the Portal when you are ready to submit your program changes.  If you do not have Acrobat Pro installed, the PDF forms cannot be saved.  You should use the Word version instead.

Forms

Word version

Interactive PDF version
 
Program Handbook 
March 2013 
 		  Program Handbook in Word format    Program Handbook in pdf (non-interactive) format    
Notice of Intent
 		 Notice of Intent - Word  Notice of Intent - PDF
Report Form for Program Termination
 		 Report Form for Program Termination - Word Report Form for Program Termination - PDF
Proposal Form for Curriculum Change
 		 Proposal Form for Curriculum Change - Word Proposal Form for Curriculum Change - PDF 
Consulation with the Registrar form Consultation wth the Registrar Form - Word Consultation with the Registrar Form - PDF 
Library Requirements Form Library Requirements Form - Word Library Requirements Form - PDF
ICT Requirements Form ICT Requirements Form - Word ICT Requirements Form - PDF
Physical Resource Requirements Form Physical Resource Requirements Form - Word Physical Resource Requirements Form - PDF 
Budget Requirements Form
 		 Budget Requirements Form - Word Budget Requirements Form - PDF
University Course Challenge Submit Form
 		 University Course Challenge Submit Form - Word University Course Challenge Submit Form - PDF
Name Change Form
 		 Name Change Form - Word Name Change Form - PDF
New Course Proposal Form New Course Proposal Form - Word New Course Proposal Form - PDF 
SESD: Course Creation Form SESD Course Creation Form - Word SESD Course Creation Form - PDF 
SESD: Interdisciplinary Use of Subject Codes Form  not available in Word SESD Interdisciplinary Use of Subject Codes Form - PDF

These examples may help:

  • Example of a new program - this proposal is for the BSc in Animal Science
  • Example of a course list and calendar entry with revised courses
  • Example of how to map skills and knowledge, and career paths to a curriculum
  • Example of a revised program -- these changes show a marked-up Calendar entry
  • Example of a new field of study at the minor level
  • Example of a program option
  • Example of a Deans Letter of Support
  • Example of a College Statement and Related Documentation

    • Procedures

    What do you want to do?

    1.  Create a new course

    Your college may have its own form for new course and program proposals.  If not, here is a New Course Proposal Form.

    New courses developed by University of Saskatchewan faculty and/or departments must be approved at the department and College level.  For examples of college-level approval procedures, see Arts & Science and Graduate Studies & Research

    The course would then be submitted by your College to the Office of the University Secretary for university-level approval through the University Course Challenge procedure.  If the course is not challenged within a month, it is deemed to have university approval. 

    Special Topics Courses  are given final approval at the college level.

    When a course proposal has been approved, the Student and Enrolment Services division (SESD) also asks department to submit a Course Creation Form  when the course is to be listed for registration.

    2. Introduce a new program, major program revision, new program option or field of study

    The Academic Programs Committee deals with new programs and major program revisions, as well as changes to admission qualifications and admission quotas.  These significant changes are either approved by the Committee, or forwarded to University Council for approval.

    Colleges intending to develop a new program should first submit a Notice of Intent to the Planning and Priorities Committee.

    The Proposal Form for Curricular Change is used for proposals of all kinds.  This form, and the consultation forms for resources, are now available as interactive PDFs -- see above.  Or you can use the Word version of the forms listed in the Program Handbook. This booklet also includes the Chart for approval authority, information about course challenge and program termination, frequently-used nomenclature, and a description of how the Academic Programs Committee reviews program proposals. 

    Some Certificates and Diplomas also follow these Program Approval Procedures

    Please submit your proposal through the Portal.

    3. Delete a program

    Deletions of programs are approved by Council on the recommendation of the Academic Programs Committee.  See the Report Form for Program Termination.

    Please submit these forms through the Portal.

    4. Make program changes, create a minor or concentration in a program, delete a course, change a prerequisite

    Many straightforward program changes, new courses and course deletions are approved by University Course Challenge.  These can be submitted individually or in a document attached to the University Course Challenge Submit Form.

    Please send course challenge material through the Portal.

    Please note that new courses which are part of a new program or program option are not approved by Challenge, but rather are submitted with the program for approval by or through Academic Programs Committee.  Courses may also be deleted by the Moribund Course Archive policy.

    5.  Make other curricular changes

    Changes to admission selection criteria and to graduation and promotion standards are approved by colleges.  Many straightforward changes to courses may be approved at the College level, provided they do not affect programs or courses outside your college:

    - course label (in consultation with the Office of the Registrar)
    - course number (in consultation with the Office of the Registrar)
    - course title
    - course level (ie 200-level to 300-level)
    - course term
    - Calendar description
    - prerequisites and corequisites
    - change in course content
    - changes in course hours (for lectures, laboratory, etc)
    - splitting or combining courses (ie  splitting a 6-credit-unit course into two 3-credit-unit courses)
    - changes to methods of evaluation

    Consult the Office of the University Secretary for more information.

    Where any of these changes require the use of a new course number (such as changing credit units or splitting a course), please contact the Office of the Registrar at Student and Enrolment Services to determine which course numbers are available for use.  Course numbers cannot be reused for 10 years.

    When these types of changes will affect the Catalogue Listings for other departments or colleges, they can be listed for information in the Course Challenge. Please submit these types of information documents with the University Course Challenge Submit Form through the Portal.

    6.  Make another type of administrative change, such as name changes

    The Office of the University Secretary now has a form for name changes of all kinds:  Name Change Form.  Please submit your proposal through the Portal.

    7.  Post a new course for student registration.

    Please note that departments must now complete the Course Creation Information Form from SESD in order to have courses posted for registration.  This may also be submitted through the Portal.

    Background documents, additional procedures and guidelines

    Curricular approval chart changes (January, 2013)

    Certificate and Diploma summary (updated February 2013)

    Admissions policy (2012)

    Academic Courses policy on course delivery, examinations and assessment of student learning (2011)
    University Nomenclature Report (2011) 
    Policy for Special Topics Courses (1999)

    Course and Program Termination procedures (pdf) (Word document)
    Academic Program Changes Tutorial: Download PowerPoint file
    Revised Policy and Procedures for Approval of Curricular Changes (approved by Council April 18, 2002)
    Program Termination Procedure (approved by Council April 19, 2001) (Revised May 2008)
    University Course Challenge Procedures and Moribund Course Procedures

     

    Two keys to approval: be thorough & consult with your colleagues