IV. A Guide to Academic Approvals
Approvals fall into two general categories for all schools
A. Educational Program Approvals
B. New Course Approvals
The former includes majors as well as degree and certificate programs. Changes to existing programs are handled the same way as new programs. The latter includes new courses as well as courses that have been significantly revised or courses which carry new credit.
The section on new course approvals contains information on how to have a course approved for General Education credit.
A. Educational Program Approvals
Educational program is taken to include majors as well as degree and certificate programs. Changes to requirements for existing programs are handled the same way as new programs. New majors that impact only a single school need not go to the Senate for action.1. Jepson School of Leadership Studies
a. Proposals are submitted to the Curriculum Committee of the school. This committee has
many of the functions of the academic councils in Arts and Sciences, Continuing Studies,
and Business.
b. Upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Committee, the entire faculty acts on the
proposal.
c. If approved by the Leadership Studies faculty, the Dean must endorse the program and
then submit it to the University Senate for action if it is new degree program or if it
represents a change in the degree requirements.
d. If the Senate acts on the proposal and approves it, it goes as a recommendation to the
Provost for final approval. The Provost notifies the Academic Program Committee of
the Board of Trustees of the creation of the new program or the modification to
requirements for an existing program.
2. Robins School of Business
a. Proposals for new academic programs, certificates, degrees, and degree requirements
might be initiated by a department, by the RSB Dean, or by the director of the
associated program (Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Associate Dean for
Graduate Studies, Associate Dean for International Business, or the Director of
Executive Business Programs).
b. Since planning demands broad consideration, an ad hoc planning committee typically
is formed with representation from all affected programs. The charge for this committee
is to assess the full benefits and costs of the proposal. A primary consideration is a
best estimate of the effective demand for the program, certificate, or degree. On the
cost side, the committee assesses staffing implications as well as the impacts of the
proposal on existing programs.
c. Ordinarily, the relevant curriculum committee (Undergraduate Curriculum Committee,
Graduate Council, or Executive Management Advisory Committee) is consulted before
the proposal is presented to the RSB faculty. This consultation may be in the form of
representation on the ad hoc planning committee or through the review of a completed
proposal.
d. Approved proposals are submitted to the RSB faculty for their consideration. Proposals
should be detailed with respect to curriculum (if relevant) as will as the proposals benefits
and costs.
e. Proposals approved by the RSB faculty are forwarded by the RSB Dean to the Provost.
Ultimately, such proposals must be approved by the University Senate and the Board
of Trustees.
3. School of Arts and Sciences
a. New educational programs or revisions to existing programs are proposed initially in a
number of possible ways: by a faculty committee, by a department(s), or by an existing
academic program(s). The proposal comes to the Arts & Sciences Academic Council
for approval and endorsement.
b. If approved by Academic Council, the proposal comes to the Arts & Sciences faculty
for action.
c. Once approved by the Arts & Sciences faculty, the proposal is then presented to the
Faculty Senate for approval.
d. If the Senate acts on the proposal and approves it, it goes as a recommendation to the
Provost for final approval. The Provost notifies the Academic Program Committee of
the Board of Trustees of the creation of the new program or the modification to
requirements for an existing program.
4. School of Continuing Studies
a. After consultation with appropriate individuals (dean, associate dean, key faculty), a
proposal is submitted to the Academic Council of the school using a standard form
available in the Dean's Office.
b. The Academic Council acts on the proposal. The Academic Council includes all
full-time faculty members/program directors of the school plus representatives from
other school faculties.
c. If approved by the Academic Council, the Dean must endorse the program and then
submit it to the University Senate for action if it is new degree program. If it is simply a
new major within an existing degree program, then there is no need for it to go to the
Senate.
d. If the Senate acts on the proposal and approves it, it goes as a recommendation to the
Provost for final approval. The Provost notifies the Academic Program Committee of
the Board of Trustees of the creation of the program or the modification to
requirements for an existing program.
5. School of Law
New Programs, Certificates, Degrees or Degree Requirements Approval:
a. New programs, certificates, degrees or degree requirements are initially discussed by
the proposing party with both the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Dean.
b. The proposing faculty member will then present the proposal to the Law School's
standing Curriculum Committee.
c. At a meeting of the full faculty, the faculty member will present her proposal, and the
Curriculum Committee will make its recommendation, which is not binding on the full faculty.
d. A new program, certificate, degree or degree requirement then requires the affirmative
vote of a simple majority of the faculty voting at the faculty meeting.
e. A new program, certificate, degree or degree requirement is then presented to the Faculty
Senate for approval.
f. If the Senate acts on the proposal and approves it, it goes as a recommendation to the
Provost for final approval. The Provost notifies the Academic Program Committee of the
Board of Trustees of the creation of the new program or the modification to requirements
for an existing program.
6. Multiple Schools
For programs such as general education which are shared among several schools, the procedure
requires a proposal to the joint faculties involved, typically from a faculty committee such as the
General Education Committee or an ad hoc committee created to study the proposal. If the joint
faculties approve the proposal, it goes to the Faculty Senate. If the Senate approves the proposal,
it goes to the Provost for final approval. The University Faculty and the Academic Program
Committee of the Board of Trustees are notified of the result.
B. New Course Approvals
1. Jepson School of Leadership Studies
a. A new course proposal is presented to the standing Curriculum Committee for approval.
b. If approved by the Curriculum Committee, the proposal goes to the entire faculty for
approval.
c. If approved by the faculty, the course becomes part of the curriculum of the school.
2. Robins School of Business (Undergraduate)
a. The addition of a course as a permanent offering in the undergraduate catalog must be
approved initially by the department responsible for the course.
b. Generally, the course is offered as a Special Topics course for one or two years to
demonstrate adequate interest in the course by students.
c. The department forwards its request to the chair of the RSB Curriculum Committee
for consideration. (Note that the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies serves
as an ex officio member of this committee.) The request should include the following
information: course number, full course title, a catalog description, prerequisites, hours
of credit, estimated student enrollment (which might be based on its offering as a special
topics course), the faculty member who will teach the course, staffing implications, the
need for additional specialized resources (if any), relation to the existing courses and
curriculum, a brief outline of the course, and an indication of departmental approval.
d. New course requests that are not approved by the Curriculum Committee are returned
to the department with an explanation for their denial. The department may revise the
proposal and resubmit it to the committee.
e. New course requests that are approved by the Curriculum Committee are presented to
the RSB faculty by the chair of the Curriculum Committee for approval. If approved, the
course is added to the UR Undergraduate Catalog among the department's permanent
offerings.
3. Robins School of Business (MBA)
a. The addition of a course as a permanent offering in the graduate catalog typically is
initiated by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in conjunction with the Graduate
Council.
b. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies presents the new course proposal to the
RSB faculty for consideration. The proposal should include the following information:
course number, full course title, a catalog description, prerequisites, hours of credit,
estimated student enrollment, staffing implications, the need for additional specialized
resources (if any), relation to the existing courses and curriculum, a brief outline of
the course.
c. New courses that are approved by the RSB faculty are added to the RSB Graduate Catalog.
4. School of Arts & Sciences
a. New courses are proposed using a standard form available at http://as.richmond.edu/policies/index.html
Courses must initially be approved by the department or program.
b. The department chair or program coordinator presents the course proposal to Academic
Council for action (or Graduate Council if a graduate course). If approved it goes to the
entire Arts & Sciences faculty.
c. The Arts & Sciences faculty is asked to approve the actions of Academic Council. If
approved the course becomes part of the regular offerings.
5. School of Continuing Studies
a. After consultation with appropriate individuals (dean, associate dean, key faculty), a
proposal is submitted to the Academic Council of the school using a standard form
available in the Dean's Office.
b. The Academic Council acts on the proposal. The Academic council includes all
full-time faculty members of the school plus representatives from other school faculties.
c. If approved by the Academic Council, the course becomes part of the school's curriculum.
6. School of Law
a. New course proposals are initiated by faculty members, who must first discuss the
proposal with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
b. The proposing faculty member will then present the proposal to the Law School's
standing Curriculum Committee.
c. At a meeting of the full faculty, the faculty member will present his/her proposal, and the
Curriculum Committee will make its recommendation, which is not binding on the full faculty.
d. The course proposal then requires the approval of a simple majority of the faculty voting
at the faculty meeting.
e. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Curriculum Committee can approve a new
course on an interim basis for one term, without approval from the law school faculty.
7. General Education Courses
General education courses are courses that meet specific general education requirements.
As these requirements are shared by multiple schools, the following procedure is used.
a. If a course is new, it must first be approved by the appropriate school procedures. This
can occur in parallel with the next step if timeliness is a consideration.
b. The General Education Committee reviews all courses proposed for general education
credit. It recommends approval to the University Faculty.
c. If the University Faculty approves the course for general education credit, the Registrar
is informed and it is listed appropriately among other courses carrying general education
credit.
Chapter IV was added to the "Faculty Guide to Governance"
on December 16, 2005 after approval by the University Senate