Review of Proposed For-Credit
Certificate Programs (02/02)

Introduction

For-credit certificate programs are important academic programs at the university. They are coherent academic programs designed to impart a focused course of study for students. Certificate programs allow students to explore new areas of study and they enable academic units to indicate a special body of knowledge that students have acquired.

Review Process

I. Proposals for new for-credit certificate programs should be submitted to the Assistant to the President for Academic Affairs for initial review. These proposals should include the following items:

1. Program rationale
2. Program objectives
3. Relationship to existing degree programs within the unit and across the university
4. Delivery system
5. Intended student learning outcomes
6. Curriculum and course descriptions
7. A listing of faculty who would be teaching the courses (Include presentation of all relevant graduate degrees and professional credentials)
8. Admissions, matriculation, and graduation requirements
9. Financial impact on academic unit and university: including revenues and expenses incurred in providing the program as well as other resources to support the program now and as it grows including central administration services; also include potential extramural funding sources if applicable
10. Licensing, state recognition, or accreditation requirements
11. Needs assessment/marketing plan
12. Copy of email notification to deans regarding intent to create the program

II. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will render one of two decisions: Conduct an expedited review of submitted proposal or Request full proposal for review by the New Program Review Committee.

1. Criteria for using an expedited review would be as follows:
   
   
   1. Proposed certificate program consists of existing courses.
      
   2. Proposed certificate program is in the subject area of degree and/or certificate programs currently offered in the academic unit.
      
   3. No additional university resources are required to deliver the proposed certificate program.
      
   4. Certificate program does not involve any form of licensing, state recognition, or higher authority such as an accreditation body.
      
      
2. In the expedited review, the Assistant to the President for Academic Affairs would review the certificate program proposal and would make a recommendation to the President. The President would render the final decision on the proposed certificate program. In the case of a full review, the usual new program review and approval process would be followed (i.e., New Program Review Committee to Council of Deans to Assistant to the President for Academic Affairs, to the President, and to the Board of Trustees).
   
   
3. If the expedited review is not used, the Assistant to the President for Academic Affairs would notify the respective dean to send a full certificate program proposal to the Chair of the New Program Review Committee (see New Program Review guidelines for details) and ask the New Program Review Committee to conduct a full review. The New Program Review Committee would review the certificate proposal using the same polices and procedures that govern the review of degree programs.

4. For expedited reviews, upon the President's approval, notification of the new certificate program would be sent to the presenting academic unit, the Council of Deans, the New Program Review Committee, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of Student Financial Assistance. For full reviews, the Council of Deans, the New Program Review Committee, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of Public Affairs, and the Office of Student Financial Assistance would be notified after the Board of Trustees renders a decision on the proposed certificate program.