Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

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Program Approval Policy

Principles

This policy provides guidelines for developing and submitting proposals for new and changed academic programs at the University of Minnesota. Principles that frame this policy include:

• Academic programs should be aligned with the missions, strategic plans, and compacts of their home unit and with the University's institutional goals and strategic directions.
• Proposals for academic programs should reflect common criteria: quality; centrality; comparative advantage; need (including accreditation or competitive requirements as well as Minnesota workforce needs); efficiency and effectiveness; potential for growth and leveraging of resources.
• Decisions to offer, change, or drop academic programs, when they have the potential to affect other units within the University, require consultation early in the program development stage.
• Consideration and approval of academic program proposals should be carried out by the Board of Regents or by an appropriate-level administrator with the delegated authority from the Board.
• Formal approval by the Board of Regents or its designee is required before new and changed programs may be publicized or initiated.

Purpose

The policy is intended to:

• Enhance quality, productivity, and efficiency in academic program development and implementation.
• Ensure that program development is aligned with institutional, campus, college, and unit mission, strategic directions, and compacts.
• Make explicit the criteria for academic programs and their connection to related policies.
• Foster shared consultation and, where appropriate, joint planning across academic units.
• Foster early consultation with the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.
• Enhance the availability, coordination, and consistency of information about the University's academic programs for student information systems; faculty and administrative planning and analysis; institutional accountability reporting; and departmental, collegiate unit, and institutional accreditation.
• Ensure thorough and timely review of proposals for approval at the appropriate level: Board of Regents, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, coordinate campus vice chancellor, or collegiate dean.