Changing Existing Post-Baccalaureate Academic Plans

1. Update the Academic Plan/Sub-Plan Information in Coursedog

Login to Coursedog.

2. Provide supporting documentation for the type of change requested:

To add a sub-plan to an existing academic plan:

Specify the sub-plan to be added, the semester and year of planned implementation, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. List the courses and credits included in the sub-plan. Describe the rationale for adding the sub-plan (250-word limit) and briefly address these questions:

• Is the sub-plan within the capacity of the unit's resources?
• Have resources been reallocated within the unit to support the proposed sub-plan? If so, how?
• If additional resources are needed, how will the sub-plan leverage existing resources?
• What steps will be taken to ensure the sub-plan is operated economically and effectively?

To change an academic plan name:

Specify the current and proposed academic plan name, the semester and year of planned implementation, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. Provide a brief rationale for the change (100-word maximum).

To change a degree designation, e.g., M.A. to M.S.:

Specify the current and proposed degree designation, the semester and year of planned implementation, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. Provide a brief rationale for the change (100-word maximum).

To discontinue an academic plan:

Specify the plan to be discontinued, the semester and year admission to the plan will cease, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. Provide a brief rationale for the discontinuation (100-word maximum). Describe plans for accommodating currently enrolled students (100-word maximum).

To offer distance delivery of all or substantially all coursework for an existing degree:

Permission from the University’s regional accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, is required. Please contact the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for details. Among the questions that will need to be addressed are:

• What is the evidence that the plan is consistent with the role and mission of the unit, including its goals with regard to student access? 
• Does the plan take the college or campus beyond its institutional boundaries, e.g., students to be served, geographic service area, locus of instruction, curriculum to be offered, or comparable formally stated definitions of institutional purpose?
• Is the academic and administrative staffing structure appropriate (and fully qualified) to support the plan?
• How are students provided with adequate technical support for each educational technology hardware, software, and delivery system required in the plan?
• How were appropriate learning outcomes established? How does the plan design involve the demonstration of such skills as analysis, comprehension, communication and effective research?
• What provisions for instructor-student and student-student interaction are included in the plan/course design and the course syllabus? How is appropriate interaction assured?
• What support services, including orientation and training, are available to those responsible for preparing courses or plans to be offered electronically? What support services are available to those faculty members responsible for working directly with students?
• How do potential students learn about the electronically offered plan?
• What criteria are used to determine the student’s eligibility for admission to the plan?
• How are the following services provided to distance-learning students: information about the college, plan, courses, and costs; pre-registration advising; admission application, placement, enrollment and registration; and financial aid?

To add a new site (outside of Minnesota) to deliver an existing academic plan:

Permission from the University’s regional accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, is required. Please contact the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for details.

To change required courses in a major or minor:

Specify the current and proposed credits, the semester and year of planned implementation, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. Provide a brief rationale (100-word maximum) for the change.

To change number of credits in a major or minor:

Specify the current and proposed courses/credits, the semester and year of planned implementation, and the dates of faculty and dean approval. Provide a brief rationale (50-word maximum) for the change.

To change other curricular details:

Specify the change to be made (e.g., drop/add courses, revise plan electives, realign course content, etc.), the semester and year of planned implementation, and the date of faculty approval. Provide a brief rationale (100-word maximum) for the change.

Consultation Requirements: A department or graduate program proposing changes to its academic offerings must consult with its college dean’s office or system campus chancellor’s office concerning appropriate review and approval procedures. For Ph.D. plans, consultation, review, and endorsement must include the budgetary college(s) and the Graduate School. Consultation with other units is also required, as appropriate, for departments proposing changes that may raise questions of duplication or overlap, where there are changes in prerequisites or related coursework in other units, or in other ways that might affect other units.