Section One: Baccalaureate Degree Curriculum – Majors, Options, and Minors

The addition of a major, option, IUG, or minor to the University curriculum requires academic and administrative approval.

The first step in the process is the completion of the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education (ACUE) Curricular Programs Prospectus. A prospectus must be completed to change the name or discontinue offering a major, option, IUG, or minor. A P-1 prospectus is completed/submitted for new major, options, IUGs, or minors. A P-2 is completed/submitted to update a current major, option, IUG, or minor. A P-3 is completed/submitted to move/share/discontinue majors, options, IUGs, or minors at different locations. A P-4 is completed/submitted to drop majors, options, IUGs, or minors. And a M-12 is submitted for undergraduate certificates. Once the ACUE memo indicating approval is obtained, the department may initiate the program proposal form in the Curriculum Review and Consultation System (CIM); the ACUE memo must be included in the program proposal submission to the senate office.

Proposals to add, change, or drop majors/options/IUGs/minors are initiated through CIM. It is important to note before new majors, options, IUGs, or minors, or changes in existing ones can be approved by the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs (SCCA), all required courses need to be approved. If new courses or changes in existing ones are being proposed as a part of this package, those proposals need to be included with the package. A Costing Analysis Form in CIM must be submitted with the proposal to add a new major, add an option to an existing major, or add a new minor.

The preparation of the proposal should include a review of similar and related programs already offered across the University. The proposing unit must address the question of whether this major, option, or minor will be offered by other colleges. If the answer to this question is yes, consultation with faculty in the appropriate Penn State colleges should be sought and documented in the proposal.

If a Penn State college wishes to include an existing course in a program which it plans to offer, and this course has not been taught within the college, or in the University College at a particular campus, the following guidelines apply. The dean of the college in which the program is being developed should request from the unit in which the course was originally created the necessary course and faculty information. The process of consultation should be documented as part of the new program proposal.

All course and program proposals appearing on the Senate Curriculum Report are kept on file in the Senate Office for four years after the publication. Original proposals are then forwarded to the University Archives at Paterno Library, University Park.

All proposals are reviewed, approved, or rejected by SCCA. All major/option/minor proposals will receive a “full” review with the exception of the following:

1. Changes in requirements for a major in response to a name and/or number change with no substantive content change.
2. Changes in requirements for a major in response to another curricular change where there is some actual change in content. (Example: A program changes the content of an introductory course, so all other majors requiring the content of the old course may have to reevaluate the prerequisites.)
3. Addition or deletion of a course to a selection list for a major due to changes previously approved. These proposals should include a letter of consultation from the relevant department.
4. The addition or deletion of a course to an existing supporting course list (i.e., courses that are not published in the program description) does not require approval by or notification to SCCA. Departments should notify the Registrar’s office with updates to these lists for inclusion in the Degree Audit.
5. Changes to the description of a major/minor/option. (Examples: a program description changes to include revised program objectives based on an assessment or accreditation review.) SCCA reserves the right to request a full review if the changes are deemed substantive.

In addition to SCCA approval, administrative approval is required (the provisions of Academic Administrative Policy P-1 should be followed) when adding new majors/options/minors, when dropping majors/options/minors, and when changing the name of a major/option/minor. This step includes costing by the Office of Budget and Resource Analysis (for new majors/options/minors), approval by the Executive Vice President and Provost, and review, as an informational item, by the Board of Trustees. Only after the approval of the Executive Vice President and Provost may these proposals be implemented and published in the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin.

If a college wishes to offer an SCCA-approved academic program (major, option, minor) which it has not offered before, this needs to be authorized by the Provost (the provisions of Academic Administrative Policy P-3 should be followed).

Proposals to change requirements of majors, options, or minors approved by SCCA, and that do not require administrative approval, may be implemented. If the major, option, or minor is offered in several colleges, a joint proposal should be submitted. The implementation date may be the first semester following approval, if students are properly informed of these changes; otherwise, students are held to what appears in the Bulletin when the student matriculated. Archived program descriptions are available in the Web Bulletin. These archived descriptions can be found by College under the listing of Majors and Minors. The implementation date will be the same for all colleges offering the changed major, option or minor.

Diplomas show the name of the major, the degree received, and the name of the college granting the degree. Transcripts show the name of the major, the degree received, and option, minor, and certificate, where appropriate.

The General Education Component of the Baccalaureate degree consists of 45 credits, which may include one credit of a First-Year Seminar. Colleges or departments that require First-Year Seminars for more than one credit and that propose a course that cannot be completed within the 45 credits of General Education need to account clearly for the additional credits in their academic programs under the categories of College or Major Requirements.

Major, Option, and Minor program codes (often considered program acronyms) are assigned by the Registrar’s Office. The change in a program name does not guarantee a change to the code.

1. New Majors

After receiving feedback on the ACUE prospectus, the proposal can be prepared. Guidelines for preparing the proposal are outlined below and on the Major, Option, or Minor Proposal Form in CIM.

A Costing Analysis Form in CIM must be submitted with the proposal to add a new major, add an option to an existing major, or add a new minor. If more restrictive academic requirements, than those approved by the Senate, are needed for entrance or retention in the program, a Retention and Transfer Proposal Form must be completed as well.

The proposal must be presented in the following format for new majors, options, and minors:

1. Provide a complete set of requirements in the Bulletin format (see program description outline (docx)).
   Include a description limited to about 200 words or approximately 15 lines. If there are options (or additional special features, e.g., dual degree programs, cooperative programs such as work study), the description should be limited to an additional 75 words per option. The description should contain objective language, not generalized, colorful, or vague statements that might be ambiguous or misleading. The description should cover the following items:
2. a statement of objectives that describes learning outcomes for the major;
3. fields of study within the major, emphasizing any unique aspects or facilities specifically related to this major;
4. requirements and recommendations or limitations regarding competencies, skills, or abilities needed for admission, retention, transfer, and graduation; and
5. if space remains, a general statement about subsequent academic or professional work possible in the field.

Include total number of credits required for graduation.

Include an arrangement of courses along with the recommended scheduling pattern.

1. For baccalaureate majors, indicate a minimum of 15 credits in the major that require a grade of C or better, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.
2. Provide a list of new courses to be established as part of the new offering.
3. Provide a list of changed or dropped courses.
4. In instances where a requirement is selected from a department list, or area, include a copy of the list of courses that are acceptable for meeting the requirement.
5. Provide an explanation of how the proposal meets the educational objectives and/or strengthens existing programs of the college(s) and the University, and indicate what students may expect to accomplish through the new program.
   All or part of this information will be published in the Board of Trustees agenda.
6. Provide a justification statement that explains how the proposal fits within the strategic planning goals of the college.
7. Provide a statement of consultation with affected units.

2. New Options

A Costing Analysis Form must be submitted for each option.

3. New Minors

The Academic Administrative Policy L-6 gives a detailed explanation of admission and certification procedures. A student’s academic transcript will record the successful completion of the minor at the time of baccalaureate graduation. A Costing Analysis form should be included.

4. Changes in Majors, Options, and Minors

Guidelines for preparing the proposal are outlined below and are available with the Major, Option, or Minor Proposal Form. As part of the revision request, the unit making the request must demonstrate that other Penn State colleges offering the major, minor, or option have been involved in the revision process. If more restrictive academic requirements, than those approved by the Senate, are needed for entrance or retention in the program, a separate section that includes a rationale must be completed as well.

A Costing Analysis form should be included.

The proposal must be presented in the following format for changes in majors, options, and minors:

1. The section that is being revised must be shown as it currently appears in the Bulletin (or most recent revision).
2. Provide a list of newly created courses; a list of current courses, which are being added to the program; a list of changed courses; and a list of courses that will be removed from the program.
3. In instances where a requirement is selected from a department list, or area, include a list of courses that are acceptable for meeting that requirement.
4. Provide a justification statement that explains the reason for each of the changes. An estimate of expected enrollment and effects, if any, on existing programs should be addressed. Course changes necessitated by the program revision should be submitted simultaneously with the program proposal.
5. Documentation of the necessary consultation.

5. Changes to Delivery of a Major or Option in a Major at a Location

To extend delivery of an existing major or option in a major to additional locations, or to discontinue offering a shared major or option at one or some locations but not all, both Senate and administrative approvals are required. A proposal must be submitted following the procedures outlined in Academic Administrative Policy P-3.

The approval process is managed in COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM and begins with the submission of a prospectus. It follows the process described by P-3 Moving/Sharing/Discontinuing Degree Programs Among Colleges and Campus. Following approval by Dean(s)/Chancellor(s) and for non-University Park campuses the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, the proposal is listed on the Senate Curriculum Report; and the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs reviews and makes its recommendation. The Senate reports the recommendation to the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education to act on the request.

6. Closure of Majors and Minors at all University locations

Majors and minors–To drop a major or minor  (i.e., phase-out all University offerings) both Senate and administrative approval is required. A proposal must be submitted  in COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, which follows the procedures outlined in Academic Administrative Policy P-4.

If the Major is offered within several colleges, a joint proposal should be prepared by the colleges. If the minor is supported at multiple campuses, all should be engaged in the process and included in consultation of the final proposal. The proposal goes to the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education and to the University Curriculum Coordinator at the Senate Office.

The approval process is (a) proposal originates in the offering unit(s); (b) is approved by Dean(s)/Chancellor(s) and for non-University Park campuses the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses; (c) forwarded to the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education, for recommendation on behalf of the Provost, who transmits the request to the Senate Chair, (d) the Senate Chair seeks input from appropriate Senate committees prior to review and recommendation by Senate Council (at this time the proposal is listed on the Senate Curriculum Report); (e) the Senate Chair reports the recommendation of Senate Council to the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education; (f) the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education acts on the request; (g) the Provost, via the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education, informs the President, the Board of Trustees, the College Dean(s)/Chancellor(s),the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, and the Senate Executive Secretary when the decision is made to drop and phase out a program. In no case should students be informed of a defacto closing prior to Provost’s approval.

The supporting documentation in the proposal, which is detailed in COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, should include evidence that consideration has been given to the following:

1. Students–admissions/entrance, advising, academic outcomes
   Enrollment data–5-year actual enrollments
   Planned date to stop offering students entrance to program, planned date to stop offering required courses, planned date for Registrar to stop awarding degrees
   Students currently in program need to be given reasonable options for completing the program or enrolling in alternative programs
2. Tenured and untenured faculty–availability, notification, and consultation
3. consultation with personnel responsible for other academic programs, their concurrence, or objections and how they have been addressed
4. consultation with appropriate organizational support units of the University, their concurrence, or objections and how they have been addressed