This is an informal summary of procedures required to accomplish the most frequently requested curricular changes at SJSU. For information on topics not covered, call the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 408-924-2447.
Lead times for new courses to appear in the Schedule, or for curricular changes to be reflected in the online Catalog and especially in the printed Catalog, are MUCH longer than faculty anticipate. Please consult the annual Deadline Calendar.
No curricular change, and no new degree or concentration, may be publicized before final approval.
The Undergraduate Curriculum forms are available online. Downloading is done from the Forms Page.
Proposals for New Permanent Courses must be submitted on the appropriate undergraduate or graduate form of that name, with course syllabi attached, for action by the department chair or school director (signature required), the college curriculum committee, and the college dean (signature required). Following the dean's approval, the proposal is reviewed by the AVP for Undergraduate Studies or Graduate Studies, as appropriate, and, if approved, is entered into the PeopleSoft Student Administration Course Catalog for scheduling. The AVP may elect to bring any curricular proposal to the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, especially if there are significant current or potential future resources involved.
Departments that wish to offer new subject matter prior to proposing a permanent course, or to meet one-time demands, should use the Undergraduate or Graduate Experimental Course Proposal Form. Some colleges require the same approval process as for new permanent courses; others may require only department chair and college dean approval before the proposal is forwarded to the AVP's office. NOTE: Approval is for one semester only. Repeat offerings (up to a maximum of three times) require resubmission of experimental course proposal forms, with chair and dean signatures, each time the course is offered.
• Degree credit courses numbered 1-399 must use the New Permanent Course Proposal Form, noting on the form that the course is to be offered only through Continuing Education. These courses will not be printed in the University Catalog. The approval process is the same as for new permanent courses.
Unless a change in course description is so radical as to constitute a new course, any one or a combination of any or all of the following are considered minor course changes and should be submitted on the Minor Course Change Form.
A cross-listed course was originally conceived to be one wherein separate sections would be taught by instructors in more than one department; it is, however, possible for one section simply to be listed in two or more departments. The course is listed in the Catalog and the Schedule by the home and all dependent departments. The home department controls dependent listings, i.e., a home department may at its discretion discontinue the cross-listing without concurrence of the dependent department(s), but the dependent department should be consulted before a Minor Course Change form is filed to discontinue the cross-listing. A dependent department's listing of the course in the Catalog is identical to the home department’s except for the prefix and reference to the home department for course description. A Cross-Listing Request Form must be approved by all departments and college deans concerned prior to forwarding it to the appropriate AVP for approval and input to the PeopleSoft Course Catalog. (NOTE: If a department wishing to cross-list a home department's course has a course of its own with that number and no adjustment in numbering by either department is possible, the course cannot be cross-listed.) The course appears in the Schedule under the prefix of each cross-listed department and on the student's transcript with the prefix of the department under which the student registered. The course number, title, section number, units, type, days, hours, building, room, and instructor are identical under all listings. Assignment of FTES and FTEF is by arrangement through Academic Scheduling.
In addition to a Minor Curriculum Change form and the syllabus, please attach a memo briefly addressing each of the following questions (3 page maximum):
In October of each year, the campus responds to a formal Chancellor's Office request to update the Academic Master Plan. Any new degree requires a two-to-four year period for planning and implementation. Secure "Procedure for Submitting Proposals for New Degree Programs," from the UGS Office. The initial amendment of the campus Master Plan requires only a summary statement of a few pages indicating the reason the program is being proposed and the anticipated student demand. Such changes to the Plan, and eventual full new degree proposals, must be approved by the department, the college, the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, and the University Curriculum & Research Committee, before being presented to the Provost for authorization. The resources required to offer the degree must be indicated on special forms available from UGS, and there must be evidence of the university's commitment to permanent resources. Trustee approval of the initial updated plan allows the campus to incorporate the projected program in capital outlay planning. The Chancellor's Office eventually reviews the full degree proposal, and then notifies SJSU of its approval of the new degree itself, the assignment of a HEGIS code, and the semester of implementation. The new major is added to SJSU's listings in the CSU Admissions Booklet.
These are, with rare exception, authorized at the discretion of the campus, and need not go through the Master Planning process. They require approval of the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee and the Curriculum & Research Committee. Special forms outlining resource needs must be secured from UGS, and attached to proposals for new concentrations, or for large new emphases or options. Prior to implementation, the Chancellor’s Office must receive written notification of the exact title of the proposed program, together with a list of courses. At SJSU, a concentration is formally designated on the student’s permanent record, whereas options and emphases are not officially recorded.
• Changing a BA to BS, or a similar change in degree category, is a new degree for the campus, and must follow procedures for new degrees, including a priori Chancellor’s Office approval before the new designation is publicized. Condensation of a BA into an existing BS, or vice-versa, requires official discontinuation of one degree, but is otherwise an “Academic Major/Minor Curriculum Change.”
• Changing the name of an existing degree or concentration is at campus discretion, and requires only Chancellor’s Office notification, as long as the new name is not in one of the categories that do require prior approval (e.g., architecture). A name change should be requested on an Academic Major/Minor Program Form and must normally be approved all the way through the Curriculum & Research Committee.
Changes to department name require review and approval as follows: Chair, College Curriculum Committee, College Dean, UGS or GS&R Committee, Curriculum & Reseach Committee and Provost. The requested change has to be approved by December 20 for implementation in the following catalog.
Changes to existing degree programs, concentrations, or minors require submission of a an Academic Major/Minor Program form. Changes may include one or more of the following: course additions or deletions, unit changes, number changes, addition or deletion or changes to preparation for and/or support for the major, etc. Changes in requirements require review and approval as follows: Chair, Dean, and appropriate AVP. If the AVP believes the change is major, especially if new resources are involved, s/he may refer to the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee for review.
• Certificates that include degree credit courses are listed in the Catalog and must be approved by the Chair, Dean, appropriate AVP, Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, and the Curriculum & Research Committee.
• Certificates including non-degree credit courses that are not to be listed in the Catalog must be approved by the Chair, Dean, appropriate AVP, Continuing Education Committee, and the AVP of International & Extended Studies.
Proposals for a new credential or subject matter preparation program (diversified and single subject) follow the same campus procedures as required for a new degree, except that, following approval by the dean of the college that oversees the proposal, it is forwarded to the All-University Teacher Education Committee (AUTEC) for action and referral to the Curriculum & Research Committee. Also, the Chancellor’s Office is not required to authorize a new credential or subject matter program, and the academic master plan is not changed. The proposal is forwarded by the Provost to the President, who requests approval by the State Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Notification of approval by CTC is usually sent to the Provost, who forwards it to the Dean of the College of Education and to the Dean of the college that proposed the program. Notification must also be forwarded to the AVP for UGS (who notifies the Chancellor's Office). Copies of the CTC approval will also be sent to the Department and to AUTEC by UGS.
Following review and approval by department and college curriculum committees, a new departmental honors program or change to an existing departmental honors program is forwarded to the AVP UGS, who submits it to the Undergraduate Studies Committee for review and recommendation to the Curriculum & Research Committee. There is no special form required.
Responsibility for discontinuing any approved program, especially a degree, rests with the campus; discontinuation procedures are outlined in Academic Senate policy S99-04. The campus recommendation for discontinuation is then reviewed by the Chancellor's Office for assessment of system and statewide impact.
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