Review and Approval Process Overview
The provost is responsible for approving proposals for new academic programs (degrees, majors, and certificates) in preparation for presentation to the OUS Provosts' Council and final approval by the State Board of Higher Education.
The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for managing the new program review and approval process at the university level, as well as with the OUS Provosts' Council and State Board.
Our internal process begins with the dean of the proposed new program discussing its feasibility with the provost. Once there is agreement to proceed, a full proposal is prepared, approved by the dean, and then sent to the Office of Academic Affairs (to the attention of Assistant Vice Provost Ruth Keele).
The proposal is routed to the appropriate council (Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council) and vice provost (Undergraduate Studies or Graduate Studies) for the respective review and recommendations, which are sent to Academic Affairs, and finally to the provost.
Stages of Review
Most new academic programs are reviewed in two stages:
- within the University by the relevant curriculum committees and faculty councils;
- externally by the Oregon University System (OUS) Provosts' Council, an External Review Panel for graduate programs, and the State Board of Higher Education.
If a program is approved by the internal reviewers, it then enters the external state-level review process, with the Provost taking the lead in presenting it to the OUS Provosts' Council and then to the State Board of Higher Education. Generally, 12 to 18 months should be allowed between the initiation of the internal review process and the first academic term in which the program will be offered.
The Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (Ruth Keele; keeler@uoregon.edu) is the Provost's designee for managing the initial stage of internal reviews (Synopsis) and all stages of state-level reviews (OUS Provosts' Council, Office of Degree Authorization, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, and State Board of Higher Education).
When is Review Required?
New programs
- New academic programs that result in new degrees, certificates and majors, or that propose to offer an existing program in a new location, must go through the two-stage (internal and state level) review process described above.
- New programs that result in undergraduate minors are exempt from state-level review, but must go through the same internal review as do other new programs
Revised programs
- Revisions to programs vary in magnitude and scope, but all proposals for significant changes (e.g. deletion or addition of areas of concentration) must be reviewed internally.
- If the revision is substantial, the proposal will be reviewed at the state level as well. The decision as to whether a state-level review is required will be made at the initial Synopsis stage. Read more about the internal review process.