Guide for preparing a new or revised course or program change for approval
This page extracts still-relevant information from the May 2006 version webpage of the GCE Senate Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (AACC)
See updates and current submission deadlines.
From 10/05 the "one true form" has been phased in by the University for course proposals and can substitute for the the various specific course proposal forms still linked below. The chain of signatures and the information to be provided in the proposal that are given below have been extracted from the original forms. For program change proposals, Graduate Studies still asks for the original forms.

Note: There is ambiguity in the chain of signatures required. The second step in most chains is: "Department/Program Curriculum Committee." If both committees exist, the proposer might decide to have it reviewed by colleagues at both levels. The Department-level review should come after the approval by the Graduate Program Director (aka Coordinator), even though the GPD review is listed as the third step in most chains.

Table of Contents
Preamble
All forms mentioned here should be downloadable as an RTF file from this site. If your browser asks you for a password, press the cancel option and the forms should download.

If a GCE Programs does not have a Director or Coordinator, the Departmental Chair's signature will suffice. Where the instructions to follow read "approval from" or "consult with" your program director, AACC recommends you consult with your immediate Program colleagues to keep them in the loop.

Proposals originating in Centers and Institutes should get approval from the Program and Department that is involved in or most closely affected by the proposal. If no such relationship is apparent, please consult with AACC chair.

Although the GCE has withdrawn from the NCATE accreditation process, proposals that pertain to the Professional Education Unit might usefully address the previous guidelines for NCATE accreditation (see check-list) and reflect the PEU framework for the Thoughtful and Responsive Educator.
Course proposals and Program changes that pertain to the Professional Education Unit must still be submitted to the Professional Education Co-ordinating Council for, respectively, advice and approval.

A. Minor changes in description or title for existing courses [Form]
0. If in doubt about what is minor, run it through the full process; see C&D below.

1. Get approval from your program director and departmental curriculum committee.

2. Submit to Graduate Studies directly, preferably as part of the biennial bulletin-editing process, with a copy to AACC for the record.

B. New course to be offered as Special Topics (once only*) [Form]

Target date to get in Course Schedule book for following semester: Submit to Graduate Studies by last Friday in September or February. For Continuing Education courses: Submit to Graduate Studies three weeks before Continuing Education bulletin deadline (call x7-7915 to ascertain the deadline).

1. Consult with your program director and departmental chair to get clear about the parameters for your proposal and permission to go ahead.
(GCE rationale and procedures for Special Topics and Professional Development courses.)
2. Complete the special topics form or the "one true form," indicating clearly whether the course is to be taught through Continuing Education. Get approval and signatures from Program Director, Department/Program Curriculum Committee, Chair, AACC, Dean, and PECC before submitting to Graduate Studies.

3. Submit syllabus to Graduate Studies with the special topics proposal.

4. When a course has been offered under special topics course, a full proposal needs to be submitted for approval in time for it to be taught again (see below). *One exception is that a special topics course can be taught in two consecutive semesters if a full proposal is working its way through the approval process.

B2. New Professional Development course to be offered once only

1. Consult with your program director and departmental chair to get clear about the parameters for your proposal and permission to go ahead.
(GCE rationale and procedures for Special Topics and Professional Development courses.)
2. Complete the Professional Development course (one time only) form [Form] or one true form. Get approval and signatures from Department/Program Curriculum Committee, Chair, AACC, Dean, and PECC before submitting to the Provost.

C & D. New or substantially revised syllabi (other than Special Topics) or program requirements

Deadlines for consideration by Graduate Studies Committee (GSC): Last Friday in September or February.

This translates to target dates for initial submission to AACC of first week of April or December. Proposals related to the Professional Education Unit will need PECC approval, which will add some time to the process. If you miss the AACC target date, consult with AACC chair for advice about whether or not a late submission can be processed in time to meet GSC deadline.

Establishing a liaison with the AACC through a member in your Department is recommended to help you anticipate AACC, PECC, and Graduate Studies concerns and address them before the proposals reach those committees.

C. Formal approval of new or substantially revised syllabi
1a. Consult with your program director and departmental chair to get clear about the parameters for your proposal and permission to go ahead.
1b. For a new course determine the course number the program wishes to assign (AACC does not assign numbers). Consult the Graduate Bulletin ("General academic regulations") for conventions, e.g., 698 is for Practicum courses.

2. Review the GCE mission statement and model syllabus. Prepare your syllabus to a) incorporate keywords that indicate the ways it addresses the GCE mission; and b) include all the sections required, such as Section 504 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, detailed grading criteria, and a bibliography.

3. Get an electronic copy of "one true form," but follow the instructions and signature chain of the old GRADUATE COURSE PROPOSAL[Form], which are listed below. Questions that are not applicable in your situation should NOT be left blank. Explain why they do not apply.
3a. Keep the course title short, the course description concise, and the official abbreviated title no more than 20 characters (including spaces).

4. Get approval from and signatures of the program director, departmental curriculum committee, and departmental chair. At the same time, inform the AACC chair that the proposal is in the pipeline, ask for an AACC liaison if you do not already have one, and schedule the AACC review. In order to speed the process along, you may be asked to attend. If you cannot attend when asked, send someone familiar with your proposal (perhaps the AACC liaison).

5. Meet with your AACC liaison and walk carefully through the proposal. Revise and clarify as called for.

6. Proposals should be submitted as attachments to AACC chair 7 days in advance of meeting, with one hard copy and signature page given to AACC chair before the meeting. (10/05. This replaces the old policy, which was: Get a collated, stapled copy of the full proposal (form + syllabus) to each AACC member a week before the AACC meeting.)

7. When your proposal is passed by AACC, submit the original to the Dean's secretary. If the proposal requires PECC approval, submit additional copies of the proposal as requested by the secretary.

8. When the proposal is approved by the Dean (and PECC chair and PEU Head if required), the Dean's secretary will notify you. Send the hard copy and an electronic copy to the Graduate Studies Committee va the Assistant Dean, Rita Nethersole. Submit another copy to AACC chair for the records.

9. Graduate Studies will contact you regarding the outcome of Graduate Studies Committee review, which takes place 4-6 weeks after their deadlines.

10. Proposals approved by the Graduate Studies Committee are forwarded to Faculty Council for final approval.

Chain of signatures from coursprop_GCOE.doc: Required Information: C2. Professional Development Courses, repeated offering. [Form]
Follow steps 1-8 for regular course detailed above, EXCEPT the form required is different and the proposal once signed by the Dean goes to the Provost with a copy to AACC chair.

D. Formal approval of new or substantially revised program requirements
1a. Consult with your program colleagues, program director and departmental chair to get clear about the parameters for your proposal and permission to go ahead.

2. Review the GCE mission statement and prepare your proposal, where appropriate, to incorporate keywords that indicate the ways it addresses the GCE mission.

3. Get a paper or electronic copy of the PROGRAM CHANGE PROPOSAL [Form] or, if applicable, ACTION ON PROPOSAL FOR GRADUATE CERTIFICATE [Form]
Proceed as for 3-10 above.


Exemplary syllabi in the judgment of AACC
Spe G 647, Assessment Based Instruction (approved Apr '05)
Last update 19 February 08