Curriculum Policies

Course changes to undergraduate courses are submitted through the Academic Affairs proposal system found on the Academic Affairs website. Course changes to graduate courses are submitted through the Graduate Council proposal system found on the Graduate Council website. Choose Create a Proposal on the left, and then choose Start a New Form to the left. Follow the instructions to complete and submit the proposal. Course changes should be initiated no later than March 1 in order to ensure approval at the May Faculty Senate meeting, depending on college curriculum committee schedule. See ACAD 125 for relevant University policies.

For undergraduate courses, see the Academic Affairs Meeting calendar for meeting dates and deadlines.

For graduate courses, see the Graduate Council Meeting calendar for meeting dates and deadlines.

See Faculty Senate calendar for Faculty Senate dates and deadlines.

New undergraduate courses are submitted through the Academic Affairs proposal system found on the Academic Affairs website. New graduate courses are submitted through the Graduate Council proposal system found on the Graduate Council website. Choose Create a Proposal on the left, and then choose Start a New Form to the left. Follow the instructions to complete and submit the proposal. New course proposals should be initiated no later than March 1st in order to ensure approval at the May Faculty Senate meeting, depending on college curriculum committee schedule. See "ACAD 125" for relevant University policies.

For undergraduate courses, see the Academic Affairs Meeting calendar for meeting dates and deadlines.

For graduate courses, see the Graduate Council Meeting calendar or meeting dates and deadlines.

See Faculty Senate calendar for Faculty Senate dates and deadlines.

Undergraduate program changes are submitted through the Academic Affairs proposal system found on the Academic Affairs website. Graduate program changes are submitted through the Graduate Council proposal system found on the Graduate Council website. Choose Create a Proposal on the left, and then choose Start a New Form to the left. Follow the instructions to complete and submit the proposal.

Note that program changes may need further review and approval by the SCCHE and SACS depending on the number of changes to required coursework, as counted by the number of credits added or deleted. This can add one month to 6 months to the time required for changes to appear in the catalog.

For program changes to required courses of 18 credits or less for an undergraduate program, or 12 credits or less or more for a graduate program, program change proposals should be initiated no later than March 1 in order to ensure approval at the May Faculty Senate meeting, depending on college curriculum committee schedule, for changes to be in place by the next academic year. Required SCCHE Notification of Change paperwork must be submitted three months in advance of the start date of the change, typically mid-May for the next academic year. SCCHE approval must be received before a change will be made to the catalog. See SCCHE Regulations and Forms for more information.

For program changes to required courses of 19 credits or more for an undergraduate program, or 13 credits or more for a graduate program, program change proposals should be initiated by mid-September, depending on the college curriculum committee schedule, for changes to be in place by the next academic year. Required SCCHE Program Modification paperwork is due February 1st, so program changes must be approved by the December Faculty Senate meeting. See SCCHE Regulations and Forms for more information. Note that changes can be initiated at any time, but this will affect when the changes will appear in the catalog.

For program changes to over 50% of the total number of credits in the degree program, the SCCHE requires a New Program Proposal to approve the changes. Program change proposals should be initiated by mid-September, depending on the college curriculum committee schedule, for changes to be in place by the next academic year. Required SCCHE New Program Proposal paperwork is due February 1, so program changes must be approved by the December Faculty Senate meeting. See SCCHE Regulations and Forms for more information.

Note that changes can be initiated at any time, but this will affect when the changes will appear in the catalog. Please contact Teresa Burns (x2225, tburns@coastal.edu) with questions concerning program changes and SCCHE paperwork.

For undergraduate courses, see the Academic Affairs Meeting calendar for meeting dates and deadlines.

For graduate courses, see the Graduate Council Meeting calendar or meeting dates and deadlines.

See Faculty Senate calendar for Faculty Senate dates and deadlines.

Development of new programs begins in consultation with the Dean and Provost. If the provost determines the new degree program has merit and is compatible with institutional resources and mission, a Program Planning Summary (maximum three pages) is prepared for the provost to present to the Board of Trustees. Instructions for the Program Planning Summary and a Program Planning Summary Template are found on the Forms page under Other in the Provost's section.

The Provost will meet with department representatives, representatives from the Dean’s office, the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, the Director of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Analysis, and the Dean of Graduate Studies where appropriate, to review and approve the program planning summary. Once approved, the associate provost will prepare a Board of Trustees Motion to add the program to the agenda for the next Board of Trustees meeting. Note that the Board of Trustees Motion is due two weeks before the Board of Trustees meeting, so the program planning summary should be approved by the Provost one month before the Board of Trustees meeting. See Board of Trustees Meetings and Minutes for a schedule of meeting dates.

Once approved, the initiating department should prepare a New Program Proposal using the SCCHE form (see SCCHE Regulations and Forms), and initiate an internal new program proposal. New undergraduate programs are submitted through the Academic Affairs proposal system found on the Academic Affairs website. New graduate programs are submitted through the Graduate Council proposal system found on the Graduate Council website. Choose Create a Proposal on the left, and then choose Start a New Form to the left. Follow the instructions to complete and submit the proposal.

New Program Proposals are accepted by the SCCHE twice a year on August 1, and on February 1. All new programs must also be approved by SACS before the new program can be advertised. See SCCHE Regulations and Forms for more information.

Please contact Teresa Burns (x2225, tburns@coastal.edu) with questions concerning new program development and SCCHE paperwork.

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education accepts new program proposals and program modifications on February 1st and August 1st. In addition, the CHE accepts program modifications on October 1st. These proposals are especially time-sensitive, and proposers should consult the Provost’s Office early in the planning phase to confirm internal and external deadlines. Other paperwork can be submitted throughout the year. All SCCHE policies and procedures for academic programs are found on the SC CHE website. Click on Academic Programs to find the Policies and Procedures for New Academic Program Approval and Program Termination handbook, and links to all required SC CHE forms.

Important Points:

• All changes of required coursework must be reported to the SCCHE, either as a notification of change, program modification, or new program proposal, depending on the credit count of changes to required courses.
• Some changes, and all new programs, can take up to 18 months for complete approval, depending on when the change are initiated. Please check with the Provost’s Office to confirm all deadlines and requirements.
• All SCCHE paperwork is submitted by the Provost’s Office to the SCCHE liaison. Please prepare and submit the paperwork to the Provost’s Office as requested.
• All SCCHE paperwork must be submitted as Word documents to the SCCHE. Please provide it to the Provost’s office in the same format.
• All SCCHE approvals must be received before changes can be made to the catalog.

Please refer to CCU & CHE Cycles for New Programs and Program Modification for dates, deadlines, and routing for new program development, and program modifications. Please contact Teresa Burns (x2225, tburns@coastal.edu) with questions concerning new program development or program modifications and SCCHE paperwork.

Please refer to the SCCHE Decision Chart for guidance on which SCCHE forms are required, based on the change(s) to your program you are considering. Please contact Teresa Burns (x2225, ) with questions concerning SCCHE paperwork.