New Major, Degree Programs, Academic Departments, or School

Proposals Must Be Entered via Curriculog and Must Include the Following:

1. The names of
   • The individual initiating the proposal
   • The responsibility center wherein the change is to occur
   • The program to be developed or expanded
   • The department affected by the proposed change(s)
   • The date of the proposal
2. The rationale for the proposed new or expanded program, specifically explaining either the relation of the proposed change(s) to the current mission and goals articulated in the long-range plans of the University, the responsibility center, and/or the department, or the external and internal environmental influences or trends justifying the proposed change(s) if the change is not a specific part of current long-range plan
3. A detailed description of the proposed new or expanded program, its specific components, and a detailed chronology of steps to be taken to implement the change over time. Items listed under #9 should be included for a new major, expanded degree program, or new degree program
4. The short- and long-term effects that the proposed change(s) will have on other University programs. This should include an analysis of the impact that the proposed change(s) will have on programs and services such as increased or decreased demands for courses; loss or addition of students; the need for additional student aid, library or computing resources, etc. An analysis of the impact on space resources, including office, laboratory, and classroom space, must be included.
5. A description of a quantitative and qualitative evaluation procedure to assess the attainment of the objectives of the proposed change(s), including outcome criteria and a time frame for completion
6. A detailed analysis of the impact of the proposed change(s) on staff and faculty personnel for the first three years of operation, including information about the hiring of new staff and faculty and/or reassignments of existing personnel
7. A three-year budget showing the impact of the proposed change(s) on the budget of the units affected by the change, including
   • A budget for each of the affected budget units
   • Sources of funding available to support proposed expanded or new programs
   • A summary of financial increases, savings, or reallocations anticipated as a result of the proposed changes(s)
   • Nonfinancial requirements or savings in areas such as space, facilities, or equipment that are anticipated as a result of the proposed change(s)
8. A list of the faculty groups and relevant administrators who were consulted and a summary of their comments on the proposed change(s), including a statement from the planning and budgeting committees of the relevant department (if applicable) and responsibility center
9. Additional information that should be included in item #3 when dealing with new or expanded educational programs:
   • Requirements for admission to the program and a projection of the availability of qualified students for the program
   • Rationale for and description of the proposed curriculum, including special characteristics of the program, type and level of instruction, new courses to be developed or syllabi of existing courses, sequencing of courses, area of specialization, comprehensive examination sample questions, likely thesis/dissertation topics, multidisciplinary aspects if any, and other requirements for completing a degree or certificate in the program
   • Availability and qualification of faculty to support the program. Additionally, for a new or expanded research master's or PhD degree program, the following should be supplied: examples of ongoing research and mentoring, evidence of investigators/coinvestigators on grants or nongrant research proposals, faculty resumes including citations of articles by faculty in peer-reviewed/competitive journals over the past five years, and, when relevant, evidence of interdisciplinary research/teaching collaboration.
   • Impact on students enrolled in existing programs. If students will be transferred to new programs, how will their prior work be credited?
   • Tuition and student support
   • Projected enrollments, student credit hours, and degrees to be granted over each of the first five years of the program
   • Documented employment opportunities for graduates of the program
   • Student and faculty affirmative action plans for the new expanded programs
   • The aspirations of excellence for the program and a discussion of how this would be achieved and measured

Submit proposals to the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, 140 Thackeray Hall. If you have any questions, contact Elizabeth Taylor at 412-624-2036 or taylor@as.pitt.edu.