Academic planning encompasses planning and approval for new academic programs (degrees, majors and certificates), substantial changes to those programs (renaming, mergers, suspending admissions, discontinuations), planning and approval for academic departments and centers/institutes, changes associated with subject listings and courses, assessment, and academic policy. Planning and approvals take place in the context of faculty policy and under the auspices of the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC), the University Curriculum Committee (UCC), and, if relevant, wider policy such as Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP), System and Board of Regent policy, state legislation (Ch 36 of the WI state statutes), accreditation requirements, and federal regulation and legislation.
Support with Academic Planning
Jocelyn Milner, vice provost and director of Academic Planning and Institutional Research (APIR), serves as the first point of contact for all academic planning and programs should contact Jocelyn early in their planning cycle for guidance and clarification on the process.
Lumen
Lumen is the university’s online gateway system for faculty and governance bodies to update, track, and approve functions related to courses, curriculum, and programs. When faculty want to offer a new course, propose a new program, establish a center, modify an existing course or program, or take other action that impacts the university’s academic offerings and structures, Lumen provides consistent and standardized forms for collecting the needed information relevant to the proposed change. The following resources assist with access to and work within Lumen:
Academic Planning Actions
As noted above, the academic planning process follows a routing and approval process that is informed by campus, UW System, and sometimes external agency requirements. The UW-Madison Academic Program Approval Overview (pdf) details all possible academic actions and the required routing/approval flow for each.
The following list details all possible academic actions and provides a resource/link for more information:
Institution-Level Changes
Establish or Alter the Institutional Mission
Establish a College/School/Division
Rename or Eliminate a College/School/Division
Revenue/131 Programs & Tuition Status
Revenue/131 Tuition Status: Requirements and Processes for Proposals (KB)
Tuition Structures: Definitions and Approvals (KB)
Market-Based Tuition Policy and Request Form
Online/Distance Tuition Policy and Request Form
Degrees/Majors
Establish a New Degree/Major (Notice of Intent & Authorization Proposal)
Change the academic/administrative home of a degree/major
Discontinue a Degree/Major
Rename a Degree/Major
Substantially Redirect a Degree/Major: ≥50% curricular change
Substantially Redirect a Degree/Major: start term or require summer term
Change CIP Code
Suspend Admissions to a Degree/Major
Change Admitting Status: Master’s-Level Degree/Major
Existing face to face degree/major program changed to distance (>50% & <100% online)
Existing face to face degree/major program changed to distance (100% online) or vice versa or vice versa
Establish direct assessment competency-based delivery for an academic degree program
Restructure or discontinue direct assessment competency-based delivery from an academic degree program
Existing degree/major program extended to an off-campus physical location in Wisconsin
Existing degree/major program extended to an off-campus physical location outside WI, in USA
Establish a new collaborative or consortial academic degree program
Restructure or discontinue a collaborative or consortial academic degree program
Change Degree/Major Learning Outcomes
Awarding Duplicate Degrees
Named Options
Elevate named option within a major to a stand-alone major (use process for new major)
Establish a Named Option within a Degree/Major
Rename or Restructure a Named Option
Discontinue a Named Option
Suspend or Reinstate Admissions to a Named Option
Certificate Programs
Establish, Rename, Restructure, or Discontinue a Certificate Program
Change the Academic/Administrative Home of a Certificate Program
Change the CIP Code of a Certificate Program
Change a Certificate Program from Face-to-Face to Distance Delivery
Change a Certificate Program’s Learning Outcomes
Minors
Establish or Discontinue a Doctoral Minor
Establish or Restructure an Education Teaching Minor
Establish or Restructure an Educator Certification
Departments
Establish, Rename, Restructure or Eliminate a Department
Course Subject Listings and Instruction
Establish or Change a Contractual Agreement for Instruction
Discontinue a Contractual Agreement for Instruction
Establish a Course Subject Listing
Change the Academic/Administrative Home of a Course Subject Listing
Rename a Course Subject Listing
Discontinue a Course Subject Listing
Centers/Institutes
Establish a Center or Institute
Rename, Restructure, or Discontinue a Center or Institute
Program Review and General Education
Overview of Program Review Process: Purpose, Governance, and Cycle (KB)
Guidelines for Conducting Five-Year Reviews of New Programs (KB)
Guidelines for Conducting Ten-Year Reviews of Continuing Programs (KB)
Low-Producing Academic Programs (KB)
General Education Change
General Education Review
Curricular Changes
Degree/Major Curricular Change <50% – information under development
Reporting
Report of Institutional Program Reviews
Report of External Accreditation Reviews
UAPC Annual Reports
- Courses and Academic Programs Knowledge Base (KB)
- Revenue/131 Program Guidelines
- General Education and Undergraduate General Education Committee
- Official List of Majors and Degrees
- Official List of Certificate Programs
- UW-Madison Faculty Policies and Procedures
- System and Regent Policy on Program Planning
- WI Statutes - Chapter 36