Academic Planning

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.

Jocelyn Milner, vice provost and director of APIR, serves as the first point of contact.  Contact Jocelyn early in your planning process.

Academic Planning Actions Requiring Approval

Overview Table of Required Approvals for Academic Programs and Structure (pdf document)
The overview table provides workflow and policy references for each of the approval types listed below.

Establish or Alter the Institutional Mission
Establish a College / School / Division
Rename or Eliminate a College / School / Division

Degree/Major

Establish New Academic Programs: Approval to Plan
Establish New Academic Programs: Degree Authorization
Establish New Academic Programs: Implementation
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: Admitting to Non-admitting
Change Admitting Status: Non-admitting to Admitting
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

Named Option

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

Establish a new Certificate Program
Change Academic/Administrative Home of a Certificate Program
Rename a Certificate Program
Suspend or Reinstate Admissions a Certificate Program
Discontinue a Certificate Program
Change Certificate Learning Outcomes

Minor

Establish a new Doctoral Minor

Department

Establish, Rename, Restructure or Eliminate a Department

Course Subject Listing 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

Center/Institute

Establish a Center or Institute
Rename, Restructure, or Discontinue a Center or Institute

Program Review and General Education

Five-Year First Review
Regular (10 year) Program Review
Low Award Program Review
General Education Change
General Education Review
Transfer Articulation Agreements

Curricular changes for Degree/majors, Certificates, Named Options, and Minors

Degree/Major Curricular Change <50% – information under development

Reporting

Report of Institutional Program Reviews
Report of External Accreditation Reviews
UAPC Annual Report to Faculty Senate