Procedures for Development and Approval of New Graduate Programs

Proposals for new or changed graduate regulations may originate at any level up to and including the Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC).

Proposers should provide a proposed Calendar entry, a clear rationale and, for changed regulations, the text of the existing regulation, with the changed areas highlighted. The following guidelines were prepared for Senate Committee on University Priorities. Revised to reflect new AVED and DQAB processes, March 2004, and to reflect new SFU processes April 2010.

Introduction
The Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) has developed new processes for the submission of new degree proposals. Some parts of the process are prescribed by the Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB). Other parts are left to the University to define. In brief, SFU is expected to post a short Notice of Intent (NOI) on a publicly accessible web site, and the NOI must include information on a wide range of fields defined by DQAB. In addition, we must simultaneously post a full program proposal (FPP) on a web site that can be accessed by other institutions. The format of the FPP is to be defined by SFU.

The development of new graduate programs may come from any group or unit. Historically, an academic unit first develops a preliminary proposal, incorporating the format required by the Ministry for the NOI, and that this document receive approval from the unit, the faculty and Senate committees prior to the development of the   FPP. This will alert other units to the proposed program, and may lead to collaboration and advice during the initial planning. The sequence of events would therefore be as follows:

• Unit develops NOI concerning a new graduate program.

• NOI is sent to the faculty graduate program committee. It is copied to other faculty graduate program committees for information and comment.

• Following approval of the NOI by the faculty committee it is sent to SGSC, and SGSC makes a recommendation to SCUP concerning the advisability of developing the FPP.

• SCUP decides whether or not to approve the NOI for further development. After approval of the NOI by SCUP, the FPP is developed and submitted (see below). Note that there is nothing to prevent a unit developing the FPP and the NOI simultaneously, but the NOI would normally be submitted first. The FPP can be submitted as soon as the NOI is approved by SCUP.

• The FPP goes to the relevant faculty graduate program committee for approval, and then to the SGSC. The SGSC, or a designate appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies, will review the academic merits of the program, and feedback from external reviewers will be received. Normally these would include at least one reviewer from other B.C. universities.

• The FPP then goes to SGSC, SCUP, Senate and BoG, before being posted on the DQAB web site and receiving ministerial approval.

NB All documents must be formatted as pdf files.

The Notice of Intent

The NOI must follow the guidelines from DQAB. The remainder of the section is taken verbatim from the DQAB web site.

The Notice of Intent must present, in a succinct manner (approximately 1000 words), the purpose of the proposal and a summary of the key objectives and outcomes of the proposed degree program.

Submission Format

The Notice of Intent must include the following information:

1. Credential to be awarded, including the level and category of the degree and the specific discipline or field of study;
2. Location;
3. Faculty(ies) or school(s) offering the new degree program;
4. Anticipated program start date;
5. A description of the proposed program, including:
   • Aims, goals and/or objectives;
   • Anticipated contribution to the mandate and strategic plan of the institution;
   • Target audience;
   • Content;
   • Delivery methods;
   • Linkages between the learning outcomes and the curriculum design, including an indication whether a work experience/work place term is required for degree completion;
   • Distinctive characteristics;
   • Anticipated completion time in years or semesters;
   • Enrolment plan for the length of the program;
   • Policies on student evaluation;
   • Policies on faculty appointments (minimum qualifications);
   • Policies on program assessment;
   • Level of support and recognition from other post-secondary institutions, (including plans for admissions and transfer within the British Columbia post-secondary education system) and relevant regulatory or professional bodies, where applicable;
   • Evidence of student interest and labour market demand; and,
   • Related programs in your own or other British Columbia post-secondary institutions.
6. Name, title, phone number and e-mail address of the institutional contact person in case more information is required [This will be supplied by the Associate Vice-President, Academic]

If the institution has exempt status for the degree level proposed, attach the documentation used in the institution’s program approval process, or provide a link to a website where this information is available. [This will be supplied by the Associate Vice-President, Academic]

Additional information required by SFU

In order for university committees to make informed decisions, the NOI must be supplemented by a separate memo (that will not be transmitted to DQAB). This memo must provide information on the following fields:

1. Contact information for the faculty member responsible for program development
2. Summary of requirements for graduation (courses, project/thesis etc.)
3. Summary of resources (faculty members, space and equipment) required to implement the program
4. Brief description of any program and associated resources that will be reduced or eliminated when the new program is introduced
5. List of faculty members who will be teaching/supervising, what percentage of their graduate teaching will be devoted to the program, and their areas of research specialization
6. For a program where the intention is to charge a premium fee, a budget developed in collaboration with the dean of the faculty
7. A statement as to whether or not students will be eligible to apply for awards funded from the university’s operating budget (e.g. entrance scholarships, graduate fellowships); if students are to be eligible, there must be confirmation that funding will be available to cover the increased demand for the awards.
8. For programs planned for delivery at SFU Surrey or SFU Vancouver, confirmation that a copy of the NOI was sent to the director of the campus who will ensure a review is conducted by the appropriate campus coordinating committee.

The Full Program Proposal

Because SFU is given “exempt” status, there is no required format from AVED or DQAB for the FPP. We will therefore continue to use the format that has served us well in the past.

 

The length of the FPP submission will vary, depending upon the nature of the degree program being proposed, but should not exceed 5000 words, excluding appendices.

 

Each FPP should provide information and discussion in a format that adheres to the order and headings below.

Executive Summary

The executive summary should present, in one page, the purpose of the proposal and a summary of the key objectives and outcomes of the proposed program.

Curriculum

1. Describe what the student will gain from this program (skills, knowledge, or other attributes). Please include a discussion of how these outcomes will warrant this program to be of degree status.
2. Specifically, describe the courses, or other curriculum requirements of the program:
   • Explain how the courses and curriculum requirements will be integrated to contribute to the intended goals of the program.
   • Identify which courses already exist at the institution and which new courses will be implemented as a result of the program.
3. Include individual course descriptions in an appendix, following instructions under “Additional Materials Required by SFU” (below)
4. Describe the program/course structure and the expected class size of courses in this program (e.g. student/faculty ratios).
5. If applicable, discuss research expectations or implications for this program.
6. Include any other additional relevant comments.

Learning Methodologies

1. Describe how the learning environment and methodologies will be developed so as to achieve the intended outcomes for the program.
2. If applicable, discuss how the following will be incorporated in the new degree program:
   • experiential learning (co-operative education, clinical, etc.)
   • distance education
   • independent study, Computer Assisted Instruction, etc.
   • employability skills
   • lectures, labs, tutorials
   • other

Faculty

Please indicate the number of faculty and other staff required to mount this program and their qualifications. Indicate if any of these positions will be new to the institution. Include a curriculum vitae for each faculty member in an appendix. (In the case of cross-disciplinary programs, include a curriculum vitae for each member of the steering committee and for faculty members likely to be teaching core courses). It is strongly suggested that short (e.g. 2 pages), standardized c.v.s be submitted, providing brief information on: current position; credentials; research interests; publications, grants and graduate supervision over a defined period (e.g. last seven years).

Program Consultations and Evaluation

Provide a list and brief explanation of the nature of the consultations that have occurred with professional associations, employers, educational institutions, etc. This is particularly relevant to new and innovative institutions and programs. Please attach any written endorsements or comments (both positive and negative) in an appendix.

If there are other individuals or groups that have been involved, describe their roles in the collection and evaluation of information leading to the development and submission of this proposal.

[NB external reviews will be conducted by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, or a designate appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Copies of external reviews will be attached as an Appendix.]

Indicate what policies/procedures are planned for ensuring adequate depth and breadth of ongoing review and evaluation once the program has been implemented. [NB normally, there will be regular program reviews, as mandated by Senate]

If applicable, describe how membership on advisory committees for this program will be maintained to ensure that the program will remain current in future years.

Admission

Describe the admission and residency requirements for this program.

Other

Include additional information that is relevant to the need for, and the educational merits of, this program (special features, equity considerations, etc.)

Additional material required by SFU

• As a separate memo SGSC will require a list of possible reviewers from B.C., Canada and the U.S.A provided by the .
• Each new course will require properly completed new course proposal forms (obtainable from the Dean of Graduate Studies or the Assistant Director, Graduate Records). Each new course must be reviewed by the Library. An appendix of new course approval forms, sample course outlines, and library reviews must be attached to the FPP.
• Remember that projects/theses, co-op semesters and internships all require course numbers.
• The complete proposed Calendar entry must be attached as an appendix.
• In conjunction with the relevant faculty dean, a budget for running the program, and recommendation for tuition fees (if different from regular fees) should be included as an appendix.
• For programs planned for delivery at SFU Surrey or SFU Vancouver, a memo from the Associate Vice-President, Academic indicating that sufficient space and other resources are available for the program.