Curriculum change process

The following text and instructions are adapted from the WSU Provost’s Office “Academic Procedures” and the Registrar’s Office sites. Please refer to the Provost’s Office site for detailed information. Refer to the Registrar’s Office for appropriate forms.

The process described here applies only to adding or deleting options (within the same WSU degree code), certificates, minors, individual courses, or other curricular changes below the level of degrees. *Note that this process must be followed even if another campus has submitted the same Major Change for approval.

Instructions

1. Academic director (AD) or designee

  • Obtains forms available at the Registrar's Office Forms and Instructions site.
  • Completes Major Change form and provides supplementary text outlined within the document linked above.
  • Obtains chair and dean signatures.
  • Submits completed form to Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (VCAA) or Associate VCAA.

2. VCAA/AVCAA

  • Reviews proposal within 15 days to ensure proposal is complete and that it fits within campus plan and resources.
  • Routes to library and VC of F & O for review/approval (15 day window).
  • Notifies FOEC chair that proposal is underway.
  • Communicates with academic director on decision, which may be:
    • Return proposal to academic director because it is not in keeping with campus plan or resources.
    • Return proposal to academic director for more information/revision.
    • Forward proposal and evidence of library and VC of F & O approval to FOEC chair.

3. FOEC chair

  • Initiates FOEC internal process outlined in Appendix A.
  • Communicates final vote/recommendation to VCAA/AVCAA.

4. VCAA/AVCAA

  • Prepares letter of support (including statement from FOEC).
    • Shares LOS with AD.
  • Submits complete package to Provost’s office.

5. Faculty Senate catalog, budget, library, and DOP subcommittees

  • Review proposal.
  • Forward reports to appropriate undergraduate or graduate subcommittee.

6. Graduate Studies or Faculty Senate Sen Academic Affairs subcommittee

  • Review proposal.
  • Send to full Faculty Senate for discussion and vote.

7. Faculty Senate

  • Places proposal on available meeting agenda for discussion.
  • Votes on proposal at subsequent meeting.
  • Communicates senate recommendations to provost.

8. Provost

  • Prepares document for Board of Regents.
  • Notifies VCAA/AVCAA.

9. VCAA/AVCAA

  • Notifies AD and FOEC chair.

Sources: Provost’s Office, Registrar’s Office, Faculty Senate, Interinstitutional Committee for Academic Program Planning (ICAPP), and FOEC Website


Appendix A. FOEC Internal Process for Reviewing Major Changes

1. FOEC chair

  • Distributes revised proposal to FOEC members.
  • Schedules discussion for recommendation on next FOEC meeting agenda.
  • Places notice of major change review on FOEC website.

2. FOEC

  • Discusses and votes on proposal following presentation.
    Vote categories:
    • Support
    • Support with revisions
    • Do not support
    • Table for further discussion

3. FOEC chair

  • Follows up on FOEC vote:
    • Support → FOEC chair sends letter to VCAA/AVCAA, cc’s Faculty Senate Steering Committee.
    • Support with revisions →
  • Sends revision requests to proposal author.
  • Collects and circulates revised proposal for final vote at next FOEC meeting.
  • Drops proposal from agenda if revisions not received.
    • Do not support → Provides VCAA/AVCAA explanation for decision.
    • Table for further discussion at next FOEC meeting →
  • Requests motion for final vote at the meeting.
    Vote categories:
    • Support (see subsequent procedures above).
    • Support with revisions (see subsequent procedures above).
    • Do not support (see subsequent procedures above).