Curriculum Review Guide and Forms
Members of the academic community should utilize these forms to make requests for new programs and courses and changes to existing programs and changes.
Curriculum Review Guide - information to consider as developing requests to change or add new courses and programs to the curriculumeForm Workflow Guide - information on how to complete forms and route the eForms for curricular review
Curriculum Review Checklist for School Committees - rubric to aid school committee members in the review of curriculum requests
Curriculum Review Checklist for Deans - rubric to aid Deans in the review of curriculum requests
Curriculum Review Checklist for University Committees (UCC & GC) - rubric to aid university committee members in the review of curriculum requests
Curriculum Review Checklist for Academic Council - rubric to aid Academic Council voting members in the review of curriculum requests
Curriculum Review Checklist for the Core Curriculum Committee - rubric to aid Core Curriculum Committee members in the review of course requests related to the core curriculum
Courses
Change of an Existing Course Request
Core Curriculum Course Request - see Core Curriculum website and the form is in the Approval Process and Forms section
Request to Develop and Deliver an Online Course
Programs
Declaration of Intent to Propose a New Academic Program
Change of an Existing Academic Program Request
Catalog Degree Requirements Worksheet (Word version) —required to accompany New Program and Program Change Requests - Undergraduate Program | Graduate Program
Recommended Course Sequence Sample Documents (Word files) - Major Plan | Stand-Alone Certificate Plan
Marketable Skills Documentation (PDF version) —required to accompany New Program Request Word version
Master's Accelerated Program Application - PDF version | Word version - this application must accompany any new program request for an accelerated undergraduate to graduate program to facilitate Graduate Council review
Information requested in these forms allows: 1) the committees to perform informed reviews, 2) campus offices to complete important functions, such as updates to the student information system for the course catalog and degree audits, and 3) outside organizations, such as THECB or SACSCOC, to review and approve changes for our growing institution.
It is important to note that new programs and changes to existing programs may require new courses or changes to existing courses. Please complete the New Course Request and Change of an Existing Course Request forms that should accompany the program form as a package. Proposal review and implementation of your vision may be delayed without all of the pertinent information.
Curriculum Governance Bodies
Academic Council
Chair: Betty Stewart
Executive Assistant: Laila Mertz
Reviews all curriculum proposals.
Core Curriculum Committee
Chair: Richard Chandler
Reviews courses meant to serve as a State core curriculum requirement.
Graduate Council
Chair: Ali Shaqlaih
Reviews all courses and programs related to graduate education.
School Curriculum Committee Chairs
School of Business - Stephanie Mongiello
School of Education - Gwen Johnson
School of Behavioral Health and Human Services - Graduate Proposals Samuel Bore and Undergraduate Proposals Alex Colvin
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Gabe Otteson
Reviews all courses and programs related to departments from a particular school.
University Curriculum Committee
Chair: Sean Hubbard
Reviews all courses and programs related to undergraduate education.
Curriculum Review Process
The Curriculum Review Guide provides more in-depth information on the roles and responsibilities of the various committees that review requests.
A faculty member initiating a program or course for consideration should actively follow-up to ensure a request is working through this process.
Once the Deans determine resources are available and approve of a proposal, they send school curricular changes to either 1) University Curriculum Committee for undergraduate courses/program or 2) Graduate Council for graduate courses/programs.
For new courses, Core Curriculum Course Requests should be submitted after the University Curriculum Committee has approved the course. For courses already approved and a part of the course catalog, a Core Curriculum Course Request should be submitted to the Core Curriculum Committee followed by Academic Council review and then the THECB for final approval.
Once reviewed by the Graduate Council or University Curriculum Committeee, approved documents are returned to the Deans so that they can add the requests to the next Academic Council agenda.
Approval by the Academic Council is the final institutional decision and then actionable by the Office of the Registrar for the catalog, course catalog, and official University degree audit housed in the UNTD EIS.
When curriculum changes require approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the Director of University Accreditation and Policy will communicate the decision to all institutional stakeholders once received.
The Catalog will be officially published online with a target date of May 1 for the next academic year. In order for curriculum changes to be published in the catalog, a calendar has been created to inform the campus community of deadlines for content.
Curriculum Review Calendar for Different Committees - AY 2023-2024 Calendar
| Month | Relevant Curricular Events |
|---|---|
| Prior Year - May |
Deadline: May 15 - Declaration of Intent to Request a New Program for curricular review next acadmic year. (Jan 1 of prior year if it is a doctoral program.) The Declaration of Intent can be done at any time and will trigger a required notification to the THECB that is required before curriculum review can occur. |
| August | Academic Year starts; Fall classes begin |
| September | Monthly Academic Council meeting* |
| October | Monthly Academic Council meeting* |
| November | Deadline to approve New Programs and New Courses for New Programs for next academic year Monthly Academic Council meeting* |
| December | Office of the Provost and Strategic Planning Liaison to add new programs to Board of Regents agenda for February meeting |
| January |
External Deadline: January 1 - any possible SACSCOC Substantive Change Notification or Prospectus due ** see May content |
| Feburary | Board of Regents meeting for approval of New Programs Monthly Academic Council meeting* |
| March |
Deadline for Changes to Existing Programs, New Courses impacting existing programs, and Academic
Policy Changes for the catalogs Strategic Planning Liaison sends notifications to SACSCOC |
| April | Deadline for Changes to Existing Courses not impacting program structure Monthly Academic Council meeting* |
| May |
Deadline: May 1 - University Catalogs published Deadline: May 15 - Declaration of Intent to Request a New Program for curricular review next acadmic year ** (January 1 deadline if a doctoral program.) |
| June | Summer preparation for next AY curricular cycle Deadline: early June for Department of Education requests for financial aid eligibility |
| July | External Deadline: SACSCOC Approval Letters due Summer preparation fo next AY curricular cycle |
Request to Develop and Deliver an Online Course
Guideline: Courses that will be taught in an online or hybrid format need at least three months for development with Distance Learning and Instructional Technology and appropriate platform training.
Other Resources:
THECB – New Program Requests
THECB - Standards for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Programs
THECB – 50-mile Rule for New Program Notification
THECB - Academic Course Guide Manual (alignment for TCCN system)
THECB - General Education Core Curriculum WebCenter – select UNT Dallas and a component area to see what courses have been approved.
THECB - Distance Education Modifications & Requests
TAC - Definitions of Foundational Component Areas (FCA) of State Core Curriculum requirements
SACSCOC – Substantive Change Policy
SACSCOC – 2018 Edition of the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement