Information

 CIP Code Finder

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) allows for the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity.  This code must be included in all new degree and new degree-related program proposals. 

• Info Link

Library Resource Form 

A library resource form that has been completed by the sponsor/co-sponsor and by their department’s Librarian Liaison is required for all new course proposals as well as for all new degree and degree-related program proposals.  This form must be submitted with the aforementioned proposal types regardless of whether a sponsor considers current library resources to be sufficient for their proposed curricular needs. Last, a completed library resource form may be requested by a committee if a sponsor is proposing extensive changes to an existing course’s content. 

• Library Resource Form
• Librarian Liaisons
• researchhelp@rowan.edu

Appeal Process

If an approver declines to approve a curriculum proposal at any point in the Senate Curriculum process, sponsors may appeal to have their proposals reconsidered. 

• To appeal a College Curriculum Committee non-approval, sponsors should petition the Senate Curriculum Committee in writing (directed to the Senate Curriculum Committee Chair).
• To appeal a Senate Curriculum Committee non-approval, sponsors should petition the University Senate Executive Committee in writing (directed to the University Senate President).
• To appeal a non-approval from the Dean’s Office, sponsors should petition the University Senate President and the Provost in writing (directed to the Office of the Provost). The Senate President and Provost will make a decision in consultation with the Senate Curriculum Committee Chair.
• No formal appeal process exists for proposals rejected outside the Senate Curriculum process (i.e., preliminary department approval or Provost-level approval); however, in such cases, sponsors should contact the University Senate President to explore options for resolution.

Sponsor Responsibilities and Expectations for Proposal Submission

Designating a sponsor: All curriculum proposals must include at least one faculty sponsor. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members, instructors, and teaching professors may be lead sponsors of a curriculum proposal. “3/4-time” faculty members, contingent faculty members (“adjuncts”), professional staff, and administrators cannot sponsor or co-sponsor curriculum proposals. 

Each proposal will have one lead sponsor who is the main point of contact for the curriculum proposal and who will bear primary responsibility for the proposal throughout the review process. Proposals may also have one co-sponsor (tenured, tenure-track, instructor, or teaching faculty). While co-sponsors do not directly modify proposals in Modern Campus Curriculum, they assist by communicating necessary information to the sponsor for entry.  Last, in the case of interdisciplinary curriculum proposals, the lead sponsor should be from the co-sponsoring department that has the primary curricular and administrative roles.

Using the appropriate form for the type of proposal being submitted: Proposals must provide the required content as specified in proposal forms’ directions.  Sponsors should present their proposal logically and clearly so that readers who are not familiar with the sponsoring department’s program are able to understand, approve, and ultimately implement the proposal. If a sponsor has questions about which form to use or about how to present content, they should contact the Senate Curriculum Committee Chair in advance of submitting a proposal for consideration.

Submitting the proposal by the proposal submission deadline: Regardless of proposal type, a proposal must be approved by the sponsor's department curriculum comitte chair, department chair, department head (if applicable), their college's dean or dean's office designee, and by their college's curriculum committee prior to the university-wide proposal submission deadlines set by the Senate Curriculum Committee Chair and the University Senate President. Fall and Spring submission deadlines are by 11:59 PM on the Friday of Week 5 of each term (specific dates TBA at the University Senate's final general meeting, held each May). Adhering to the on-time deadlines will help ensure proposals are processed in the same semester in which they are submitted and that proposed changes retain their original effective term and year.  

The Modern Campus Curriculum curriculum software requires a sponsor to submit a complete proposal in order for it to move forward at any stage in the review process. Therefore, a lead sponsor should plan to draft their proposal and secure any documentation that is required for that particular proposal at least one semester or summer prior to submitting the proposal to the first approver (the department curriculum committee chair). In the case of new degree/program proposals it is strongly recommended sponsors begin the preliminary authorization and drafting processes at least one year in advance of proposal submission.  Sponsors also should plan to submit any related new course proposals in the same term and year as the new degree/program proposal submission.

Once the proposal is submitted, Modern Campus Curriculum will generate for it a unique proposal number. Sponsors should reference that curriculum proposal number in any communication concerning the proposal (and/or, ideally, provide the proposal’s link).

Providing required documentation - library resource form: New degree/programs proposals (BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD, Minor, Concentration, CUGS, COGS, CAGS, and Certificates of Post-Baccalaureate Study) require the submission of a library resource form. The only new degree/program proposal type that does not require a Library Resource Form is the Advanced Dual Degree (ADD), as that program type typically is created from existing undergraduate and graduate degree programs. A library resource form must be completed by the sponsor and by the sponsoring department's Librarian Liaison. Sponsors should not launch a new degree/program proposal until they have received the signed library resource form and attached that finalized documentation to the proposal. 

Providing requird documentation - program guides or equivaent advising documentation: Program guides detail/explain how a new course(s) or program changes affect the program as a whole (including credit hours). Any curriculum proposal submitted for review must include a program guide or equivalent, pertinent advising documentation (such as a complete/updated electives list or an updated advising sheet) that reflects clearly all changes being requested by a lead sponsor. Sponsors should either highlight the proposed changes or use a bright and easily legible font color9e.g. red) so changes may be located quickly within program guides by approvers and by the Registrar's Office. 

Using the appropriate curricular terminology: Proposals must follow current curricular definitions and use curricular terms appropriately; for details, refer to the SCC page, "Curriculum Definitions and Parameters for Degree and Degree-Related Programs."

Referring to programs and courses consistently and correctly: Sponsors always should ensure that any information provided about a program or course is correct. Program names and course titles must be correct and consistent throughout the proposal. For instance, any time a course is mentioned in a proposal, the course’s two- to four-letter prefix, five-digit number, and full title should be provided as well. In the case of new course proposals, to determine whether a proposed course’s proposed course number is available for use, sponsors should check the Registrar’s Office resource, Course Inventory Dashboard, before submitting a proposal for review: (https://tableau.rowan.edu/views/ActiveCourseList/ActiveCourseList).  Lead sponsors should not launch a new course proposal or a course updates proposal modifying an existing course’s number without first confirming the number is available for use.

Adequately explaining the proposal’s curricular effect: All curricular proposals by their essence have an effect on students, their academic and/or professional preparedness, on the program(s), and/or on the department. Curricular effect must always be explained, if even briefly. Sponsors should anticipate questions about student progress through their programs and explain, explicitly, any increase or decrease in program hours as well as the pedagogical/instructional merit of the proposal that may occur as a result of the proposed change(s). If a proposed change to an existing course involves adjusting the course’s number of credit hours and that change also impacts a program’s overall hours, the sponsor should submit a companion Degree/Program Updates Proposal.

Providing adequate support for any special designations requested: Special designations generally apply only to course proposals. If a Rowan Core, Writing Intensive (WRIT), or Literature (LIT) designation is requested, the proposal must explain specifically how the course meets that designation’s criteria.  For information on how propose a Rowan Core/Experience Attribute for a new course or to add an attribute to an existing one, refer to the Learning Assessment and Rowan Core Committee website:  https://sites.rowan.edu/senate/policy_committees/larc.html

Obtaining consultation letters: Sponsors must obtain consultation letters from any department chair or program coordinator whose department or program may be impacted directly or indirectly by the proposal. This includes contacting departments offering courses or programs with related subject matter, as well as requesting consultations for proposals in which course prerequisites are being changed and those prerequisite courses are drawn from other departments.

While sponsors have the responsibility to request the necessary consultation letters, consulted parties have a responsibility to respond to such requests in a timely fashion. If due diligence in seeking consultation letters is demonstrated by a sponsor, then proposals can, in most cases, move through the approval process even without the requested letter(s).

Consult letters typically focus on a proposal’s logistical and pedagogical aspects and should be seen as an opportunity to best implement the proposed curricular changes in a collaborative way. If a sponsor receives a consultation that raises questions or concerns about some aspect of the proposal: depending on the criticism(s), they are expected either to revise the proposal or they may choose to address the consultant in a formal response.

Obtaining approval for expedited review and implementation: New degree/program proposals are eligible for expedited curricular review and subsequent implementation by the Registrar’s Office in cases where competitive advantages are at stake and are dependent in timely execution of other milestones and processes, including but not limited to State authorization, accreditation, publicity, marketing, recruitment, online course development, registration, planning for student services, and initiation or fulfillment of partnership agreements.  Eligibility for expedited review and implementation typically is pre-authorized by the Office of the Provost in consultation with the Center for Academic Innovation and Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee, and is documented in the curriculum proposal.  If a sponsor may need a new degree/program proposal expedited, they should first contact Dr. Jennifer Tole, Associate Provost for Academic Program Quality & Compliance, before launching the proposal. 

Appearing at college and university review hearings: The lead sponsor (or a knowledgeable designee) is required to appear at all open hearings related to their proposal(s). Should a sponsor or an appointed representative not appear at a hearing, the proposal will not be reviewed at that hearing, nor will it move forward in the review process. All proposal types require a college-level open hearing. All major proposals (new degree program proposals; new degree-related program proposals; proposals making four or changes to existing degree and degree-related programs; quasi-curricular proposals) require reviews by both the college and senate curriculum committees. All new degree program proposals, new degree-related program proposals, and some quasi-curricular proposals also require presentation to the full University Senate for a formal vote. 

Revising and resubmitting proposals: Revisions may be requested at any point in the curriculum review process.  Sponsors should regularly check their Originator queue in Modern Campus Curriculum or review their Modern Campus Curriculum Activity Digest (sent twice weekly through Rowan email) to determine if a proposal has been returned for revision.  Once a sponsor is notified, it is their responsibility to revise the proposal in a timely fashion.  Proposals requiring revisions will not move forward in the review process until they have been completed by the sponsor and are accepted by the approver requesting those modifications.  Revising proposals expeditiously will help ensure proposals are fully processed in the same semester in which they are submitted and that the proposed changes retain their original effective term and year. 

Publicizing Changes: Sponsors should not publicize formally any curricular changes or act on those changes in any other way until after they have received the final transmittal notification from the Registrar. From start to finish, sponsors should plan for the review process to take one year.