Approval Process for Transcript-Recognized Undergraduate Academic Certificate Programs

The requirements of transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificate programs shall be listed in the undergraduate catalog, with proposals reviewed and approved by the C-3 Undergraduate Curriculum Change Committee and subsequently sent to the Faculty Council as minor legislation for approval. Proposals for these certificate programs are required to obtain prior approval from the sponsoring College(s) or School(s).

Program proposals must include a statement of objective and need (expected demand), academic course and other requirements, and the composition of the certificate program faculty committee, including the committee chair. The committee must have a minimum of five members, all of whom should be full time faculty, and at least half the committee must be tenured or tenure-track faculty. Certificate programs with difficulty meeting the bar of half of the committee being tenured or tenure-track faculty can petition the Educational Policy Committee for an exception.

Once approved, programs are required to submit a report to C-3 and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies every two years. The report must list the current chair and all committee members and include the number of students completing the certificate program in the prior two years. If the committee plans any changes in the requirements of the certificate program, these changes should be explained; changes require the same approvals as an original application, that is, approval by the College(s) or School(s), C-3, and the Faculty Council.

Last updated by D 17517-17518 EPC approval of certificate programs