Senate Board of Undergraduate Studies – University of Guelph
PROPOSAL BRIEF – PROPOSED NEW PROGRAMS
2012-2013 Undergraduate Calendar
Guidelines for the Preparation of the Proposal Brief for Proposed New Programs including:
Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, Minors, Areas of Concentration, Areas of Emphasis, Degree-credit Certificates and Degree-credit Diplomas
Submission Deadlines:
January 1, 2011 – initial brief submitted to the Office of the Associate Vice-President (Academic)
March 1, 2011 – final brief submitted to the Coordinator, Undergraduate Curriculum
NB: All proposed new programs (undergraduate degrees and specializations) must receive a recommendation to move through the governance process from the Office of the Provost. Submit the New Program Proposal Brief to the Coordinator, Undergraduate Curriculum on behalf of the Associate Vice-President (Academic). The AVPA, on behalf of the Provost, ensures new programs are consistent with the strategic plans and directions for growth of the university.
All non-core undergraduate programs and majors are submitted for funding approval to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) once approved by Senate.
NB: New program submissions will not be forwarded to BUGS or Senate for approval until the AVPA, on behalf of the Office of the Provost, has reviewed and approved the proposal.
Program/Specialization Name and Administration
Indicate the Sponsoring Department/School and College(s).
Provide evidence of consultation with other units/programs participating in the proposed new program/specialization. If the schedule of studies includes courses from unit(s) other than the sponsoring unit, a clear commitment of support for the proposed program/specialization must be included.
Indicate the office(s) responsible for academic counselling.
Proposals for new coop programs must also include a letter of support from the Director, Co-operative Education and Career Services
Program Objectives and University of Guelph Learning Objectives
Identify the overall objectives of the proposed program, how the curriculum addresses the current state of the discipline and how the objectives enhance, overall, the undergraduate curriculum.
Identify any distinctive curriculum aspects, program innovations or creative components.
Identify which of the University's Learning Objectives are particularly addressed and how the proposed program supports student achievement of the Learning Objectives. See Chapter II, Learning Objectives, in the Undergraduate Calendar (http://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/undergraduate/current/c02/c02-learningobjectives.shtml)
If the program includes a Co-op option, the proposal must address the proposed Learning Objectives for work term reports.
For professional program areas, identify congruence with current regulatory requirements of the profession.
Rationale and Consistency with the University’s Mission and Integrated Plan
Explain the rationale for developing the proposed program and identify its relationship to the Integrated Plans of the Department/School and College, and overall University Integrated Plan.
Anticipated Enrolment and Impact on Existing Programs
Identify projected enrolment levels for the first five years of operation of the proposed program, including:
a) initial enrolment;
b) enrolment after two years;
c) steady-state annual enrolment and steady state total enrolment and years these will be achieved.
Identify whether the proposed program will impact existing programs and whether students move to this program from others or whether the proposed program is expected to attract new students.
Identify any programs proposed for closure as a result of this proposed new program.
Admission Requirements
List the admission requirements and indicate their appropriateness for ensuring adequate achievement and preparation for entry into the proposed program.
List any proposed alternative requirements and rationale.
For new majors within an already approved undergraduate degree program, indicate whether the admission requirements differ from existing requirements within the degree program. If different, provide the rationale.
Program Requirements
Outline the proposed program (course and additional academic) requirements, including:
a) courses currently offered, with frequency of offering;
b) list of any new courses proposed as part of the submission;
c) required courses mounted by other units and confirm commitment by said unit;
d) research and/or experiential learning activities, indicating whether required or elective;
e) thesis, major paper or other capstone requirement, indicating whether required or elective.
Identify the mode of delivery (in-class, lecture, problem- or case-based learning, online/distance, hybrid) and explain why the methods are appropriate for meeting the program’s learning objectives.
Indentify the appropriateness of the program’s structure and curriculum in meeting expressed learning objectives.
Identify the appropriateness of the proposed method of assessment in evaluating student progress and achievement of the learning objectives.
Include the proposed calendar copy for this program (Preamble, Schedule of Studies) and templates for any new courses proposed to support the program.
Human and Physical Resource Requirements
Provide evidence of and planning for adequate numbers and quality of:
(a) faculty and staff to achieve the goals of the program; or
(b) of plans and the commitment to provide the necessary resources in step with the implementation of the program;
(c) planned/anticipated class sizes;
(d) provision of supervision of experiential learning opportunities (if required); and
(e) the role of adjunct and part-time faculty.
Funding and Resource Availability
Provide evidence that there are adequate resources to sustain the quality of scholarship produced by undergraduate students, including library support, information technology support, and laboratory access.
Indicate whether there are any notable resources available to the proposed program demonstrating institutional appropriateness e.g. Chairs, institutes, centres; unique library collections or resources; facilities such as computer, laboratory, other acquisitions, etc.
Indicate any external financial support demonstrating strength such as facility/equipment donations, other external donations, grants, etc.
Duplication, Student Demand and Societal Need
Identify similar programs offered by other institutions in the Ontario university system and provide evidence of justifiable duplication based on demand and/or societal need.
Provide convincing evidence of student demand for the proposed program. Per the MTCU checklist, consider the following in making these determinations:
a) evidence of student demand through application statistics, for example: number of enquiries, applications received, number of qualified applicants;
b) origin of student demand (% domestic and visa students);
c) duration of the projected demand (e.g. short, medium or long-term demand from specified sources;
d) evidence of review and comment by appropriate student organization(s), if applicable.
Identify the societal need for the proposed program including:
a) dimensions of the societal need for graduates (e.g. socio-cultural, economic, scientific, technological);
b) geographic scope of the societal need for graduates (e.g. local, regional, provincial, national);
c) trends in societal need for graduates;
d) duration of the societal need (e.g. short, medium, or long-term).
Examples of evidence for the above would be: letters from a variety of potential employers of graduates who have seen the curriculum and commented upon the need for graduates within their organization and, more broadly, in their field of endeavour; professional society and/or association comments about the need for graduates based on a review of the curriculum; employment surveys, survey of the number of positions advertised in, for example, the CAUT Bulletin, AUCC University Affairs, etc.; statistics related to the number of Ontario students leaving the province to study in the same field elsewhere in Canada or abroad
Attachments
Provide the following supporting documentation with a new program proposal:
Letter of support from the relevant Dean(s), including confirmation of the adequacy of required resources
Letter of support from the Head, Information Services, indicating a completed Library Assessment and adequate library resources
Confirmation of support from other units a) implicated in the proposal or b) affected by the proposal
Estimate of student demand from the Registrar (or Associate Registrar, Admission Services)
For proposed Co-op Programs, include a letter of support from the Director, Cooperative Education and Career Services (CECS), and copy of the Co-op Feasibility Study, if applicable.
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