Committee on Academic Policy and Programs October 23, 2002 To request an official copy of this policy, contact: The Office of the Governing Council Phone: 416-978-6576 Table of Contents The Committee on Academic Policy and Programs approves or recommends to the Academic Board of the Governing Council for consideration the following:
[1] Here "programs" includes the curriculum within a particular degree. Examples are: specialist, major and minor programs in Arts and Science, and changes in curriculum within a professional degree, such as revisions to degree requirements In order to carry out its mandate, the Committee receives for its approval proposals from the academic divisions of the University which have been approved by the relevant divisional councils. Proposals may be received for information, approved by the Committee, or recommended to the Academic Board for approval, depending on the nature of the proposal. If the Committee does not wish to approve or recommend for approval, it may reject a proposal or refer it back to the originating body. The determination as to the level of approval required is made by the Chair on the advice of the agenda planning group, based on documentation provided by the division. a. Major academic program proposals require consideration by the Academic Board, and include but are not limited to those which:
b. Minor academic program proposals which may be considered by the Committee include but are not limited to the following:
c. Other minor academic program changes are delegated to the appropriate divisional councils. Such changes might include:
a. Divisional Grading Practices Requests for major changes in divisional grading practices will be considered by the Committee. Minor changes may be approved by divisional councils as long as they are in accord with University policy. They will then be reported to the Vice-President and Provost for information. (In order to ensure that changes under the University Grading Practices Policy can be accommodated, the divisions should consult, in advance to presenting their recommendations, with the Office of the Vice-President and Provost and with the University Registrar.) b. Graduate Programs Changes related to graduate programs and regulations (including all degree offerings in the Faculties of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, Forestry, Information Studies, Management and Social Work) are normally reported through the School of Graduate Studies. c. Admissions Divisions should ensure that in bringing forward changes to admission policies or practices that consideration be given to the impact on other divisions. a. Submission Development Major academic program proposals and proposed changes to grading practices policies may be submitted at any time, although changes in academic programs and academic regulations to take effect for the fall should be forwarded no later than the end of the previous February [2]. Divisions are encouraged to consult with the Provost's Office early on in the process of proposal development, and if there is any doubt about whether proposed changes are major and, therefore, require submission for approval. Programs may not be advertised until approved by the appropriate level of governance; accordingly divisions should take into account calendar and other advertising deadlines in determining the timetable for program development and submission. [2] If the proposal requires the approval of the Governing Council, the governance cycle takes 6 weeks from the time the proposal has been forwarded to the Committee for consideration by the Office of the Vice-President and Provost through to consideration by the full Council. Proposals are submitted to the Committee through the Provost's Office, which recommends items to the Committee through the Senior Assessor to the Committee. Copies should also be provided to the Committee Secretary, with attachments, and to the appropriate Assistant Vice-Provost (without attachments). b. Submission Format To assist divisions in the preparation of submissions, the Committee has identified below the areas which should be addressed when bringing major academic program proposals forward for approval. In general, divisional representatives preparing the submission should think of the committee members' position: from the material submitted will they be able to ascertain sufficiently the implications of and justifications for the proposal? All program proposals should be accompanied by an executive summary prepared by the division which:
Divisions should include more detailed descriptions as appendices to the executive summary. For example, if a major proposal involves a new academic program or substantial changes to an existing one, then the Committee should receive calendar descriptions, in order to give consideration to the proposal. Normally, the detailed information will be considered only by the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs. The executive summary will be the document forwarded to the Academic Board, if the Committee cannot, under its terms of reference, approve a proposal itself. c. Presentation to the Committee The Senior Assessor brings the recommendation forward for the Committee's approval. Divisional representatives familiar with the details of the proposal will be invited to attend the meeting of the Committee and to answer questions that may arise. Where required, the Committee will forward its recommendations concerning admissions and academic program proposals and other relevant calendar amendments to the Academic Board for its consideration. d. Annual Reporting Divisional Councils should submit an annual report to the Vice-President and Provost, for information, listing minor academic program and calendar changes made during the year. The Provost's Office will review the Report and advise the division if, in its opinion, these items have been dealt with in accord with these Guidelines and relevant policies. For further information, please consult the Terms of Reference of the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs at http://www.utoronto.ca/govcncl/bac/details/ap/aptor.pdf October 10, 2002 |