Skip to main content

OM 6.1.0 Procedures for Academic Changes

About This Policy

Effective Date: April 1997
Last Updated: May 2015
Responsible University Office: President's Office
Responsible University Administrator: President

Policy Contact:

Office of the Provost
provost@clarkson.edu

The Office of the Registrar shall maintain an official list of approved courses. This list shall be called the "Register of Courses" and shall be the basis for the course listing in the catalog.

Guide to the items below:

  • Items 1-4 identify four different types of academic change and state the approval procedure for each type.
  • Items 5 and 8 give details regarding exceptions to the approval process for one of the types of academic change. Item 5 is linked to the type of academic change in Item 4, and Item 8 is linked to the type of change in Item 2. Please note that there is a form available from Student Administrative Services for the type of academic change described in Item 8.
  • Items 6 applies to all types of academic change.
  • Items 7 states a “sunset” policy for courses.
  1. Proposals involving the addition, deletion or re-naming of degree programs or degrees, or any other changes to degree programs or degrees that require review and approval by the New York State Education Department (NYSED):
    1.  must be approved by the Provost, the Faculty Senate, the Administrative Council, and the President, and,
    2. in addition to completion of the above academic approval process, must be both
      1. reviewed by the Board of Trustees and
      2. submitted to and approved by NYSED.
      New degree programs and the changes to existing degree referenced above become official only after completion of all of the above processes: the academic approval process, review by the Board of Trustees, and NYSED approval.
  2. All changes in
    1. curricular requirements, as stated in the University catalog (except as defined in number 8 below) and

    2. course title, assignment of credit hours and/or description of course content for courses specifically listed in the catalog as required for a degree program (except as defined in number 5 below)
      must be approved by the, dean of the school, the Provost, the Faculty Senate, the Administrative Council and the President. 

  3.  Clarkson Common Experience Review: (a) proposed new degree programs,(b) changes in degree program requirements that could affect the Common Experience requirements, and (c) proposed new courses that are intended to satisfy any of the Common Experience requirements or changes to such existing courses (except as defined in number 5 below) must be reviewed by the Clarkson Common Experience Committee for approval regarding the Clarkson Common Experience requirements. The committee will report its actions to the Provost and the Faculty Senate.
  4. All changes in course title, assignment of credit hours and/or description, including the addition or deletion of a course, for courses other than those listed as required for a degree program (except as defined in number 5 below) must be approved by the dean of the school. It is the responsibility of the department or academic unit which proposes these changes to seek concurrence of any other department or academic unit which might be impacted by the proposed change. If such concurrence cannot be obtained, the proposed changes should be forwarded to the Provost. If the Provost cannot obtain concurrence, the changes shall be forwarded to the Faculty Senate together with a recommendation from the Provost.
  5. Editorial changes that do not substantively change the content or description of a course may be made by the department offering the course with the approval of the dean of the school.
  6. After final approval, all changes will be communicated to the deans of the schools and the Office of the Registrar for inclusion in the Register of Courses. 
  7. Courses not taught within a period of 5 consecutive years will be removed from the list of approved courses. Exceptions must be approved by the dean of the school and the Provost.
  8. Certain elective courses in the curricula for majors and minors may be changed by the unit(s) offering the major or minor with the approval of the appropriate school dean(s) and/or institute director(s). These are elective courses chosen by students from a general category of courses (for example, “2 math courses numbered 300 or above”) or from a list of courses that varies according to availability, faculty interests, and developments in the field (for example, “take 2 courses from a list of approved electives”). Please use the Elective Category Update form, found in the Student Achievement Services form repository

    History

    Approved by Faculty Senate, April 1997

    Approved by Administrative Council, April 1997

    Revision Approved by Faculty Senate, November 2005

    Revision Approved by Administrative Council, February 2006

    Revised May 2015

    Revised September 2018

    Editorial Revision 2019

    Editorial Revision 2022

    back to top

Back to top