EIU Council on Academic Affairs

New Program Proposal

Request For New Degree Program

The following procedures outline the process and required information to submit a proposal for a new program or reasonable and moderate extension of an existing program. Consultations with the appropriate dean(s) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs ensure that adequate support and resources are available to support the proposed program.

1. New program approval begins with the departmental or school curriculum committees.
2. Consultation with the appropriate dean(s) must take place before submitting a proposal to the college level curriculum committee. This consultation will assist in the determination if the proposal is a new program or a reasonable and moderate extension (RME) of a program.
3. Consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs must take place before submitting a proposal to CAA, CGS, and/or COTE. It is recommended that this consultation also take place before submitting the proposal to the college curriculum committee. This consultation will assist in the determination if the proposal is a new program or a reasonable and moderate extension (RME) of a program.
4. A proposal submitted to CAA/CGS/COTE must first be approved by the appropriate department and college curriculum committees.

For a reasonable and moderate extension (RME) of an existing program, the following information is required in a proposal submitted to CAA, CGS, or COTE. The proposal should be developed using the numbering scheme below. Responses should be concise and complete; limit the proposal to no more than five pages (excluding catalog copy).

1. Name of the program.
2. Learning goals and assessment methods.
3. Catalog copy for new program, including all required courses and total hours for degree completion.
4. Program alignment with the college and university mission and goals.
5. Need for the program.
   1. Summary of similar programs in the state or peer institutions.
   2. Demand for graduates of the program; empirical and/or other data.
   3. Types of careers for which the program will prepare graduates.
   4. Timeline for meeting IBHE minimum program enrollment (currently 40 students in undergraduate programs and 10 students in graduate programs, both by the fifth fall semester of enrollment)
6. Admission and graduation requirements.
7. Impact on other programs at EIU. Will the program require courses from other departments and do they have the capacity? Will this program compete with other programs on campus? If the proposed program includes courses from another department then evidence of consultation with that department must be provided.
8. Staffing needs: expected faculty, staff, and administrative costs for the first five years.
9. Resource needs: expected space needs/labs equipment/library/technology costs for the first five years.
10. Expected external funding, fees, or income, if applicable.
11. Dates of consultation with the appropriate dean(s) and provost.

For a new program, the following information is required in a proposal submitted to CAA, CGS, or COTE. All of the required information on the IBHE New Degree Template must be completed.

New Degree Program application form: https://www.eiu.edu/acaffair/curriculum/ibheforms.php