Course and Degree Proposal (binder process)

Sometime in August previous to the academic year, the Registrars Office with the help of Information Technology, prepares a binder for each department which contains the following forms and reports (bolded items):

Directions and Approvals Sheet Course Proposal Checklist form

Checklist of existing courses.  Department indicates which courses are changed or dropped on this form.  Form is used to ensure no proposals are misplaced during processing.

Existing Course Computing and Expendables Fee report

All course computing and expendables fees are entered on these sheets by the department.  Used for review/approval by the Provost’s Office.  Please mark changes in red.  Please add any new courses with fees to the end of the report. Remember to include rationale.

Course Information /Change-Drop Forms

Lists details for each existing course.  Departments mark changes in red and check box to indicate change or drop proposal.  Used by OSSR to enter department’s approved changes/drops.

Course Add Proposals form

Blank form for proposing a new course.

Degree Change Form Lists existing requirements for department’s degrees, minors, and certificates.  Proposed changes are marked in red.  For new degrees, concentrations, minors or certificates, please contact Helene Hiner, Provost Office for instructions.  New programs ARE NOT proposed through the binder process.

The Provost Office

  1. New Distribution List Proposals Form This form is used by departments to propose new Add Course(s) for review by the General Education Distribution subcommittee.
  2. New Cocurricular Proposal Form Used by departments to propose new Cocurricular courses for review by the General Education Distribution sub committee. 
  3. Binders are sent to departments.  Departments are responsible for reviewing their current offerings, proposing course drops, changes, fee and distribution changes, proposing new courses, and degree changes.  All fee changes require justification with attached budgets for CAC Student Fee Committee review.  Most departments will be considering changes throughout the previous academic year.  Existing courses with changes MUST HAVE NOTIFICATION OF ALL DEPARTMENTS AFFECTED before binders are forwarded to Dean’s Office.   A copy of the message sent to courseprop-l listing course add, drops and changes may substitute for other departments’ signatures. 
  4. Departments sign the Approval Sheet (section 1) and forward their completed binder to their Dean.
  5. The appropriate Dean’s Office reviews each department’s binder and works with the department on any changes.  Once the Approval Sheet is signed by the Dean the binders are forwarded to Helene Hiner, Provost Office.
  6. The Provost Office reviews each binder, checking for completeness of binder materials, determining that approvals are complete and that course proposals follow Faculty Senate and state rules as closely as possible. Graduate courses are also approved by the Graduate School.  Where necessary, departments are contacted for corrections or completion.  Approval of binders is then given by the Provost.
  7. After Provost approval, binders are returned to the OSSR for processing, with theNew Distribution List Proposals Forms and New Cocurricular Proposal Forms being sent to the General Education Distribution Subcommittee for review.   The committees may approve, ask for modification, or reject the distribution or cocurricular portion of any proposal.  The final approved sets are returned by the committees to the Provost for approval, then to OSSR for processing.

    8. Office of Student Records and Registration (OSSR)

  8. The OSSR processes all of the approved proposals in time for the newest course versions to be used in spring for the coming fall registration period time schedule booklet and advising.  OSSR provides updated course and degree listings to Publications Office for MTU Undergraduate and Graduate catalog publications.  Approved course fees are sent on from Registrars and also processed by the Accounting Office.