At the undergraduate level, the faculty governance process formally starts with a review by the Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC). Category I proposals also require approval by the Dean before the program is reviewed by CIC. After CIC, potential next steps for any changes depend on the nature of the proposed change. The four categories I, II, III, and IV are summarized below from the Faculty Manual (see section 4.4.9 of the Faculty Manual for more information). 

If you have questions regarding the governance level that applies to the changes you are proposing, you should contact the chair of CIC, who can help you understand the appropriate Category change.

Below is an outline of the various steps of the governance processes. As noted, Category I and II proposals require more time; faculty can expect this process to take at minimum several months. Most proposals take around a year and, in isolated cases the process could last more than a year. Category III and IV changes are much simpler, and can take just a few days to weeks from start to finish.

1. Initial formulation: This process includes discussions with departmental colleagues, the Department Chair, and, for Category I proposals, the Dean (or Deans, if interdisciplinary). In addition, the conversations should involve other departments that could potentially be impacted by the program and other campus partners (such as Admissions and Career Services). Following these fact-finding discussions, a draft proposal is needed. This step could take anywhere from a few weeks to months. 
2. Advisory and Implementation Discussions: As noted previously, this should be a first stop to get helpful initial feedback on UG program proposals. CPC typically meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays opposite the CIC meeting days during regular semesters. Because new curricular developments can have unforeseen operational impacts and require time to prepare properly, it also is essential to get feedback from the Curriculum Operational Impact Group (COIG). The COIG represents a large cross-section of administrative divisions and departments within the University, allowing it to serve as a valuable resource to help ensure the smooth implementation of new programs and major changes to existing programs. Please contact the Registrar for the Group’s meeting schedule.
3. Proposal Revision: Based upon the feedback you get from CPC and various other stakeholders, you may wish to revise your original program proposal. This could take anywhere from a day or two, to several weeks if additional input and stakeholder information is appropriate.  
4. Dean's Approval (if necessary): This is the first step in the governance process for Category I proposals. At this point, the proposers should discuss the program and present a complete, polished draft proposal for discussion. The Dean (or Deans) must sign off on Category I proposals to begin the rest of the governance workflow process.
5. CIC Review: This is the beginning of the faculty governance process. CIC typically meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays opposite the week of the CPC meeting and Senate during regular semesters. This allows approvals to potentially move ahead to the following week’s Senate agenda (if necessary).
6. Faculty Senate (if necessary):  All new programs, major changes to existing programs, and new courses will be classified as Category I or Category II and require Faculty Senate approval. Faculty Senate typically meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays during regular semesters. 
7. General Faculty Vote (if necessary): All new programs (Category I) will require a vote by the General Faculty. This body typically meets only twice per semester: in the fall once at the beginning and once at the end of the semester, and in the spring mid-semester and at the end of the semester. 

Undergraduate Curricular Governance Meetings

Please submit course proposals through CourseLeaf at the latest by the end of the day on the Thursday before the Curriculum Implementation Committee meeting. Note that the committees may request additional information and return a proposal back to the submitter for requested revisions.

There are a number of important considerations when thinking about the planning process, and how much time the governance process may take. This matters as it could impact the availability of programs or courses to students.

• The governance bodies (CPC, CIC, Senate, General Faculty) do not meet over summer (or other breaks), so any steps in the process that may overlap into these breaks can delay completion. 
• New programs can be marketed internally to current students after Senate approval, however marketing to the external community (prospective students, for instance) can only happen after full governance approval has taken place. For UG Admissions to market to potential future students these new programs for recruiting in later academic years, final governance must be done by the last General Faculty meeting of the Fall semester. 
• For courses to be available for an upcoming semester to students, keep in mind that scheduling for fall courses is finalized in March, and for spring courses is finalized in October. Thus, approvals for a new course (via Senate) must be done prior to those dates (see Dates and Deadlines above). 
• The sequencing of CPC, CIC, Senate, and General Faculty meetings can create bottlenecks, particularly if there are periods of high-volume business. This means some business may need to be delayed to future meetings, which means target dates for deployment of programs/courses could be jeopardized. It is suggested faculty target an earlier approval date than needed to ensure a smooth and timely approval. 
• Doing full due-diligence pays dividends. Spending the time up front collaborating with faculty, discussing with departments and getting input in and check-ins with your Dean (if Category I) - and other stakeholders and crafting a complete proposal document will help ensure a smooth governance process, and mitigate the possibility of delays for non-approvals in the governance chain.   

How do I Propose a New (Permanent) Course?

To propose a new permanent course, you will need to complete a CourseLeaf Course Form. It is strongly suggested that faculty create a comprehensive proposal narrative containing information on the course description for the Catalogue, the rationale for the proposed course, curriculum impact, and learning outcomes before attempting to complete the CourseLeaf Form. This comprehensive narrative should also contain information required for the CourseLeaf Form to ensure a successful and timely governance process. You also will need to attach a complete syllabus for the proposed course. Make sure to consult with other departments for potential overlap with existing courses before you submit this form.

Special Topics and Experimental Courses 

You may offer the same course as a special topics course or experimental course only twice. If you already have offered your course twice in either of these formats, please use the CourseLeaf Course Form to propose it as a permanent course. 

To propose a new section for an existing (shell) special topics course or experimental course, you will need to complete a Special Topics and Experimental Form in CourseLeaf. You also will need to attach a syllabus for the proposed section. Consult with other departments for potential overlap with existing courses also is required for special topics and experimental courses.

If you have offered your course only once in either of these formats, you still will need to need to complete a Special Topics and Experimental Course form even it is exactly the same as before.

You may request that your course be designated as Communication Intensive (CI).  

The current curriculum requires all undergraduate students to complete at least one course designated as Communication Intensive (CI). Students majoring in a Business program must also complete a second CI course within their major. The standards of what is expected of CI courses were established by a faculty committee and can be found here. The Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC) uses those standards to review courses seeking the CI designation and approves courses that sufficiently meet the requirements established by the faculty committee.  

Faculty who are interested in seeking CI designation for their courses should indicate so on the CourseLeaf Course Form and attach materials such as grading rubrics, assignments, examples of feedback to students, and other materials that demonstrate and explain how the course meets the standards for the CI designation. The proposal will then be reviewed by CIC. Faculty can seek this approval for existing courses that do not currently carry the desired designation or for brand new courses. 

For more information on this process, please contact: the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences; or the Chair of the Curriculum Implementation Committee. 

To request approval for a Context and Perspectives (C& P) theme for a new or existing permanent course that does not have a C&P designation, you will need to complete a Context & Perspectives form. Select New Context and Perspectives, which will open a pop-up menu. Select the course from the drop-down menu and then press the button New Context and Perspectives. Once the form appears, you will need to select the Proposed Theme. After you make your selection, the learning outcomes for that theme will appear. Below those goals, you will see boxes where you can provide a rationale for how your course meets the learning outcomes and the assessment method you will use to determine whether students are meeting those outcomes. Your course must address at least two learning outcomes in the theme for it to be considered for approval.

You will not be able to request approval for a new course and Context and Perspectives designation at the same time. Your first will have had to submit a request for a new course. Once submitted, you can complete a New Context and Perspectives Form by following the same instructions described above. 

If you are seeking C&P designation for a section of a special topics course or an experimental course, you will need to use the Special Topics and Experimental form. On this form, you will see a question that asks whether you are seeking approval for a Context and Perspectives them. After selecting Yes, you will be prompted to select the Proposed Theme. After you make your selection, the learning outcomes for that theme will appear in the same way it would for new course proposals. Follow the instructions in the previous paragraph to complete your request. 

A committee consisting of all the Arts & Sciences department chairs and the Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences will review your submission for approval. Please contact the Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences for any questions.

For a video demonstrating these processes, see the link at the bottom of this page.

How do I Submit a New Major, Minor, Concentration or Program?

Creating a new program is exciting, but also takes the most time, due-diligence, and work. In the process of getting your new major, minor, concentration or program approved, it is highly advisable to create a narrative document outlining the structure of the program, motivation, and other relevant information needed both for the governance process, but also for others to understand the value of the proposed program. 

As part of the narrative document, it is strongly advised to include information specifically requested in CourseLeaf as part of the governance submission process. Additionally, when submitting a new program proposal, it is important to include feedback from Admissions and Career Services. Some of the information that is particularly helpful to include in the proposal are the following:

• How might this program help attract more students, or different kinds of students to Bentley?
• What kinds of students might gravitate to this program?
• What is the job market that this program might serve?
• What specific feedback from Career Services supports the need/desire for this kind of program?
• What feedback did you receive from industry partners (either through Career Services, or independently) on the value of this program in the marketplace?

It is important to keep in mind potentially two additional pieces of information that should be included with new majors:

1. Every new major (and ideally updates to existing majors) should include an example Curriculum Sequencing Map. This mapping gives an idea of what courses students should be taking and when during their academic plan to ensure a successful completion within a typical four-year period. This will help academic advisors and students understand the major requirements and potential sequencing challenges when designing their academic plan.  
2. All business majors are required to have a Communication Intensive course designated with the major requirements, so this will need to be called out in the proposal.

Having this information up front when you start the process will make for a faster and smoother governance path, as you can easily cut and paste from the narrative document into CourseLeaf to start the governance process. The specific fields requested are linked here. 

To start the process, choose the CourseLeaf Program Form, and choose the “Propose New Program” button, and fill out the Program Proposal form. Note that any items in red are required fields. 

Once the required fields are completed and you are satisfied with the submission, hit ‘Save and Start Workflow’. This starts the governance process. At some point thereafter your Dean or the chair of CIC will contact you regarding the first step in the governance process.   

For a video demonstrating these processes, see the link at the bottom of this page.

How do I Update or Change an Existing Course?

It is common for faculty and departments to update or change an existing course. For example, faculty may want to make a minor change to a course title, update the course description for the Catalogue, update learning outcomes for the course, add or revise the prerequisites, or add or remove the communications intensive designation.  

To start this process, choose the the CourseLeaf Course Form. Enter the Course Code (e. g., EMS 101) in the Search field. After the course details appear, select Edit Course. This will open a pop-up window with the Course Inventory.  

Changes and updates to existing courses are either Category III or Category IV changes. Category IV changes include changes to course titles, numbers, prerequisites, and minor changes to course content. Category III changes are substantial revisions to content of existing courses and must be approved by the Curriculum Implementation Committee. The document here provides an explanation of the Courseleaf fields.  

Once the required fields are completed and you are satisfied with the submission, hit ‘Save and Start Workflow’. This starts the governance process. At some point thereafter the chair of CIC will contact you regarding the first step in the governance process.   

For a video demonstrating these processes, see the link at the bottom of this page.

How do I Update or Change an Existing Major, Minor, Concentration or Program?

As with new programs, when updating or changing an existing program it is highly advisable to create a narrative document outlining the changes in the structure of the program, motivation for change, and other relevant information. These will be needed in the governance process, and also help others understand the value of the proposed program changes. 

As part of the narrative document, it is strongly advised to include information specifically requested in CourseLeaf as part of the governance submission process that will change because of the program changes. Having this information up front when you start the process will make for a faster and smoother governance path, as you can easily cut and paste from the narrative document into CourseLeaf to start the governance process. The specific fields requested are linked here.

To start the process, choose the CourseLeaf Program Form, and find the existing program in the listing (you can do this either by scrolling, or searching as noted on the page). Note that if you are proposing a new concentration in an existing program, you should use the New Program form process. Once you find the existing program to update, click on the green ‘Edit Program’ box, and fill out the change/update form. The very first prompt will ask what you are changing: 

• Course Requirements 
• Honors Requirements 
• Learning Outcomes 
• Major/Minor Exclusions 
• Other (Please Explain) 

The ‘Other’ reason for instance could be to update the Catalogue description, or the title of the program. Check all that apply. 

Note that any items in red are required fields. Any fields that are not changing can be left as-is. In other words, only add or change information in the relevant fields that necessitate change. 

Once the fields needing an update are completed and you are satisfied with the submission, hit ‘Save and Start Workflow’. This starts the governance process. At some point thereafter the chair of CIC will contact you regarding the first step in the governance process.   

For a video demonstrating these processes, see the link at the bottom of this page.