Approval Steps for a New Certificate

1. For new certificates, proposers must alert the Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (UK’s liaison with the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)) about the intent to offer a new degree or certificate.
2. A new certificate is reviewed by the faculty of the proposer’s department.
3. Upon approval, the department will submit the new certificate proposal to the college faculty for review. This is often done through a group of faculty organized through the dean’s office such as a faculty council or Educational Policy & Curriculum committee.
4. After approval at the college level, a new program/certificate proposal then goes to the appropriate Senate academic council(s).
   
   1. Proposals for undergraduate certificates are reviewed by the Undergraduate Council (UC).
   2. Proposals for graduate certificates are reviewed by the Graduate Council (GC).
   3. Proposals for professional degrees in the professional health care colleges are reviewed by the Health Care Colleges Council (HCCC).Health care colleges have the option of sending undergraduate and graduate certificate proposals to the HCCC, but are not required to do so unless the course includes direct patient contact and/or care.
   4. Proposals for law-related certificates are sent directly from the College of Law Faculty Council to the Senate Council Office.
5. The academic council will send approved program proposals to the Senate Council office for staff to check that the program/certificate complies with the Senate Rules and is ready for the next step in the review process.
6. After review in the Senate Council office, the proposal will be sent to the Senate's Academic Programs Committee (SAPC) for review.
7. When the SAPC has finished its review, the proposal will be placed on a Senate Council agenda for review during an open meeting of the Senate Council.
8. If the proposal involves adding distance learning delivery, the proposal will also be reviewed by the Senate Committee on Distance and eLearning.
9. SC office personnel will email the contact person(s) to schedule a date when the contact person can attend a SC meeting. (SC meets most Mondays during the academic year, usually from 3 – 5 pm in 103 Main Building. SC does not meet on the second Monday of the month, when the full Senate meets.) The SAPC chair will present the proposal to the SC and the contact person is there to answer any questions that the SAPC chair cannot answer. SC may approve the proposal as is or request revisions.
10. When the SC approves the proposal, it will be scheduled for the agenda of the next monthly University Senate meeting. Like the SC meeting, the SAPC chair will present the proposal to the Senate and the contact person is there to answer any questions that the SAPC chair cannot answer. Senate may approve the proposal as is or request revisions.
11. Upon Senate approval, SC office personnel will alert the University community (Registrar, colleges, etc.) and the changes will be implemented as of the effective date of the proposal.
12. The approval process for a new certificate is complete after approval by the Senate - no further review is necessary.