Approval and Revision

A key feature of Miami's Curricular Approval Process, adopted by the Board of Trustees pursuant to Ohio Revised Code §3345.457, is a clear distinction between advisory input and binding approval authority.

No Body Other Than the Board May Approve or Reject Academic Programs

University Senate and its authorized representative bodies — Council of Undergraduate Curriculum (CUC), Graduate Council, and Liberal Education Council (LEC) — are granted the opportunity to review curricular proposals and provide advice, feedback, and recommendations. The policy is explicit that all such advice, feedback, and recommendations are advisory in nature.

Similarly, the Council of Academic Deans (COAD) provides advice and recommendations to the Provost regarding academic, fiscal, resource, and strategic implications of proposals. All COAD recommendations are likewise advisory in nature.

No faculty governance body holds a binding vote over the approval or rejection of academic programs. The Provost acts on routine curricular changes under authority delegated by the Board, and the Board itself retains final, overriding authority over all major curricular actions. The Board may approve, disapprove, or remand any recommendation.

What this means in practice

Senate bodies (CUC, Graduate Council, LEC) and COAD participate meaningfully in the review process, but their recommendations do not bind the Provost or the Board. The Provost reviews all advisory feedback before forwarding a recommendation to the Board. The Board has final decision-making authority and is not required to follow any advisory recommendation.

Departments and colleges should aim to have a complete major curricular change proposal ready no later than the start of the fall semester for a program intended to launch the following academic year.

This timeline allows for:

• Completion of the departmental development of the full CIM proposal, the MAPI concept documentation process, and financial review (ODHE fiscal impact statement) during the preceding spring and summer
• COAD and University Senate advisory review no later than the opening fall meetings
• Board of Trustees consideration at the September or December meeting
• ODHE submission immediately following Board approval, with a 3–4 month review window
• Confirmed ODHE approval in time for the spring catalog update deadline
• Sufficient lead time for recruitment, advising, and program promotion before the target enrollment date

Rule of thumb

If a program is intended to enroll its first students in a given fall semester, the proposal should reach the Board no later than the preceding fall, and ODHE approval should be anticipated by late winter or early spring. Working backward from those milestones, MAPI participation and concept documentation should begin no later than the spring semester before the target launch year. Earlier is always better.

Under the Curricular Approval Process, major curricular changes may be proposed by a range of institutional actors, not limited to faculty or departments. The policy explicitly names the following as potential initiators:

Important distinction

While departments and faculty play a central role in developing and shaping proposals, the policy vests formal initiation authority in the dean and above. Faculty governance bodies then provide advisory input through the review process. This structure applies equally to major curricular changes that originate outside the department; the Board, President, Provost, or a dean may initiate a change that affects a department, and the same review process applies.

Miami's Curricular Approval Process, adopted by the Board of Trustees, distinguishes between two categories of curricular action:

Major Curricular Changes — require Board approval and include:

• Establishment of a new academic program (degree, major, free-standing certificate, co-major)
• Discontinuation of an academic program
• Substantial modification of an academic program
• Any curricular action requiring submission to or approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE)

Routine Curricular Changes — delegated to the Provost for approval and include:

• Establishment or modification of courses
• Minor, certificate (non-free-standing), or concentration changes
• Administrative or non-substantive catalog updates
• General education category assignments
• Other changes that do not constitute approval or rejection of an academic program

Routine curricular actions approved by the Provost are reported to the Board at its next regular meeting. The Board retains final authority to override any delegated action.

Departments or faculty proposing new degree programs, majors, co-majors, free-standing certificates, or significant program revisions (more than 25% of content or credit hours changed) are expected to participate in the Miami Academic Program Incubator (MAPI) before proceeding to the formal CIM approval workflow.

Contact the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (undergraduate programs) or the Dean of the Graduate School (graduate programs) to initiate MAPI. See the MAPI Process section below for full details.

All proposers should also review the definitions of curricular terms and consult the General Bulletin to ensure the proposed program does not significantly overlap with existing programs. Programs should aim for at least 50% of credit hours to be unique.

The Miami Academic Program Incubator provides a structured framework for proposers to develop, evaluate, and strengthen program concepts before they enter the formal CIM approval workflow. To initiate MAPI, contact the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (undergraduate programs) or the Dean of the Graduate School (graduate programs).

The Concept Paper submitted in Step 3 should address the following sections and not exceed 3 pages:

Program Information
Degree and Program Name (degree, major/program, concentration if applicable); CIP Code; Target Student Population (traditional, adult working professionals, undergraduate, graduate, etc.)

1. Program Rationale and Strategic Alignment — Brief description of how the proposed program aligns with University priorities and strategic plans.
2. Demand and Enrollment — Brief analysis of student demand based on the Gray Associates scorecard. Target enrollment numbers after three and five years. If the scorecard or Financial Impact Statement reveals concerns, provide context or elaboration.
3. Curriculum Overview — Brief description of proposed curriculum, distinguishing between existing courses and new courses to be developed.
4. Career Outcomes — Career opportunities in the state or region for which graduates would be qualified.
5. Program Delivery — Delivery format (in-person, online, or hybrid); campus location or proposed off-campus location; schedule (traditional semesters/terms or alternative); experiential learning requirements (clinical placement, student teaching, internship, co-op), if applicable.
6. Accreditation and Licensure (if applicable) — Licensure or certification pathway; professional accreditation requirements and accrediting body; for certificates: gainful employment compliance (if financial aid eligibility is sought).
7. Consultation and Collaboration — Documentation of consultation with the dean and department faculty; identification of other Miami units with overlapping interests and steps taken to avoid duplication; consultation with Library leadership or subject specialists regarding collections, databases, research services, and instructional support; description of how library resources will support curriculum, student research, and learning outcomes, including any new resources required.
8. Faculty Resources and Workload — Expected impact on faculty workload and assignments; whether the program will be staffed through existing faculty, course reassignments, or new hires.

These steps apply when creating a new major and/or an associate or bachelor's degree program. The University Senate will have the opportunity to review and provide advisory feedback; see the Advisory Role of Faculty Governance Bodies section above for the nature of that input.

Revisions requiring formal approval include:

• Change in name of program
• Curriculum modification, including revision or creation of a new concentration
• Change in delivery mode for 50% or more of the requirements
• Change in sites where program is offered
• Accelerated or flexible delivery

Approval Steps

1. Creation of program proposal in CIM to revise a major (including a concentration)
2. Departmental approval
3. Divisional curriculum committee approval
4. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
5. University Senate advisory recommendation (via Consent Calendar)
6. Provost action; Board notification or approval as required
7. ODHE and/or HLC approval or notification, coordinated by Provost Office, if applicable

Approval Steps for Program Elimination

1. Creation of program proposal in CIM to eliminate a program
2. Departmental approval
3. Divisional curriculum committee approval
4. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
5. University Senate advisory recommendation (via Consent Calendar)
6. Board of Trustees approval
7. ODHE and/or HLC notification, coordinated by Provost Office

Revisions requiring approval include: name change, curriculum modification, delivery mode changes of 50%+, changes in delivery site, and accelerated or flexible delivery.

1. Creation of program proposal in CIM to revise or eliminate a co-major
2. Departmental approval
3. Divisional curriculum committee approval
4. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
5. University Senate approval via Consent Calendar

Revision: Revisions requiring approval include: name change, curriculum modification, delivery mode changes of 50%+, changes in delivery site, accelerated or flexible delivery. Follow steps 1–5 of the New Minors workflow (CIM through University Senate Consent Calendar).

Deletion: The Office of the University Registrar notifies the chair and academic dean of minors with no or low enrollment for the past four years. If low enrollment continues, the minor is removed from the Bulletin. A department may also initiate deletion:

1. Departmental approval
2. Divisional curriculum committee approval
3. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
4. University Senate Consent Calendar

There are two types of certificates:

• Certificates enrolling only currently matriculated Miami students follow the same approval process as minors (CIM proposal through Consent Calendar).
• Free-standing certificates may enroll non-matriculating students and require additional steps including ODHE and HLC approval.

New Free-Standing Certificates

This is an action item of the University Senate, requiring a presentation.

Revision and Deletion of Certificates

Revision: Revisions requiring approval include: name change, curriculum modification, delivery mode changes of 50%+, changes in delivery site, accelerated or flexible delivery. Steps: CIM → Departmental → Divisional → COAD → University Senate Consent Calendar.

Deletion: Low-enrollment certificates follow the minor deletion process. Department-initiated deletion: CIM proposal → Departmental → Divisional → COAD → University Senate Consent Calendar.

Revisions requiring approval include: name change, curriculum modification (including concentration changes), delivery mode changes of 50%+, changes in delivery site, accelerated or flexible delivery, and modification of more than 50% of credit hours or learning objectives.

1. Initial notification to divisional dean and Dean of Graduate School; MAPI participation recommended
2. Creation of program proposal in CIM; Departmental Curriculum Committee approval
3. Divisional approval
4. Registrar/Provost compliance review
5. Graduate Council advisory recommendation
6. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
7. University Senate advisory recommendation
8. Board of Trustees approval (for program modifications that account for more than 50% of the core curriculum)
9. ODHE approval for major revisions, forwarded by Provost Office/Graduate School
10. HLC notification if more than 25% of curriculum is modified

1. Change of program proposal in CIM to eliminate a program
2. Departmental approval
3. Divisional curriculum committee approval
4. Graduate Council approval
5. Council of Academic Deans advisory review
6. University Senate approval via Consent Calendar
7. Board of Trustees approval
8. ODHE and/or HLC notification, coordinated by Graduate School and Provost Office

Certain curricular changes may be required by state or federal law, including but not limited to the American Civic Literacy curriculum (ORC §3345.382) and the required elimination of low-completion programs (ORC §3345.454). When such changes are required, the Provost will initiate appropriate action. The Provost will provide an update to the University Senate upon initiation of appropriate action. If Board approval is required, the Provost will submit the matter to the Board for approval, disapproval, or remand.