PROCEDURES AND FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION RELATIVE TO PROPOSED CHANGE IN DEPARTMENTAL OR PROGRAM TITLE

Applies To:

Month/Year Posted: 
September, 1995
Policy Number: 
VPAA 95-05

1.         The general procedure follows a traditional consultative pattern.

a.               Department faculty, via department chair, request the appropriate college dean to seek approval for the proposed name change.  The request is accompanied by a rationale which explains the need or desirability for what is proposed with an effective date of the proposed change.  (See 2.c. below under "factors which should be considered.")
 
b.          The college dean reviews and endorses or dissents from the request and forwards the proposed change with his or her comments to the Provost for Academic Affairs.    The Provost for Academic Affairs through the Dean for Undergraduate Studies notifies the college dean, department chair and Admissions and Records of action on the proposed change.
 
c.          If the change is approved, an administrative memo is distributed notifying all faculty and administrative offices of the change.
 

2.          Factors which should be considered by departments and deans when reviewing a request for change.

a.               The proposed change should be generally descriptive of the nature of the curriculum offered by the department or program.
 
b.          It should be understood by all concerned that the change reflects the existing nature of the department's objectives andcurriculum rather than being construed as an approval in advance of any anticipated changes in the objectives or curriculum of the department.  Thus, the approval of the change in the name of a department does not automatically authorize changes in the titles of programs or courses.  All terminology changes for majors, moreover, must be approved by the Chancellor's Office after local curriculum processes are completed.
 
c.               Any proposed change which has implications for the titles or programs of other departments should be made the subject of consultation with such departments.
 
d.         If the proposed change will result in a desire to shift faculty from one department to another as a corollary of a shift in assignment of resources, teaching assignments of current faculty will not automatically change.