Curriculum Development

SAA also provides support to the School of Education (SOED), School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM), and School of Kinesiology (SOK) Curriculum Committees and serves as liaison to the Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council, Mason Core Committee, Registrar’s Office, SCHEV, VDOE, and SACSCOC for the development and implementation of a relevant and current curriculum.

Curriculum development is a collaborative faculty-driven process. Creating new courses and programs and modifying or inactivating existing courses or programs requires approval through each school’s curriculum committee and the Undergraduate or Graduate Council. Some program proposals may also require additional approval from the Board of Visitors (BOV), State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and/or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information on BOV, SCHEV, and SACSCOC program approvals, review the information provided by the University about Academic Program Development.

CourseLeaf is the software used by Mason to manage the curriculum, catalog, and class schedule. Curriculum Management (CIM), one of the CourseLeaf modules, updates and maintains course and program curriculum data. All curriculum proposals must be submitted for review and approval in CIM. All faculty and staff who regularly propose changes to courses may request access via email from the Academic Affairs Coordinator.

Course Approval Process

Faculty (or program-designated staff) are responsible for creating and submitting all course proposals in CIM. Each course proposal submitted in CIM should be accompanied by the most current syllabus for the course that is formatted using the most up to date CEHD syllabus template. The documents below provide detailed guidance for submitting course proposals.

• Submitting a Proposal for a New Course in CEHD
• Submitting a Proposal to Modify or Inactivate an Existing Course in CEHD
• CEHD New or Modified Course Proposal Submission Checklist

Following electronic submission in CIM, the proposal goes through a workflow that includes all necessary approvers (e.g., Academic Program Coordinator, Division/School Director, respective CEHD/School Curriculum Committee, Associate Dean, Associate Provost). This workflow and status of course proposals can be previewed at any time in CIM. If revisions are needed after proposals are reviewed by the appropriate school curriculum committee, submitters will be notified via the CIM system that the course has been rolled back for revision.

Program Approval Process

Faculty interested in creating a new degree program or certificate should review the materials provided by the University about Academic Program Development and then contact the Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs to discuss the curriculum development process.

After consultation with college leadership, complete the CEHD New Program Proposal Form and submit it to the Academic Affairs Coordinator who will then format the proposal in CIM.

Faculty interested in submitting changes to an existing degree program or certificate should complete the CEHD Program Modification or Inactivation Form and submit it to the Academic Affairs Coordinator who will then format the proposal in CIM.

Following electronic submission in CIM, the proposal goes through a workflow that includes all necessary approvers. This workflow and the proposal status can be previewed at any time in CIM. If revisions are needed after proposals are reviewed by the appropriate school curriculum committee, submitters will be notified by the Chair of the committee that the program has been rolled back for revision.

The following program initiatives also require State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) action:

• Establishing a new degree program or certificate*
• Closing a degree program or certificate*
• Changing the name of an existing degree or certificate program
• Modifying a degree program or certificate by more than 3 credits*
• Changing or offering a new delivery format for a program or certificate

*Note: These actions may also require SACSCOC approval. For more information on BOV, SCHEV, and SACSCOC program approvals, review the information provided by the University about Academic Program Development.

Before proposing one of these actions, contact the Associate Dean of Student and Academic Affairs for guidance.

CEHD School Curriculum Committees

Proposals must reach the appropriate school curriculum committee by the 1st of each month to be reviewed at that month’s meeting.

2023-2024 Curriculum Proposal Schedule Deadlines

*Proposals must reach the appropriate CEHD Curriculum Committee in the CIM workflow by this date to be reviewed at that month’s meeting.
**Final date for proposals to be submitted for review by the appropriate CEHD Curriculum Committee for inclusion in the 2024-2025 University Catalog.
***Final date for proposals to be considered by the Undergraduate or Graduate Council for inclusion in the 2024-2025 University Catalog. (Note: If SCHEV approval is required, program proposals must be reviewed prior to this date.)

For additional information, review Important Dates for the CEHD Curriculum Committees and University/External Governance Processes.