New Program Development

A new degree/major program (i.e., academic plan) represents significant commitments by faculty and deans. The approval process to authorize their implementation is structured to assure wide communication and sufficient planning to make sure that the program is ready for students at the time of implementation. After approval by the school/college, the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC) (as applicable, for graduate-level programs), and the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) is complete, the Board of Regents formally authorizes the new degree/major program. The approval process is dictated by UW System Administration and Board of Regents policy. Following is a summary of the process with related links:

Step 1: Preliminary Conversations

The planning process usually starts with informal discussions among faculty and with deans and deans’ staff. This informal consultation stage is quite important for building widespread support for the program and for uncovering any potential sticking points. Once there is some consensus within the program and school/college and the appropriate school/college academic planners have been consulted, it is very important to reach out to campus units that will help shepherd the proposal through governance approvals. Notably this includes the office of Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR) (Karen Mittelstadt, mittelstadt@wisc.edu). For graduate-level programs, the Graduate School should also be consulted, namely Jenna Alsteen (jenna.alsteen@wisc.edu), the assistant dean for academic analysis, planning, and assessment. The guidance is that once the program has some consensus to move forward with planning for a new degree/major, that program staff reach out to DAPIR and the Graduate School (as applicable) via email, briefly explain what is being proposed, and from there DAPIR/Graduate School will provide counsel on navigating the process and inform next steps. Please do not proceed with the Notice of Intent without first consulting with DAPIR/Graduate School.

Step 2: Notice of Intent

The Notice of Intent (NOI), also referred to as the Approval to Plan, is the first formal step in the planning/approval process for new degrees/majors. The NOI is a short written proposal (3-6 pages) that highlights the key features of the program being proposed. Programs should use the UW System NOI template (Part A) and upload it into a new Lumen Structures proposal. At the campus level, the NOI moves through a review/approval process that includes the school/college, GFEC (as applicable), and UAPC. After completing this approval process on campus, the Provost’s Office sends the Notice of Intent to the UW System Office of Academic Affairs and to the provosts at all other UW System institutions. In so doing, the Provost’s Office indicates if the proposal is being submitted via the standard or fast-track process:

• Fast-Track Process: The fast-track process is designed to expedite approval of the NOI by garnering administrative approval from UW System without requiring the review and comment process by all the other UW System institutions. There is a list of criteria for eligibility for the fast-track process, but essentially an eligible program elevates a subplan/named option to the degree level and can be offered within the existing resource base.
• Standard Process: By the standard process, the NOI is circulated to the other institutions, which then have 10 working days to review the document and provide comment.

Once the NOI completes its routing by either the fast-track or standard process, UW System issues a memo to approve or deny the request.

Step 3: Full Request for Authorization Proposal

Once the NOI has been approved, the program faculty then proceed to prepare the full request for authorization. This written proposal, called the New Program Request for Authorization by the Board of Regents, builds on the NOI. It should convey the purpose and need for the proposed academic degree program; the benefits of the program to the university; the ability of the university to carry out the program; and the likely value to, and impact on, students and the residents of Wisconsin.  Proposers must initiate a new Lumen Programs proposal for the new program, into which the written Request for Authorization is uploaded. In addition, the program must complete and upload the Request for Authorization Budget Narrative Template, and if the proposed program is a service-based pricing program, the Service-Based Pricing Budget Template. Here are some tips and resources in preparing the authorization proposal:

• Request for Authorization Template: For the written Request for Authorization, it is very important to use the UW System template. This template has very specific requirements for margins, font, spacing, sections, etc., and there is no room for deviation. The template also changes somewhat regularly, so it’s important to go directly to the UW System Academic Planning website for the current version. UW System also has guidance on writing the Request for Authorization, which is on the same UW System Academic Planning website.
• Cost and Revenue Projections (budget and narrative): UW System requires a program budget in a very specific MS-Excel format, accompanied by a budget narrative. Templates for both are also included on the UW System Academic Planning website, referred to as the Request for Authorization Cost and Revenue Workbook and Template (aka, the budget, an MS-Excel file) and the Request for Authorization Budget Narrative Template (aka, the budget narrative, an MS-Word doc). It is very important to note that the program is asked to complete the budget narrative but not the budget itself. Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR) will use the narrative as prepared by the program to complete the budget itself, on behalf of the program. This is because the budget is very detailed and in a unique format. Essentially the ask is that the program writes out the budget narrative, giving voice to the plan for the budget and supporting the completion of the budget, and then DAPIR takes that plan and populates the budget itself, circling back to the program with any questions that arise.
• Service-Based Pricing Budget Spreadsheet: If the proposed program is a service-based pricing program (i.e., Fund 131), the proposal must include the completed Service-Based Pricing Budget Template. (A service-based pricing program is one that meets specific requirements and has all paid tuition returned to the program to cover expenses and allow for program reinvestment.) For complete details and to access the current spreadsheet, refer to the Procedures for Service-Based Pricing Program Proposals KnowledgeBase document.
• Lumen Programs Form and Uploads: In addition to the UW System documents, UW-Madison uses Lumen Programs to assemble and package the full authorization proposal. The Lumen form asks very specific questions, some of which are also featured within the UW System authorization proposal template. As such, as appropriate, it is fine to cut-and-paste from one document to the other. However there are unique and often campus-specific questions on the Lumen Programs form, which require attention as well. There is a section/topic within the UW-Madison Lumen KnowledgeBase dedicated to Program Proposals, and within there are documents that detail each section of the Lumen Programs form. Please refer to these resources when completing the form as they will answer many questions about appropriate responses. As alluded to earlier, the Lumen Programs form requires the upload of specific documents, as follows:
  • Notice of Intent (NOI): This upload field is within the Basic Information section and the program should upload its final NOI, in both the pdf and MS-Word formats, to this field.
  • UW System NOI Approval Memo: This upload field is the same as the NOI upload, and here the program should upload the NOI approval memo received from UW System via DAPIR.
  • Request for Authorization Narrative: This upload field is within the Basic Information section and is where the program should upload its completed Request for Authorization document. Again, it is very important to upload both a pdf and MS-Word version and to have adhered to the template instructions when completing the document. The MS-Word version enables any final edits that may be required to the document to conform with UW System requirements.
  • Service-Based Pricing Budget Spreadsheet: As noted above, if the program is proposed to be a service-based pricing program, the Lumen proposal must include the completed and approved Service-Based Pricing Budget Spreadsheet. Within the Lumen Programs form, the field for the budget spreadsheet upload is within the Resources, Budget, and Finance section.
  • Assessment Plan: The Lumen Programs form includes an area to add the Program Learning Outcomes and also upload the approved Assessment Plan.
  • Letters of Support: Programs/units that have a vested interest in the new program should be detailed in the Supporting Information section of the Lumen Programs form. If a program provided a formal letter of support, it can be uploaded to the appropriate field in the Lumen Programs form. Complete information on this topic can be found in the Program Proposal: Vested Interest, Supporting Information, and Approval KnowledgeBase document.

DAPIR is happy to assist the program in completing the full authorization proposal and all associated documents. Once the proposal is finalized, it will then be routed to GFEC (as applicable, for graduate-level programs) and UAPC for campus approvals. Once approved by these UW-Madison governance committees, the proposal will advance to the UW System Board of Regents, accompanied by the Letter of Commitment from the provost. (DAPIR will secure the Letter of Commitment on behalf of the program.) In terms of timing, it is important to note that UW System requires that a new program proposal be submitted at least eight weeks prior to an upcoming meeting in order to be added to the agenda. Once slated for the Board of Regents agenda, the provost will present the program to the board on behalf of the university. The board will vote on the proposal at the meeting and UW System Administration will send a formal approval memo, which will be forwarded to the program from DAPIR. From there, the program will proceed to schedule its program implementation meeting and continue with its planning and implementation.

A named option is a formally documented submajor within an academic degree/major, also called a subplan. Named options serve as convenient ways to distinguish distinct curricula or delivery formats within a major. While named options/subplans are part of UW-Madison’s academic structure, they are unique to the university and thus do not require UW System review or approval. As such, a proposal for a new named option moves through a streamlined review and approval process, as follows:

1. Preparation of the Lumen Program proposal,
2. Review and approval by the offering department/unit,
3. Review and approval by the school/college academic planning council (or equivalent),
4. Evaluation by Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research planning staff and the Graduate School (as applicable),
5. Review and approval by the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC; for graduate-level programs),
6. Review and approval by the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC)
7. Implementation

For more information on named options, refer to the named option KnowledgeBase page and/or the Policy on Named Options within Academic Majors.

A certificate program is a designated set of for-credit courses focused upon a specific topic or theme. Certificates give students the opportunity to pursue a subject of interest in a formalized way and to have completion of the course of study recognized by the awarding of the certificate. There are a variety of certificate types at UW-Madison, namely undergraduate certificates, graduate/professional certificates, and capstone certificates.

While credit-bearing certificates are part of UW-Madison’s academic structure, they do not require formal UW System review or approval. Upon approval by UW-Madison, new certificates are reported to both UW System and the Higher Learning Commission. A proposal for a new certificate program moves through the following review and approval process:

1. Preparation of the Lumen Program proposal,
2. Review and approval by the offering department/unit,
3. Review and approval by the school/college academic planning council (or equivalent),
4. Evaluation by Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research planning staff and the Graduate School (as applicable),
5. Review and approval by the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC; for graduate-level programs),
6. Review and approval by the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC)
7. Implementation

For more information on certificate programs, refer to the certificate KnowledgeBase page and/or the Policy on Credit-Bearing Certificate Programs.

Breadth is a required component of doctoral training at UW–Madison. Given there are multiple paths to breadth, the Graduate School leaves the choice of whether students achieve breadth through a doctoral minor, graduate/professional certificate, or other means up to the specific graduate program. Doctoral minors require a minimum of 9 credits and can be proposed via the following process:

1. Preparation of the Lumen Program proposal,
2. Review and approval by the offering department/unit,
3. Review and approval by the school/college academic planning council (or equivalent),
4. Evaluation by Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research planning staff and the Graduate School,
5. Review and approval by the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC),
6. Review and approval by the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC)
7. Implementation

For more information on doctoral minors, refer to the Graduate School’s Doctor Minor webpage.