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Proposals for New Undergraduate Programs, Program Revisions, and New Undergraduate Minors

Proposals for new degree programs and modifications of existing programs are reviewed by the College of Arts and Sciences for budgetary impact before review by the Arts and Sciences Senate curriculum committee. The dean's office also reviews proposals to discontinue or deactivate degree-granting programs. Proposals for modifications of existing programs are reviewed by the Arts and Sciences Senate curriculum committee.

SUNY and SED Information

New SUNY Planning Guide and Forms

In November 2013, SUNY launched the new Guide to Academic Program Planning and associated new Academic Program Planning forms. 

  • SUNY Guide to Academic Program Planning  - Please review this document before submitting any new program announcements, new program proposals, revisions of existing programs, or requests for discontinuance or deactivation.
  • SUNY academic program planning forms  - The new required forms can be found on this website.  Forms are now required for program revisions and requests for discontinuance and deactivation, as well as for new program announcements and proposals. 
  • PowerPoint presentation covering " Program Proposal Troubleshooting" from the 9/19/17 Conversations with Program Reviewers webinar. 

SED Inventory of Registered Programs

The most recent Inventory of Registered Programs is available at: http://www.nysed.gov/heds/inst/internalli/211000.html. 

New Program Proposals

Proposals for new undergraduate degree programs must first be approved by the department, then the College of Arts and Sciences dean's office, then the Arts and Sciences Senate curriculum committee, then the Provost's office.

After campus approvals have been secured, SUNY System's review of proposals for new undergraduate programs involves two steps: the submission of a Program Announcement and a Program Proposal. The Program Announcement is designed to inform other SUNY campuses and to allow those campuses and SUNY Administration to comment on the proposal. New baccalaureate programs typically require external review by two experts in the discipline, chosen from a list of three to five proposed reviewers.  The Program Proposal is the formal request for a new undergraduate academic program.  New programs must be approved and registered by the New York State Education Department before they may be advertised or before students may be admitted.

Departments must submit a d raft of SUNY System's 1A Program Announcement (PA) and 2A New Undergraduate Degree Program Proposal prepared by the department in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office. (For the most recent versions of all SUNY forms, please go to http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/acaproplan/app/forms/ . The Provost's Office finalizes the Program Announcement prepared by the department/school and transmits it to SUNY System, with a copy to the President.  The SUNY System then  sends out the Program Announcement statewide for comments. SUNY System's guidelines for submission of a new program indicate that the proposing campus will receive feedback from other campuses and System within approximately 30 days from the circulation of the proposal.

 Review and final revision of Program Proposal by the school/department in conjunction with the Provost's Office. The Program Proposal must address any concerns raised by other SUNY campuses or SUNY System. Please note that the completed Program Proposal must be accompanied by reports from at least two SUNY-approved external evaluators, which campuses select in consultation with the SUNY Provost's Office, and an institutional response to those reports. Degree proposals may undergo revision between the time they are initially developed and approved internally on campus and when they are submitted to SUNY System, in response to recommendations from external reviewers. The Provost will submit the final version of the degree proposal to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee at least two weeks prior to planned submission to System Administration. The FSEC reviews the final proposal and may decide to seek additional endorsement by the full Faculty Senate if substantive changes have been made to the initial proposal approved by the Senate.

The Program Proposal may be submitted no later than one year from the date that SUNY System circulated the Program Announcement to other campuses.  The following forms must be submitted; for the most recent versions of all SUNY forms, please go to  http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/acaproplan/app/forms/ :

    • 2A New Undergraduate Degree Program Proposal
    • Supplements, if applicable:
      • 2D External Evaluation Report
      • 2E External Instruction Form
      • 2F Transfer Course Equivalency Table
      • 4 Distance Education Format Proposal
      • 9 Waiver Request: Seamless Transfer Requirements
    • Other specialized forms may be required; please see the SUNY website for more information.

      The Provost's Office transmits the Program Proposal Form and other relevant forms, including the SED attestation cover sheet, to SUNY System. If SUNY System approves the proposed degree program, they then send it to the State Education Department for approval. The State Education Department must approve and register new degree programs before they may be advertised or before students may be admitted.

Revisions to Existing Programs

The procedures for changes to existing undergraduate programs differ depending on the extent of the changes.

Significant Changes to a Degree Program

SUNY and the State Education Department must approve and re-register a program in which significant changes are made. Please see the SUNY document  Guide to Academic Program Planning for information on what constitutes a significant change.

Proposals to significantly modify existing undergraduate degree programs or to change the name of existing undergraduate degree programs must first be approved by the department, then the College of Arts and Sciences, then the Arts and Sciences Senate curriculum committee.  The request must then be transmitted to SUNY System for approval.  

Following are the steps in the approval process for a request to change an existing undergraduate program:

  1. Department approval of the proposed change. If any courses are offered by another department or school, the department offering the major must consult with that department or school regarding their courses 
  2. Draft proposal explaining the requested change is prepared by the department in conjunction with the Dean's Office.  SUNY now has two different Program Revision Proposal Forms; for the most recent versions of all SUNY forms, please go to  http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/acaproplan/app/forms/):
    • 3A Program Revision Proposal: Changes to an Existing Program
    • 3B Program Revision Proposal: Creating a New Program from Existing Programs (e.g. a new multi-award and/or multi-institution program or a new program from a track or concentration)
    • Supplements (if applicable): use the same supplements as those listed for new programs.

School/college approval of the proposed revision. School/college forwards a draft of form 3A or 3B to the Provost Office, who will review the form and forward it to SUNY, with a copy to the President. If SUNY System approves the proposed change, they then send it to the State Education Department for approval. The State Education Department must approve changes to programs before changes may be advertised.

Minor Changes to a Degree Program

Minor changes (i.e., changes that do not meet the guidelines in the document linked above) are approved by the Arts and Sciences Senate curriculum committee.  However, if an undergraduate program's changes over time involve one-third or more of the minimum credits required for the degree program, we are required to submit a Program Revision Proposal to SUNY (see above) for those aggregated changes.