Academic Program Changes

Academic programs offered by the University are regularly reviewed by their faculty to ensure program quality and identify actions needed for improvement. Changes are made to existing programs through curriculum review processes of the University Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Curriculum Committee.

Broader changes are sometimes needed to adequately respond to changes in academic disciplines, student demand, societal need, or institutional context. New programs may be needed to prepare students for new and emerging fields. It may be desirable to change unit or program names to better reflect contemporary terminology of their disciplines. It may be desirable to offer programs via distance education or off campus to better meet student needs. Such broader changes may require discussions beyond the curriculum review process. Some may require fiscal analysis to determine their sustainability and impact on other programs. Some may involve review by external agencies such as the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the U.S. Department of Education, or the Higher Learning Commission.

The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost facilitates academic program changes in several ways. The office reviews implications of proposed changes to ensure that changes subsequently reviewed through the curricular review processes are affordable and sustainable. The office works with program faculty to obtain required approvals from external agencies and ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. The office also helps guide change initiators through the often extensive review process.

If a program or certificate requires a name change, the Name Change form needs to be completed.
If the program revision includes adding credit hours a Request to Add Hours form must be completed, it is available on the UCC website.

For a description of all academic programs offered by Illinois State University as of July 1, 2021, see the undergraduate and graduate catalogs. Use the following link to view all official University Policies related to Academic Activities.

There are three subtabs that contain information regarding the processes involved and supporting information for program changes.

• New Academic Programs Tab - this page outlines the steps involved with the development of new academic programs including the timeline for approval processes and implementation.
• Centers Tab - this page outlines the guidelines for the Centers and Institutes.
• Alternative Delivery tab - this page outlines the steps involved with offering existing programs off-campus and via distance education. This page is still under development.

• New Academic Programs
• Centers