Program revision

The need for a program change may be identified as a result of annual Program Assessment, regulatory body or industry requirements, or due to a Ministry mandated revision or adoption of a Provincial Program Standard.

In the case of a major program change, such as the adoption of a Program Standard, please contact the Office of Academic Quality who will assign your team a Curriculum Advisor to support your team throughout the process.

The information below details the basic process steps for making minor and major program outline changes within the Curriculum Information Management (CIM) system. The Course and Program Revision Chart can be used to help teams determine whether a minor or major change is required. The components of a Program Outline, as well as submission timelines can be found at the bottom of the page.

Minor changes

The steps below outline the process of making minor changes to a program:

  1. Initiator (usually faculty) discusses idea for change with Dean/Associate Dean
  2. Dean/Associate Dean approves initiator to move forward with change
  3. Initiator consults other faculty experts and stakeholders
  4. Initiator makes changes to the relevant program outline fields in Curriculum Information Management system (CIM)
  5. Initiator contacts the Office of Academic Quality (OAQ) for guidance as needed
  6. Initiator submits final changes for OAQ review through CIM
  7. Dean/Associate Dean approves final changes in CIM
  8. OAQ Curriculum Support Specialist implements approved changes in the system

Major changes

The steps below outline the process for making major changes to a program:

  1. Initiator (usually faculty) discusses idea for change with Dean/Associate Dean
  2. Dean/Associate Dean approves initiator to move forward with the change
  3. Initiator consults with faculty experts and other stakeholders as needed
  4. Initiator makes the appropriate changes to the program forms within the Curriculum Information Management system (CIM)
  5. Initiator consults with the Office of Academic Quality (OAQ) for guidance as needed
  6. Initiator submits proposed changes to the OAQ for review via CIM
  7. Dean/Associate Dean approves proposed changes via CIM
  8. OAQ Office Manager includes a motion for the proposed changes on an upcoming Academic Council agenda
  9. OAQ Office Manager distributes proposed changes to Academic Council members via CIM
  10. Dean/AD and Initiator present the proposed changes to Academic Council for approval
  11. Curriculum Support Specialist in the OAQ implements the approved changes in the system

Submission timelines

Minor changes

Minor changes must be submitted by June 30 prior to the academic year effective date. Typographical and grammatical errors will be effective immediately.

Major changes

Major changes are approved according to the Academic Council schedule. Typically, changes received by June 30 are implemented the following year (e.g. changes approved by June 30, 2020 are implemented in the 2021-22 academic year).

Components of a program outline

The following is a list of the components of a program outline. This information can also be found within the field help bubbles in CIM.

SectionRequirement
TitleDisplay in ALL CAPS
MajorFour-digit alpha code assigned by the Office of Academic Quality
Program LengthDuration in years
DeliveryDuration in semesters
CredentialThe credential granted upon successful completion of the program
Effective DateAcademic year of the first intake the changes will take place (e.g. 2018-19)
LocationCampus locations(s) of the program offerings
StartTerm(s) the program has an intake (e.g. fall, winter, summer)
DescriptionFor additional help, refer to Writing a Program Description
Career OpportunitiesFor additional help, refer to Writing Career Opportunities
Learning OutcomesA list of measurable outcomes that meet or exceed the Ministry standard for the program for additional help refer to Writing Learning Outcomes
External RecognitionInclude only if applicable, supporting documents must be available on request
Practical ExperienceStandard statement applicable to co-op programs only
Program ProgressionAppears in table format showing the program delivery by semester and terms; If there are multiple intakes for the program, include the progression for each intake
ArticulationStandard statement to be included in all programs with formal articulation agreements
Admission RequirementsFor additional help, refer to Writing Admission Requirements
Selection ProcessInclude only if there are requirements other than academic grades to make admission decisions (examples: portfolio, reference letters, resume, etc.)
Criminal Reference/Vulnerable Sector CheckUse only if applicable to the program, there are two standard statements to select from (Health Sciences, and Community Studies/Human Services)
Additional InformationParagraph format, use for any additional information not covered elsewhere in the outline
Graduation RequirementsList the number of courses by category (e.g. 10 mandatory courses)
Graduation EligibilityStandard statement based on credential type; list of course codes and title by graduation requirement category
Course DescriptionsInclude course codes, full course titles, total course hours, and any applicable requisites. For additional help, refer to Writing a Course Description.
DisclaimerStandard statement that appears on all program outlines