Program Proposals

Please schedule consultation with Celia Marshik, Dean of the Graduate School, David Rubenstein, Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Colleen O'Toole, Data Analyst by email before submitting a letter of intent, new program proposal, or any modifications to an existing program. The Provost's Office and the Graduate School will manage all communication with SUNY, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the Department of Education.

MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING PROGRAMS (estimated timeline for full approval is 6 to 24 months)

Curricular changes of 30 percent* or less of the total degree credits (cumulative from the last NYSED action date) need approval by appropriate Academic Dean, the Graduate Council and the Graduate School Dean.
Curricular changes of 30 percent* or more of total degree credits need approval by SUNY and reregistration with the NYSED.
Reregistration of programs is also required when there is a change in the programs focus/design, adding or eliminating concentrations, eliminating requirements for program completion, change in title, etc..

*Please verify with David Rubenstein and Colleen O'Toole if your program meets this criteria.

New Graduate Degree Programs (estimated timeline for final approval can be 2+ years)

Proposals first require a letter of intent (LOI), approved by the appropriate Academic Dean and Graduate Council, be sent to SUNY for review and a comment period.
After SUNY approval of the LOI, a full program proposal can be prepared and submitted for external review by at least 2 SUNY approved evaluators. The program is responsible for paying for the external review, which can include a site visit.
A full new program proposal, which includes comments from the external evaluators, is submitted for review and approval by the appropriate Academic Dean, the Graduate Council, the Graduate School, the University, SUNY and NYSED.

New Graduate Certificate Programs (estimated timeline for final approval is 12-24 months)

Program proposals begin with Academic Dean approval.
Graduate Council, the Graduate School and the Provost's Office will review the proposal before submission to SUNY and NYSED.
Certificates comprise of a minimum of 12 credits. Professional certificates likely require more credits.

TIMELINE

Ideation

STEP ONE

A faculty member or program has an idea for a new program or modification to an existing program. They connect and coordinate with their program, department, academic unit and the Graduate School.

Letter of Intent (If Required)

STEP TWO

A letter of intent (LOI) should be created and approved by appropriate local units. The University will submit the LOI to SUNY for review, comment period and approval.

Develop Full Proposal

STEP THREE

Complete proposal, making use of available campus resources and expertise, and obtain approved by Department/Program, Academic Dean, the Graduate Council, the Graduate School and the University. Approvals for new programs can only be obtained after the reports from the site visit have been included within the proposal.

External Site Visit (Required for New Programs only)

STEP FOUR

Share site visit report and institutional response with the approving units (see STEP THREE). These reports must be included with the full proposal for new programs.

Final Submission and Approval

STEP FIVE

The Provost's Office will submit to SUNY for final approval from SUNY and NYSED.