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Governance Procedures

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For all proposed changes to graduate curriculum, the first point of contact for graduate units is the appropriate Faculty Graduate Office (FGO).

SGS works closely with FGOs and is available for consultation. Broadly speaking, proposals can be categorized as new programs, major modifications or minor modifications; see below for details. Sometimes it may be unclear which category a proposal belongs to; FGOs are encouraged to contact SGS or the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, to discuss.

New Programs and Major Modifications

Initial Steps

In every case, a graduate unit's first point of contact should be their FGO and Dean's Office who can provide detailed advice and support for the development of new program proposals and proposals for the major modification of existing programs. The FGO and Faculty Dean’s Office will work closely with the Director of Academic Programs and Policy in the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs (jane.harrison@utoronto.ca). That office is responsible for coordinating the development of these types of proposals, including minor changes that may have institutional implications. At an early stage, proponents, the Dean’s Office, the Office of the Vice-Provost (Academic Programs) and other critical offices will meet in a preliminary consultation meeting intended to provide an opportunity for productive support and advice concerning curriculum, budget (including funding and tuition), BIU eligibility, faculty implications, U of T Quality Assurance Process requirements, and approval by government. SGS continues to provide advice on the design and development of graduate programs and major modifications, and continues to review proposal documents.

After full consultation with the Vice-Provost’s office, including SGS review, a proposal document may be ready to move forward through the quality assurance and governance processes. Information about these processes is available from the Office of the Vice-Provost. At this time, SGS will continue to post proposals for New Programs and Major Modifications on the Graduate Curriculum Tracker (GCT) prior to Faculty Council approval.

Background

The Province’s new Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) was approved in 2010. As required under the Framework, the University developed the U of T Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP). The UTQAP was approved by the Council of Ontario Universities Quality Council in early 2011. The UTQAP addresses the approval of new programs, and the modification, closure and cyclical reviews of existing programs.

Following the review and recommendations by the Governance Task Force of Governing Council, and in line with the UTQAP, the SGS Constitution [PDF] was amended (in late 2010) and the terms of reference for AP&P and Academic Board were revised (in June 2011). Faculty Council constitutions are being revised in the 2011-12 academic year to align them with the changes to responsibilities arising from SGS Constitutional changes and UTQAP.

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Minor Modifications

Minor modifications include new courses, changes to existing courses, changes to admission and program requirements, as well as some other curriculum changes. Graduate units should bring forward proposals to the appropriate Faculty Graduate Office (FGO). Governance forms are available from the SGS website. FGOs will post proposals on the Graduate Curriculum Tracker (GCT) in advance of the Faculty Council (or delegated body) meeting – two to three weeks is recommended as a minimum. SGS performs a review and consultation function for all proposals.

The Minor Modifications: Principles for Governance Review [PDF] document is available for guidance. Note that proposals with retroactive effective dates and proposals that involve exceptions require SGS approval before proceeding to Faculty Council approval. All proposals for approval must be in compliance with existing SGS and University policy and regulations and, where appropriate, must be accompanied by a revised Calendar entry based on the currently-approved entry in the Calendar (available from the SGS website).

All proposals require approval from Faculty Council (except for minor course changes and changes to units participating in collaborative programs). A Faculty's constitution may allow Faculty Council approval to be delegated to another body. The body that provides final approval varies by Faculty and type of proposal. Examples include:

  • Curriculum Committee
  • Executive Committee
  • Faculty Council

Final decisions made by a body lower than Faculty Council should be brought to the next Faculty Council meeting for information. Delegation also often occurs under Summer Executive Authority.

SGS will continue to add approved courses and course changes to the student record system (ROSI) once new courses and course change proposals are approved at the Faculty level.

See the chart below for details about specific types of minor modifications (also available in PDF format); further details are available on the relevant governance form.

Chart of Minor Modification Types

LEGEND: GU = Graduate Unit; FC = Faculty Council; PO = Provost’s Office; Bold in Approvals column = final approval

Curriculum Change Proposal Type

Form

Approvals

Reported for Info To

  • Changing Admission Requirements
  • Changing Program Requirements
  • Changes to Timing of Existing Program Requirements
  • Adding Option to Existing Program (e.g. “direct-entry” PhD, flexible-time PhD, part-time, coursework-only, thesis, major research paper, internship, practicum, etc.)

A

GU, FC

n/a

  • Renaming of Program*
  • Renaming of Field*
  • Renaming of Degree*

A

GU, FC

PO → QC

  • Program Changes Affecting MoA with an External Institution*

A

GU, FC

n/a

  • Ceasing Admission to Program Temporarily

A

GU, FC

PO

  • Adding/Removing Degree Programs to/from Existing Collaborative Program

D

GU, Faculty Dean

n/a

New Course & Course Change Proposal Type

Form

Approvals

Reported for Info To

  • New Course
  • Changing Weight of an Existing Course
  • Changing Grading Scale of Existing Course (i.e. letter grades vs. CR/NCR)
  • New Delivery Mode of Existing Course (e.g. distance delivery)

C

GU, FC

n/a

  • Renaming Course
  • Renumbering Course
  • New Course Designator
  • Deactivating Course
  • Splitting One Full Course into Two Half-Courses
  • Amalgamating Two Half-Courses into One Full Course
  • Changing Existing Course into a Continuous or Extended Course**

B

GU

n/a

*Requires preliminary consultation with the Office of the Vice Provost, Academic Programs prior to Faculty Council approval.
** Previously this type of proposal required FC approval. SGS & Faculty can have input when they are posted on the Graduate Curriculum Tracker (GCT).

SGS remains available for consultation to Faculty Graduate Offices on all proposed minor modifications – contact the SGS Governance and Policy Coordinator (anil.purandare@sgs.utoronto.ca).

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Summer Executive Authority (SEA)

Summer Executive Authority (SEA) is granted to the Dean of a Faculty by motion of the Faculty Council or other designated governance body. In the context of graduate governance, Faculty-level SEA covers final approvals granted by the Dean of the Faculty (e.g., new courses) during the period between the Faculty governance body's last meeting of the academic year and its first meeting of the next academic year. Items requiring levels of approval higher than Faculty Council are not normally approved under SEA. Rather, they should proceed through the usual governance bodies.

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Contacts

SGS Office of Quality Assurance and Governance