School-Specific Curricular Approval Procedures

Educational Programs Committee

Direct questions to:

For more information, visit the Dedman College Academic Approvals website.

Direct questions to Associate Dean Thomas Osang at tosang@smu.edu.

For more information, visit the Curriculum/Academic Standards Committee website.

For more information, visit the Lyle Curriculum Committee website.

New Degree Programs, Majors, and Minors must be approved by the Meadows Academic Policies Committee.
Substantive Changes in Degree Programs, Majors, and Minors must be approved by the Meadows Academic Policies Committee.
Discontinuation of Degree Programs, Majors, and Minors must be approved by the Meadows Academic Policies Committee.
For more information about Meadows curriculum approval processes, contact Gretchen Smith, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

For more information, visit the Faculty and Curriculum Committees website.

Before initiating any academic approval, please consult with Andy Keck at akeck@smu.edu

For more information, visit the Committee on Academic Programs website.

New courses are proposed by Perkins faculty to their various divisions using a template found in the Perkins Faculty Handbook. We have four divisions titled: I. The Biblical Witness, II. The Heritage of the Christian Witness in Its Religious and Cultural Context, III. The Interpretation of the Christian Witness, IV. The Witness of the Church and Its Ministry. Members of the division vet the proposal offering suggestions for improvement, edits, suggested readings, etc. After the vetting process division members vote approval or not. Since the vetting process can be extensive and done on a consensus basis new course proposals are always approved. However, there have been instances where the professor submitting the proposal realizes that s/he needs to withdraw their proposal to address the problems division members have identified.
Upon approval by members of the division the chair of the division places the proposal on the Perkins Faculty meeting agenda for approval by the faculty. Faculty members receive the new course proposal approximately six days before the meeting for review. The division chairperson presents the item as a seconded motion to the Perkins faculty. S/he and/or the author of the proposal will respond to questions. The faculty vote on the new course proposal.
Upon approval of the new course it is passed on to the Perkins Registrar for processing into the course database.

For more information, visit the Academic Affairs Committee website.