curriculum process

Timelines for Approval of Curriculum Items

Upcoming Curricular Processing Timelines

The following timeline applies to curriculum changes that require review and approval from internal and external stakeholders. For guidance on whether your curriculum item will require review beyond the campus, please contact Dr. Melvin Beavers in the Office of the Provost at mebeavers@ualr.edu.

The university-level Curriculum Committees include the Undergraduate Council (UGC) and the Graduate Council (GC). In addition, the Council on Core Curriculum (CORE) reviews general core education courses.

Curricular Processing Guide 2024-2026

The recommendation from Curriculum Committee after consultation with Faculty Senate councils is that curriculum legislation be approved at the appropriate college councils in the Spring semester so that legislation is ready to go to university curriculum councils in Fall.

To make schedule the forms must be processed completely through Records by the following dates:

Summer schedule Fall schedule Spring schedule
1st Friday November 2nd Friday December 1st Friday April

University-level Curriculum Review

Please take the following into consideration as you are preparing your curriculum item for review.

  1. The UGC review is a two-week process. If no issues arise during the first review, the item will go up for a vote during the second review.
  2. The GC review is also a two-week process. If no issues arise during the first review, the item will go up for a vote during the second review.
  3. Dual-listed courses must be reviewed by both the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils. Because each council’s approval period takes approximately two weeks to complete, the average dual-listed curriculum item will require a four-week review.
  4. If the originator or a representative is not in attendance for the first-scheduled review, the item will be delayed until the following meeting.
  5. If the council reviewing your item finds issues they would like for you to address, your item will not be reviewed for approval until all concerns have been addressed by the originator or representative.

Deadlines: Curriculum Items Requiring External Approval

Requiring External (BoT/AHECB) Approval — (PCFs and LONs)

The addition of a new program, change in an existing program, or deletion of an existing program requires external approval from the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees (BoT) and Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board (AHECB). Additionally, Teacher Education programs require additional approval from the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE).

Departments proposing program actions that require BoT/AHECB approval MUST first submit a Program Change Form and the appropriate Letter of Notification or Letter of Intent to the Office of the Provost.

For full step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the curriculum process requiring external approval, go to Program Change or New Program Proposal.

For further guidance on whether your curriculum item will require review beyond the campus, please contact Dr. Melvin Beavers in the Office of the Provost at mebeavers@ualr.edu.