The joint Columbia College-General Studies Committee on Instruction (CC-GS COI) must approve any new academic program or change to an existing program. Formats for programs can include majors, concentrations, and special concentrations.  The guidelines offered here are intended to help faculty who are preparing proposals to the CC-GS COI.

New academic programs

Faculty members who wish to propose a new academic program should submit a proposal that contains (but need not be limited to) the following elements:

Program rationale, background, and outcomes.  Why is the proposed area of study salient and valuable for undergraduate study?  What courses in this area have been offered historically and how has the need for a new academic program been assessed?

Program components. What is the design of the program?  What are its required and elective courses or other program elements (e.g., a thesis)?  Are there any prerequisites? Is this program proposed as a major, a concentration, a special concentration, or some combination? How many points of academic credit will be required to complete the program? Are there different tracks available?  Are honors options available?

Program faculty and administration.  How often will courses in the program be offered, and who will teach them?  What faculty will be involved in program governance and advising?  What academic units have been involved in this proposal?

Bulletin language.  Please provide the text you propose for the undergraduate bulletins, should the program be approved.

Changes to existing academic programs

Any curricular change to an existing academic program must be brought to the CC-GS COI.  Faculty members who wish to propose changes should submit a proposal that contains (but need not be limited to) the following elements:

Rationale for the change.  Why is the change necessary or desirable at this time?  Why is the current program design considered less than ideal? How will it affect the undergraduate experience of the program?  What outcomes are anticipated if the proposed change is implemented?

Program components.  How will the program design be altered?  Please explain in detail what curricular changes are proposed.

Side-by-side comparison.  Please prepare a chart that compares the current and proposed design of the program.

Bulletin language.  Please provide the text you propose for the undergraduate bulletins, should the change be approved.

*** Please be advised that once a program has received the approval of the CC-GS COI it must then, in many cases, receive approval from the New York State Education Department before it can be opened to students. For more information on this process, please consult the deans of academic affairs of Columbia College and General Studies.

Program approval requests should be submitted electronically to the joint CC-GS COI at cc-gs-courses@columbia.edu and questions about the process may be directed to the same address.