A15 – Academic Authorities Grid

Originator: Vice President, Academic
Approver: Senior Academic Committee
Effective: June 19, 2020
Replaces: New

1. Preamble

An Academic Authorities Grid ensures that implementation of new base-funded and non base-funded programs, significant modifications and minor revisions to existing programs and courses, and temporary cessation, reinstatement or deletion of programs follow an approved and consistent approval and subsequent communication process.

2. Definitions

Approve: to decide on an endorsed or recommended course of action by other persons or bodies, to enable its implementation or enactment.

Approve Internal: to decide internally (i.e., at Senior Academic Committee) on an endorsed or recommended course of action by other persons or bodies, to enable its implementation or enactment. Internal approval will then form a RRC Polytech recommendation to the appropriate government department to approve.

Endorse: to formally acknowledge support for a recommended action and to support its approval by another person or body.

Notify: to formally communicate or advise of an action as recommended, approved or endorsed by other persons or bodies, but without responsibility for further consideration.

Recommend: to propose or advise a course of action for another person or body to consider implementing or enacting.

3. Policy

To ensure sound academic program governance principles, transparent responsibilities, scope, and authority for all decision-making bodies, implementation, revisions and cessation (temporary and permanent) and reinstatement of academic programs will adhere to an academic authorities grid. The Red River College Polytechnic Academic Authorities Grid governs how new programs are approved, how significant modifications or minor changes to academic programs are approved, who approves temporary program cessations, reinstatements or permanent cessations, and to whom all these approvals must be communicated.

4. Responsibilities

Senior Academic Committee is responsible for the internal approval of all new programs of study and significant modifications to all base-funded academic programs.

Government is responsible for final approval of all new and significantly modified base-funded academic programs, as per Manitoba’s The Advanced Education Administration Act: Programs of Study Regulation.

Senior Academic Committee is responsible for final approval of all new and significantly modified non base-funded academic programs at Red River College Polytechnic.

Related Policies

A5 – Course Outlines
A12 – Issuing College Credentials
A13 – Program Life Cycle
A22 – Academic Standards
Red River College Polytechnic, Credential Qualification Framework
Government of Manitoba, The Advanced Education Administration Act: Programs of Study Regulation

Procedures

1. The Academic Authorities Grid reveals the internal and external (where required) academic program decision-making process at Red River College Polytechnic. It identifies the lowest levels of authority to recommend, endorse and approve base- and non base-funded academic program implementations, significant and minor revisions, temporary or permanent cessations and reinstatements.
2. Upon approval of the College’s annually approved 3-Year Academic Program Plan, identified programs will work with the Curriculum Committee, Centre for Learning and Program Excellence and Registrar’s Office to develop statements of intent for new programs (Stage 1) and Stage 2 new academic program proposals as well as significant modifications to base- and non base-funded programs.
3. All implementation and significant modification proposals will follow the templates and documentation channels approved by the Senior Academic Committee and the Centre for Learning and Program Excellence.
4. Implementation of new base-funded academic programs and significant modifications to existing base-funded programs will not begin until both internal and external approval is received. New and significantly modified non base-funded academic programs may be implemented immediately following internal Red River College Polytechnic approval by the Senior Academic Committee.
5. Minor revisions to an academic program or course-level changes within an academic year must not, in total, constitute a significant modification, or else approval at the significant modification level will be required. Revisions or modifications > 20 per cent to an academic program will be considered significant. More clearly, change in curriculum content is defined as curriculum that is new or different in meaning or intent from existing curriculum, and it will result in a change in the knowledge, skills and abilities of program graduates.
6. Proposals and recommendations must receive endorsement from identified levels in the Academic Authorities Grid before proceeding to an approval level.
7. Each level in the Grid is responsible for communicating the results of the deliberations and decisions to the previous level.
8. The Vice President, Academic’s Office will communicate all new program of study implementations and significant modifications to programs of study decisions through the minutes of the Senior Academic Committee meeting.
9. The office of the Vice President, Academic or designate will provide final internal review and be responsible for sending documentation for external approvals, as well as maintaining the official records of proposed and approved academic programs.

Download the Academic Authorities Grid ›