Resources and FAQs

New Program Development Orientation

Academic Planning and Program Development requires a New Program Development Orientation for any individual or team proposing a new degree program. Proposing a new degree program at SHSU involves various stages of development and review, so the orientation has been designed to equip any proposer with the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed throughout the process. These orientations are customized for each proposal and will be scheduled once an Program Analytics Request is submitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long will it take to get fully through the new academic degree program process?

A: The academic program proposal process requires drafting a proposal that contains three sections: Need Analysis, Financial Analysis, and Content and Quality. Approximate time to complete the proposal varies depending on quality of submission or number of drafts needing revisions, internal college review processes, external APPD review processes, etc.

The drafting period is highly dependent on the number of revisions needed to the submission. Multiple drafts and time to make revisions highly impact the time to complete the proposal. The workload of the program initiator and review/approvers (i.e., Department Chair and Academic Dean) is also a factor which can lengthen the drafting stage.

On average, one can expect the drafting period to take approximately 12 weeks.

Once the drafting stage is complete, the proposing college’s UCC Representative (Academic Dean or Associate Dean) will submit the finalized proposal to the University Curriculum Committee. Simultaneously to the UCC’s review, the Financial Planning and Budget Office will populate the Financial Analysis Report.

The estimated duration for UCC review and Financial review is 6-8 weeks.

After the program is approved by the University Curriculum Committee and the Vice President of Finance and Operations, the proposal will be reviewed and approved by the Texas State University System (TSUS)/Board of Regents (BOR) as well as a required 30-day commenting period after submission to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Note, below timetable regarding target UCC submission deadlines.

Submission to UCC	AAC Notification	Board Meeting	THECB 30-Day Comment Period	THECB Review
May/June/July	September	November	December	January
September/October	December	February	March	April
November/January/February	March	May	June	July
March/April	June	August	September	October

Note: The University Curriculum Committee does not review curriculum during the months of August or December.

Q: I am looking into program development, where do I start?

A: No worries, the Analytics Team can look into program analytics to help identify potential areas for development, which may include the competitive landscape, State of Texas and National Workforce, in-demand skills, and more. The Analytics Team help tailor the research to your needs. Complete the Program Analytics Request Form to get started.
Q: How should I cite data from the Program Analytics Report?

A: Data from the Program Analytics Report should be cited from the original source. Therefore, please, cite data according to the source provided (i.e., Lightcast, [insert Year]).
Q: How thorough is the proposal review in new program development process?

A: The Program Development Coordinator conducts a thorough review of all submissions. This initial review is a first line of defense to catch inaccuracies, trouble areas, mechanical errors, and more. The intent is for each proposal to be as close to perfect as possible. To learn the specific areas being reviewed, please, reference the New Program Development Review Checklist.

The review process is conducted through the Blackboard: Program Development. At the required New Program Orientation, the program stakeholders are added to the Blackboard page which contains the pre-populated New Program Request Form, all program documents, and a Program Development proposal review submission portal. Through this portal, the program initiator will submit the completed proposal, and the Program Development Coordinator will respond with revisions. All proposal drafts are received through the review submission portal on Blackboard. Program proposals submitted to Program Development through email will be directed to the Blackboard: Program Development.
Q: Where do I find the right form?

A: Example forms can be viewed under New Curriculum; however, the Analytics Team pre-populates each form individually to assist you with the process by creating a unique form tailored to your specific program. Therefore, the appropriate form (pre-populated) will be sent after processing your request submitted via the Program Analytics Request Form.
Q: Why is the New Program Development Orientation Mandatory?

A: The New Program Development Orientation provides an opportunity for the Program Development Coordinator and the Analytics Team to review the data specific to your proposal, to outline the entire new program development process, and to answer any questions and to address any concerns. The orientation is mandatory to ensure that program initiators are fully aware of the process, timelines, and expectations of proposal development, as well as are on the right track to achieve the targeted program implementation.
Q: Where does the Analytics Team pull their data from, and how can I get access?

A: The Analysis team primarily uses an aggregate data system called Lightcast (previously known as Emsi Burning Glass). While this system is not accessible across campus, several of our secondary data sources are at your disposal. Please, reference the list below:

S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
THECB Accountability System
THECB Program Inventory
National Center for Education Statistics
Academic Performance Solutions (APS) (located on MySam under the Faculty tab)

For more information, contact programdev@shsu.edu.

New Program Development Orientation

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Frequently Asked Questions