Faculty and Unclassified Staff Handbook
Chapter 2 -- Academic Affairs
Instructional Programs
Degrees/Undergraduate and Graduate
See University Catalog.
FHSU Online
FHSU Online is the administrative unit charged with coordinating academic outreach programs at FHSU. The unit provides learning opportunities at the certificate, associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degree levels, primarily through the innovative use of online instruction. FHSU Online cooperates with the Colleges of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business and Entrepreneurship; Education; Health and Behavioral Sciences; Science, Technology and Mathematics; and the Graduate School to extend the institution's academic instruction resources to the people of western Kansas and beyond.
Information for faculty can be found by calling 4291.
Procedures for Approval of New Courses and Programs
The following procedures are to be followed in the approval of new courses and programs.
New Courses
1. Proposed new courses numbered 000-599, after review and recommendation by the Faculty Senate, will be submitted to the assistant provost for academic programs for final review and processing.* Proposed new courses numbered 600-699, including those cross-listed as a graduate course, after review and recommendation by the Faculty Senate, will be submitted to the Graduate Council. (Alternatively, a combined review by the respective curriculum committees may transpire, followed by review and recommendation by the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council.) The recommendations of the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council will be submitted to the assistant provost for final review and processing. Proposed new graduate courses numbered 800-999, after review and recommendation by the Graduate Council, will be submitted to the assistant provost for review and processing. The Faculty Senate will not review new graduate courses numbered 800-999.
*General Education course proposals require additional documentation and review by the General Education Committee, prior to review and recommendation by the Faculty Senate. Consult the General Education Course Proposal Guidelines for additional information.
2. All new course proposals must be submitted to the curriculum@fhsu.edu email address, using the guidance provided in the Course & Program Development Toolkit.
3. A syllabus of the proposed course and New Course Proposal Form shall be provided as part of the documentation of the request for approval of the course.
4. Neither the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate nor the Committee on Curriculum of the Graduate Council will consider a new course proposal unless it has the prior approval of the appropriate department chair and dean.
New Programs
5. All new program proposals must be submitted to the curriculum@fhsu.edu email address, using the guidance provided in the Course & Program Development Toolkit. New degree program proposals shall include a New Degree Program Template (provided by the Kansas Board of Regents [KBOR]); New Degree Program Proposal; and Program Curriculum Map.
All new degree program proposals require approval by KBOR and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In order to ensure internal approval prior to submission externally, new program proposals must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate department chair, dean, and assistant provost for academic programs prior to submission to the Faculty Senate or Graduate Council. New undergraduate degree program proposals will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate; graduate degree program proposals will be reviewed by the Graduate Council. New undergraduate program proposals should be sent to the Faculty Senate president as early as possible in the year in order to ensure internal approval prior to submission externally. New graduate program proposals must be sent to the Dean of the Graduate School as early as possible in order to ensure internal approval prior to submission externally.
Following recommendation by the respective shared governance body and final review and approval by the provost, new degree proposals will be submitted to KBOR for further review. Following KBOR approval, new program proposals must also be submitted for review and approval by HLC. Only after approval by HLC may new programs be marketed and included in the student application portal.
6. New program concentration proposals are vetted internally through the Faculty Senate (undergraduate programs) or Graduate Council (graduate programs). A New Program Concentration Proposal form shall be submitted with the request to the curriculum@fhsu.edu email address, using the guidance provided in the Course & Program Development Toolkit. Neither the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate nor the Curriculum Committee of the Graduate Council will consider a new program concentration proposal unless it has the prior approval of the appropriate department chair and dean.
Revision approved by Provost (04-09-03).
Revision approved by Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (07-29-19).
Revision approved by Assistant Provost for Academic Programs (07-16-25).
Procedures for Approval of New Departments
In all procedures involving the creation of new departments from existing ones, or the combining of two or more existing departments, the decision-making process shall include meetings of the president and/or provost and all relevant deans with all affected faculty and chairs.
Revised and approved by President Edward H. Hammond (04-10-97).