Reinstatement of Non-substantive Revision Category for the Program and Course Approval Handbook

Spring
2021
Resolution Number
09.09
 
Contact
Assigned to
Curriculum Committee
Category
Curriculum
Status
In Progress
Status Report

Fall 2022: Will be addressed through 5C in new PCAH Update. 

Whereas, The 7th Edition of the Program and Course Approval Handbook eliminated the category of non-substantive revisions to programs, thus treating any revision, no matter how minor, as a substantive revision;

Whereas, Minor changes to a single course—e.g., title change or unit count—or program may trigger changes to dozens of programs, each program’s re-application consisting of three to five documents, including the following:

  • The proposed revision itself, previously the only required document for non- substantive revisions Program application narrative
  • Articulation documentation for transfer programs
  • Minutes of approval from industry advisory committees for CTE programs
  • Labor market data studies for CTE programs
  • Regional Consortium recommendations for CTE programs;

Whereas, Minor changes to a single course may result in required documents to be produced and vetted by organizations external to a college, thus often adding several months to the approval process; and,

Whereas, The extended time and administrative burden associated with generating these documents effectively prevents or strongly dissuades faculty from updating curriculum to assist equity efforts and meet the needs of students, industry, and transfer institutions;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work through existing processes to reinstate the non-substantive revisions category and incorporate that change into the Program and Course Approval Handbook.

MSC