Academic Affairs Committee

Guidelines for Selective Admission Programs & Restricted Courses

Guidelines for Selective/Restricted Programs:

1. Selective Program Review/Approval Process:

   Undergraduate academic programs of study that are selective in nature have both pre- and professional (degree)-level academic plans set up in Campus Connection. All other programs have only degree plans (ie: B.S., B.A., B.F.A, etc.). This set-up enables better tracking and counting of students at different plan levels within their intended program of study.

   Plans for current programs to become selective as well as new selective admission program proposals are to be reviewed/approved by the College Curriculum Committees and Academic Affairs Committee.

   1. New Selective Program Requests:

      Proposals for new programs with restrictions should be presented on a Stage II Program Proposal form. After being approved by Academic Affairs and Graduate Council (if applicable), new programs are presented to University Senate, and to the State Board of Higher Education for final review/approval. (See the NDUS Academic Affairs Formal Request form available online.)

   2. Requests to Restrict Existing Programs:

      Proposals for requests to make existing programs restricted should be submitted in a memo, with supporting documentation. Program restrictions to existing programs will be presented in the Academic Affairs report to University Senate for informational only.

   Requests for restrictions on both new and existing programs should include the following:

   • rationale for change/restriction
   • pre-professional and professional plan requirements
   • effective date/term for effective change
   • process for transitioning or grand-fathering currently enrolled students
   • application process, including selection criteria
   • program enrollment limits
   • changes in course restrictions as a result
   • plan for notifying the Office of Admission and Business Office (if program fees apply), as well as to any impacted academic departments (i.e.: those whose students minor, double major or take courses as part of their program requirements).
     
     
2. Process to Change Student Plans (from pre- to professional):
   
   
   • New and currently enrolled students who declare programs that have professional-level (selective admission) components are placed into the “pre-xxx” plan of the program by either Registration and Records (major changes/reactivations) or the Offices of Admission or International Programs (new undergraduate admits).
     
     
   • After program selective admission decisions are made, departments notify Registration and Records of students to move from the pre- into the professional plan of a program. Student lists must include: name, ID number, professional plan, effective term, and advisor name (if change is applicable).
     
     
   • Ideally, professional admission decisions will be made prior to the start of registration for a future term. This is especially true if restrictions are to be placed on professional level courses.
     
     
   • Students who do not advance into a professional plan of a program, or who are demoted from professional status, will remain in the pre-professional plan unless/until they 1) reapply and achieve professional status, or 2) declare a new program of study. It is expected that advising play a key role in these students' decision making and academic planning.
     
     
   • Advisor changes for new plans will take effect for the term associated with professional plan status as indicated by the academic department.
     
     
3. Process for Assessing Program Fees tied to Professional Level Programs:
   
   
   • Program fees must be approved by the Provost and Vice President for Student Affairs as well as the State Board of Higher Education. According to SBHE policy, program fees that are restricted to students enrolled in a particular program may be assessed to support programs that have exceptional and critical needs that are not adequately funded through other sources. Program fee revenue must be allocated for the primary benefit of students enrolled in that program.
     
     
   • Students are assessed professional program fees (if applicable) beginning in the effective term of professional plan status as indicated to Registration and Records by the department. NOTE: Most programs do not assess fees during the summer.
     
     
   • If a late admission decision is made and a program fee is to take effect for a current term, the change must be made within the first three weeks of the regular semester (by third week census date). Otherwise, the professional status will take effect (on the record) the next academic term.
     
     
   • Program fees assessed in a given term will be refunded to students only if they request a major change to a new program prior to the third week census date. After this date, fees collected will be retained by the original academic department. They may neither be refunded to students nor transferred to students' new academic departments. Requests for special circumstances and appeals should be directed to the Business Office.

Guidelines for Course Restrictions:

Courses with approved restrictions (i.e., program, classification, etc.) as indicated in catalog descriptions are set up in Campus Connection, upon departmental request, to limit registration to students admitted to the professional plan-levels of programs. Note: restrictions do not include class prerequisites and corequisites, which are handled on the Course Proposal and Change Form.

1. New Restricted Course Requests:

   Requests for new courses with restrictions must be submitted on a Course Proposal & Change Form to the appropriate College Curriculum Committee and the Academic Affairs Committees. Courses approved at these levels will be placed on a University Senate agenda for approval.

2. Requests to Restrict Existing Courses:

   Requests for making existing courses selective may be submitted either on a Course Proposal & Change Form, or in a Memo with the detailed request and rationale, to the appropriate College Curriculum and the Academic Affairs Committee. Restriction requests on existing courses will be placed on a University Senate agenda for information only.

   For either of the above requests, if course restrictions are not part of a professional level of a program, a rationale should be provided as to the need for the restriction.

   Once approved at the appropriate levels, courses will be set up in Campus Connection and catalog descriptions with the necessary restrictions by the Office of Registration and Records. If the department does not want these restrictions enforced (but rather published as recommendations), they must clearly indicate this on the Course Proposal and Change form. Students not in a professional-level plan of a program may only register for restricted courses with department or instructor permission.

(4/2007)