Discussion of the proposed Program/Module/Certificate by appropriate key partners and Academic Unit, Faculty and/or Affiliate University College committees. For instance, a completed letter of intent could be shared for information and preliminary consultation, as relevant.

Step 2

Submission of a letter of intent (using the following form ) to the Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs (Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Program Review – Undergraduate [SUPR-U]) via Alicia Kemp at ahitchc2@uwo.ca, for a preliminary determination regarding the protocol under which the submission applies. Namely, 1- New Program Approval or 2- Major Modification of an existing program.

The new program approval protocol involves the following form and leads to external reviewers participating as part of a site visit.
The more expedited major modification protocol involves the following form.

Factors that determine whether the proposal falls in the former or latter protocol relates largely to:

if the proposed module(s) has requirements and learning outcomes that are substantially different from those of any existing module; and
if the proposed module(s) comprises primarily existing courses and is offered with existing faculty expertise and resources; and
if exisitng module(s) in this area of offering have been externally reviewed when created.

Step 3

Use of supports to complete the proposal documentation (as needed). Please contact the Office of Academic Quality and Enhancement (OAQE) at OAQE@uwo.ca for aid with any aspect of the templates or materials requested therein. For questions about calendar copy or the governance process for proposals, please contact the University Secretariat at academic_submissions@uwo.ca.

Following completion of the relevant proposal template, approval at a Faculty-level committee (e.g., EPC or equivalent) is required.

Step 4

The proposed program/module/certificate is submitted by the Dean to SUPR-U for consideration via the University Secretariat. E-mail submissions to academic_submissions@uwo.ca. Note: meetings generally take place monthly with a submission deadline typically 10-14 days ahead of each meeting.

Step 5

Following deliberation at SUPR-U, if deemed to proceed as a major modification, it will need to be approved by ACA and Senate following a recommendation by SUPR-U. If deemed to proceed as a new program approval, an external review will be setup. These reviewers will produce a report with recommendations, the program and faculty will respond and then the resulting documents will be presented back to SUPR-U. If recommended for approval, it will be sent to ACA, Senate and the province’s Quality Council for approval.

Note: The ideal time to submit a letter of intent for a new program proposal is in late spring/early summer so that the program can be informed of which submission form to use in the development of the proposal over the summer period. In this case, proposals can be presented to SUPR-U in the fall when the workload of the committee is often lower. This would equally provide sufficient time for all elements that are part of step 5 to take place during the academic year (e.g., site visit, responses to external reviewers’ report, presentation back to SUPR-U, approval processes).

Templates and Forms

Letter of Intent Template for a New Undergraduate Program/Module Proposal

New Undergraduate Program Proposal Template

Major Modification Template for New Modules

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion – Decolonization, Indigenization & Accessibility (EDI-DIA) Support Resource

EDI-DIA) Support Resource

The pilot version of this short resource aims to outline common examples of how academic programs can embed the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion – Decolonization, Indigenization & Accessibility (EDI-DIA) into their design, learning outcomes, procedures, and operations. Program review serves as one strategic opportunity to bolster equitable, inclusive, and accessible policy and practice, to decolonize curriculum and pedagogy, and to integrate Indigenous perspectives, scholarship, and ways of knowing into our programs.

The resource has been shared with programs in recent review cycles. Based on feedback received and further collaboration amongst Western groups such as the Libraries, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion, an updated version is currently being drafted. We are hopeful to replace the version linked below, with the updated resource in the spring of 2025.

EDI-DIA Support Resource

Templates, Forms, and Guides

Graduate Program Templates, Forms and Guides

Existing Graduate Programs

New Graduate Programs

Ongoing Improvement Progress Report Template

Other Forms and Guides

Undergraduate Program Templates, Forms, and Guides

Cyclical Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate Program/Module Proposal Submission Process

Program/Module Proposal Submission Process

Step 1