Curriculum Approval Calendar and Guidelines

ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ maintains a deliberate and strategic approach to curriculum review and approval, ensuring both academic integrity and effective shared governance. 

Program-Level Changes: 

Changes to degree or certificate programs—whether through the development of new programs or modifications to existing ones—should reflect advancements in the discipline’s knowledge base and demonstrate responsiveness to assessment data, market demand, accreditation standards, employer and workforce needs, and institutional or system-level priorities. These changes must be intentional, well-substantiated, and aligned with both internal goals and external expectations. Once approved through MGA’s internal governance process, program proposals may also require subsequent review and approval by external entities, including the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the USG System Office, the appropriate USG Regents Advisory Committee, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and any relevant specialized programmatic accreditation bodies. 

Contact Office of Academic Affairs to review external USG or SACSCOC proposal or reporting forms for additional information and requirements.  

Core Curriculum Structure:

Structural changes to the general education curriculum (CORE IMPACTS) should occur as frequently as necessary and must be informed by assessment data. Such changes should be guided by developments within the discipline and aligned with the expectations of the appropriate USG Regents Advisory Committee. Additions of new courses are reviewed on a rolling basis through MGA’s curriculum review process. 

At ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, the CORE IMPACTS Workgroup is responsible for reviewing proposed courses for alignment with the CORE IMPACTS framework and associated learning outcomes. Once approved by the Workgroup, proposals are forwarded to the Academic Affairs Committee for institutional review. Following MGA approval, proposed core courses may undergo additional review by the appropriate USG Regents Advisory Committee and the USG Council on General Education to ensure compliance with statewide standards and transferability. Only after this final stage of approval are the courses eligible for inclusion in the next catalog cycle. 

Course-Level Improvements:

Changes to course titles, descriptions, credit hours, and related elements should be grounded in disciplinary advancements and reflect responsiveness to assessment data, labor market trends, accreditation requirements, workforce needs, and institutional or system-level priorities. These types of changes are typically initiated by discipline-specific faculty or faculty curriculum committees and must proceed through the administrative approval chain, culminating in review by the interdisciplinary Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate. 

Course-level changes that do not substantially alter the course structure—such as enhancements to instructional methods or pedagogy, revisions to student learning activities or assessments, or modifications to delivery mode—should be implemented on a regular basis. These improvements, often driven by ongoing assessment efforts, do not require institution-wide approval and are expected as part of routine instructional quality enhancement. 

Faculty teaching within each academic program, including the general education (CORE IMPACTS) curriculum, should meet regularly to review assessment findings and coordinate instructional improvements across all course sections. These efforts should be documented annually in MGA’s institutional assessment reports or other quality improvement project submissions, during the assessment month of July.  

Implementation Timeline:

New program proposals, program modifications, new course proposals, course modifications, and the creation or revision of academic policies must adhere to the established curriculum approval timeline. All proposals should be finalized with sufficient lead time to support course scheduling, academic advising, catalog production, and any necessary external review processes. As a general rule, changes approved during a given academic year will become effective in the academic catalog of the following year. 

Governance Priorities:

At MGA, shared governance will focus primarily on two high-impact priorities: the development and vetting of new academic programs, and the ongoing review and improvement of existing programs to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness. By aligning faculty and committee efforts with these strategic areas, the University promotes a curriculum that remains rigorous, responsive to stakeholder needs, and closely aligned with institutional goals and student success outcomes. 


Academic Affairs due dates in bold

Unless otherwise noted:
Academic Affairs meetings start at 10:00 a.m. 
Faculty Senate Meetings start at 10:00 a.m. 
Graduate Council meetings start at 9:00 a.m. 

Dates

Meetings and Due Dates

August 2

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Aug 2 for AA Meeting #1

August 14

Board of Regents meets – BOR, Atlanta, GA

August 16

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #1

August 29

USG Gen Ed Proposals due

August 30

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #1 – Agenda due by August 21

September 12

Board of Regents meets – Georgia Film Academy

September 6

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Sep 6 for AA Meeting #2

September 5

USG General Education Proposals due

September 13

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #1 – 9:00 AM

September 20

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #2

October 8-9

Board of Regents meets – Georgia Southern University

October 11

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Oct 11 for AA Meeting #3

October 11

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #2 - Agenda due by October 2

October 11

USG Council on General Education meeting

October 18

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #2 – 9:00 AM

October 25

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #3

November 1

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Nov 1 for AA Meeting #4

November 8

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #3 - Agenda due by October 30

November 12

Board of Regents meets – BOR, Atlanta, GA

November 8

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #4

November 8

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #3 – 9:00 AM

November 15

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #4 – Agenda due by November 6

November 17

USG General Education Proposals due

December 13

USG Council on General Education meeting

January 3

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Jan 3 for AA Meeting #5

January 9

USG General Education Proposals due

January 17

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #5

February 7

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Feb 7 for AA Meeting #6

February 7

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #5 - Agenda due by January 29

February 14

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #4 – 9:00 AM

February 21

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #6

February 14

USG Council on General Education meeting

March 7

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #6 - Agenda due by February 26

March 14

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #5 – 9:00 AM

March 21

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by Mar 21 for AA Meeting #7

April 4

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #7

April 4

AA Proposals must be entered into the CMS by April 4 for AA Meeting #8

April 11

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #7 - Agenda due by April 2

April 17

USG General Education Proposals due

April 18

MGA Academic Affairs Meeting #8

April 25

MGA Graduate Studies Council Meeting #6 – 9:00 AM

May 2

MGA Faculty Senate Meeting #8 - Agenda due by April 30

May 16

USG Council on General Education meeting

June 12

USG General Education Proposals due

July 18

USG Council on General Education meeting

Please note: Faculty Governance Bylaws require that all items presented for a vote at Academic Affairs Committee and Faculty Senate meetings must be made available to members no less than five business days prior to the vote. In order to honor this policy, Division of Academic Affairs proposal deadlines must be maintained. Proposals that do not meet published deadlines will not be processed until the next cycle.

Previous Calendars