Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1) I don’t see the type of academic change I would like to institute in my graduate unit. What do I do?
The most common types of minor and major modifications appear on this website. If the academic change you wish to implement is not listed, please contact the Graduate Affairs Officer at the Graduate and Life Sciences Education Office.
2) A proposal for a new program or new field has been submitted and the appropriate governance approvals were obtained. Do new courses in this new program/field require additional governance approval?
It depends on the level of detail these courses were described in the approved program proposal. Please contact the Graduate Affairs Officer at the Graduate and Life Sciences Education Office.
3) Are approvals at each step communicated back to the graduate unit?
Once the final approval is obtained, confirmation emails will be sent to the Graduate Unit Chair, Graduate Coordinator and Graduate Administrator. If there is a designated lead faculty, outside of these position(s), s/he will be included in this email.
4) How long does it take to obtain all the necessary approvals (i.e. complete the divisional governance process)?
Once the governance template is submitted to GLSE, the process can take up to 2 – 3 months.
5) What happens once all approvals are obtained?
GLSE informs the School of Graduate Studies and the Vice-Provost, Academic Change of the approved changes. This triggers any changes that SGS needs to make on ROSI.
Graduate units (Graduate Coordinators and Administrators), as well as any designated faculty (as noted on the Governance Template/Proposal) will be informed by email once all the necessary divisional governance approvals are obtained. Graduate units and Collaborative Specialization will continue to be responsible for updating its SGS calendar entry each year by the deadline, as communicated by SGS.
6) How soon can an academic change be implemented?
As noted above, all approved changes are communicated immediately to SGS once the final approval is granted. However, these changes may not occur as quickly with regards to the annual SGS Calendar.
As many of you know, the SGS calendar is updated once a year. Graduate units and Collaborative Specialization normally submit their edits by March 31st. Any academic changes that impact the core curriculum/program requirements, approvals must be obtained well in advances of the SGS Calendar deadline. This is imperative for program requirements and optional for electives.