Process Overview
New Program Approval Process
New Academic Program Approval Step by Step Process
There are three approval processes to be considered. The first is the WKU Curriculum Process using Courseleaf through the academic curriculum committees finishing with the WKU Board of Regents. The second is the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy that requires new program approval if the proposed program contains 25% or more new content not previously offered. The third is CPE approval. The Council on Postsecondary Education has statutory authority to approve new academic programs at state colleges and universities. KRS 164.020 (15) empowers the Council to define and approve the offering of all postsecondary education technical, associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degree, certificate, or diploma programs in the public postsecondary education institutions. If you are proposing a new doctorate program, please contact Rheanna Plemons (Rheanna.Plemons@wku.edu) before continuing initiating any of the below steps.
CPE approval is required for all new academic programs. Certificates (that are not considered substantive change through SACSCOC) do not require the full CPE review process; however, information on certificates must be submitted to CPE after the new certificate program is submitted through the WKU curricular process for automatic CPE approval. To view the CPE policy on New Academic Programs (revised in 2025), visit the CPE Academic Program Approval website: New Academic Program Policy.
The following steps will walk you through the WKU curricular process, SACSCOC Substantive Change if necessary, and the CPE new program approval process required for developing and approving a new program. See the section below concerning new certificate programs.
Step One: (Recommended) Schedule a meeting with the Office of the Provost to discuss the program approval process. Email rheanna.plemons@wku.edu or call 270-745-8985 to schedule a time to discuss your new program.
Step Two: The department should research program demand information based on the best CIP code to fit the new program. Please visit the CIP Code Information website to determine the best option. Program Demand Data will be generated based on the selected CIP code. Programs can request program demand data through a ticket request. Upon receiving the ticket, a packet of program demand data will be compiled.
CPE will provide Gray Data that will be included in your packet. Programs showing in the 80th percentile within the region will not require additional program data.
Programs with high-demand CIP codes (as determined by KWIB) will not be required to provide additional program demand data. A spreadsheet of high-demand CIP codes is available here.
If the proposed program is not in the 80th percentile regionally in the Gray Data nor is it a high demand CIP, additional program demand data is required. You may use any of the following websites to help support your program request:
- KY Chamber, “Kentucky’s Economic Recovery,” March 2022
- Bridging the Talent Gap Interactive website
- Teacher Ed in KY (EPSB site)
- Discipline specific data from a professional association
- Students & alumni survey data
Step Three: The proponent/department must submit a Notification of Intent to CPE. Contact Rheanna.Plemons@wku.edu for a copy of the form. This form should route through the college dean's office, and then to the Provost's Office for Provost review (Rheanna.Plemons@wku.edu). The Provost’s Office will submit the NOI to CPE for Council staff approval.
NEW 2025 CPE REQUIREMENTS (CPE NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAM POLICY, 2025)
Two-Month Collaboration & Planning Period: “After Council Staff approve the NOI, there is a two-month program development period before a CPE proposal can be submitted. During this period:
- The NOI will be available for review by chief academic officers.
- The university should engage in collaborative discussions with other institutions and prepare for the program proposal state.
- The university shall not seek approval from its governing board.”
Unnecessary Duplication: Program replication may be necessary to meet the academic needs of the state. However, KRS 164.020 compels CPE to prevent unnecessary duplication, generally defined as programs in the same CIP code that have low enrollment and demand. CPE staff analyze enrollment trends, as well as student demand and job demand as well as demand data through Decision Intelligence (Gray DI), to identify possible unnecessary duplication in the state’s academic portfolio (CPE, 2025).
Kentucky Graduate Profile Integration (undergraduate programs only): New undergraduate programs must elaborate on how the program leads to mastery in specific essential skills as outlined as part of the Kentucky Graduate Profile.
Step Four: WKU & CPE Process - Faculty in the academic unit develop and approve the new program proposal using WKU's curricular workflow. Concurrently with the WKU process, you should complete the steps for the CPE Process.
For new majors or graduate programs, CPE requires the submission of a Proposal form that is submitted after the WKU BOR Academic Affairs Committee Meeting or the Full Meeting.The CPE approval process requires project enrollments, methodology of projections, identification of high impact practices utilized in the curriculum, assessment information, a budget spreadsheet on CPE’s budget forms, a semester-by-semester plan on CPE’s template, curriculum mapping including KGP competencies, market/student demand information, and questions regarding the development of online programs. The Provost’s Office will send all forms to departments to ensure the most up-to-date forms are distributed. If revisions are required as curriculum revisions are made or as budget discussions change, the department has an opportunity to revise the form prior to submission to CPE.
If the new program contains 25% or more new content not previously offered, a new program approval process for SACSCOC is required. Go to the SACSCOC Substantive Change section of the Program Development site in the left tab.
Step Three Helpful Hints:
Per KRS 164.296, programs at the sub-associate degree level (i.e. consisting entirely of lower division courses) require KCTCS BOR approval before CPE posting.
It is important to ensure adequate resources are available to support the program (library, faculty, etc.), and the need/demand is justified. The need/demand information is critical for Step Four
Use WKU's Strategic Plan and the KY statewide postsecondary education strategic agenda to support objectives.
Assessment: Make sure you have an assessment plan. The Assurance of Student Learning website provides guidance along with a template. It's recommended to complete the template to submit to CPE along with your proposal. Consult with Dr. Rheanna Plemons for additional assistance.
Cost and Funding section: Departments/Schools should work with the college budget manager to build a budget for the program. CPE will require budget information on their budget form. However, WKU has developed an excel spreadsheet to help get the numbers required for CPE. Once confirmed with the Department Chair/School Director, Dean, and Provost's Office, the information will be included in the CPE proposal. After the spreadsheet has been reviewed by the college budget manager and associate/assistant Dean, it must be forwarded to Ms. Jessica Gilland for review. Allow one week for a complete review. If you are creating a certificate, see the bottom of this page for the certificate budget template.
Step Five: The department or school approves the new program proposal through Courseleaf. The CPE proposal is uploaded as part of the Courseleaf process.
Step Six: Dean's Review. The proposal for a new program (certificates, new undergraduate majors, or graduate programs) must be approved by the dean before advancing to the college curriculum committee.
Step Seven: College Curriculum Committee. If program leads to initial or advanced teacher certification, it should also be approved by the Professional Education Council (PEC) after the College Curriculum Committee.
Step Eight: The appropriate University Curriculum Committee will review and approve the new program: Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) or Graduate Council Curriculum Committee.
Step Nine: After approval from the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) or Graduate Council, the proposal will proceed to the Faculty Senate.
Step Ten: After approval from the Faculty Senate, the Provost must approve new programs including the budget and assessment plan.
Step Eleven: After approval from the Provost, the WKU Board of Regents must approve the program. The Academic Affairs Committee must review new programs prior to Board Approval. A calendar of meeting dates is available on the Board of Regents' website.
Additional Step (PEC Only): If the program leads to initial or advanced teacher certification the proposal is approved by the KY Education Professional Standards board (EPSB). Departments must submit the EPSB approval notification to the Office of the Provost for uploading in the CPE program inventory.
Step Twelve The CPE Proposal (submitted with the WKU curricular proposal) must be submitted to CPE for approval.
CPE's Academic and Strategic Initiatives (ASI) Committee must approve the CPE Proposal prior to CPE Board Approval. Proposals are due three weeks prior to the ASI Committee. Once approved by the CPE Board, the department has three years to implement the new program. Failure to implement within three years means the department will have to restart the approval process. CPE's public calendar is available at http://cpe.ky.gov/aboutus/meetings.html.
Certificates
New certificates using new courses with new content will likely constitute a Substantive Change and require SACSCOC and CPE approval. A notification to SACSCOC may be required if 25-49% of the curriculum is considered new content. See the SACSCOC page for more information on the SACSCOC process. In addition, new certificates offering courses at a different level than previously offered may require SACSCOC approval. To be approved by CPE, the proponent must complete all of the above steps.
New Certificate Proposal Checklist with Links:
- Occupational Data
Currently, CPE does not require notification of intents or proposals on certificate programs, unless the certificate is considered substantive change through SACSCOC. When certificate programs are approved through the WKU curricular process, they must be entered into the CPE program inventory and receive automatic CPE approval.
Certificates are a series of courses related to a specific topic or skill, with a primary purpose of providing marketable, entry-level skills. If the certificate prepares students for employment in a recognized occupation (ties to a CIP code) and is at least a certain number of credit hours (12 credit hours at Graduate level, and 12 at undergraduate), Title IV funding is available. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance if you have questions concerning Title IV funding.
Certificate definitions and the policy for developing a certificate that includes minimum requirements are found in the Graduate Catalog for graduate certificates and in the Undergraduate Catalog for undergraduate certificates.
All certificate proposals should include a certificate budget spreadsheet (see template below). The spreadsheet should be reviewed by the college budget coordinator and submitted to Ms. Jessica Gilland for review.
Budget Spreadsheets
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.