Delete a Degree Certificate

Overview

Deleting a certificate begins with Provost pre-approval. Following pre-approval, it is reviewed by internal committees, including the Academic Program Review and SACSCOC Substantive Change committees. Next, the Provost and Board of Trustees must approve the proposal before it is sent to SACSCOC for approval (which can take 6 months or longer). Finally, if SACSCOC approves the closure the Alabama Commission on Higher Education is notified. It can take 1-2 years for a certificate closure to be fully approved.

Process Details

To delete a certificate the originating academic unit should:

  1. Request Provost Approval to Commence Planning

    Submit to the Provost a request to commence planning for program closure using the following template:

    1. Planning Request Memorandum

    The Provost reviews deletion requests throughout the year.

  2. Submit Proposal into CIM

    Upon Provost approval to commence planning, input the proposed closure into the Curriculum Inventory Management System (CIM) for review and approval by appropriate unit, college and university committees. A CIM training guide is available for assistance. Please attach the approved planning request memorandum to the CIM form.

    University committees (graduate and undergraduate) meet once a month and usually review all proposals received by the first of that month. The undergraduate committee does not meet in the summer months

  3. Request Provost and Board of Trustees Approval

    Upon university committee approval submit the following memo to the Provost to request Provost and Board of Trustees approval:

    1. Deletion Request Memorandum

    The Provost reviews deletion requests throughout the year. The Provost will refer the deletion to the Academic Program Review and the SACSCOC Substantive Change Committee for review.

  4. Request SACSCOC Approval

    Upon Board approval, work with the university’s SACSCOC liaison to prepare and submit necessary information for SACSCOC.

    SACSCOC receives proposals throughout the year; however, it typically takes ~6 months for a response and could be longer depending on volume.

  5. Request Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) Review

    Upon approval from SACSCOC the university’s ACHE Coordinator will notify ACHE of the deletion. The Commission reviews deletions four times per year.

Process Completion

The deleted certificate will not appear in the next Bulletin if all approvals are granted prior to May 1st. Questions about process completion should be sent to the SACSCOC liaison.

Last updated: October 31, 2022