Change Certificate Program

The following are examples of changes to a credit-bearing certificate program which require institutional and State Council for Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) approval, and may require SACSCOC approval:

Title: Changing the title of the certificate program that was approved by SCHEV.

Length: Modifying the number of credits required to complete the certificate program.

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: Changing the six digit code designation used to classify the certificate program based on the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics taxonomy.

Per SCHEV, a CIP code change is a "change made in an existing six-digit CIP code designation (as reflected in SCHEV’s program inventory), provided no significant changes have been made to program requirements, content, or emphasis, and provided that the new CIP code replaces the current code to respond to changes in the field or to better reflect the intent of the program."

Delivery format: modifying how the certificate program is delivered. For example, changing from a face-to-face traditional classroom setting to an online setting or hybrid (face-to-face and online) setting, or changing from an online or hybrid to only face-to-face.

The action of providing an online or distance delivery format in a degree program requires compliance with state authorization requirements. See Out-of-State Educational Activities policy.

Discontinuation: Ending admission into and delivery of a certificate program. Discontinuation of a certificate program represents a “substantive change” as defined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and requires their notification when it occurs.

Process for Change to an Existing Certificate Program

IRA staff will advise and coordinate with the appropriate school contact to manage process requirements, including providing relevant sample materials to guide the work. Making changes to a certificate program requires the following steps:

Upon review and approval of the proposed change to the certificate program by the school’s curriculum committee and dean, school completes a change in certificate program form.
IRA determines if SACSCOC notice is required and consults with the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (VPAA) to confirm alignment with institutional academic planning.
IRA notifies University Registrar (UREG) and determines whether additional approvals from the Department of Education, Veteran’s Affairs, Homeland Security, etc are required.
If the change to the certificate program affects faculty, students, and/or academic programs in more than one school, the sponsoring dean should consult the corresponding dean(s).

For title change or discontinuation requests:

Changes to the title or discontinuation of a certificate program require Faculty Senate approval.
- Discontinuations require SACSCOC approval. Schools should contact the SACSCOC Liaison as soon as possible to confirm process requirements (e.g., teach out plan).
The SCHEV template is used by Faculty Senate for its review. Faculty Senate approval entails the following:
- Review by the “Institutional Impact” committee comprised of stakeholders (e.g., appointed School Representatives, Financial Services, University Registrar, Library, International Studies Office) to confirm alignment with university policy and procedures.
- Review and approval by the Academic Affairs Committee
- Review and approval by the Executive Council
- Review and approval by the full Faculty Senate

For all other change requests (i.e., length/credits, delivery format):

The SCHEV Template is used for Executive Vice President and Provost Office (Provost Office) review. IRA staff coordinate as needed to address any relevant issues, including Distance Learning Compliance requirements related to delivery format and Out of State Educational Activities changes.
Upon formal SCHEV approval (and SACSCOC as required), IRA notifies key institutional stakeholders, including the University Registrar (UREG) to modify the Record and the Student Information System. IRA staff will manage the registration of the degree program in SCHEV’s degree inventory listing.
Once internal approvals are finalized, IRA works with the school and Provost Office to formalize submission to SCHEV.
Upon formal SCHEV approval (and SACSCOC as required), IRA notifies key institutional stakeholders, including the University Registrar (UREG) to modify the Record and the Student Information System. IRA staff will manage the registration of the degree program in SCHEV’s degree inventory listing.

Timeline for Change to an Existing Certificate Program

Timeline

Changes to a credit certificate must be effective at the start of a term (i.e., fall, spring, summer). A summer term may only be referenced if a required course is completed during this session.
For title change and discontinuation: Academic Affairs Committee, Executive Council , and Faculty Senate reviews occur based on these committees’ respective scheduled meetings during an academic year.
SCHEV documents must be formally submitted at least 90 days prior to the requested effective term.

The intent to discontinue admission into a program requires timely notice to SACSCOC, even as internal reviews are underway and teach out plans are proposed. The SACSCOC Liaison works with the schools to manage this notice.

Guidance for Completing the ‘Change Certificate Program’ Initiation Form

Please review the following guidance, which itemizes the questions you will be asked to answer when initiating a request for making a change in an existing certificate.

PLEASE NOTE: You will not be able to “save” and “return” to the form before you submit a request. As such, we suggest you use the following guidance to have the information needed to complete the request in hand before you start the process. If you need an accessible application please contact Felicia Wilson in IRA.

Go to Change Existing Certificate Program form

NAME OF CERTIFICATE FOR PROPOSED CHANGE:
Enter the full name of the certificate which will be affected by the proposed change.

SPONSORING SCHOOL:
From the dropdown menu provided, select the school(s) that host the existing certificate.

PROPOSAL CONTACT FULL NAME:
Indicate the name of the primary contact at the sponsoring school with whom IRA staff will work to manage the steps required to approve the proposed certificate change.

PROPOSAL CONTACT EMAIL:
Enter the official UVA email address of the proposal contact (primary computing ID address, no alias or non-UVA email addresses, please).

DATE OF SUBMISSION:
Select the date you are submitting this initiation request.

REQUESTED EFFECTIVE TERM OF PROPOSED PROGRAM:
Enter the term in which the school aims to enroll students in the revised certificate for the first time.

CERTIFICATE DESIGNATION:
Select the type of certificate from the dropdown list in which the existing certificate can be categorized (types are denoted on input form). For reference, the current UVA policy regarding certificates can be found at https://uvapolicy.virginia.edu/policy/PROV-030.

CURRENT TOTAL NUMBER OF CREDITS FOR CERTIFICATE:
Enter the current number of credits a student would need to earn to complete the certificate’s requirements.

PROPOSED TOTAL NUMBER OF CREDITS FOR CERTIFICATE:
Enter the number of credits a student would need to earn to complete the certificate’s requirements with the proposed changes.

CURRENT CIP CODE FOR THE CERTIFICATE:
Indicate the current 6-digit CIP Code for the certificate (see box below) that the program faculty would suggest aligns most closely with the curriculum of the certificate.

CIP Codes are the US Department of Education’s national taxonomic system for reporting of institutional data. All certificate programs are assigned a CIP Code, and consistent with SCHEV requirements, an institution may only have one certificate program per 6-digit CIP Code at each level (postbaccalaureate, undergraduate, graduate). A list of assigned CIP codes to UVA certificate programs is available on SCHEV’s degree inventory page.

PROPOSED CIP CODE FOR THE CERTIFICATE:
Indicate the proposed 6-digit CIP Code for the certificate (see box above) that the program faculty would suggest aligns most closely with the curriculum of the certificate.

DESCRIPTION OF CHANGES TO EXISTING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM:
Upload a brief description (one to two paragraphs) word document or PDF setting forth the purpose of the certificate. Reference what students (see target audience below) will learn and how that will further their professional qualifications. Describe the specific knowledge and skills that students will acquire. If applicable, specify if the certificate leads to meeting the requirements of a government agency or licensing board – fully or partially. For example, a proposed certificate may provide the required coursework to sit for the examination for national certification, but not require the practicum experience to sit for the examination. Note: if there are additional contacts beyond the primary contact who will be engaged in this proposal, please provide their names and contact information at the end of this document.

SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM EXISTING PROGRAMS:
Is the proposed certificate in a new field or discipline in which your school does not currently offer any related credentials (degree/certificate). For example, if the proposed degree will require the hiring of several new faculty to provide subject matter expertise, it may represent a significant departure.

PERCENT OF NEW COURSES:
This question pertains only to the core required courses that all students in the proposed certificate will be take. For example, for a 15 credit-hour certificate comprised of five required courses, the percent of the courses that are new.

FACULTY RESOURCES:
Indicate whether the school plans to hire new faculty to teach the core required courses for the proposed certificate. In addition, indicate the location(s) of existing faculty that you anticipate will teach the core required courses of the proposed certificate. For example, will all existing faculty teaching the core courses come from the sponsoring school?

REQUIRES NEW RESOURCES:
Indicate whether the new certificate will require new library acquisitions/ subscriptions; and/or any other new learning resources, such as instructional/research software. (select all that apply)

REQUIRES NEW EQUIPMENT OR SPACE:
Indicate whether the new certificate will require new equipment or physical space beyond the school’s current resources.

CURRENT DELIVERY METHOD:
Indicate the current delivery format(s) in which students complete the certificate (select all that apply):

If a student is able to complete the entire program in a traditional, Face to Face format with no online coursework, select ‘100% Face to Face.’
If a student is able to complete the entire program online, with no face-to-face coursework, select ‘100% Online.’
If a student is required or able to complete the program via a combination of Face to Face and Online courses, indicate ‘Hybrid.’

PROPOSED DELIVERY METHOD:
Indicate the proposed delivery format(s) in which students complete the certificate (select all that apply):

If a student is able to complete the entire program in a traditional, Face to Face format with no online coursework, select ‘100% Face to Face.’
If a student is able to complete the entire program online, with no face-to-face coursework, select ‘100% Online.’
If a student is required or able to complete the program via a combination of Face to Face and Online courses, indicate ‘Hybrid.’

CURRENT PROGRAM LOCATION:
Indicate the current location where the certificate is held (select all that apply):

If the program is offered at the main campus in Charlottesville, select that entry.
If the program is offered at an approved UVA off-grounds location, select ‘Approved UVA Off Campus site.’
If you intend to offer the certificate at an off-grounds location that is not currently an approved site, select ‘New UVA Off-Campus Site (To Be Approved).’ Note: off-campus instructional sites must be approved by SACSCOC and SCHEV.
If the program is offered 100% online, i.e. students are able to complete the entire program remotely, select ‘100% online.’

PROPOSED PROGRAM LOCATION:
Indicate the proposed location where the certificate is held (select all that apply):

If the program is offered at the main campus in Charlottesville, select that entry.
If the program is offered at an approved UVA off-grounds location, select ‘Approved UVA Off Campus site.’
If you intend to offer the certificate at an off-grounds location that is not currently an approved site, select ‘New UVA Off-Campus Site (To Be Approved).’ Note: off-campus instructional sites must be approved by SACSCOC and SCHEV.
If the program is offered 100% online, i.e. students are able to complete the entire program remotely, select ‘100% online.’

CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT OR CONSORTIUM:
Indicate whether the certificate or any of its constituent courses are delivered through a contractual agreement with another University or other party.

INTERNSHIP OR PRACTICUM REQUIREMENT:
Indicate whether the certificate requires all students to complete an internship, practicum, or clinical experience.

LEADS TO PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION OR LICENSURE:
Indicate whether the current and proposed certificate will formally or potentially lead to professional licensure or certification (i.e. the courses may meet the coursework and/or practicum requirements for a professional license/certification in Virginia or other US states).

DATE OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE APPROVAL:
Indicate the date on which the proposed certificate was or will be reviewed and approved by the internal curriculum committee of the proposing school. If the committee meeting schedule is not yet known at the time of submission, indicate 09/01/YY if you anticipate review in the coming Fall semester, and 02/01/YY if you anticipate review in the coming Spring.

DATE OF DEAN APPROVAL:
Indicate the actual or anticipated date on which the proposed certificate change was or will be reviewed and approved by the dean of the proposing school.

Go to Change Certificate Program form

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