Program change

Quality assurance processes for existing programs at AU are focused on continuous program improvement. AU programs are continually changing to maintain currency and reflect ongoing developments in the discipline and in technology, to ensure continued responsiveness to the needs of students, industry and society, to facilitate improvements in teaching and learning strategies, and to align with evolving standards and measures of quality. Program change is led by faculties and supported by the Office of the Provost and Vice President, Academic.

Types of program change include:

• Program regulation changes
• Program name change
• Program load change
• Program suspension
• Program closure

Changes to the name of a program or specializations, changes to the number of program credits (program load), or suspension, termination or reactivation of a program or specialization require internal AU approval and approval from Alberta Advanced Education. All other program changes are approved internally.

Program closure

Program closure includes the closure of degree programs and their specializations, as well as certificates and diplomas. Programs may be identified for closure through a cyclical review or solely by the faculty or through an institutional process, and may occur for a variety of reasons, such as low enrolment or changes to the discipline.

Program closure first requires a proposal to suspend the program to new students for a sufficient amount of time, allowing existing students to complete the program or transition to a similar one. A program termination follows once all students are removed from the suspended program.

In some cases, a program suspension may be followed by a program reactivation. However, the significance of any program changes and the amount of time spent under suspension factor into whether a new program proposal will be required over a program reactivation.

Proposals for program suspension or closure include, at a minimum, the following elements:

• The rationale for closing the program, including alignment with AU’s strategic plan.
• The impact of the closure on offerings within the faculty, on other AU faculties and any inter-institutional agreements, and on Campus Alberta.
• The impact on and plans for accommodation of students currently enrolled in the program.

Further information and guidance on program change processes are available to faculty and staff on The Current.