About Changes to My Program

Ask TRUFA is a venue for members to ask questions anonymously and receive answers from TRUFA Stewards or Executive. Submit your question at Ask TRUFA.

QUESTION:

ANSWER:

Dear Concerned Faculty Member,

Academic decisions at Thompson Rivers University are initiated and approved through a “shared governance” structure in which faculty and academic administrators jointly determine all academic matters.

The program changes to which you refer require adhering to TRU policy (specifically, Undergraduate Course and Program Approvals–ED 8-2), the Senate Educational Programs Committee, and the TRU Act.

In TRU policy ED 8-2, any course or program approvals (including changes to programs) require approval by the “appropriate Departments and/or Curriculum Committees, Deans, and Faculty- or School Councils before submission to the Educational Programs Committee (EPC)” of the TRU Senate.

When faced with a Dean’s insistence that a program be changed, TRUFA advises Chairs and department curriculum committees to remind their Dean that all such requests have to, first, be approved by the Department and only then be brought to the Faculty or School Council for full debate and decision.

If you require any additional information or experience any resistance to the need for appropriate governance approvals, please contact TRUFA.

Thanks for asking TRUFA.