Table of Authorities

Academic Policy: Curriculum and Policy Actions Requiring Council on Graduate Education (CGE)
Approval

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to give discretionary authority to faculty in graduate departments and
programs to make specified decisions about their curricula, courses, program requirements, faculty
knowledge and skills, and other academic and curricular decisions. The policy also identifies and
empowers the CGE to maintain its authority over a specific and limited number of policy, curricular, and
program decisions.

B. Scope

This policy applies to all current and future graduate programs at Gallaudet University offered via a
traditional (e.g., on campus), hybrid, or online format.

C. Definitions

• Department/Program Authority. In complex organizations, authority for decision-making is
  pushed to the level of those who have the knowledge, dispositions, and skills to make relevant
  decisions. Gallaudet University is a complex organization. The appropriate decision-making level
  for academic and curricular actions is at the department and program levels. Authority is defined
  here as the ability of department and program faculty to make specific and relevant academic and
  curricular decisions without approval from a higher governance body. Changes under department
  authority need to be reported to CGE through the Curriculum Action Form.
• CGE Authority: Although departments and programs have the authority to make specific
  academic and curricular decisions that affect their programs, faculty, and students, there are
  specific actions that have an impact on all graduate programs. Those wide-impact actions require
  approval by the CGE, and when necessary by the Faculty Senate. Authority is defined here as
  the ability of members of the CGE to make specific and relevant academic and curricular
  decisions without approval from a higher governance body; and to have the authority to request
  and receive reports from departments and programs about changes made to curricula, courses,
  program requirements, and so on.

D. Policy

Faculty in graduate departments and programs are empowered to make specific and relevant curricular,
course, program, faculty, and student decisions without approval from higher governance bodies when
those decisions satisfy the following decision criteria:

1. The decisions align with policies and procedures dictated by professional accreditation agencies
   such as CAEP and MSCHE;
2. The decisions are consistent with the University and the Graduate School’s mission and vision to
   educate deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students;
3. The decisions are aligned with the general requirements of the University Faculty By-Laws; and
4. The decisions do not impact any other graduate program.

Although department and program faculty are empowered to make these decisions without approval they
must report those actions to the CGE using the curriculum or policy proposal forms so the decisions can
be codified and stored in a repository of curricular and policy actions. When necessary, the CGE must
report those changes to the Faculty Senate, and appropriate offices (for example, the Registrar’s Office).

The Faculty Senate and the CGE also have specific and relevant decision-making authority for actions
that affect all graduate education programs.

To implement the above policy a set of guidelines is required. Many years ago, the former Graduate
Council (now, the Council on Graduate Education), created a set of guidelines to implement the above
policy. Those original guidelines were revised and they are found below in the Table of Authorities.