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II. Proposal development and consultation

Once your concept paper (if applicable) has completed the approval process, you can begin developing your program proposal.

Developing your proposal

Step 1: Touch base with your program proposal contact

It’s important to check in with your program proposal contact to discuss the next steps for your program proposal. They will provide you with advice on the forms you must complete at this stage of the process and will highlight other considerations you should be aware of. 

For graduate programs, you will also want to choose an external reviewer at this stage (not required for proposals for new graduate diplomas or certificates—degrees only). consult the Guidelines for External Program Assessors [PDF-353KB] for more information on choosing an external reviewer. Providing this recommendation to the associate dean early on can prevent a delay at step V. Faculty of Graduate Studies approval.  

Step 2: Download and review the program proposal forms

Step 3: Early consultation with academic support units

Academic support units, including The Centre for Learning and Teaching, Office of the Registrar and Financial Services should be consulted during proposal development, before significant work on your proposal has been completed. If your proposal has certain characteristics, you may also need to consult with Academic Technology Services or the appropriate co-operative education office at this stage.

Please involve your Faculty-level administrator or budget officer at an early stage to connect with Financial Services.

Planning and timeline considerations when developing your proposal

Consider the following factors and the time each will take when planning for the development, approval and implementation of a new/modified program. Development of a program proposal is a consultative process, and you should plan for time to receive and incorporate feedback.

Program and curriculum

  • Do all of the courses needed for the new or modified program already exist or will they need to be created? Are syllabi up-to-date and compliant with the university syllabi policy? 
  • Does the program have articulated learning outcomes or will they need to be developed?

Enrollment related budget allocations (ERBA), resources, and budget considerations

  • What are the resource implications of the proposal? Are all of the required resources in-place or will they need to be obtained? As part of development, you will need to identify all of the resources required to support the new or modified program and develop a financial plan that confirms they will be in place to support roll-out.
  • If you have any concerns or questions about the alignment of university resources with your proposed new or modified program (e.g. you anticipte deficiencies in classroom/office space or library collections) you should touch base with the appropriate contact person to plan rather than waiting until later in the process. See Academic Support Units for contact information.
  • If you are proposing an ERBA-exempt program, a supportive letter from the provost must accompany the proposal. 
  • If the proposal entails hiring new tenured faculty members, a supportive letter from the provost must accompany the proposal.
  • If you propose hiring new, non-tenured faculty or staff to support the program, a supportive letter from the dean is required. 

Identify internal and external stakeholders

Embedding inclusive excellence

Program proposals require programs to describe how they will foster a culture of respect and inclusivity as a means of identifying current efforts and future directions toward Indigenization, Decolonization, equity, inclusion, diversity, accessibility, and decolonization – a shared responsibility between the program and Dalhousie.

It is expected that these elements are discussed throughout the proposal rather than siloed into one section. This space is an opportunity to draw attention to specific examples and strategies the program is taking. Make reference to proposal sections and appendices within the proposal that demonstrate current and ongoing work in this area as relevant for the context of the program.

What to Include:

We recommend you consider the variety of ways that your program might be contributing to inclusivity across the students’ learning journey. Various approaches are listed below that may guide your approach.

a.       Outline aspects of the program itself (e.g. admissions, learning outcomes, program policies and procedures, faculty development, course content, teaching practices and initiatives, curricular elements (e.g. clinical training, experiential learning, student research), program communications, supports, unit planning/goal-setting, etc)

b.       Outline program-level initiatives across areas of strategic importance (e.g. accessibility, Indigenization, decolonization, anti-Black racism, Internationalization, experiential learning, etc). Proposals might draw upon existing strategies/initiatives related to inclusivity within your unit/faculty, explaining how this program will embed/advance those existing plans

c.        Provide a plan that summarizes current and ongoing efforts (see Example in Appendix A) and describe how the program will use data for ongoing monitoring and improvement of the learning culture and student experience.

d.       Something else that fits the context and interests of your program.

Consultation and Resources:

We recommend reviewing Dalhousie’s Indigenous and African Nova Scotian Strategies, which may help you identify areas for future growth.

You may elect to engage in consultation as part of program development or the proposal writing process, as appropriate to your program. Consultation with the Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusion within your Faculty is highly recommended (if applicable). The types of consultation required may vary depending on the content and context. Some examples include: 

  • Members of the Indigenous community
  • Members of the African Nova Scotian community
  • Senior Educational Developer Diversity and Inclusivity (Centre for Learning and Teaching)
  • Black Student Advising Centre
  • Director of Community Engagement for African Nova Scotian Strategy (Jalana Lewis)
  • Director of Community Engagement for the Indigenous Community (Cathy Martin)
  • International students or faculty
  • Student Accessibility Centre
  • Queer Faculty Staff Caucus, Disability Caucus, Black Faculty and Staff Caucus
  • Any other partners that supported the creation of a program that fosters a culture of respect and inclusivity

You are encouraged to include a description of the consultations or partnerships that supported the creation of a program that fosters a culture of respect and inclusivity.

Approval body schedule and timelines

  • Committee meeting frequency/schedules. For example, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Senate committees typically meet every 2-3 weeks. Senate meetings are held monthly. (e.g., committees of FGS and Senate typically meet every 2-3 weeks; Senate meetings occur monthly).
  • Assessment by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) takes a minimum of 8-12 weeks (for Stage I approval).  
  • Deadlines for the academic calendar, admissions and advertising cycles, and time required to implement the new or modified program. Early consultation with the Registrar’s Office is recommended to discuss this as outlined in Step III. 

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