4.28 - Sunsetting of Academic Courses

1. Sunsetting - the practice of eliminating an academic course from the University curriculum (e.g., the undergraduate or graduate course offerings) over a pre- determined period. The course is terminated across all applicable degree programs, academic departments, schools, and colleges and not from select degree programs.
2. Defunct Academic Course – a course that is still published as an active course in the undergraduate or graduate bulletin but has not been taught for three (3) years or longer.
3. Academic Course Content Update – some aspects of the course content are no longer applicable although the course still provides relevance in a degree program(s). Note: Retaining the course (and course number) despite updates to the course description and learning outcomes may be preferable to sunsetting the course.
4. General Education Academic Course –a course that is approved by the General Education Committee and the Faculty Assembly as a course that teaches one or more of the learning outcomes for general education as determined by university policy. General education courses are designated graduation requirements for all undergraduate degree-seeking students regardless of academic degree program.
5. Non-General Education Academic Course – a course that meets a degree program requirement as determined by an academic department, school, or college.

Responsibility for Administration:

1. Proposals for sunsetting a course may be initiated by a faculty member, academic department, school, college, or faculty committee.
2. The office for effectiveness and assessment/SACSCOC liaison ensures that sunsetting the course is compliant with regional accreditation standards and regulations.
3. The academic department responsible for offering the course must approve the sunsetting of the course.
4. The school or college responsible for offering the course must approve the sunsetting of the course.
5. The Registrar’s Office, Library, Provost Council, and the Faculty Assembly are notified about the sunsetting of a course.

    Process for Sunsetting an Academic Course:

1. The target termination date for a course subject to sunsetting should not exceed four (4) years. A maximum of four (4) years accommodates degree completion rates for entering freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who may be required to complete the course. The course may be terminated in fewer than four (4) years if satisfactory course/program options are offered to affected students.
2. Courses that have not been taught for at least three (3) years are defunct and subject to sunsetting.
3. For the sunsetting of a general education course, refer to the Policies and Procedures Manual for termination procedure.
4. The course removal proposal must include:
   1. the course/discipline prefix, course number, course title, and other identifying information;
   2. the effective year and semester for termination;
   3. a justification for course termination (e.g., last time taught or little to no enrollments);
   4. the implications the course termination has on the university curriculum;
   5. a communication plan for identifying and notifying students whose degree completion plans are affected by the course termination
   6. a strategy for offering affected students alternative options for degree plan completion with minimal disruption to students’ rate of degree completion, academic success, and financial responsibility;
   7. a communication plan for notifying faculty advisors about the course termination and the alternative options offered to students for completion of degree plans.

   Additional Considerations:

1. If a course prefix (e.g., ENGL, BIOL, etc..) is being eliminated or replaced, the course sunsetting policy applies.
2. If there are several courses in any given degree program being eliminated via this sunsetting policy, the academic department, school, or college may be required to submit additional documentation to the office for effectiveness and assessment/SACSCOC liaison for further curricular review. The elimination of multiple courses may also trigger a substantive change by SACSCOC, thus requiring additional approval.