Final Draft

Procedures for Developing Faculty Initiated
Special Majors & Minors (FISMs)*

What is a FISM?

The Interdisciplinary Studies program currently allows students to initiate a major of their own - a "Special Major" - and, if it is approved, to pursue their major under the direction of a faculty advisor. In some cases, however, enough students are interested in a particular area that it makes sense for faculty members to design such a major themselves. This faculty-initiated special major (FISM) will designate potential advisors, stipulate core courses and allowable electives, and provide structure for students interested in pursuing major studies in that area.

FISMs represent an important means for faculty members to suggest a coherent course of study for students who are interested in a disciplinary area not currently offered as a major or minor. By this means a number of students have been able to do sustained study in Human Development, Gender Studies, and Criminal Justice Administration, even though SSU is not able to offer official majors in these disciplines.

Moreover, FISMs offer an important means for faculty to "try out" a proposed new major, to develop and improve core courses for that major, and to assess student interest in a concrete manner. At very little cost, the university and the SSU system can thus allow proposals to be generated, "beta tested" and refined. Highly successful programs can then be approved as majors and less successful programs discontinued with a minimum of cost and disruption to the university as a whole.

Guidelines for developing FISMs

Proposals for experimental interdisciplinary programs may be proposed by groups of faculty. Since there are a great variety of ways in which a group of faculty might come to be convinced of the value of a new FISM, no guidelines or restrictions shall be placed on this process.

The actual proposal of a new FISM, however, shall include particular elements:

Proposals for experimental majors or minors must specify the identity of the faculty person who will assume advising responsibilities for the program.
A Proposal shall include a written response from the dean and curriculum committee of the school(s) in whose area it falls, and from the chair of the faculty advisor's department. The latter shall address workload issues for the advisor.
Proposals must supply relevant program information (currently outlined in FORM P of the Interdisciplinary Studies (ITDS) program).
Proposals are approved for a five-year trial period. During the fourth year, the ITDS Committee will recommend to the Educational Policies Committee (EPC) that the program be proposed for approval as a permanent, formal addition to the curriculum, or that it be continued as an experimental program for a span of time to be specified, or that it cease to admit students.

The Review Process

Faculty generated proposals for experimental programs are reviewed by the ITDS Committee, which has the right to approve or disapprove and to recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee) who has final responsibility for approval. The Assoc. Vice Pres. for Academic Programs, as administrative liaison to EPC, reports on such proposals to EPC, which has the right to comment and advise program proposers.

The Program Review Subcommittee of the EPC will assess and review FISMs in their second year. In the fourth year they will be evaluated by the EPC and will require EPC approval if they are to continue beyond their initial five-year trial period. This time scale may be shortened in particular cases, e.g. those of exceptional student and faculty interest.

Responsibilities of faculty advisors and the ITDS Coordinator

The designated faculty advisor is to be identified on all documents and publications pertaining to the program, including the catalog. This allows him or her to run the program semester by semester, rather than having all details handled by the ITDS Coordinator

The designated faculty advisor:

maintains and provides the ITDS coordinator with current lists of all students in the program each semester.
provides advising to all students in the program.
has approval authority for any course substitutions requested by students.
is identified on the computerized student record system (EdenOA) as the students' faculty advisor.
maintains an advising file for each student enrolled in the program.
provides ITDS coordinator with copies of guidelines and advising materials pertaining to the FISM.
approves major/minor requirements forms.
receives consideration for release time for program coordination when the number of majors or minors exceeds 20 students.

The ITDS coordinator:

maintains a list of current students in each FISM and of the guidelines for each.
contacts existing FISMs each semester and requests their most recent list of students.
speaks with the initiators of new FISMs, explains the guidelines and procedures for preparing proposals.
convenes meetings of the ITDS Committee.
facilitates the decisions they reach.

* The term "major" is used extensively in this document. But the same policies shall apply to faculty initiated special minors.

Procedure approved by the Academic Planning Committee November 29, 1995
Approved by Educational Policies Committee February 22, 1996
Approved by Executive Committee of the Senate March 7, 1996