Approval of new programs, degrees & concentrations

RISD's five stage internal process for proposing and approving new programs, degrees, and concentrations appears as an attachment below. 

Prior to initiation of the process departments should engage in substantive documented discussions, following their internal governance protocols. Evidence of these is key to stages of the process involving the Curriculum Committee. 

General Counsel must be engaged in drafting formal agreements for all new programs which will articulate with external organizations, e.g. Brown University. All such agreements can be only entered into and signed by the President or Treasurer of the College or their delegee.

The Provost's support team, provost-office-support-team@risd.edu, will assist departments with the documentation.  

• Standard 4 of the  NECHE Standards for Accreditation outlines what a program should provide for accreditation.  Questions regarding these should be referred to the Accreditation liaison in Institutional Research.