This section is intended for CUNY faculty and staff involved in the development and modification of academic programs. It offers easy access to the most current guidelines and forms required for the process. For feedback or suggestions, please email oaaproposals@cuny.edu.

OAA Deadline Calendar

The Committee on Education Policy (CEP) Agenda deadline serve as a reminder by which a proposal must be fully approved and completed to be considered for presentation to the Committee on Education Policy of the CUNY Board of Trustees. The University Office of Academic Affairs is committed to facilitating this process and helping colleges prepare proposals that are carefully focused and well-defined in terms of the college’s and the university’s goals. Colleges are encouraged to consult with the Office of Academic Program Review as early as possible to develop a tentative timetable. Items for the Committee on Education Policy are placed on the agenda to be voted upon individually, such as: new program proposals; new centers and institute proposals; the establishment of new schools; reorganization of existing schools and academic departments, university-wide policies; and all early tenure cases and immediate tenure cases requiring a bylaw waiver. To ensure inclusion in the agenda, colleges must submit items by the Campus Submission Deadline on the Academic Program Review Submission Calendar.

Items for the Academic Reports are for more routine curricular matters, which are approved by the CUNY Board of Trustees either directly through the Curriculum and Academic Policy Dashboard Report or as designated to the Office of Academic Affairs in the Academic University Report (AUR). To ensure inclusion in the report, colleges must submit items in Coursedog by the Campus Submission Deadline on the Academic Program Review Submission Calendar.

Items for the Faculty Personnel Matters Report are for all faculty personnel matters requiring Board approval that do not require an individual vote, such as reappointment with tenure on the regular timeline, salary above base, and fellowship leaves. To ensure inclusion in the report, colleges must submit items in CUNYfirst by the Campus Submission Deadline on the Academic Program Review Submission Calendar.

Office of Program Review

New Program Development

Colleges should consult with the Office of Program Review early in the planning process to establish a tentative timetable for developing new programs. The process begins with an initial consultation meeting involving the Office of Program Review, the Senior University Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Programming, campus leadership, and the lead faculty involved in the proposed program. Campuses should not develop a Notice of Intent (NOI) until after this initial consultation. Once the NOI has been approved and circulated, campuses may proceed with developing the full program proposal and seeking the necessary approvals through campus governance, the CUNY Board of Trustees, and NYSED.

Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) interested in proposing new programs should contact Deborah Cheng, Interim University Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Academic Programming and Policy at Deborah.Cheng@cuny.edu, copying  OAAproposals@cuny.edu, to arrange the consultation.

New Certificate and Advance Certificate Program Development

A certificate is defined under Title 8 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, §50.1(j) as “a credential issued by an institution in recognition of the completion of a curriculum other than one leading to a degree.”

Each credit-bearing course in a certificate program must be applicable to one or more degree programs, either as a major requirement, a liberal arts and sciences requirement, or a general elective.

Colleges should consult with the Office of Program Review early in the planning process to establish a tentative timetable for developing new certificates or advanced certificates. As with new programs, the process begins with an initial consultation meeting involving the Office of Program Review, the Senior University Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Programming, campus leadership, and the lead faculty involved in the proposed program.

Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) interested in proposing new certificates or advanced certificates should contact Deborah Cheng, Interim University Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Academic Programming and Policy at Deborah.Cheng@cuny.edu, copying  OAAproposals@cuny.edu, to arrange the consultation.

Guide to the Academic Reports

This page will assist you with format and language choices when presenting information in the University’s Academic Reports.

Changes To Existing Academic Programs

CUNY Forms, NYSED Forms and Applications

Downloadable versions of the forms commonly required for new proposal preparation and program modifications.

Creation of Centers, Institutes, and Consortia

Centers, Institutes, and Consortia play an important role in the University’s endeavors by meeting needs which fall outside the customary domains of academic departments. Since these organized research, non-credit instruction, and training initiatives do not operate under the established rules and regulations which govern departments, there is a distinct set of policy guidelines to provide for their orderly approval and administration.

Faculty Personnel Matters

Requests for Early Tenure; Faculty Appointments with By-Law Waivers; and Salary Above Base (SAB)

The Office of Program Review is also responsible for overseeing the applications and waivers of various bylaws related to academic appointments including early tenure, faculty degree equivalencies and compensation above contracted limits. All correspondence or questions should be addressed to Deborah Cheng, Interim University Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Academic Programming and Policy at Deborah.Cheng@cuny.edu with a copy to OAAproposals@cuny.edu.

Guidance on the Preparation of Articulation Agreements

There is a new CUNY Articulation Agreement Form. This new template is required for any articulation agreements submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs beginning with the Fall 2026 Board cycles.

If you have any questions, or need any assistance, please email TransferInitiative@cuny.edu.

Requests to Award Honorary Degrees

The Office of Academic Affairs is also responsible for coordinating the central administration’s vetting of individuals to whom any CUNY college or school wishes to award an honorary degree prior to those requests being voted on by the Committee on Education Policy (CEP) and the full Board of Trustees. Click the heading of this section to be directed to a page containing a Guide to submissions (with deadlines included) and the request form.

Guide to Writing Specific Resolutions for the Board of Trustees for The City University Of New York

The purpose of this handbook is to empower CUNY colleges to draft effective, well-formatted resolutions regarding early tenures, distinguished professorships, program proposals, honorary degrees and other types of resolutions to be presented to BOT committees for approval.

CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs)

If you believe that the CIP code originally assigned to your program is no longer appropriate—either because a more accurate code has since been developed or because the program has evolved over time—you may request a review. To submit a request, please email. oaaproposals@cuny.edu.