Skip to main content
Institutional Change (IC)
What is Institutional Change?
Institutional change refers to the process by which members of the university seek to modify, add to, or remove the rules, policies, procedures, and structures that govern the university's academic functions. At Â鶹Æƽâ°æ, the Office of Institutional Accreditation & Effectiveness (IAE) monitors institutional change to ensure compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations and policies for all matters related to the academic operation of the university.
The institutional change process is managed by the curriculum committees in each school/college, the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Curriculum Committee (WMCC), and, for organizational changes and off-campus instructional sites, the Institutional Change (IC) Team. The Institutional Change Policy (currently under revision, July 15, 2026) outlines the responsible parties and procedures for implementing institutional change actions. This policy ensures the university's compliance with the requirements of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Types of Institutional Change
All Academic Changes represented in the table below must be approved first by the academic units and curricular approval bodies, including approval from the Office of the Dean, established in the school/college. Once school-level approvals are confirmed, these changes must be submitted to the W&M Curriculum Committee for deliberation and approval. Academic Changes that require Board of Â鶹Æƽâ°æors (BOV) approval are then submitted to the Office of IAE to be placed on the next available BOV meeting. If an Academic Change requires external approval, then the Office of IAE will work with the proposing unit and representatives from the Office of the Dean to prepare proposals to SCHEV and SACSCOC.
All Organizational Changes listed in the table below must first be approved by the academic units and curricular approval bodies, including the Office of the Dean, established in the school/college. Once school-level approvals are confirmed, these changes must be submitted to the Institutional Change (IC) Team and the Office of IAE for notification and documentation purposes. Organizational Changes that require Board of Â鶹Æƽâ°æors (BOV) approval will be placed on the agenda of the next available BOV meeting. If an Organizational Change requires external approval, then the Office of IAE will work with the proposing unit and representatives from the Office of the Dean to prepare proposals to SCHEV and SACSCOC.
Forms to Use: Academic Changes are submitted in Curriculog via the appropriate curricular forms used by the schools/colleges. The WMCC has been added as a step in the curricular review process. Organizational Changes require the submission of a zIC Form in Curriculog. Representatives on the IC Team from each school/college will be responsible for submitting their school's zIC Forms.
| Academic Changes | Organizational Changes |
| Establish, Discontinue, or Modify an existing Degree or Certificate Program (curriculum change) | Establish, Close, Move, Merge, or Rename a Department, School, or College within W&M |
| Establish, Discontinue, or Modify an existing sub-area of a Degree Program (major, concentration, track, specialization, etc.) | Establish, Close, Relocate, or Rename an Off-Campus Instructional Site (OCIS) |
| Change a CIP Code for an existing Degree or Certificate Program | Establish, Discontinue, or Modify a Cooperative Academic Agreement or MOU with another institution (Title IV or non-Title IV). *Contact the Associate Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness for guidance. |
| Change the Name for an existing Degree or Certificate Program | |
| Add, Remove, or Change a Degree Designation | |
| Increase or Decrease the Length of an existing Degree or Certificate Program (credit hour change) | |
| Add, Remove, or Change a Delivery Format for an existing Degree or Certificate Program (online, hybrid, or in-person) | |
| Add, Remove, or Change a Licensure or Certification Option for an academic program | |
| Change between competency-based and credit-based models for evaluating learning |
For submissions and other communication required by the U.S. Department of Education and discipline-specific accrediting agencies, "[f]or proposals originating with a school, the originating school is responsible for submissions and other communications about institutional change with the VDOE and discipline-specific accrediting agencies. The originating school provides copies of such submissions and related communications to IAE and the Office of the Provost." (Section C - Institutional Change Policy)
Please visit the IC Contact Information & FAQs page for additional information designed to facilitate the approval process for Academic and Organizational Changes.
NOTE: Contact the Director of Academic Program Authorization to determine whether a proposed action will require external approvals. All external approvals are managed by the Office of IAE and must involve this office.