The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence (OVPAE) reviews and approves all modifications to academic programs. Our goal is to ensure that changes to curricula benefit students and faculty. All academic program modifications must be submitted to the Director of Program Development and Review at the OVPAE.
Program modifications include:
- degree program requirements and program electives
- modifying minors
- modifying certificates
- modifying/creating concentrations within a degree program
- modifying/creating a combined bachelor’s and master’s (BAM) pathway
- creating minors
Modernizing Our Process
To streamline approvals and improve integration with the Catalog, we are excited to announce the soft launch of a new digital submission process via Modern Campus (MC) Curriculum in Fall 2026.
We encourage faculty and staff to use this new online system to help us modernize our program management. During this transition period, we will continue to accept submissions through our traditional email process as well.
Submission Deadlines
These are standard recurring deadlines; the section further down covers deadlines and procedures during the MC Curriculum transition specifically. To ensure sufficient time for review and processing, proposals must be submitted well in advance of the requested effective date.
- For a Fall or Summer Effective Date: Submit by October 15 of the preceding year.
- For a Spring Effective Date: Submit by March 15 of the preceding year.
Example: For a program modification to take effect in Fall 2027, the proposal must be submitted by October 15, 2026.
How to Submit a Modification
Step 1: Consultation
Before submitting, the Department Chair or Dean should consult with the Director of Program Development and Review at the OVPAE (and the Graduate Division, if applicable).
- Tip: We recommend involving academic advisors early to ensure proposed changes meet all university requirements, such as the 45 upper-division credit requirement for bachelor’s degrees.
- Requirements: If your changes involve commitments from other programs (such as required courses), please include evidence of consultation or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Step 2: Submit Your Proposal
You may choose one of the following two methods:
- Option A: Digital Submission (Recommended) Submit your request directly through the MC Curriculum Program Form (link forthcoming). This digital process is designed to be user-friendly and has a transparent workflow.
- Option B: Traditional Email Submission Email your completed cover memo and all required attachments to acadpro@hawaii.edu.
Required Attachments: These may include current degree requirements (program sheets), 4-year plans, catalog descriptions, and any related course action forms.
MC Curriculum Rollout Timeline: Deadlines and Procedures
For Requests Effective Summer/Fall 2027
MC Curriculum will open for Summer/Fall 2027 proposals on August 18, 2026, and close on October 15, 2026.
| Action | Deadline | Procedure |
| Change requirements of an existing program | October 15, 2026 | Traditional email submission or Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program Change Form |
| Add a new concentration, BAM pathway, or minor | October 15, 2026 | Traditional email submission or Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program New Form (for Concentrations, BAMs, and Minors) |
| Request corrections, revise help text, and/or rearrange a 4-year plan without changing requirements | October 15, 2026 | Informational memo (template) submission or Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program Maintenance Form |
For Requests Effective Spring 2028 (MC Curriculum Required for Submission)
MC Curriculum will open for Spring 2028 proposals on December 21, 2026, and close on March 15, 2027.
| Action | Deadline | Procedure |
| Change requirements of an existing program | March 15, 2027 | Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program Change Form |
| Add a new concentration, BAM pathway, or minor | March 15, 2027 | Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program New Form (for Concentrations, BAMs, and Minors) |
| Request corrections, revise help text, and/or rearrange a 4-year plan without changing requirements | March 15, 2027 | Digital submission via MC Curriculum Program Maintenance Form |
Note: The following types of requests are excluded from the initial rollout of MC Curriculum. Please continue to use existing procedures outside of MC Curriculum for submitting these types of requests:
- Create a new program, including degrees and certificates
- Stop-out admissions for all programs (concentrations, minors, certificates, degrees)
- End stop-out of admissions
- Rename a program
- Terminate a program
- CIP code changes
- Modern Campus Curriculum Training Site
- Undergraduate Minor Creation Guidelines
- Questions? Please contact us at acadpro@hawaii.edu for assistance with your submission.