Applies to: All new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and concentrations.

Supersedes: Curricular Guidelines for Minors at HSU (4/10/2011) and amends the Guidelines for Approving New Certificate Programs (3/11/2014 - #29-13/14-ICC) and the Policy Governing Proposed Minors, Academic Credit-Granting Certificates, and Concentrations (12/04/2021 – VPAA 21-06).

Purpose of the Policy

This policy revision intends to make more clear what minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations are at HSU. The policy also provides guidance for new and proposed minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations including assessment and requirements for submitting new minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations.

Table of Contents (optional; suggested for longer documents)

1. Definitions
   1. Policies governing new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and concentrations
   2. Specific guidelines for proposing new minors
      1. Specific guidelines for proposing new concentrations
      2. Specific guidelines for proposing new academic credit-granting certificates I.

Definitions

I.           Definitions

Minor. A minor is a course of study designed to emphasize a disciplinary or multidisciplinary specialty, or area of special interest, for a matriculated student pursuing a bachelor degree. Minors will be 12-24 units and offer a sustained course of study that complements academic work. Students are generally prohibited from earning a major and minor from the same degree program. Exceptions can be made in combinations in which: 1) at least 9 units required for the minor are not already required for the major. In cases where there are concentrations within the minor or major, a student must take concentrations such that at least 9 units for the minor are not counted towards the major, and 2) the major and minor must have different titles.

Academic Credit- Granting Certificate. An academic credit granting certificate is a cohesive course of study, shorter than a degree program, designed to provide students with training focused to enhance their professional/career opportunities. Academic credit-granting certificates shall be 6-20 units and be primarily for non- matriculated students for the purpose of career enrichment and retraining. CSU Executive Order 0806 provides the example of the goals of certificates: “. . . Providing initial knowledge designed for entering a new career, or making a significant change in an existing career, such as moving from a nurse to a nurse practitioner. . .”. A certificate may be awarded to a person, matriculated or not, who completes the designated course of study. Academic credit-bearing certificates are often provided through extended education but may be offered by academic programs at the BA or MA levels. Academic credit-granting certificates may be used for professional qualifications. Non academic credit-granting certificates, such as certificates of participation are administered and reviewed by the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement (CEEGE).

Concentration. A concentration is a focus within a major program that is less than half of the units in a major program that appears on a student transcript. Emphasis is a subdivision of a concentration that does not appear on a diploma. Prior to implementation of any option, concentration, or special emphasis (or similar subprogram) approved under this delegation, the campus shall obtain a Chancellor's Office confirmation of compliance with CSU policy and applicable law (EO 1071).

Matriculated student. A matriculated student is a student who has, through normal procedures, been admitted formally at a CSU campus to pursue an authorized degree, credential or certificate (for academic credit) and who is enrolled in or is expected to enroll in courses. A student may be matriculated through state-supported university enrollment or through self-supporting extended education enrollment, or both (1099)

Self support mode. Instruction offered through self-supporting mode does not receive state general fund appropriations and instead collects non-state student fees that are adequate to meet the cost of maintaining operation in the long run. Such fees shall be required pursuant to rules and regulations prescribed by the trustees, including but not limited to fee policies such as Executive Order 1102 and Education Code section 89708 (1099).

State supported mode. State-supported mode is the type of funding structure in which the university receives state appropriations for instruction offered (1099).

Policy Details

1. Policies governing new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and concentrations  

Minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations are subprograms of academic units at Humboldt State. Every subprogram will uphold the vision and responsibilities of Humboldt State University and the California State University system. 

Concentrations shall be less than half of the major program.

Minors can be proposed as both minors and academic credit-granting certificates if they are career focused and/or offer retraining opportunities. Dually proposed minors/ academic credit-granting certificates must meet all the standards for both minors and academic credit-granting certificates. If a program would like to propose a minor that is also an academic-credit granting Certificate the certificate must include three units of distinct career focused coursework such as internships or directed study work. The proposing department/program must make clear the course requirements, pathways and options for state-supported University enrollment or self-supporting extended education enrollment, the distinctions if any between the minor and academic credit- granting certificate, and clearly outline in which situations a matriculated student could earn the academic credit-granting certificate. If self-support is necessary an MOU with the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement must also be submitted.

Minors, Concentrations and academic credit-granting certificates proposed by departments and programs  shall be regularly reviewed through the upcoming 7-year program review cycle.

Academic credit-granting Self-support certificates must meet all current standards for academic programs at Humboldt State. Credential or academic credit-granting certificate programs can be offered by an academic department or by extended education.

For a degree, credential, or certificate program, or for individual academic-credit bearing courses to be offered in extended education: (1) CSU Operating Funds shall be either unavailable or inappropriate for supporting the offering(s), and (2) at least one of the following additional criteria shall be met:  

1. The courses or program is designed primarily for career enrichment or retraining (Education Code section 89708); or
2. The location of the courses or program offerings is removed from permanent, state-supported campus facilities; or
   1. The course or program is offered through a distinct technology, such as online delivery; or
   2. For new programs, the client group for the course or program receives educational or other services at a cost beyond what could be reasonably provided within CSU Operating Funds; or
      1. For existing programs, there has been a cessation of non-state funding that previously provided for educational or other services costing beyond what could be reasonably provided within CSU Operating Funds. (1099)

Faculty teaching in all programs that offer credit-bearing certificates must be reviewed through appropriate APS/HR procedure.

Credit granting self-support certificates shall result in a positive impact on HSU facilities, services, faculty, staff and students as per EO 1099 supplanting policies.

Stateside academic credit-granting certificates will be covered by tuition, but self support academic credit granting certificates have additional charges.

Each proposed new minor, academic credit-granting certificate or concentration will be proposed by the sponsoring academic unit and then must be reviewed and recommended by each of the following:

Sponsoring department (if appropriate) Academic dean (if appropriate)

ICC

Senate Provost President

Chancellor's office (in the case of new concentrations)

1. Specific guidelines for proposing new minors

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new minor:

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new minor framed by the institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide evidence that the new minor will have sufficient enrollment. Describe how the minor will enhance student education.
• Provide the exact title of the new minor being proposed.
• List of courses and descriptions for all required units for the new minor. All prerequisite courses must be clearly identified. If the minor requires completion of HSU general education courses before entering the minor, these shall be clearly identified as prerequisite courses. If the program allows for the choice of courses, all pathways shall be clearly mapped to ensure consistent application of minor learning goals.
• Any new courses created for the minor must be clearly identified in the proposal. Courses created only for the minor must meet established HSU course enrollment targets and may not be allowable.
• All course work for a minor must be satisfied with an average 2.0 GPA or above. Any additional GPA requirement must be included in the proposal.
• Students must have 6 HSU units in residence for any minor or 9 units if the minor is more than 20 units.
• Students must take at least 6 units for the minor at the upper division (300 and above) or 9 units if the minor is more than 20 units.
• A maximum of 3 units for the minor can be internships or independent study unless the minor is designed to include more and has prior approval.
• All courses that meet the requirements of a minor may be used, as appropriate, simultaneously to meet requirements in general education, credentials, certificates, or complementary studies.

• The curriculum for a minor course of study must meet at least three of the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for Humboldt State University. Proposals must include an assessment plan that would allow for the student learning that met those ILOs to be demonstrated.
• Proposals must include documentation of all campus-required curricular approvals.

1. Specific guidelines for proposing a new concentration

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new concentration:

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new concentration framed by the institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide evidence that the new
• concentration will have sufficient enrollment. Describe how the concentration will enhance student education.
• The exact title of the new subprogram and the complete degree designation and title of the major degree program housing the new subprogram (e.g., Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a Concentration in Biochemistry);
• A list of courses and required units constituting that new subprogram; • Total units required to complete the entire degree, including the combination of subprogram and major program;
• The complete list of courses and required units constituting the major degree program as approved by the Chancellor’s Office (EO 1071);
• A 4-year major-and-subprogram roadmap for first year students and a 2- year major-and-subprogram roadmap for transfer students;
• The CSU degree program code (formerly called “HEGIS”) that students use to apply to the major degree program;
• The campus-proposed CSU degree program code to be used to report enrollments in the
• concentration (may be the same as the degree code);
• A detailed cost-recovery budget for self-support subprograms to be offered within state-support major degree programs; and
• Documentation of all campus-required curricular approvals.

1. Specific guidelines for proposing a new academic credit-granting certificate:

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new academic credit-granting certificate

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new academic credit-granting certificate framed by the institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide evidence that the new academic credit-granting certificate will have sufficient enrollment. Describe how the academic credit granting certificate will enhance student education.
  • Proposals for academic credit-granting certificates shall meet the standards outlined in the HSU policy on certificates (https://policy.humboldt.edu/policy certificates).
  • Self-support academic credit-granting certificates (in conformance with EO 1099 and EO 1102) must include: