Guidance for Program Proposals​

Use this webpage for quick definitions and guidance on proposals. For a more in depth walkthrough with guidance on every field in the CIM system, click “Program Walkthrough” in the right-hand side bar. You can also navigate into the CIM system from the right-hand side bar.

Program development is collaborative. Faculty Authors should work with their Department Head, School Dean, program faculty, and other affected departments before submitting a proposal to workflow. Depending on the program type, additional consultation or documentation may be required from the Articulation Officer, Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, Institutional Effectiveness, Workforce Development, the Los Angeles Regional Consortium, or other areas.

If a new or modified program depends on new or modified courses, begin the course curriculum work early. New courses supporting a program should be sufficiently far along in the course approval process before the program advances through program review; the existing LBCC guidance specifically cautions that a program may be delayed if its supporting course curriculum is not ready.

Program Types

Definitions and content are extracted and modified from the Program and Course Approval Handbook.

An educational program is defined in Title 5, § 55000(m) as “an organized sequence of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher education.”

Long Beach City College offers the following types of programs:

Noncredit Certificate of Competency

• A certificate in a recognized career field articulated with degree-applicable coursework, completion of an associate degree, or transfer to a baccalaureate institution.
• Considered a Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) program.

Noncredit Certificate of Completion

• A certificate leading to improved employability or job opportunities.
• Considered a Career Development and College Preparation (CDCP) program.
• Does not need to be submitted to the regional consortia.
• If CTE short-term vocational, LMI must be submitted.

Credit Certificate of Accomplishment

• A certificate of fewer than 8 units.
• Does not need to be submitted to the Chancellor’s Office for chaptering.

Credit Certificate of Achievement

• Colleges must submit programs of 16 or more semester units or 24 or more quarter units of degree applicable coursework to be chaptered by the Chancellor’s Office. Colleges may submit programs of 8 or more semester units or 12 or more quarter units of degree-applicable coursework to be chaptered by the Chancellor’s office in order that the program may be included in the student transcript.
• If CTE, must include Advisory, LMI, and consortia approval.

Credit Associates in Science/Arts

• These are local degrees defined as a minimum of 60 semester units… of degree-applicable lower division credit courses… (Title 5 Section 55061 Associate Degree Course Requirements 2023).
• If CTE, must include Advisory, LMI, and consortia approval.

Credit Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) including Associates in Science (AS-T) and Associates in Arts (AA-T)

• Must be submitted to the Chancellor’s Office for chaptering.
• The Chancellor’s Office develops a template for each approved TMC. All submissions must include a completed, current template. Faculty authors must work with the Curriculum Chair and Dean, Academic Affairs, to prepare or modify the TMC template.

Proposal Types in CIM

New Program

Use New Program when proposing a degree or certificate that does not currently exist at LBCC.

In CIM, begin a New Program Proposal and complete the applicable program fields, curriculum requirements, educational rationale, resource considerations, and supporting documentation.

Plan for the Subcommittee Agenda Deadline 

Submitting a proposal in CIM does not automatically mean it will be placed on the next subcommittee agenda. The proposal must first complete the workflow steps that occur before the applicable subcommittee. 

To be considered for an upcoming meeting, plan for the proposal to reach the Subcommittee Chair’s workflow step at least one week before the meeting date. This gives the Chair and support staff time to review proposals and prepare the agenda. 

Because Department Head and Dean approval occur before subcommittee review, obtain those approvals early enough for the proposal to reach the Chair by the agenda-planning deadline. 

Work backward from the desired subcommittee meeting date. Allow sufficient time for Department Head and Dean review, possible revisions or rollbacks, and agenda preparation. Reaching the Chair on the meeting date is too late for that meeting’s agenda. 

Confirm Agenda Placement 

Once the proposal has reached the appropriate subcommittee step, faculty should follow up with the applicable subcommittee support staff to confirm that the proposal has been received in time for agenda preparation and is expected to be agendized.  

Propose New from Existing

Use Propose New from Existing when creating a new program that will be based substantially on an existing LBCC program. This option creates a new proposal by copying information from the existing program, reducing duplicate data entry while allowing the new program to be developed as a separate curriculum record. Requirements for All Program Proposals

Modify Program

Use Modify Program when changing an existing approved degree or certificate.

Examples may include changes to required courses, electives, program units, program description, Program Student Learning Outcomes, or other approved program requirements.

Search for the existing program in CIM, select Edit, and choose Modify Program as the proposal type.

Inactivate Program

Use Inactivate Program when the department intends to discontinue an existing degree or certificate.

Program inactivation requires more than documenting that the program will no longer be offered. Faculty must evaluate its impact on currently declared students, identify completion options, determine appropriate course substitutions or continued course offerings, and develop a teach-out plan.

Foundational Documentation & Collaboration

This work applies broadly to new, modified, and inactivated programs, although the specific evidence needed will depend on the proposal.

Departmental Discussion

The program should be discussed by the department before the proposal is submitted. Upload documentation demonstrating that department faculty have reviewed and discussed the proposed curriculum action. The documentation should clearly identify the program and the department’s recommendation.

If the proposal affects courses or programs outside the department, consultation with those departments should also occur and be documented. The purpose is to establish that affected disciplines understand the proposed change and have had an opportunity to identify concerns or implementation issues.

Consultation is particularly important when adding, removing, or changing courses owned by another department.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

If the proposal creates, modifies, or inactivates Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs), work with the department’s SLO Facilitator and the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes Subcommittee as appropriate. The program proposal and PSLO information should remain consistent.

Articulation & Transfer

Consult the Articulation Officer when a program includes courses intended for CSU or UC transfer, Cal-GETC, C-ID, an Associate Degree for Transfer, or other transfer-related purposes. This consultation is especially important when program changes could affect existing articulation or the placement of courses within an ADT.

Resources & Feasibility

Faculty Authors, Department Heads, and the School Dean should discuss the resources necessary to implement or sustain the program. The Dean evaluates considerations such as staffing, scheduling, facilities, equipment, technology, and fiscal impact. The CIM proposal should accurately reflect these conversations rather than treating feasibility as an administrative step that occurs only after curriculum development.

Creating a New Program

Discuss the Program

Work with program faculty, the Department Head, and School Dean to establish the educational need, curriculum structure, resource implications, and relationship to existing programs.

Document departmental discussion and consultation with affected disciplines.

Develop the Supporting Courses

Identify all courses that will be required or included in the program.

If new or modified courses are necessary, initiate those proposals early. A program’s progress may be delayed if required course curriculum is not sufficiently developed or approved.

Complete the New Program Proposal in CIM

Select New Program and complete all applicable fields.

The CIM proposal serves as the primary curriculum record. Complete the rationale, program requirements, outcomes, feasibility information, and other applicable sections rather than relying on attachments to explain information that belongs in the proposal itself.

Complete Conditional Requirements

Depending on program type:

•CTE: LMI, advisory documentation, and LARC recommendation when applicable.

•ADT: Current TMC and Articulation Officer review.

•Baccalaureate: Complete the BDP intake and institutional authorization process before developing the curriculum proposal.

Upload Supporting Documentation

Upload the documentation required for the proposal, including department discussion and any applicable consultation, CTE, ADT, accreditation, licensure, workforce, or other supporting evidence.

Review and Submit

Review the entire program before submitting to workflow. Confirm that the courses, units, program requirements, narrative information, and supporting documentation are consistent.

Modifying an Existing Program

Review the Existing Program

Search for the existing program in CIM and select Edit. After selecting Edit, use the dropdown button to select Modify Program.

Evaluate the complete program rather than reviewing only the field you intend to change. Determine whether the modification affects program requirements, units, courses, PSLOs, transfer alignment, CTE requirements, or other departments.

Discuss the Modification

Document departmental discussion of the proposed changes and consult affected departments when their curriculum is involved.

Update the CIM Proposal

Make the proposed changes directly in CIM and provide a clear rationale explaining what is changing and why the modification benefits or is necessary for the program.

Complete Conditional Requirements

For CTE, obtain current LMI and advisory documentation and determine whether the modification requires LARC review.

For an ADT, coordinate with the Articulation Officer and Academic Services and complete the applicable TMC review and revalidation process.

Submit to Workflow

Review the complete modified program and supporting documentation before submission.

Inactivating a Program

Program inactivation is both a curriculum action and a student-completion process. The proposal should establish why the program should be discontinued and how LBCC will protect the ability of currently declared students to complete an educational goal.

Establish the Rationale

Explain why the program should be inactivated and provide supporting evidence.

For CTE programs, current LBCC guidance calls for relevant LMI and advisory committee documentation supporting the proposed inactivation. Advisory minutes should identify the discussion and vote related to discontinuing the program.

Identify Currently Declared Students

Work with Institutional Effectiveness to identify students who are still declared in the program and determine whether they remain actively enrolled.

This information becomes the foundation of the teach-out analysis.

Develop the Teach-Out Plan

•Determine how currently declared students can complete their educational goal. This may include:

•Continuing to offer required courses through the program’s end date.

•Establishing appropriate course substitutions.

•Transitioning students to a new or similar LBCC program.

•Identifying comparable offerings at another local community college when LBCC cannot provide a viable completion path.

•The department may also need to communicate approved substitutions to Counseling and Records Specialists.

Complete the Inactivation Proposal in CIM

Complete the rationale, impact analysis, teach-out information, and supporting documentation required by the Inactivate Program proposal.

The CIM proposal should make clear both why the program is being retired and what will happen to affected students.

Complete Local Approval Before Student Notification

The current LBCC guidance specifies that student notification occurs after Board of Trustees approval of the program inactivation.

Notify Declared Students

After Board approval, the department contacts students who have the program declared.

The communication should provide a viable path forward, such as a new/similar major, approved substitutions, or information about final course offerings and comparable programs when substitutions are not available.

The current process directs departments to BCC the affected students and copy the Curriculum Chair, Accreditation Liaison Officer, and Counseling Department Head(s).

Accreditation & Federal Notification

Following local approval, the Accreditation Liaison Officer manages the appropriate communication concerning the inactivation with ACCJC. The existing LBCC guidance states that ACCJC then communicates the award inactivation to the U.S. Department of Education for applicable federal records.

What Happens After Your Submit in CIM?

Once the Faculty Author submits the proposal, CIM generates the appropriate program workflow. Faculty do not select or manually assemble the approval path.

The proposal moves through the applicable departmental, administrative, subcommittee, and governance review steps. Reviewers may approve the proposal, complete authorized live edits, or roll back the proposal with comments when additional information or revision is needed.

Program proposals receive review through the Associate Degree & General Education (AD&GE) Subcommittee before advancing to the Curriculum Committee when applicable. The existing LBCC process states that reviewers may identify questions before the meeting and may request additional documentation or faculty participation when needed. Following recommendation by AD&GE, proposals advance through Curriculum Committee and applicable Board of Trustees and Chancellor’s Office processes.

A rollback is not a denial. It returns the proposal to an earlier workflow step so that identified concerns can be addressed before the proposal continues.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Programs

CTE programs require additional evidence demonstrating that the curriculum responds to an identified workforce need and has been developed with appropriate industry input.

Labor Market Information

Labor Market Information (LMI) provides evidence about employment demand, occupational projections, wages, job openings, and related workforce conditions. For a new or modified CTE program, the LMI should support an ongoing employment need in the program area. For a proposed CTE program inactivation, the current LBCC guidance calls for LMI that helps establish the lack of continuing workforce need when that is part of the rationale.

• Use this online form to submit a request for LMI Data.

The existing guidance notes that an official Centers of Excellence report may take approximately 4–6 weeks or longer, so LMI should be requested early in the program-development process.

Advisory Committee Documentation

CTE proposals should include documentation showing that the appropriate industry advisory committee reviewed the proposed curriculum action. Advisory minutes should clearly identify the program and highlight the discussion, motion, and vote supporting creation, modification, or inactivation.

• Use the LBCC CTE Committee’s Advisory Handbook to guide your efforts.

Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC)

Regional review applies to specified credit CTE program actions. The current LBCC guidance identifies the following as subject to the LARC process: new credit CTE programs, existing low-unit local certificates being submitted for state chaptering, and modified programs that require a new Chancellor’s Office control number. It specifically states that noncredit CTE programs are not required to be submitted to LARC.

For applicable proposals, the current process requires the program documentation, advisory minutes, and Labor Market Information to support regional review.

• Los Angeles Regional Consortium Program Recommendation Process

CIM Guidance: Upload the applicable LMI, advisory documentation, and regional recommendation/approval documentation in the supporting-documentation portion of the program proposal when required.

Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) & Baccalaureate Degrees (BDP)

Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT)

ADTs follow an approved Transfer Model Curriculum (TMC) and therefore require more structured external alignment than a locally developed associate degree or certificate.

Before creating or modifying an ADT, the department should consult the Articulation Officer to determine whether the proposed courses meet the applicable TMC requirements. This review may involve C-ID approval, articulation agreements, transferability, and the discipline in which comparable CSU courses are offered.

For a new ADT, faculty should work from the current Chancellor’s Office TMC and complete the required documentation in collaboration with the Articulation Officer, AD&GE Subcommittee Chair, and Academic Services.

• Chancellor’s Office Transfer Model Curriculum Templates

For an ADT modification, additional care is required. The current LBCC guidance states that existing courses in the ADT must be revalidated against the applicable TMC when the degree is revised.

CIM Guidance: The program proposal should accurately reflect the approved TMC structure, and the completed/current TMC documentation should be uploaded as supporting documentation when required.

Baccalaureate Degree Programs (BDP)

A Baccalaureate Degree Program does not begin as a routine New Program proposal.

LBCC’s current guidance requires faculty interested in a potential bachelor’s degree to first complete the College’s Potential BDP Intake process. The concept is then considered by Curriculum Committee and routed through the College’s Baccalaureate Degree planning and leadership process before local curriculum development proceeds.

• ADGE’s Potential BDP Intake Form
• Curriculum’s BDP Application Development Process

This early review considers matters such as institutional planning, program duplication, labor market demand, feasibility, and the significant curriculum and administrative work associated with offering a bachelor’s degree.

Faculty should therefore begin with the Baccalaureate Degree Workgroup process rather than independently building the degree in CIM.