Center for Curriculum and Transfer Articulation

Once faculty have become aware of the need for a new AAS degree, required program elements and certain processing information must be developed. Additionally, an Early Alert must be processed, and approval to develop the program must be obtained from the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.

When the new program is ready for processing, program information is entered into the curriculum processing form in the Academic Curriculum Review and Evaluation System (ACRES).

At the ACRES homepage, click on the NEW – AAS Program Proposal link and enter the required information:

Faculty Initiator: Enter the name(s) of the faculty member(s) initiating the proposal.

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: Using the drop-down menu, select the date of the Governing Board meeting at which this proposal will be submitted for approval. This will be the meeting which follows the DCC General Agenda Date selected in the next field.

DCC General Agenda Date: Using the drop-down menu, select the date of the General Agenda to which the proposal will be submitted. Remember to allow adequate time for review of the proposal by all sharing colleges and the initiating college curriculum committee. 1

Effective Term: Using the drop-down menu, select the first term when the program will be active.

Effective Year: Enter the four-digit number of the first year when the program will be active.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Approval: Enter the name of the vice president approving the processing of this proposal.

Major Code: Enter the major code obtained from CCTA.2

Program GPA: Enter the overall grade point average required for award of this degree.3

Program Availability: Check the appropriate box to indicate that this program is either College-Specific or Shared by more than one college.

Shared Programs: If the program is to be shared, check the box of all sharing colleges, including the initiating college.

CIPS Code: Enter the 6-digit CIPS code following the format indicated. 4

Occupational Area for Occupational Program Matrix: Enter the Occupational Area of the MCCCD Occupational Program Matrix in which this program will be classified. See Matrix  5

Instructional Council(s) Receiving Proposal: Enter the name of the instructional council(s) responsible for evaluating this program proposal, followed by the instructional council code(s) in parentheses.  6

Instructional Council Recommendation(s): Using the drop-down menu, indicate the recommendation of the instructional council.

Need Statement: In the box provided, enter a brief statement explaining why the program is needed and how it will benefit students.7

Early Alert: Using the drop down menu, indicate whether an Early Alert has been submitted for this program.

100 Character Program Title: Enter the full program title, which may not exceed 100 characters, including spaces.8

30 Character Program Title: Enter the 30-character program title, beginning with the abbreviation for the award type (AAS). The 30-character title may not exceed 30 characters, including spaces.9

Program Description: Enter the program description as it will appear on the Curriculum Website and in SIS.10

Program Notes: Enter the program notes, or the word None if no notes apply.11

Total Program Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn to receive this degree, including program prerequisites (if they are counted in total program credits), required courses, restricted electives, free electives, and general education courses.12

Admission Criteria: Check the appropriate box to indicate whether admission requirements apply. Note: the red asterisk indicates that information must be entered in this field even if no admission requirements apply.

Admission Criteria Credits: If admissions requirements apply, and if they include credit-bearing courses, enter the total number of credits required for admission. If no admissions requirements apply, or if they do not include credit-bearing courses, leave the field blank.

Admission Criteria Detail: List all admissions requirements, including coursework and other kinds of eligibility. If no admissions requirements apply, leave the field blank.13

Program Prerequisites: Note:In entering information in the Program Prerequisite, Required Courses, and Restricted Electives areas, care must be taken to avoid Hidden Prerequisites.14 Check the appropriate box to indicate whether program prerequisites apply. Note: the red asterisk indicates that information must be entered in this field even if no program prerequisites apply.15

Program Prerequisites Credits: If Program Prerequisites apply and if they include course completion, enter the total number of program prerequisite course credits students must earn. If program prerequisites do not include course completion, leave this field blank.

Program Prerequisites Detail: If Program Prerequisites apply, list all program prerequisites. List program prerequisite courses by course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line. If no program prerequisites are required, leave this field blank.16

Required Courses/Credits: Enter the total number of credits of the required courses in the program.

Required Courses Detail: List all program required courses by course prefix and number, course title, and course credits.Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite.If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line. 17

Restricted Electives: Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the program requires restricted electives.18  Note: the red asterisk indicates that information must be entered in this field even if no restricted electives are required.

Restricted Electives Credits: If restricted electives are required, enter the total number of restricted elective credits required. If no restricted electives are required, leave this field blank.

Restricted Electives Detail: If restricted electives are required, list all restricted elective choices by course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line. If no restricted electives are required, leave this field blank.

Free Electives: Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the program requires free electives.19  Note: the red asterisk indicates that information must be entered in this field even if no free electives are required.

Free Electives Credits: If free electives are required, enter the total number of free elective credits required. If no free electives are required, leave this field blank.

Free Electives Detail: If one or more courses are recommended, list them by course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line. If no restricted electives are required, or if no courses are recommended, leave this field blank.

General Education Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in all General Education areas, including the General Education Core and the General Education Distribution areas. 20  Note: Under certain circumstances, it is possible to waive one or more General Education requirements if the discipline-specific content of the program includes the skills addressed by the General Education requirement(s).21

General Education Core Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the required General Education Core areas. 22

First Year Composition Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the First-Year Composition area.

First Year Composition Detail: Enter the phrase + Any approved general education course from the First-Year Composition area, or list all First-Year Composition courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.
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Oral Communication Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Oral Communication area.

Oral Communication Detail: Enter the phrase Any approved general education course from the Oral Communication area, or list all Oral Communication courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

Critical Reading Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Critical Reading area.

Critical Reading Detail: Enter the phrase + Any approved general education course from the Critical Reading area, or list all Critical Reading courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

Mathematics Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Mathematics area.

Mathematics Detail: Enter the phrase + Any approved general education course from the Mathematics area, or list all Mathematics courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

General Education Distribution Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in all the General Education Distribution areas.

Humanities and Fine Arts Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Humanities and Fine Arts area.

Humanities and Fine Arts Detail: Enter the phrase Any approved general education course from the Humanities and Fine Arts area, or list all Humanities and Fine Arts courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

Social and Behavioral Sciences Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Social and Behavioral Sciences area.

Social and Behavioral Sciences Details: Enter the phrase Any approved general education course from the Social and Behavioral Sciences area, or list all Social and Behavioral Sciences courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

Natural Sciences Credits: Enter the total number of credits students must earn in the Natural Sciences area.

Natural Sciences Detail: Enter the phrase Any approved general education course from the Natural Sciences area, or list all Natural Sciences courses from which students may choose, showing course prefix and number, course title, and course credits. Type a plus sign (+) before the entry for any course that has a prerequisite. If a choice of courses is offered, separate alternative courses with the word OR, enclose course credits for each choice in parentheses, and enter the total required credits at the end of the line.

Program Competencies: List the Program Competencies. In parentheses after each competency, list the required course(s) in which the competency is covered. 23

Pre/CoRequisite Flowchart: Attach a separate document showing a Flowchart of all prerequisites and corequisites for all Program Prerequisite Courses, Required Courses, and Restricted Electives. 24