This KnowledgeBase document provides clarity on when a named option (i.e., subplan or child) proposal must be accompanied by an associated plan/parent proposal as it advances through the Lumen system. A reminder that UW-Madison is authorized at the plan level (i.e., major) with the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. All reporting (e.g., Board of Regents, the Higher Learning Commission, NC-SARA, etc.) happens at the plan level. Named options are a convenience for UW-Madison faculty and staff to identify subplans that feature different funding models, subsets of a major's curriculum, or delivery mode, just for example. As such, whenever a named option proposal advances through workflow in Lumen, an associated parent plan proposal is expected to accompany the named option proposal, as changes that impact the named option should also impact the overall plan.

The process of updating curriculum/program content has changed over the last few years with the implementation of Guide, as well as Lumen Courses, Programs, and Structures. As the institution learns more about how the Lumen software works, best practices are being developed to maintain the integrity of the university's academic offerings. Guide continues to be the single source of truth, and there are items included in the governed integration points that do not necessarily impact the overall parent/major. To provide clarity, the following list has been reviewed by Data, Academic Planning and Institutional Research (DAPIR) as being appropriate instances when the named option (subplan/child) may advance through workflow without the plan (major/parent).

For more information, see the Policy on Named Options within Academic Majors.

Lumen Program Named Option Changes that Do Not Need an Accompanying Parent Plan Proposal (if these are the ONLY changes):

• Updated admissions deadlines
• Updated website links (with authorization from DAPIR)
• Grammatical corrections or spelling error corrections (with authorization from DAPIR)
• Name changes of people associated with a program
• Minor formatting changes that do not involve curricular reorganization/changes (with authorization from DAPIR)

Note: if seeking approval from DAPIR from one of the items listed above, contact lumen@provost.wisc.edu.

Some examples of named option proposals that must be accompanied by the associated plan/parent/major proposal include, but are not limited to: