ACADEMIC PROGRAM CHANGES

All full proposals for academic program changes should follow the format and address the criteria described below. The Board of Governors for Higher Education recommends that this format be used from the outset of the proposal development at the institution in order to reduce the work necessary to prepare a final proposal.

TITLE________________________________________________________

A. Program Information: General descriptive information should be provided for the program.

1.Name of institution.

2.Name of department, division, school or college.

3.Title of program and federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code.

4.Intended initiation date of program change and anticipated date for granting first degrees or certificates.

5.Intended location of program.

6.Description of institutional review and approval process.

DATE APPROVED

Department(s)/Committee(s)/Group(s)

College(s)

Faculty Senate Committee/Graduate Council

Faculty Senate

President of the University

 

7.Summary description (not to exceed 2 pages) of the proposed program.

8.Signature of president

______________________________________________

Robert L. Carothers, President

9.Statement that no new or additional resources will be required, if appropriate.

10. Name of Person(s) to contact during the review:

Name

Title

Telephone

E-Mail

11.Signed agreements for any cooperative arrangements made with other institutions/agencies in support of the program.

B.Rationale: There should be a demonstrable purpose and documented need for the program.

1.State the program objectives.

2.Explain the needs addressed by this program, and present evidence that the program fulfills these needs.

3.If an external advisory or steering committee was used to develop the program, identify committee members and their affiliations, and describe the committee's role.

C Institutional Role: The program should be clearly related to the role and mission of the institution, and be compatible with other programs and activities of the institution.

1.Explain how the program is consistent with the role and mission of the institution and how it is related to the institution's academic plan.

2.Explain the relationship of the program to other programs offered by the institution.

D.Interinstitutional Considerations: The program should be consistent will all policies of the Board of Governors pertaining to the coordination and collaboration between public institutions of higher education.

1.List similar programs offered in the state and region, and compare the objectives of similar programs.

2.Estimate the projected impact of the program on the other higher education institutions in Rhode Island.

3.Describe any provisions for transfer students (into or out of the program) at other Rhode Island public institutions of higher education. Describe any transfer agreements with independent institutions.

4.Describe any cooperative arrangements with institutions offering similar programs. (Signed copies of any agreements pertaining to use of faculty, library, equipment, and facilities should be attached.)

5.If external affiliations are required, identify providing agencies. (Indicate the status of any arrangements made and append letters of agreement, if appropriate.)

6.Indicate whether the program will be available to students under the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Regional Student Program (RSP).

E.Program: The program should meet a recognized educational need and be delivered in an appropriate mode.

1.Prepare a typical curriculum display for one program cycle for each sub-major, specialty or option, including the following information:

a.Names of courses, departments, and catalog numbers, and brief course descriptions for new courses, preferably as these will appear in catalog.

b.Required courses in area of specialization and options, if any.

c.Course distribution requirements, if any, within the program, and general education requirements.

d.Total number of free electives available after specialization and general education requirements are satisfied.

e.Total number of credits required for the completion of the program or for graduation. Present evidence that the program is of appropriate length as illustrated by conformity with appropriate accrediting agency standards, applicable industry standards, or other credible measure, and comparability of lengths with similar programs in the state or region.

f.Identify any courses that will be delivered or received by way of distance learning.

2.Describe certification/licensing requirements, if any, for program graduates and the degree to which completion of the required course work meets said requirements. Indicate the agencies and timetables for graduates to meet those requirements

F.Faculty and Staff: The faculty and support staff for the program should be sufficient in number and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and other attributes necessary to the success of the program.

1.List present and proposed faculty who will be assigned to the program. The following information should be provided, where possible, for each:

a.Name

b.Rank

c.Highest degree earned, granting institution, and area of study

d.Relevant experience

e.Tenure status

f.Full-time or part-time status

g.Percent of time to be spent in proposed program

h.Courses taught/to be taught

i.New position or reassignment in whole or in part

2.List anticipated support staff and indicate what functions they will perform, the percent of their time to be spent in the program, and whether these are reassignments or new positions.

3.Summarize the annual costs for faculty and support staff by indicating salaries and fringe benefits (adjusted for the proportion of time devoted to the program). For the first year, distinguish between existing resources and new resources. Specify if resources are to be provided by more than one department. (Include information in proposed budget.)

G. Students: The program should be designed to provide students with a course of study that will contribute to their intellectual, social and economic well-being. Students selected should have the necessary potential and commitment to complete the program successfully.

1.Describe the potential students for the program and the primary source of these students. Indicate the extent to which the program will attract new students or will draw students from existing programs. For graduate programs, indicate which undergraduate programs would be a potential source of students.

2.Estimate the proposed program size and provide projected annual full-time, part-time, and FTE enrollments for one complete cycle of the program.

3.List the program admission and retention requirements for students. Provide descriptions of the specific criteria and methods used to assess students' ability to benefit from the program. Describe how satisfactory academic progress will be determined.

4.Indicate available funds for scholarships and fellowships. (Include information in proposed budget.)

H.Administration: Administrative oversight for the program should be sufficient without endangering the existing programs.

1.Indicate how the program will be administered, and the degree to which this work will affect the administrative structure in which it is located.

2.Indicate the names and titles of the persons who will have administrative responsibility for the program, and the percent of time each will spend on the program.

3.Indicate additional annual administrative salaries and related costs to be associated with the program. (Include information in proposed budget.)

I.Instructional Resources: The instructional resources should be sufficient in quantity, quality and timeliness to support a successful program.

1.Estimate the number of relevant print, electronic and other non-print library materials needed, and those available, for the program and compare with recommendations of national accrediting agencies, the standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries, and/or any other recognized measures of general library adequacy in terms of collections, staff, space and operations.

2.Identify and evaluate other instructional resources and instructional support equipment (such as computers, laboratory equipment and supplies, etc.) in terms of overall capability to satisfy the needs of the program. If these instructional resources are considered insufficient or if upgrading is necessary for the development of the program, the additional needs should be detailed.

3.Estimate annual expenditures for instructional resources. The information should reflect the annual operation and maintenance of the instructional resources, recurrent costs and costs for necessary additions. (Include information in proposed budget.)

J.Facilities and Capital Equipment: Facilities and capital equipment should be sufficient in quantity, quality and timeliness to support a successful program.

1.Describe the facilities and capital equipment (e.g., classrooms, office space, laboratories, telecommunications equipment, etc.) and assess the adequacy of these resources relative to the program, and to the requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2.If new or renovated facilities are necessary, explain in detail (e.g., requirements, costs, sources of revenue, and expected date of completion). (Include information in proposed budget.)

K.Financial Considerations: Projected revenues should be sufficient to support a successful program, and must cover the estimated costs of the program.

1.Expenditures for program initiation and annual operation should be estimated and displayed in the proposed budget. The summary should enable the reader to understand expenditures for a period representative of one full program cycle. A model for presenting expenditure estimates for academic program changes appears in Budget Model. One column should be completed for each year in the cycle.

2.Revenue estimates should be provided for a similar period of time. For a new program, the appropriateness and feasibility of instituting differential tuition and/or fees should be addressed. A model for presenting revenue estimates for academic program changes appears in Budget Model. One column should be completed for each year in the cycle. For the first year, distinguish between existing and new resources.Caution:The expenditure and revenue estimates are the portion of the proposal which tend to cause the greatest difficulty. It is advised that the model forms be used for reporting this information and that proposal developers work with appropriate budget personnel.

3.Describe how current institutional resources will be redeployed or extra institutional resources will be obtained to support the program (e.g., describe program eliminations, external sources of monies, etc.)

L.Evaluation: Appropriate criteria for evaluating the success of a program should be developed and used.

1.List the criteria by which the institution plans to evaluate the program during the first program cycle. Describe provisions made for external evaluation, as appropriate.

2.If the proposed program is eligible for specialized accreditation, indicate name and address of the accrediting agency and a list of accreditation requirements. If specialized accreditation is available but not sought, indicate why.