New degree policy
-
Upload
nathan-garrett -
Category
Education
-
view
119 -
download
1
description
Transcript of New degree policy
New-Degree Policy September 4, 2013
Woodbury University
Table of Contents
Process Overview .......................................................................................................................................................2
Process Diagram .........................................................................................................................................................3
Program Blueprint ......................................................................................................................................................4
Academic Plan ............................................................................................................................................................5
Market Feasibility .......................................................................................................................................................6
Resource Plan .............................................................................................................................................................7
Substantive Change Proposal .....................................................................................................................................8
Courses & Syllabi ........................................................................................................................................................9
New-Degree Policy 2 September 4, 2013
Process Overview
This policy governs the development and launch of new degree programs at Woodbury University. A degree
program is generally defined as a major; the launch of new minors or concentrations will remain under the
existing guidelines. A new program requires significant financial investment. This process provides the basis for
making fully informed decisions.
This policy differs from the existing Substantive Change Policy in the following ways:
1. The approval process has been streamlined.
a. Before, all of the approvals happened in sequence. This prevented each group from beginning work until the previous had finished. Now, the different committees & groups can work in parallel.
2. The primary body for coordinating and prioritizing new program launch is now the Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of the Vice Presidents, Deans, and Provost.
a. Placing the new program discussions in the Cabinet provides clarity and transparency. This encourages data-driven decisions that are open and documented.
b. The Cabinet considers the overall portfolio of programs offered by Woodbury. This aids the university in developing a balanced set of degrees.
c. The ultimate decision-making authority for launching new programs remains with the President, Provost, and Board of Trustees. The cabinet acts as the primary forum for discussions, but does not have the authority to launch a program.
3. The cabinet uses the following criteria to prioritize new degrees.
a. Does the program fit with Woodbury’s mission, vision, and strategic goals? Does it strengthen our existing degree portfolio?
b. Market Feasibility: Is the program appealing to potential students, what is its potential for growth, and will it generate sufficient revenue to be sustainable?
c. Resources: What will the program cost to launch, and will it break-even within 3 years?
d. Academics: Will the program be able to create a high level of academic quality?
4. Members of the Cabinet are responsible for distributing information about new programs to their respective areas. For example, this includes the Registrar, Library, Admissions, Academic Support, and IT.
New-Degree Policy 3 September 4, 2013
Process Diagram
This diagram shows the multi-year planning process. Major documents are shown in yellow, groups are blue,
and critical decision points are black arrows. The entire process may take up to 2 ½ years, but can be
accelerated. Generally, at least a year is required between a program’s approval and launch. This time is
needed to properly recruit and market a new program.
Program Lead
Board of
Trustees
Educational Planning
Committee
Academic
Plan
Resource
Plan
Course
Syllabi
Cabinet, Provost, & President
Faculty Senate
Curriculum
Committee
Marketing
& Admissions
Program Lead
School Dean &
Provost
Cabinet
approved
Program
Blueprint
Market
Feasibility
Program Launch
Some programs require a
Substantive Change Proposal
WASC
New-Degree Policy 4 September 4, 2013
Program Blueprint
The Blueprint describes a program in a maximum of 10 pages. It provides preliminary versions of the Resource
Plan, Academic Plan, and Market Feasibility Study. These sections provide information for the Cabinet to
prioritize planning efforts. Depending on the magnitude of the project, a course release may be appropriate.
Once the Cabinet approves the Program Blueprint, the Program Lead is responsible for creating the other
documents described later in this document. Program Leads should not invest significant time planning a new
program until they have Cabinet approval. The Cabinet is responsible for providing assistance & resources for
the planning process. Course release(s) for developing the proposal are granted depending on the project’s
scope.
Contents:
1. Preliminary Academic Plan (4-6 pages)
o Program description
o Fit with Woodbury University’s mission, vision, strategy, resources, & existing programs
o Course descriptions, sequencing, and delivery mode (hybrid/online/studio/discussion)
2. Preliminary Market Feasibility (1-2 pages)
o Potential student profile, demographics, age, educational background
o Relevant industry trends and potential job market
o Relevant education trends, competing colleges, and similar programs
3. Preliminary 5 Year Resource Plan (1-2 pages)
o Resource requirements (people, space, technology, etc…)
o Start-up costs & break-even point
Academic Plan
Program Blueprint
Market Feasibility
Section 1:
Preliminary
Academic Plan
Section 3:
Preliminary
Resource Plan
Section 2:
Preliminary
Market Feasibility
Initial Plan with 3
Sections
Resource Plan Final 3 Planning
Documents
New-Degree Policy 5 September 4, 2013
Academic Plan
The Academic Plan for a new program is intended to explain the program’s content, structure, and rigor. Does it
meet high standards of academic quality?
Contents:
1. Program Overview
o Program mission, vision, & strategy
o Fit with university mission statement, pillars, and strategic plan
o Fit with current & potential university programs
o Reporting & organizational structure
o External accreditation plans
2. Curriculum
o Program outcomes
o Curriculum map
o Course descriptions, sequencing, and prerequisites
o General education courses & integrated learning plan
o Delivery mode (what % is online, hybrid, in-person, accelerated, weekend, etc…)
3. Assessment plan
o Description of assessment approach
o Program learning outcomes (with rubrics)
o Assessment map
4. Admissions standards
o Graduate programs should include a description of acceptable undergraduate degrees
o Description of any entry requirements, such as portfolios, test scores, or coursework.
New-Degree Policy 6 September 4, 2013
Market Feasibility
The Program Lead, along with representatives from Enrollment Management and University Marketing, are
jointly responsible for the feasibility study. The format of this document may change, but it should provide a
valid prediction of student enrollment. It should be used to generate accurate resource requirements for the
other planning documents.
Contents:
1. Target students
o Demographics (age, first/second generation status, etc…)
o Geographic location (local, state, country, or international)
o Background (work experience, educational preparation, projected remediation/support)
o Other relevant characteristics. For example, to what degree will the program depend on recruiting existing students or alumni to meet enrollment projections?
2. Related programs
o Identification of competitive schools (local, national, or global)
o For competitive programs, what are their enrollment & tuition trends?
3. Positioning
o Does the program have unique aspects that make it more competitive?
4. Trends
o Academic degree and discipline trends
o Industry and job trends
o Other relevant local, state, national, & global trends
5. Five year projected enrollment
o Best, most likely, and worst case scenarios
o Description of risks, including cyclical demand cycles & the impact of the economy on student demand
New-Degree Policy 7 September 4, 2013
Resource Plan
The Resource Plan describes a program’s 5-year start-up costs.
Project Leads will need to consult with prevailing guidelines to create accurate cost estimates such as
chargeback and overhead rates needed to calculate a break-even point. For example, verification that typically
programs should assume that 60% of tuition revenue would be used to fund core university operations. As
Woodbury develops its budget system, the structure and format of this section will evolve.
Once approved by the President, the program may begin gathering resources in order to launch the following
year. We expect that at least one year is required between approval and students beginning class. This year is
used for Admissions to begin recruiting students.
Contents:
1. Five-year budget (start-up & ongoing)
o In order to develop a realistic budget, Program Leads should identify two or three comparable existing programs at Woodbury. These program budgets should be averaged in order to develop a baseline. Budgets should not only include faculty and staff salaries with benefits, but also marketing, supplies, printing, and other expenses.
o Plans should describe needed resources. At a minimum, this should include each of the following:
Marketing & admissions start-up + ongoing costs. These estimates should be developed in consultation with each department’s staff, and include expenses such as brochures, travel, and website development.
Technology including any hardware, software, printers, and copiers needed in classrooms, labs, and offices.
Library resources
o Five-year budgets should show anticipated break-even point, along with the program’s minimum performance goals and timeline.
2. Facilities
o Programs should identify needed classroom, studio, and office space.
3. Staffing plan
o Identification of Program Lead and/or Chair.
o Faculty qualifications & numbers (full-time & adjunct).
Faculty should be on the normal salary schedule. Programs must justify any non-schedule salaries.
o Administrative staff requirements. Include program-related department- and school-specific personnel and include incremental program-related effects on student-development and student-support staffing.
o Plans should rely on the Feasibility Study’s worst, projected, & best-case enrollment scenarios.
New-Degree Policy 8 September 4, 2013
Substantive Change Proposal
After the program is approved to launch by the Cabinet, Provost, and President, it needs to be approved by
WASC. The Market Feasibility, Academic Plan, and Resource Plan documents should provide most of the
information needed to complete a WASC Substantive Change Proposal. WASC has multiple templates
depending on the type of program being proposed. The Program Lead & Woodbury’s WASC Liaison will
collaborate on the writing of this document. Templates are available at
http://www.wascsenior.org/subchangetemplates.
The Program Lead is required to work with the WASC Liaison to ensure that enough time is available to gain
approval before the program launches. This generally takes 6-9 months for a graduate program, or a year for an
online program. Woodbury is currently certified to launch new undergraduate programs without prior
notification.
Depending on the program being proposed, we may also need approval from one or more of our disciplinary
accreditations. Program Leads are expected to collaborate with the appropriate liaison officers.
New-Degree Policy 9 September 4, 2013
Courses & Syllabi
The Courses & Syllabi are a detailed view of the program. They are internal in focus, and governed by the
Faculty Association. Program Leads may work on these documents until the program launches. Syllabi should be
approved prior to the first offering of a course. They should comply with the University syllabi standards.
Contents:
1. Syllabi for each course
2. Curriculum Map
Note: Recommended for Approval by the President’s Cabinet on September 4, 2013. Approved by the President: ____________________________.