(4) Review Procedures: The following
procedures apply to all academic programs at public institutions, including
programs recognized by the Commission as core liberal arts programs (for an
explanation and listing of core liberal arts programs recognized by the
Commission, see
300-2-2-.02).
(a) Identification Year (1997)
1. The Commission will calculate the annual
graduation rate for each program listed in its academic program inventory as of
January 15, 1997 using the designated reporting periods for implementation from
the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) annual completions
survey. Where more than one program at a degree level is listed at a six-digit
CIP code, the staff may request that the institution separate the completions
for each program. Note: The asterisk sign in the Commission's academic program
inventory denotes separate programs.
2. The annual graduation rate for each
program will be compared to the viability standard annual graduation rate
listed in Act 96-557. All programs whose annual graduation rate equals or
exceeds the viability standard annual graduation rate will be deemed viable for
the four-year period. The remaining programs will be subjected to a second
level of analysis based on double majors, and the certification of students
previously enrolled in vocational/technical programs as graduates in
combination with the annual graduation rate.
3. The Commission will issue a Level I review
report which lists viable programs by institution based on the IPEDS
completions survey data.
4.
Programs which meet the viability standard annual graduation rate as a result
of the second level of analysis will be placed on the viable program list, and
the remaining programs will be considered non-viable, with the exception of the
core liberal arts programs. The Commission will issue a Level II review report
which adjusts the viable program list to reflect those programs so designated
as a result of the second level review, a list of non-viable programs, and a
list of core liberal arts programs on the exemption list.
5. The Commission will report to the
Governor, the State Board of Education and the Council of College and
University Presidents on the status of programs determined to be viable,
non-viable, and on the exemption list. This report shall include information
for each institution.
(b) Three-Year Monitoring Period (1998-2000)
1. Non-Viable Programs:
(i) The viability standard annual graduation
rates of non-viable programs will be monitored for three years.
(ii) An institution may request a waiver for
a non-viable program at the end of the third year of the three-year monitoring
period due to unique and extraordinary characteristics of that program. The
request for a waiver must be based on at least one of the seven factors
outlined in Act 96-557.
(iii) The
Commission will grant or deny the waiver on a case-by-case basis based on the
strength of the justification offered by the institution. A waiver request must
include a description of efforts the institution has taken to increase
productivity.
(iv) No waivers will
be granted by the Commission for programs whose viability standard annual
graduation rate is 0.
(v) If there
are any fields in which no programs in the state are viable, the Commission
will undertake a statewide review of the discipline.
(vi) Any non-viable program which has not
been granted a waiver and does not meet the viability standard annual
graduation rate at the end of the third year of the three-year monitoring
period will be terminated by the Commission with a three-year phase
out.
(vii) The Commission will
continue to make an annual report to the Governor, the State Board of Education
and the Council of College and University Presidents. This report shall
continue to include information for each institution and its respective viable,
non-viable, and exempt program offerings. In addition, the annual report will
list any programs granted waivers of non-viability by the Commission along with
the commission's rationale for granting the waiver.
2. Exempt Core Liberal Arts Programs (For a
description and list of core liberal arts programs recognized by the
Commission, see
300-2-2-.02):
(i) Each institution with exempt core
liberal arts programs will conduct an assessment of those programs during the
three-year monitoring period. The purpose of this assessment is for
institutions to develop innovative, high quality approaches to offering core
liberal arts education which also meet viability standards. At a minimum, the
assessment should address the following questions for each exempt core liberal
arts program.
(I) Should the institution
continue to offer all of its existing core liberal arts programs, or is there a
better way to provide the necessary educational experience to the
student?
(II) In what ways can the
institution cooperate or collaborate with other institutions to offer quality
core liberal arts programs?
(III)
Can the institution more narrowly focus it's liberal arts programs and improve
quality through consortia, resource sharing among institutions, distance
education, joint and cooperative programs, etc.?
(IV) What are the barriers to cooperative
efforts?
(ii) The
institution will provide an annual report to the Commission each December
during the three-year monitoring period which summarizes activity during the
year devoted to the assessment and improvement of the exempt core liberal arts
programs.
(iii) At the end of the
three-year monitoring period, the institution will present a final report to
the Commission outlining the efforts and outcomes of the assessment. For any
core liberal arts programs which still do not meet the viability standard
annual graduation rate at the end of the three-year monitoring period, the
Commission will continue monitoring the productivity for a final, additional
three-year monitoring period (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03). At the conclusion of
the final three-year monitoring cycle, institutions will phase out any
remaining non-viable core liberal arts programs for which a waiver or
non-viability is not sought out granted by the Commission.
Author: Kitty C. Collier
