Executive Policy 5.201 Executive Policy 5.201

Approval of New Academic Programs and Review of Provisional Academic Programs

Executive Policy EP 5.201, Approval of New Academic Programs and Review of Provisional Academic Programs
Effective Date:  June 2022
Prior Dates Amended:  March 1987, April 1989, May 2014, June 2020
Responsible Office: Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy
Governing Board of Regents Policy RP 5.201
Review Date:  January 2025

1. The following guidelines outline the academic program approval and termination process from authorization to plan through established status.  Chancellors/Provost will develop procedures to implement this policy as required for their campus.



2. The objectives of the executive policy are:
   
   1. To establish guidelines and procedures for the preparation and processing of authorizations to plan, proposals for new academic programs, and reviews of provisional programs.
   
   
   2. To assure the administration and Board of Regents of the academic and fiscal soundness of proposed and provisional programs and their appropriateness to both University-wide and campus missions.
   
   
   3. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that provisions for adequate physical facilities for the programs have been included in campus long-range development plans.
   
   
   4. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that program offerings are aligned across the system, duplication is strategic and intentional, and curricular pathways exist.
   
   
   5. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that provisions for meaningful assessment of student learning have been included in proposals for new academic programs and reviews of provisional programs.

Definitions of all degrees and certificates offered by the University of Hawai‘i System are provided in EP 5.205.

1. Program
   
   1. For purposes of Board of Regents approval, an academic program is any sequence of courses or instructional activities required to complete a specific degree, inclusive of required coursework within the major, concentration/specialization, and minor.


2. Authorization to Plan (ATP)
   
   1. An authorization to plan is a request to authorize planning for a new academic program made to the UH Officers at the beginning of the formal program planning process before resources are committed.


3. Provisional Program
   
   1. New programs shall be considered provisional during the period of their first full cycle. A cycle is 150% of the proposed length for baccalaureate and graduate degrees and up to 300% for certificates and associate degrees. At the end of the cycle, provisional programs are eligible to become established.


4. Established Program
   
   1. Are permanent programs that must undergo periodic comprehensive review.


5. Termination
   
   1. Programs that are terminated are removed from the official list of degrees and certificates.


6. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
   
   1. The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) provides a taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completions activity. CIP was originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1980, with revisions occurring regularly.
   
   
   2. Each program CIP code is aligned to the NCES CIP title (when possible) and definition and is used for reporting of programs to the NCES.
   
   
   3. A CIP code and title generally apply to all levels of certificates and degrees.


7. Official Program Name
   
   1. The name of the program, including parenthetical information, is approved by the Board of Regents at the time of program establishment. It is the official name for purposes of Board of Regents-conferred credentials and is used in University publications.


8. Significant Change
   
   A major modification or expansion of the nature of an academic program, including content, objective, or goals.


9. Significant Resources
   
   1. As defined in RP 5.201, significant resources includes one or more of the following:  new faculty or staff positions, new facilities including lab or office space, and/or new operating costs that must be requested through a new budget request to the board and/or Legislature.  This would not include situations in which resources can be internally reallocated from other units in the college, department, division, or school in the context of reprioritizing programs and services.

1. As described in RP 5.201, the Board approval is required for all new instructional programs granting academic credit leading to a degree or credential, upon recommendation by the President with the exception of those in B, C and D below.  The President can then delegate approval as outlined in B, C and D.


2. Credentials listed below can be approved by the President or designee if the program does not require significant resources:
   
   1. An established program which desires to change to or add a new type of degree (e.g. BA to BS, AS in xx to AS in zz) with minimal change to degree requirements.


3. Approval of credentials listed below may be delegated to the Vice President for Community Colleges (VPCC) or Vice President for Academic Strategy (VPAS) if the program does not require significant resources:
   
   1. All new stand-alone certificates of competence or academic subject certificates.
   
   
   2. A stand-alone certificate where the existing Board-approved associate degree or certificate of achievement is being terminated.


4. Credentials listed below may be delegated to the Chancellor or Provost if the program does not require significant resources:
   
   1. New minors, concentrations or certificates consisting of courses within or among existing Board-approved instructional programs.
   
   
   2. A stand-alone minor where the existing Board-approved major is being terminated.


5. Program Name
   
   1. The name of the program, including parenthetical information, and the Classification of Instructional Property (CIP) code approved by the Board of Regents at the time of program establishment becomes the Official Program Name and CIP code for purposes of Board of Regents-conferred credentials and is used in University publications.
    
   
   2. Program names and CIP codes should align with titles, descriptions and CIP codes for similar programs in the national database and should be consistent across campuses unless the program name is unique to our system or there is a documented reason for the difference. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy (OVPAS) must approve program names and CIP codes not aligned with the national standard or across the institution. A Master List of Board of Regents-authorized degree and certificate programs, and programs approved by the President or Chancellor/Provost, is maintained by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy.
   
   
   3. Requests to change the Official Program Name in order to maintain currency in terminology and which involve no substantive change in the program are made to the President. Upon approval, such changes are reported to the Board of Regents as an information item.
    
   
   4. Official Program Name changes that reflect a substantive program change are handled according to the requirements for new program authorizations as outlined in this policy.
   
   
   5. Any program name change must be aligned with the correct Classification of Instructional Property (CIP) code and title.
   
   
   6. No program shall be given a name to honor a person without approval of the Board.


6. Authorization To Plan (ATP)
   
   1. The purposes of the ATP are to:
      
      1. Coordinate academic program planning actions.
      
      
      2. Request approval from administrators to proceed with planning.
      
      
      3. Inform the administration of long-term academic program planning intentions; the long-term physical facilities requirements of planned programs; and provide opportunities for appropriate feedback.
   
   
   2. Guidelines for the ATP process are developed by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy in consultation with the Council of Chief Academic Officers (CCAO). Guidelines for the ATP can be found in Appendix A.
   
   
   3. ATPs are evaluated by the Officers as to fit with the mission of the unit, relationship to existing programs on each campus and in the UH system, and reasonableness of the proposed plan. Approval of the proposal authorizes a campus to proceed with planning and developing a formal proposal for the program.
   
   
   4. After the Officers approve, ATPs are reviewed by CCAO who provide feedback to the proposing campus.
   
   
   5. Faculty senates will be informed of approved ATPs.
   
   
7. Proposal for New Academic Programs
   
   1. A program proposal sets forth the description of, and justification for, new academic programs sought by the campuses.
   
   
   2. The proposal must contain sufficient information to permit assessment of the academic integrity and quality of the program, to determine its fiscal soundness and efficiency relative to other University activities, and to determine its appropriateness to the mission of the University and the campus. See Appendix B for guidelines for preparing the proposal.
   
   
   3. The proposal must have an appropriate CIP code approved by the OVPAS.
   
   
   4. Procedures and Processing 
      
      1. Each unit establishes internal procedures for the preparation and processing of new program proposals, ensuring appropriate faculty (including faculty senate review where required by internal procedures) and student input and attention to the questions outlined in Appendix B.
      
      
      2. Program proposals are reviewed by the Council of Chief Academic Officers (CCAO) for feedback on the content and scope of the proposal, academic integrity, and relationship with programs on each campus and offered by other campuses to ensure program differentiation.
      
      
      3. Proposals endorsed by CCAO as ready to move forward for approval are submitted to the President by the campus.
      
      
      4. The Office of the President reviews the proposal and (if approved), the program name and CIP code are approved by the OVPAS.
      
      
      5. The proposal is then sent to the Board of Regents with a recommendation for approval as provisional.
   
   
8. Provisional Programs
   
   1. All programs approved by the Board of Regents are placed on provisional status during their first cycle of operation.
   
   
   2. No tenure appointments shall be made in new programs until the Board of Regents has reviewed the provisional cycle and elected to continue the program. Resources for newly approved academic programs are sought in accordance with standard budgetary policies and procedures.
   
   
   3. Each provisional program shall undergo a comprehensive review at the end of its first full cycle. The review shall examine the program’s actual achievement of its proposed enrollment, completion, resource use, impact, and role in the curriculum.
   
   
   4. A review cycle is 150% of the proposed length of the degree for baccalaureate and graduate degrees and up to 300% for certificates and associate degrees and master’s degrees.
   
   
   5. The review cycle schedule will be:
      
      1. The review is due in 3 years for a 1-year certificate.
      
      
      2. The review is due in 6 years for a 2-year associate’s degree.
      
      
      3. The review is due in 6 years for a 4-year bachelor’s degree.
      
      
      4. The review is due in 6 years for a 2-year master’s degree.
      
      
      5. The review period for a Ph.D. shall be 150% of the expected time to completion established on approval of provisional status.
      
      
   6. Chancellors/Provost establish procedures for the preparation, review, and approval of provisional programs within their units ensuring appropriate faculty and student input.


9. Proposal to Establish a Program
   
   1. A proposal to the Board for “established” status of a provisional program shall be submitted in the academic year following the end of the program’s first full cycle. The first year of a program is considered the academic year in which students first declare a major in the degree or certificate.
   
   
   2. The provisional to established proposal is outlined in Appendix C. The proposal to established status should summarize and reflect on the program review, the self-study of the provisional program, and the quantitative indicators included in Appendix C.
   
   
   3. The proposal shall be based upon and summarize the comprehensive review of the program.
   
   
   4. Campuses may request, and the President or designee may grant, an extension for one year for provisional programs.
   
   
   5. The provisional to established proposal is brought to CCAO for comment and endorsement.
   
   
   6. The Chancellor/Provost then transmits the proposal for established status to the President for approval by the Board via an action memo that summarizes:
      
      1. A statement of program objectives. Differences between the final program objectives and those found in the program proposal should be explained.
      
      
      2. An assessment of whether or not the program is meeting its objectives and a summary of the evidence used to reach this conclusion.
      
      
      3. A discussion of any substantial changes made in the program since its approval and any substantial discrepancies in program indicators or activities from those identified in the program proposal.
      
      
      4. A projection of resource needs for the next five years.
   
   
10. Program Stop-Outs and Terminations
    
    1. Degree programs may be stopped out by the Chancellor/Provost based on the criteria in item III.J.4. Degree programs may be terminated by the President based on criteria in item III.J.5. Termination of all certificates and stand-alone minors may be approved by the Chancellor/Provost.
    
    
    2. A program stop-out indicates the program is no longer accepting new students. A stopped out program is noted as stopped out, but it is not removed from the UH System official list of degrees and certificates offered.
    
    
    3. A terminated program is no longer accepting new students, and it is removed from the official list of degrees and certificates. A program scheduled for termination should generally be preceded by a stop-out period that provides time for students currently in the program to graduate.
    
    
    4. A degree program may be stopped out by the Chancellor/Provost if one of the following criteria applies:
       
       1. It is scheduled for termination and requires a period to teach out existing students in the program;
       
       
       2. It is undergoing curriculum redesign with the intention to continue the program after a temporary stop-out;
       
       
       3. It is listed on the Programs with a Small Number of Graduates report for 5 years and stop-out is recommended as a result of a comprehensive program review.
       
       
       4. It is determined to be under performing after an external review, and stop-out is recommended by either the department, the Dean, or the campus Chief Academic Officer.
       
       
    5. A degree program may be terminated by the President if it meets one of the following criteria:
       
       1. The program or Dean recommends termination;
       
       
       2. It is listed on the Programs with a Small Number of Graduates report and termination is recommended as the result of a comprehensive program review;
       
       
       3. Recommended for termination by the Chancellor/Provost to the President;
       
       
       4. It is determined to be under performing after an external review and termination is recommended.

The President delegates approval of all certificates and minors described above where a previously Board-approved degree program exists to the Chancellor/Provost.

The President delegates the approval of all stand-alone certificates of competence at the community colleges to the Vice President for Community Colleges and at the 4-year campuses to the Vice President for Academic Strategy.

Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy, 956-6897, ovpas@hawaii.edu

No References found

No Exhibits and Appendices found

    David LassnerPresident