A&M SYSTEM
ACADEMIC PROGRAM and
ADMINISTRATIVE PROPOSAL WORKSHOP
College Station, Texas
February 2, 2011
1
Introductions
TAMUS
•Ken Poenisch, Associate Vice Chancellor AA
•Irma Harper, Assistant Vice Chancellor AA
•Shauna King, Assistant to the Vice
Chancellor for AA
•Carolyn Krenek, System Planning and Policy
Coordinator
•Stacy Flores, Senior Office Associate
2
Introductions
THECB Academic Programs
Anya Sebastien, Director
Van Davis, Special Projects Director
Institutional Representatives
Please introduce yourself and
institution you represent.
3
Objectives
Make everyone’s life easier when handling
items that go to the Chancellor, the Board
of Regents, and the THECB.
4
Objectives
• Discuss and demonstrate what we are
doing to provide information to
institutions regarding preparation and
submission of new programs and
administrative change requests.
• Explain what happens when items are
submitted, who to contact and why
deadlines are so important.
5
Objectives
• Hear from the THECB on what they look
for and topics on distance education
• Cover a few issues regarding item
preparation and submission
• Get feedback from institutions and how
we can be of greater assistance
6
Item Guidelines
• Item format and process are dictated by:
– Board of Regents
• System Policy 01.04, Items Requiring Action by
the Board of Regents
• Format of items and required documents
– Office of General Counsel to assure legal
sufficiency
– Chief Business Officer
– Chancellor
7
Item Guidelines
• Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board
– Various Rules found in the Texas
Administrative Code Title 19 Education Part 1
• Texas Statutes
– Education Code
– Chapter 51. Provisions Applicable to Higher
Education
8
Why Are These Important?
• On July 30, 2009 the THECB adopted
rules to streamline the process of approval
for most new bachelor’s and master’s
degree programs (TAC Ch 5, Subchapter
C, Sect. 5.44) as well as for administrative
change approval and certificate program
approval.
9
Why Are These Important?
• These new rules permit automatic
approval of a new bachelor’s or master’s
degree if an institution and governing
board certify certain criteria.
• These criteria are found on the signature
page of the Certification Form for New
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees as well
as Administrative Changes.
10
Why Are These Important?
• Institutions do not want their President’s
signature on a document that does not
meet these criteria.
• For items requiring THECB approval, all
engineering, doctoral programs and
programs with new costs of over $2M the
approval process is the same with very
little difference in the submission process.
11
What Are We Doing?
• Update Academic Affairs website to
provide institutions one location to obtain
information about each item,
documentation, and resources.
• With the retirement of Verna DeWees, AA
has reorganized and assigned Shauna
King to be institutions’ first contact
regarding item submission.
12
Overview of Submission Process
• Step 1: Institution submits item(s) by email
• Step 2: Shauna will review item:
– Determine if BOR and/or THECB approval is
needed.
– Are all required documents included?
– Review document formatting.
– Distribute to SME for review.
13
Overview of Submission Process
• Step 3: SME will review content and
determine if BOR, Chancellor, and THECB
criteria are met.
• Step 4: SME will discuss with Dr. Ashley if
there are questions and brief him on item.
• Step 5: Return to Shauna who will submit
to Chancellor’s staff or return to the
institution for revisions.
14
Overview of Submission Process
• Step 6: Chancellor’s staff reviews to
assure all BOR’s formatting is correct.
• Step 7: Chancellor’s staff submits to the
Office of General Counsel to evaluate for
legal sufficiency.
• Step 8: Returned to Chancellor’s staff for
final preparation and signatures.
15
Overview of Submission Process
• Step 9: Item(s) submitted to BOR office.
• Step 10: Dr. Ashley meets with BOR
Chairperson of Academic Affairs
Committee to discuss items.
• Step 11: BOR approves items.
• Step 12: AA submits required documents
to the THECB through their AA
Administrative Change Request System.
16
Overview of Submission Process
• Step 13: THECB sends automated
response once item is sent.
• Step 14: THECB reviews item and takes
appropriate action.
• Step 15: If item is approved a letter is
sent to respective institution.
17
Deadlines Are Important!
• If questions arise item may not be
approved at planned meeting date.
• Some items are sent out for review by
outside experts.
• Due date to Chancellor is the date the item
should be reviewed and revised if
necessary.
18
THECB
• Dr. Anya Sebastien
– THECB Evaluation of Items
• Dr. Van Davis
– Issues with Distance Education
19
BREAK
Start Back in 15 min.
Dr. Irma Harper
Overview of AA Website
20
Item Preparation and Submission
• Type of Item
– Determines who needs to approve
– Determines what documents are required
• Documents Required
– BOR
– THECB
• Document Format
• Information Within Proposal
21
Type of Item
TYPES OF
THECB
PROPOSALS
ADMINISTRATIVE
CHANGE
REQUESTS
DEGREE
PROGRAMS
NEW
SPECIFIC TYPES OF
ACADEMIC PROPOSAL REQUESTS
Required Action
Creation of new administrative structure
Renaming College
Academic Reorganizations requiring new
structures
BOR to THECB Cost < $2 mil submit with
Certification Form
BOR to THECB Cost > $2 mil submit full proposal
for THECB Approval
Modification to existing administrative structures,
renaming of departments, academic
reorganizations not requiring any new structures
Submit proposal to Academic Affairs with
Certification form. If approved submits to THECB.
Bachelors, Masters
BOR to THECB Cost < $2 mil and not Engineering,
with Certification form
BOR to THECB Cost > $2 mil or Engineering
submit with full proposal and THECB must
approve
Doctoral
Step 1 Preliminary Authority: BOR to THECB with
full proposal.
Step 2 Full Proposal: BOR to THECB with full
proposal.
Website
Degree Programs »
Degree program approval includes new bachelor, master, doctoral,
cooperative and joint degrees. It also includes the reclassification or
modification of degrees.
•New Bachelor or Master Degree
oNon-Engineering/Does Not Exceed $2 Million
oEngineering/Exceeds $2 Million
•New Doctoral Degree
•Reclassify/Modify
•Cooperative/Joint Degree
23
Website
Process and Required Documents
Non Engineering/Does Not Exceed $2 Million
Program Approval:
Academic Affairs
Board of Regents
THECB (Notification)
Forms:
• Briefing and Minute Order (Word document template)
• Program Review Outline
• New Program Request Form
• Certification Form
Resources:
• Sample Request
• System Approval Checklist (Excel spreadsheet)
•
Links:
o THECB
o THECB Flowchart
o Standards for Bachelor’s and Master’s Programs
24
Additional Website Resources
Document Format:
– Chancellor’s Website
Agenda Items »
Signature Block Style Template
Style Guidelines
– Communications’ Website
A&M System Written Style Guidelines »
Referencing the A&M System
Referencing other A&M System members
25
Information Within Proposal
New Program Request Form (New Degree)
– Provides Outline of Required Information to be
Submitted in Proposal
– Signature Page States Program Meets THECB
Standards for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree
Programs
• Section 5.45 of the THECB Rules set forth the
criteria that must be met in developing new degree
programs.
26
Outline For New Program
Asks Institution to provide information
regarding:
I. Need
II. Quality
III. Cost and Funding
27
Modification to New Degree Proposal
Form
Proposal Form On Website
• Incorporates THECB information
• Standards for Bachelor's and Master's
• Cost and Funding Tables Forms for
calculating costs/funding included
28
I. Need
A. Job Market Need –
The institution has researched and documented recent and reliable data on the
number of potential job openings in the discipline that reflect both short and
long-term need.
Types of data to be used:
• Documented vacancies in existing positions
• Documented need for new positions
• Evidence of emerging markets
For programs that do not lead directly into a job, the institution has documented
other justification for the program such as enhancing educational opportunities
currently unavailable to students, preparing for graduate education, etc.
29
I. Need
B. Student Demand –
The institution has researched and documented recent and reliable
data of short and long-term evidence of student interest.
Types of data to be used:
• Increased enrollments in related programs at the institution
• High enrollment in similar programs at other institutions
• Qualified applicants rejected at similar programs in the state or
nation
• Student surveys
30
II. Quality
A. Degree Requirements
B. Curriculum
C. Faculty
D. Other Resources
31
II. Quality
A. Degree Requirements
1. Core Curriculum
2. Number of hours in the major
3. Number of hours in the degree program
a. Bachelor's 120 hours unless waiver
is requested with compelling
academic reason
4. Transfer issues
32
II. Quality
B. Curriculum
1. Required courses
2. Prescribed electives
3. Free electives
4. Initial teaching certificate
33
II. Quality
C. Faculty
1) Core Faculty - A core faculty member is tenured (or tenure-track)
who devotes an average of fifty percent or more of his or her teaching
time in the program. (Some programs such as interdisciplinary degrees
may have core faculty devoting less than 50 percent of their teaching
time to the program.) The background and education of each core
faculty member shall be in the field of the program or in a closely
related field.
34
II. Quality
C. Faculty
2) Support Faculty
3) Qualifications of Faculty for Bachelor’s Programs – To meet
minimum SACS standards, 25 percent of faculty supporting the
program shall have terminal degrees. Beyond that minimum
standard, the percentage of faculty with terminal degrees shall
compare favorably to the percentage of faculty with terminal
degrees at similar programs in the state and nation.
4) Qualifications of Faculty for Master’s Programs - All
faculty supporting the master’s degree program shall have
terminal degrees.
35
II. Quality
C. Faculty
A minimum number of faculty shall be devoted specifically to the
proposed program:
• Bachelor’s program – three FTE or two FTE if comprised of four
individual faculty members. (Note: The standard for upper-level
institutions could be lower for those programs in which lower-division
courses are required for the major and taken at feeder institutions.)
• Master’s program – three FTE or two FTE if comprised of four
individual faculty members
• At least 50 percent of the faculty FTE supporting a bachelor’s or
master’s program must be core faculty.
36
II. Quality
C. Faculty
What impact will the new program have on current
programs in regards to faculty resources?
1. How will the teaching load of current faculty be
impacted?
2. How will the teaching load of faculty assigned a
portion of their time to the new program be covered?
37
II. Quality
D. Other Resources
1) Library Resources
2) Facilities and Equipment
3) Accreditation
4) Evaluation
38
III. Costs and Funding
A. Identifiable new and reallocated revenues shall cover
the incremental costs of operating the program.
B. New formula funding shall not be considered as a
funding source for the first two years of the program and
shall not exceed 50 percent of all funding for the program
for years three through five.
C. By year six, the identified sustainable incremental
revenue shall be equal to or above the incremental costs.
39
III. Costs and Funding
D. Incremental or new costs to the institution shall be below
$2,000,000 for the first five years of the program.
E. Costs shall include personnel, facilities and equipment,
library resources, supplies and materials, administration,
and any other new costs directly related to the program.
40
III. Costs and Funding
Five-Year Costs
Personnel1
Faculty
$0
Administration
$0
Graduate Assistants
$0
Clerical/Staff
$0
Other Personnel
$0
Facilities, Equipment & IT
Resources
Other2
Total Costs
$0
Five-Year Funding
Reallocated Funds
$0
Anticipated New Formula
Funding3
Other4
$0
Total Funding
41
III. Costs and Funding
Footnotes:
1. Report costs for reassigned faculty, new faculty hires, graduate assistants, and
technical support personnel. Prorate individual salaries as a percentage of the time
assigned to the program. If existing faculty will contribute to program, include costs
necessary to maintain existing programs (e.g., cost of adjunct to cover courses
previously taught by faculty who would teach in new program).
2. Specify other costs here (e.g., accreditation, travel).
3. Indicate formula funding for students new to the institution because of the program;
formula funding should be included only for years three through five of the program
and should reflect enrollment projections for years three through five.
4. Report other sources of funding here. In-hand grants, “likely” future grants, and
designated tuition and fees can be included.
42
New Costs Tables Within Proposal
Cost Category
Faculty Salaries
Cost SubCategory
1st Year
2nd Year
3rd Year
4th Year
5th Year
TOTALS
New
Reassigned
Program
Administration
New
Reassigned
Graduate
Assistants
New
Reassigned
Clerical/Staff
New
Reassigned
Supplies &
Materials
Library
Equipment& IT
Resources**
Facilities
43
Item Submission
• Email Items:
– aa-agendaitems@tamu.edu
– Include one item per email
– In Subject Line put Institution and Item
• Ex. TAMU Admin Change College of Ed
44
Approval Process
• Following BOR Approval Institutions are
Notified via email
• Submitted to THECB if required
– Institutions receive email from THECB once
item is received
– Letter sent to institutions once item is
approved
45
New Procedure for Bachelor’s and
Master’s Degree Proposals
For All New Bachelor’s and Master’s
Degree Proposals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Submit Preliminary Approval Proposal
Similar to Preliminary Planning Procedure
Submit as Regular BOR Agenda Item
Will be voted on by BOR
Will not be submitted to THECB
Authorize institution to prepare full
proposal
46
Questions?
Issues?
Thoughts?
How Can We Be of Assistance?
47