Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
SUBSTANTIVE
CHANGE
2015 SACSCOC ANNUAL MEETING
Dr. Sarah Armstrong
Director of Substantive
Change
sarmstrong@sacscoc.org
Substantive Change
Consultations
TODAY! December 7,
3-5 pm
GRB Convention Center
3rd level, room 350-A
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Policies and
Procedures
“
A
significant expansion
of the
nature and scope
”
of an
accredited institution
The institution…
when required
SEEKS
NOTIFIES APPROVAL
the Commission
of changes in
accordance with
the substantive
change policy
&
prior to the
initiation of the
changes.
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
principles
versus
processes
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SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE FOR
SACSCOC ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS Policy Statement
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Substantive change
includes…
• Mission
• Legal status, form of
control or ownership
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
• Courses or programs –
significant departure
• Level change
• Clock  credit
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
• Substantial change in
program length
• Contract or consortial
relationships
• Additional location
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
• Acquisition
• Adding teach-out
location
• Joint and dual academic
awards
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
… and others not specifically
enumerated
Notification
vs.
Approval
acceptance
≠
approval
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Program Length
60 • 120 • 30
Updated interpretation
of CR 2.7.1
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Related programs
Faculty
Courses
Library / learning
Equipment /
facilities
• Resource base
•
•
•
•
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Substantive Change Policy, p. 4
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Initiating coursework
or programs at a more
advanced level than
currently approved
?
Yes
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Initiating programs at a
lower level than
currently approved
?
Maybe
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Expanding programs at
the current credential
level
Maybe
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Small liberal arts
college offers BA
degrees in dance,
theatre, and music…
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
…combine existing
programs into a BA in
performing arts
?
No
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
A community college has offered extensive AAS programs in building trades, business, and automotive areas, as well as general AA and AS programs for transfer to 4‐year institutions…
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
It wants to add an AAS in Nursing program.
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Two-year technical
college offers
certificate and
associate degrees…
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
…will become a fouryear institution
offering associate and
baccalaureate degrees
Yes
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
College is approved to
offer BA in business
and in education and
certificates in health
professions…
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
…institution is adding
a BS in nursing
Yes
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
Large research
university offers
multiple PhD
programs in
humanities and social
sciences…
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
?
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
?
…and PhD programs
in business and in
education
SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE
…institution plans to
add a PhD program in
Women’s Studies
No
Off-campus
instructional sites and
Distance
Learning
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
0
25
50
‹ 25%
25-49%
≥ 50%
100%
Nothing
Notification
Approval
Repeat Performance
For a program already offered
concurrently at three sites,
a modified prospectus is acceptable
when expanding to a fourth site
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Modified Prospectus
For programs already offered concurrently
at three sites –
• Faculty roster
• Discipline-specific library
resources
• Student support services
• Physical resources
• Course descriptions
Off-campus sites –
Reviewed within
First
5 years
3sites must be visited
Expanding offerings at a site
If an off‐campus site is approved
and a program is approved,
the approved program may be added to the approved site with no notification to the Commission
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Distance Learning
• When an institution first offers 50% or
more of a program via distance
delivery, it must seek approval as an
institution offering programs
electronically.
• Subsequently, it may offer any approved
program via electronic means
Distance Learning
Identity verification
Distance Learning


 Verify headcount for

annual Institutional Profile
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Other types of
substantive change…
• Degree completion
program
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
Relocation or change of address
of an off-campus instructional site
serving the same student pool
• requires only notification with
the new address and
implementation date
Relocation of main or
branch campus
Requires submission of a prospectus
for approval
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Substantive change includes… (con’t)
certain changes in general
education programs
Mergers,
Consolidations,
Change of
Governance,
Ownership,
Means of Control
• 6-month
notification
• Prospectus for
Board review
• 30-day
implementation
window
Policies and
Procedures
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
2016 submission deadlines
for Board of Trustees
April 15 for June
September 15 for December
Board of Trustees Reviews
Board Committees + Full Board
1 June + December
Executive Council
2 Approximately every two
weeks
Board Committees + Full Board
1 June + December
 mergers + consolidations
 change of governance, ownership,
control, or legal status
 items referred by staff
 policy + procedure reviews
 most level changes
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Executive Council
2 every two weeks
 13-member representative subset for
all “Procedure One” approvals not
referred to Board committees + the
full board
 No deadlines per se, but…
Submit prospectuses
at least
3
months
before starting date, and …
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Submit prospectuses
for a January starting
date by
Sept 1
54
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Site or Program
Closures
and Teach-out Plans
Details in Procedure 3 of the Policy
Site and program closures
• How are students, faculty & staff informed?
• Help students to finish program  Teach‐out plan vs teach‐out agreement
• Date of closure = last date students admitted
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Verifications
for USDE, SEVIS, State
Send requests to Sarah Armstrong
sarmstrong@sacscoc.org
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Responsibilities
Institutional
●
Liaison
Letters
of Notification
Developing a Prospectus
A few hints and suggestions
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
• Keep it short (25 pages or less, plus appendices) and to the point. • Use plain English, simple prose
• Narrowly focused discussion of the program or site or aspect of the institution being changed
• Cover all the bases: implementation date, faculty qualifications, learning resources, physical resources, finances, assessment
• Submit one copy (if to be reviewed by the Board, submit 4 copies)
• Provide course descriptions instead of syllabi for all courses.
• Download guidelines, save and edit on computer
• Institutions may submit the documentation required by state or system office if
‐ all the information SACSCOC requires is there
‐ add an index to help readers find it
• Submit on CD, DVD, flash drive or paper
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Submissions on electronic
media
• Label all discs and flash drives with the name of the proposed change and the institution's name
• Place flash drives in a sealed envelope bearing the name of the change and the institution's name
• Enclose a cover letter on institutional letterhead with the name of the change, the intended starting date and any instructions for accessing the contents of the submission
• Mail in a padded envelope so the device is not damaged in transit
Oops!
What to do if you discover an unreported substantive change:
Notify the President of the Commission on Colleges in writing immediately. • The letter of notification must include the date of the original implementation of the change. • For changes requiring prior approval, send the completed prospectus or application as soon as possible
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Substantive Change 2015 Annual Meeting
Dr. Sarah Armstrong
Director of Substantive Change
sarmstrong@sacscoc.org
Dr. Kevin Sightler
Coordinator of Substantive Change
ksightler@sacscoc.org
Substantive Change
Consultations
TODAY! 3-5 pm
GRB Convention Center
3rd level, room 350-A
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