Guidelines for Developing a CRCD Multi-Campus Collaborative Academic Program
This guide identifies the components to be addressed in expanding academic programs to new
locations in order to provide equal opportunity and access for students.
What are the Benefits and Challenges of Becoming a Multi-Campus Collaborative Program?
There are many benefits to expanding a program's access to students in new locations:
 Strengthen campuses and communities through program expansion
 Strengthen cohesiveness within CRCD according to its mission
 Increase student enrollment by creating equal access to higher education for students in
remote areas
 Place-committed students can retain cultural continuity and remain in home community
Inherent challenges (communication, cross-regional coordination, academic and administrative
oversight, headcount, etc.,) and their potential solutions are outlined below.
What is a CRCD Multi-Campus Collaborative Academic Program?
A Program is a course of study that leads toward an occupational endorsement, certificate, or
degree in a particular area of study.
A program becomes a Multi-Campus Collaborative Program when multiple campuses spearhead
an effort to provide their student population with access to an entire program of study, with the
intention of producing program “completers”.
Multi-Campus Collaborative Programs hire and utilize full-time or adjunct faculty to deliver courses
via any modality (i.e., face-to-face, asynchronous e-learning, synchronous distance delivery, or
blended real-time and asynchronous formats) to ensure program access for students in different
regions.
These faculty work closely with the Program Head, who provides academic oversight of the
program in all locations. Program faculty, the Program Head, and the Department Chair work
together to prevent intra-departmental course competition (particularly with respect to crossregional and eLearning courses), to ensure curriculum consistency and academic integrity across
campuses, and to provide course availability that facilitates students’ timely program completion.
How does a Program become a Multi-Campus Collaborative Program?
Program expansion to multiple campuses is typically born of widespread program demand
(industry-driven, community and/or student need).
I. Starting an Existing Program at a New Campus
An existing program can be initiated at a new location when requested by:
 Campus Director/Dean:
 Local industry/agency contacts Campus Director/Dean, who then contacts Program Head
 Program Head:
 Local industry/agency contacts Program Head, who then contacts Campus Director/Dean
II. Resources
The Campus Director(s)/Dean, Program Head, and Industry Partners (if applicable) convene to
establish a commitment to collaboratively secure resources for the program:
 Full-time, shared, or adjunct faculty to teach courses (see CRCD Departments -Faculty Roles and
Responsibilities document 5/24/2011 regarding recruitment and screening)
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Facilities/Space (with any accreditation guidelines in mind)
Administrative support staff time
Program-specific needs (i.e., student supplies, travel costs, proctors, preceptors, etc.)
Marketing costs
Each program will develop a business model for implementation and fiscal sustainability
Staff/Faculty Workgroup with input from CRCD Academic Council DRAFT 03/24/15; REV 5/5/15
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III. Administrative oversight
A Campus Director/Dean (or designee) provides broad administrative oversight to ensure:
 Faculty hiring process is executed in a timely manner with active participation by the
Program Head to include serving on the hiring committee
 Local program faculty receive materials necessary to perform job functions
 Local program support staff have skills and materials necessary to perform job functions,
these support staff typically serve multiple programs offered by a campus
 Fiscal resources are being spent according to plan
 Industry partners' needs are met
IV. Academic oversight
While multiple academic roles (including the Department Chair, Program Head, and Program
Faculty) collaborate to provide a program's academic oversight, the Program Head has
primary responsibility for program quality and implementation of program policy.
See CRCD Departments - Faculty Roles and Responsibilities document 5/24/2011 for more
detail. Summary of Program Head and Lead Faculty roles below.
Program Head: primary responsibility for program quality and implementation of program policy
 Curriculum: determined by program faculty – consistent across campuses
 Academic integrity: Monitors course syllabi and student learning outcomes for
consistency
 Communication:
 Regular program meetings with all program faculty, twice a semester (or more often)
 Ongoing interaction with faculty at each location where program is offered
 Ongoing interaction with campus director (and/or other designated program support
staff) at each location where program is offered
 Ensures that program courses across campuses do not compete with one another
 Collaboration with other campus faculty for student learning outcome assessment and
program review
A Lead Faculty is designated at each campus where program expansion has occurred
 Works with Program Head to ensure student learning outcome consistency and academic
integrity
 Lead Faculty has clearly defined signature authority for appropriate student forms
 Participates in recruitment and screening of additional full-time and adjunct faculty
 New faculty are mentored by Program Head and/or Lead Faculty to maintain academic
standards in course delivery
 Advises students locally
V. Courses
Course sequence, schedule, and modality are determined by Program Head with the campus
Lead faculty and administration to allow for student access to the full complement of program
coursework and opportunity for timely completion.
VI. Students - Degree-seeking students have declared the Program as their major
VII. Campus
When a campus begins offering a program:
 A request is submitted to the Provost to revise the UAF Catalog to reflect the program
offering in the new location/campus
 A new, campus-specific section number is generated and used for course offerings
 The following are attributed to that campus:
 Headcount, credit hour production, tuition
 Certificate and Degree graduates awarded by campus
Staff/Faculty Workgroup with input from CRCD Academic Council DRAFT 03/24/15; REV 5/5/15
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