Format for New Academic Program Proposals

All program proposals should have the following elements:

Cover page
The title page should include the name of the title of the program; the names of the institution, college, and department; the month and date of the proposal, and the proposed implementation date.  The president or his/her designee should sign the title page. 

Table of contents (Optional)
The table of contents should include direct reference to the seven criteria used by the Board of Governors to review proposals. 

Body of the proposal
The body will include textual information, charts, tables, and other data displays as appropriate.  The seven criteria in Board of Governors’ policy 1985-01 must be addressed.

Executive summary
The summary should address the seven criteria in brief. The executive summary should not exceed two pages. 

Recommended Table of Contents for Program Proposals

Introduction
Description, scope, and purpose of the program
Alignment with State System mission, goals, and initiatives
Appropriateness to university mission and strategic plan           

The need
Need as substantiated by employment trends
Demand for the program among current and prospective students
Uniqueness of the program
Enrollment projections

Program design
Program goals
Curriculum overview
Degree requirements
Course offerings
Learning experiences and instructional methods
Documenting student learning outcomes

Academic quality and integrity
Program structure/administration
Leadership and faculty qualifications
Student qualifications/support/advisement

Assessment and accreditation plans

Coordination/cooperation/partnership
With related programs at other institutions
With other departments/units on campus
With outsides agencies, corporations, etc.

Resources
Overview of resource sufficiency

Bibliography (Optional)

Executive summary

SAMPLE Questions for Possible Discussion in Each Section of the Proposal

Introduction

What kind of degree is being proposed?

What is the program title? 

How many credit hours and years of study are required?

How does the degree/program fit with articulated Board of Governors’ priorities, university goals, and Commonwealth workforce needs?

What will students with this degree do with it?  Enter the workforce?  Go on to graduate school? 

Why is this a program that the State System should offer (as opposed to a community college or a four-year university outside the System, for example)?

Is this program a good match for this university?  Even if there is a need out there, why does it make sense for the university to respond to the need? 

Does the university have particular strengths that make it an ideal environment for this program?)

Why is this program a good use of university resources?

Is there a window of opportunity that requires expedited review of the proposal (e.g., a partnership)? 

How does this program relate to the department’s last five-year review?  Other curriculum/program evolution?

How is the program structured to allow the lowest possible cost?

Is there a tradition in the department or college upon which the program builds, or is it striking out in a new, innovative direction?

The need

What is the driving motivation behind creation of the program?

What evidence do you have that there is a need for this program?  What are labor projections in this discipline in the U.S., in the Commonwealth, and in the service area?  Are the workforce needs expected to last for the next ten years or more?  (Cite recent statistics on needs for programs such as this one.)

Was a market analysis conducted to determine level of demand? Surveys of prospective students?  Surveys of prospective employers?  What student population do you anticipate attracting?  Are there new markets to tap?

To what extent is this program unique?  Are there competitors?  If this program might be see as duplicating other State System programs, have you adequately explained why the program is needed at your specific university and why it is different in scope or content from existing programs?

Why is it more important for the university to invest in this program than in other programs it might offer?

How will the program be advertised and marketed?

How does this program respond to disciplinary changes/evolution?  In what ways is this program forward looking?

Program design

What will students be able to do when they graduate from this program?  What are the learning objectives?  What is the program designed to teach?

What curricular models were used in designing this curriculum?  Are the curricular elements dictated by accreditation criteria?  Did you collaborate with the local community, discipline experts, other universities, and consultants as you designed the program?

What are the components of the curriculum?  How are courses sequenced, e.g., with pre-requisites?  How are the courses meant to fit together as a whole?  Have you provided an annotated list of courses?

What relationship will the major courses have to general education, i.e., the balance of breadth and depth?  Does the program fit State System guidelines on balance of major and general education courses?  What is the rationale for the balance selected?

How is this degree different from related degrees already offered? 

To what degree will instructional technologies be used in major courses?  How about team teaching or group projects?  If appropriate, how do practical experiences (e.g., labs) fit in?

Are experiential elements such as internships and practica integrated into the program?  If so, what is their purpose?  

Is a final project required?  If so, how will it be reviewed?

Are concentrations, options, specializations, or tracks being offered within the major program?  If so, have they been delineated sufficiently and any differences among them (e.g., in terms of resources needed) been addressed throughout the proposal?

Academic quality and integrity

In what department will the program be located? 

What are the qualifications of the program faculty?  What are their academic credentials, their experience in developing and implementing new academic programs, and their prior experience in the specific field?

What evidence do we have of faculty and administration commitment to and interest in the success of the program?

What is the planned faculty/student ratio? 

Will there be a program director, an oversight committee?   How will continuity and oversight be ensured?

Are students expected to enter the program with specific competencies?  If so, what are they?  What grade point average will students be expected to maintain?  What other factors related to student quality should you mention?  How will students be advised and mentored?  What certification tests will students need to pass?  Have you anticipated curricular implications of these requirements?

Assessment/accreditation

What are the intended learning outcomes of the program, and how will they be assessed? 

What data will be collected in order to assess the success of the program?  Will you track graduates in some way, poll employers for feedback, or otherwise get information on how well the program succeeds in developing student knowledge, skills, attitudes, understandings, and values?

Did any external curriculum experts review this proposal or consult in developing the proposal?

If appropriate, which accrediting agencies would be involved in reviewing this program?  How does the program design reflect accrediting agency standards?  How is the curriculum aligned with accreditation requirements?  When might you expect to receive accreditation?

When the cycle of program review comes around, how do you expect to judge the success of the program? 

Coordination/cooperation/partnerships

Have you discussed throughout the document how other departments, organizations, and universities will be involved and/or have been involved? 

How will relationships with business, industry, public agencies, etc., strengthen this program?

Resources

Does the program require a significant investment of university or State System resources?   How close is the university to having sufficient resources to initiate the program?  What major funding must be found to start the program?

Have you worked with the university’s budget office to produce the five-year balance sheet of anticipated revenues and expenses?  Has the university’s leadership committed to the education and general funds and the tuition revenues that you cite in the resources table?

How many new courses and new sections of courses will the program generate? 

Are any external funds going to be available or sought to help build the program?  Have you indicated the source of these funds, the annual amount, and the duration of the funding?

Is the budget table consistent with the narrative provided here?

If  the university plans to reallocate funds from other academic programs, have you indicated this source of funds in the table or in a footnote?

If the program will grow enough to warrant new faculty, have you accounted for that growth? 

Have you accounted not only for initial start-up costs but also for annual continuation costs (such as library journals and supplies needed each year and equipment maintenance and replacement)?

General questions in writing the proposal

Have you convinced an educated readership (but not people in the discipline) that this program is necessary and has every chance of success?  Have you been persuasive on both a philosophical level as well as a factual level? 

What objections are likely to be raised to the program, and have you addressed those potential concerns?

Have you asked others to read and react to a draft of this document to get an outside perspective?

Given the considerable cost to offer new programs, does the proposal demonstrate a likelihood of economic success?  Would it pass a litmus test for accountability from the taxpayer’s viewpoint?

RECOMMENDED COVER PAGE

Name of Degree:

A New Program/Degree Proposal

University Name

College of ______________________

Department of __________________

Proposed Implementation Date (Semester, Year)___________________

Proposal prepared by:                 Name and Signature

Proposal submitted:                    Date  

Signature of President or Designee:

Date:

Description, scope, and purpose of the program

Text begins here.

Alignment with State System mission and goals

Text begins here.

Appropriateness to mission and goals

Text begins here.

Employment and educational trends

Text begins here.

Expressed demand for the program in the state and service area

Text begins here.

Uniqueness of the program

Text begins here.

Educational opportunity offered by the program

Text begins here.

Enrollment projections

Text or chart or graph here is placed here.

Program pedagogical goals

Text begins here.

Curriculum overview

Text begins here.

Degree requirements

Sample Curriculum Overview

Major and major-related courses

           Foreign language                                                                                            6 credits

           100/200 level prerequisites and requirements                                    15 credits

           300/400 level requirements                                                              27 credits

           Specialization courses                                                                      12 credits

           Electives                                                                                                        6 credits

           Seminar                                                                                                         3 credits

                                                                                                                               --------

           Total                                                                                                           69 credits

General education courses

           Wellness                                                                                                        3 credits

           Composition, math, and speech skills                                                 9 credits

           Science distribution                                                                                        6 credits

           Social sciences distribution                                                                           12 credits

           Humanities distribution                                                                    12 credits

           Electives                                                                                                        9 credits

                                                                                                                               --------

           Total                                                                                                           51 credits

Total                                                                                                                     120 credits

Course Offerings

Descriptions begin here.

Learning experiences and instructional methods

Text begins here.

Documenting student learning outcomes

Text begins here.

Program structure and administration

Text begins here.

Faculty qualifications

Text begins here.

Student qualifications/support/advisement

Text begins here.

Text begins here.

With related programs at other institutions

Text begins here.

With other departments/units on campus

Text begins here.

With outside agencies, corporations, etc.

Text begins here.

Five-Year Budget Projection

Program Title and Degree: 

University: 

Budget Notes:

Citations begin here.

Text begins here.