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Academic Program Moratorium and
Termination
A. Purpose:
To provide an uniform method for the
temporary suspension, or termination, of academic programs, thereby
permitting an accurate inventory of active programs, a method for
addressing programs which may be requiring major revision or
phase-out, and a basis for accurate public information about
availability of programs. |
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B. Definitions:
- Program (from Board Policy
1985-01)
- Major Academic Program - a sequence of courses,
activities, and/or experiences constituting a major field of study,
culminating in a credit-based degree or certification.
- Other Academic Programs - a sequence of courses,
activities, and/or experiences constituting a minor, track,
specialization, concentration, or focus not leading to a degree or
certification.
- Moratorium - A period of suspension, during which a
program may continue to be offered to previously enrolled students,
but will not admit new students.
- Termination - The act of ceasing to offer the specified
degree, certificate, or other complete program; of ceasing to offer
any or all pieces of the program; and of removing the program from
the Pennsylvania State System inventory of approved
programs.
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C.
Procedures:
- Moratorium - A program may be placed in moratorium by the
university president, following the institution's usual methods of
consultation with the faculty and the trustees, and with consent of
the chancellor, for a defined period of up to three years
a. During the moratorium, and as far in advance of it as
reasonable, the university shall either remove the program from its
publications and admissions materials, or otherwise clearly
identify its moratorium status.
b. During the moratorium, students already enrolled should be given
appropriate opportunity to complete the program, or in some cases,
to transfer to a comparable program.
c. During or at the end of the period, the program may be (1)
reactivated - i.e., open to new students and returned to the
inventory of approved programs in accordance with Section D below;
or (2) terminated, with notice to the faculty, trustees, and
chancellor.
- Termination - A program shall be considered terminated, and
will be removed from the Pennsylvania State System inventory of
approved programs when its moratorium expires, the president
notifies the chancellor, and the chancellor acknowledges the
Termination.
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D.
Criteria:
Criteria for moratorium or termination shall be the same as for
program approval (see Board Policy 1985-01):
•Appropriateness to Mission
•Need
•Academic Integrity
•Coordination with other Programs
•Periodic Assessment
•Resource Sufficiency
•Impact on Educational Opportunity
Reasons for declaration of
moratorium or termination should be expressed in terms of one or
more of these criteria, and any subsequent action to reactivate a
program in moratorium shall require evidence that steps to address
the stated criteria have been accomplished.
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E. Effective
Date:
July 1, 1993. (Programs
currently in moratorium or under termination schedule will be
recorded under negotiated agreement.) Issued February 15,
1993. |
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