| Home > Administration > Office of the Provost > UCC > Academic Program Proposals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Format for New Academic Program ProposalsAll program proposals should have the following elements: Cover page Table of contents (Optional) Body of the proposal Executive summary Recommended Table of Contents for Program ProposalsIntroduction The need Program design Academic quality and integrity Assessment and accreditation plansCoordination/cooperation/partnership Resources
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:
Introduction
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.
The Need
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 Design
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.
Academic Quality and Integrity
Program structure and administration
Text begins here.
Faculty qualifications
Text begins here.
Student qualifications/support/advisement
Text begins here.
Assessment and Accreditation Plans
Text begins here.
Coordination/Cooperation/Partnerships
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.
Resources
Five-Year Budget Projection
Program Title and Degree:
Budget Notes:
Bibliography
Citations begin here.
Appendix (If Any)
Text begins here. |