R401, Approval of New Programs, Program Changes, Discontinued Programs,
and Program Reports

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Preamble

Academic programs are the center of the educational mission of Utah’s state colleges and universities, and the pursuit of knowledge is the driving consideration for the students served. Additionally, the Board of Regents (Regents) and the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) universities and colleges are committed to provide students with a range of degrees and other credentials that are appropriate to the respective missions of Utah institutions and that meet, if not exceed, national standards.

The procedure of degree approval is rigorous. The idea for a new degree comes from faculty responding to changes in a specific field, accreditation standards, student demand, or market forces. Before academic programs are sent to the Regents for review, they undergo careful scrutiny by academic departments, college or division committees, academic senates, executive officers, and institutional boards of trustees. Thus, institutional and Regents’ reviews hold academic programs to high standards of quality and assure that graduates who earn these degrees and credentials are prepared to live successfully in and contribute to the welfare of the state and its citizens.

R401-1. Purpose - To provide guidelines and procedures for Regents’ approval and notification of new programs and programmatic and administrative changes in academic and career and technical education programs. In addition, this policy includes notification of discontinued programs and other program-related items that institutions shall provide to the Commissioner of Higher Education.

R401-2. References

2.2. Policy and Procedures R220, Delegation of Responsibilities to the President and Board of Trustees

2.3. Policy and Procedures R312, Configuration of the Utah System of Higher Education and Institutional Missions and Roles

2.4. Policy and Procedures R315, Service Area Designations and Coordination of Off-Campus Courses and Programs

2.5. Policy and Procedures R355, Planning, Funding, and Delivery of Courses and Programs via Statewide Telecommunications Networks

2.6. Policy and Procedures R411, Review of Existing Programs

2.7. Utah Code §53B-16-102, Continuing Education and Community Service R430

2.8. Policy and Procedures R470, General Education, Course Numbering, Lower Division, Pre-Major Requirements, Transfer of Credit, and Credit by Examination

3.1.1. Executive Summary - See 8.2.1 for detailed explanation and template for the executive summary.

3.1.2. Full Proposal - See 8.2.2 for detailed explanation and template for the full program proposal.

3.1.3. CIP Codes for all Programs except the Apprenticeship Programs - When preparing a proposal for submission, the institution must choose an appropriate CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code. This CIP code will be recorded by the Commissioner’s office for data requests, reporting, and tracking. Only one CIP code will be acceptable per program—including all emphases under that program. The only exception is for apprenticeship programs.

3.1.4. CIP Codes for Apprenticeship Programs - When preparing an apprenticeship program proposal for submission, the institution will be allowed to use multiple appropriate CIP codes for the different apprenticeship emphases. These CIP codes will be recorded by the Commissioner’s office for data requests, reporting, and tracking.

3.2. Review by Academic Affairs Staff and Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) - Full program proposal with the brief executive summary will be forwarded to the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff for review and comment. The financial analysis document will be reviewed by the Commissioner’s Finance staff in order to verify financial data. The full proposal will be posted to the CAOs’ website. Within two weeks (ten working days) of posting, the CAOs must review and post their comments concerning the full proposal.

3.3. Review by Program Review Committee (PRC) - Once the CAOs and Commissioner’s staff have commented, the program proposal and executive summary and all attendant issues will be forwarded for review by the Program Review Committee (PRC). The PRC will review the program proposal and accompanying information, raise questions, and request additional information as appropriate, including a request for a consultant to review the proposed program and surrounding issues. In this case, the proposing institution will provide to the Commissioner’s staff a list of appropriate consultants. The staff will contact one of the consultants and arrange for the review. Once the consultant’s report has been completed, it will be made available to the PRC, proposing institution, and the CAOs. As programs are reviewed, at the request of the PRC, additional individuals may be asked to attend.

3.4. Review by Council of Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) - The Council of Chief Academic officers will meet, prior to the Council of Presidents’ and Regents’ meetings, to discuss institutional proposals regarding comments submitted by other USHE institutions, external reviews, initial evaluation from the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff, and comments from the PRC. This discussion will be reported to the Council of Presidents and considered by the Commissioner’s staff in preparing materials and recommendations for the Regents’ agenda.

3.5. Consideration by Board of Regents - Program proposals that have been reviewed according to the procedures described in 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 are placed on the Regents’ agenda for consideration by the Regents. The Commissioner’s review for the Regents will address not only the readiness of the institution to offer the program and the need for the program, but also the impact of the program on other USHE institutions. The Regents’ Academic, Career and Technical Education, and Student Success Committee reviews proposals for new programs or program changes and recommends action to the Regents. The Regents then take action on the proposed program during the meeting of the Committee of the Whole.

3.5.1. Voting for Approval by Board of Regents - All new associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs must be approved by a majority vote of the Regents members in attendance. All new master’s and doctoral degree programs require at least a two-thirds majority of the members in attendance to be approved.

3.5.2. Budgetary Considerations Separate from Approval - Program approval by the Regents consists only of authorization to offer a program. Budget requests necessary to fund the program shall be submitted separately through the regular budget procedure.

4.1.1. To plan CTE certificate and associate’s degree programs that are responsive to the needs of business/industry and the citizens of the region, and provide a transition for secondary students into postsecondary programs, and

4.1.2. To avoid unnecessary duplication of CTE certificate and degree programs among higher education institutions in a region.

4.2. Procedure - Certificates of Proficiency greater than 600 hours needing approval for financial aid, and Certificates of Completion and Diplomas greater than 900 clock hours or 30 semester hours are subject to the following regional review procedure.

4.2.1. The USHE Institution/Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) campus must submit a program request to the local CTE Regional Review Committee.

4.2.2. The proposed program must be approved by the USHE Board of Trustees/UCAT Campus Board of Directors. UCAT Campus proposals must be submitted to the UCAT President for approval followed by submission to the UCAT Board of Trustees for its approval.

4.2.3. The proposal will then be submitted to the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff for approval and subsequent inclusion on the Consent Calendar of the next Regents’ agenda.

4.2.4. A letter indicating the result of the Regional Planning Procedure, including the date of the meeting, must be submitted along with the program request.

5.2. Two Year Review of Programs Approved through the Fast Track Procedure - Institutions operating programs approved through the fast track procedure must submit a report to the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff for review two years from the date the program is implemented. Once the report has been reviewed and found to contain the required information, it will be forwarded to the Regents for the Consent Calendar. The report should include a short program description, enrollment data, demographic data on the enrolled students, the actual costs over the two year period since the program’s implementation, and employment information. The Regents may request additional information as well. See 8.3.3 for template.

6.1.1. New Associate of Arts and Associate of Science Degrees - Programs of study primarily intended to encourage exploration of academic options, provide a strong general education component, and prepare students for upper-division work in baccalaureate programs or prepare for employment. A minimum of 60 and a maximum of 63 credit hours, which include 30 to 39 credit hours of general education course work, and other requirements as established by USHE institutions, are required for completion of an associate’s degree. The Associate of Arts degree may have a foreign language requirement. Based on compelling reasons, exceptions to the maximum credit hour requirement may be granted by the Regents.

6.1.1.1. Sub-Unit Designation (Pre major programs) - The term “pre major” will be used by all institutions in describing the components of the Associate of Arts/Associate of Science degrees that are designed to prepare students for upper-division work. The use of the term “emphasis” will be discontinued as a sub-unit of an AA or AS degree. At four-year institutions, not offering an AA or AS degree, the term “pre major” will also apply to preparatory, lower-division courses, required for acceptance into a major. These courses should be the same or similar to those offered by the two-year programs. Although the descriptions of programs may vary at USHE institutions, the definition as described above should be implemented consistently.

6.1.1.2. Requirement - A “pre major” designation requires formal articulation agreements between the two- and four-year programs. The program outline (advising sheet) should clearly designate courses that will transfer to a four-year program and courses that are elective in nature which are those that do not have articulation agreements and are not likely to transfer. The two-year and four-year faculty should work together to designate support courses that do not articulate directly to the four-year major but provide preparatory experience for a specific major. These courses will count as electives.

6.1.2. New Specialized Associate’s Degrees (Associate of Pre-Engineering (APE)) - Programs of study which include extensive specialized course work intended to prepare students to initiate upper-division work in baccalaureate programs. A minimum of 68 and a maximum of 85 credit hours, which include a minimum of 28 credit hours of preparatory, specialized course work, general education requirements that are less extensive than in AA or AS degrees, and other requirements as established by USHE institutions, are necessary for completion of the degree. Because students do not fully complete an institution’s general education requirements while completing a specialized associate’s degree, they are expected to satisfy remaining general education requirements in addition to upper-division baccalaureate requirements at the receiving institution. Generally, specialized associate’s programs are articulated from two- to four-year majors system-wide.

6.1.2.1. Sub-Unit Designation - The term “major” refers to the discipline in which the degree resides or to the content upon which the degree is focused.

6.1.2.2. Requirement - Specialty associate’s degrees require Regents’ approval. These specialty Regent-approved associate’s degrees may be either a specific major or articulate to specific four-year majors.

6.1.3. New Associate of Applied Science Degrees and Diplomas - Programs of study intended to prepare students for entry-level careers. A minimum of 63 and a maximum of 69 credit hours are required. Additionally, general education requirements that are less extensive than in AA or AS degrees and others, as established by USHE institutions, are required. Based on compelling reasons, exceptions to the maximum credit hour requirement may be granted by the Regents.

The Utah College of Applied Technology may partner with credit-bearing USHE institutions that grant associate’s degrees in order to provide AAS degrees within the local region. This partnership agreement may be used to address the need for an AAS degree in high demand areas where a local credit-bearing USHE institution is not already offering the degree.

6.1.3.1. Sub-Unit Designation - The term “major” refers to the discipline in which the degree resides. The major may be made up of one or more “emphases” to describe the sub-unit of the Associate of Applied Science.

6.1.3.2. Requirement - AAS degree programs may have collections of courses within the major called “emphasis” that would require approval by the Regents. Emphases will be considered essential to the academic integrity of the Regents’ approved degree program. New emphases that share more than 50 percent of the existing disciplinary core of the approved major should be sent for notification on the Information Calendar. “Emphases” that share less than 50 percent of the disciplinary core will come before the Regents as an Action Item.

6.1.4. New Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Professional Bachelor’s Degrees - Programs of study including general education, major course work, and other requirements as established by USHE institutions and accreditation standards. Credit requirements include completion of a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 126 credit hours. However, some professional bachelor’s degrees, such as the Bachelor of Business Administration or Bachelor of Fine Arts, may have additional requirements. Other disciplines such as engineering and architecture may exceed the maximum of 126 credit hours in order to meet accreditation requirements. Based on compelling reasons, exceptions to the maximum credit hour requirement may be granted by the Regents.

6.1.4.1. Sub-Unit Designation - The term “major” refers to the discipline in which the degree resides.

6.1.4.2. Requirement - New emphases, which have sometimes been called “specializations” or “concentrations,” that share more than 50 percent of the existing disciplinary core of the approved major should be sent for notification on the Information Calendar. Emphases that share less than 50 percent of the disciplinary core will come before the Regents as an Action Item. Stand-alone minors and interdisciplinary minors are addressed in 6.3.5 and 6.3.6 respectively.

6.1.4.3. New Major - A sequenced set of courses within a bachelor’s degree program that comprises study in an academic discipline. The major is listed on the graduate credential and signifies that the recipient possesses the knowledge and skills expected of graduates in the discipline. Minor courses/programs within approved degree programs will be reviewed only by institutional Boards of Trustees and submitted to the Commissioner of Higher Education.

6.1.4.4. New General Studies Bachelor’s Degrees - See Appendix D: General Studies Guidelines, for preparation.

6.1.5. New K-12 School Personnel Programs - Endorsement and licensure programs for teacher education, counselors, administrators, and other school personnel. These programs adhere to an approval procedure which requires the following steps: review by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Chief Academic Officers, appropriate officials and faculty from USHE colleges and schools of education, and the Program Review Committee (PRC); review and approval by the Regents. Following the review procedure, and program approval by the Regents, the Utah State Office of Education will make its recommendation to the State Board of Education, which has the final approval authority over licensure.

6.1.6. New Master’s Degrees - Graduate-level programs of study requiring a minimum of 30 and maximum of 36 credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s degree, and other requirements as established by USHE institutions and accreditation standards. Professional master’s degrees such as the Master of Business Administration or Master of Social Work may require additional course work or projects. Specialized professional master’s degrees typically require additional course work. Based on compelling reasons, exceptions to the maximum credit hour requirement may be granted by the Regents.

6.1.7. New Doctoral Degrees - Graduate-level programs in an advanced, specialized field of study requiring competence in independent research and an understanding of related subjects.

6.2. Consent Calendar - Regents’ consent, which follows approval of the Academic, Career and Technical Education, and Student Success Committee, is required for significant program and administrative changes. Consent from the Regents should be sought prior to any institutional initiative to take action on program discontinuance. See 8.3.1 for template. The following items require consent of the Regents:

6.2.1. Reinstatement of Previously Eliminated Administrative Units and Instructional Programs.

6.2.2. Discontinuation of Instructional Programs - If an institution intends to discontinue a program, institutional officials must first notify the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff who will review the request and determine if more information is needed before discontinuance may proceed. After the Commissioner’s staff reviews the requests and issues are resolved, the institution should notify the Regents with the discontinuance item for the Consent Calendar.

6.2.2.1. Student Completion - Students currently admitted to the program must be provided a way to complete the program in a reasonable period compatible with accreditation standards. This may require the enrollment of students at other institutions of higher education or that courses be taught for a maximum of two years after discontinuation of the program.

6.2.2.2. Duplication - Consider discontinuance of unnecessarily duplicated programs within the System, particularly programs that may be high cost and/or low producing.

6.2.2.3. System Coordination - Consider the statewide impact of discontinuing the program, and identify opportunities for establishing the program at another USHE institution.

6.2.3. Follow-up Reports Requested by the Regents on Approved Programs - All programs approved by the Regents require a report three years after implementation. These reports should be sent to the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff. Once the report has been reviewed and found to contain the required information, it will be forwarded to the Regents for the Consent Calendar. The report should include a short program description, enrollment data, gender data on enrolled students, the actual costs over the three year period since the program’s implementation, and employment information. The Regents may request additional information as well. See 8.3.3 for template.

6.2.4. Report on Out-of-Service-Area Delivery of Approved Programs - Programs which require substantive change notification to the regional accreditation organization and/or are offered outside of the institution’s designated service area.

6.2.5. Permanent Approval of Centers, Institutes, or Bureaus - Administrative entities which perform primarily research, instructional, or technology transfer functions, and are intended to provide services to students, the community, businesses, or other external audiences, or to obtain external funds.

6.2.5.1. Temporary Approval and Temporary Sources of Funding - Funding support is from temporary, non-public resources or from temporary institutional reallocation within a limited time frame.

6.2.5.2. Modest Effort/Consistent with Roles/Affiliation/Three Year Limit - Institutions may seek temporary approval from the Commissioner of Higher Education for a center, institute, or bureau which is being established on an experimental or pilot basis. The Commissioner will evaluate and approve requests for temporary approval on the basis of the following criteria and conditions: The proposed change requires a modest effort in terms of staff and space needs, normally with no permanent staff or no permanent facility assignment; activities involved are consistent with established institutional mission and role assignments; the administrative entity involved has programmatic affiliation with an existing academic program or department. Temporary approval of centers, institutes, etc., may be granted for a period no longer than three years, after which an institution must request approval of the Regents.

6.2.6. Certificates of Completion in Which Instruction Is Provided by an Outside Vendor and Requires Accreditation Review - The institution offers Certificates of Completion, credit or non-credit, for instruction provided by an organization outside the USHE.

6.2.7. Credit/Non-credit Certificates Eligible for Financial Aid - Credit/Non-credit certificates that are eligible for financial aid. If financial aid is provided for programs of 600 to 900 clock hours, the CAO will submit an Executive Summary and full proposal, with appropriate supporting documentation, including the Financial Analysis template (see 8.2.2), to the Commissioner’s staff for approval through the Fast Track Procedure (see R401-5), and subsequent inclusion on the Consent Calendar of the next Regents’ meeting agenda. This procedure complies with the U.S. Department of Education requirement for program approval through the state’s approval procedure.

6.2.8. Fast Track Programs - Programs approved through the Fast Track procedure. See R401-5.

6.3. Information Calendar - Program additions or changes requiring notification on the Regents’ Information Calendar. Regents’ notification is required for changes to programs and administrative units (see 8.4.1 for template), institutional program reviews (see R411), and programs under development (see 8.4.2 for template). OCHE staff will determine the significance of the proposed change(s); significant changes may be placed on the Consent Calendar (see 6.2). If deemed not significant, the changes will remain with the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff (see R401-7).

6.3.1. Transfer, Restructuring, or Consolidation of Existing Programs or Administrative Units.

6.3.2. Name Changes of Existing Programs.

6.3.3. Institutional Program Review Report. See R411.

6.3.4. Programs under Development. See 8.4.2 for template.

6.3.5. Stand-alone Minors - A coherent collection of courses, related to one another, that is not part of a previously approved major or degree program. Submission: as they are approved or eliminated by institutional Board of Trustees.

6.3.6. Interdisciplinary Minors - A coherent collection of courses, related to one another, from previously approved majors or programs.

6.3.7. Emphases - New emphases that share more than 50 percent of the existing disciplinary core should be sent for notification on the Information Calendar. Emphases that share less than 50 percent of the disciplinary core of the approved major will come before the Regents as an Action Item.

6.3.8. Certificates of Proficiency - Career and Technical Education programs of up to 900 clock hours that do not require approval for financial aid, are approved by the institution or UCAT campus Board of Trustees, and will be forwarded to the Commissioner’s Academic Affairs staff.

7.1.1. Information - Each institution shall submit an updated matrix of programs under development or consideration that may be brought to the Regents for formal approval within the next 36 months. A compilation of this information will be included on the Information Calendar at least three times each year. These planning documents will provide Regents with a continuously updated, system-wide view of the programs that may be brought to them for approval.

7.1.2. Submission - The information in each matrix is to be updated whenever the status of a program changes or a new program is being considered. Once a program has been approved by the Regents, or is no longer under consideration at an institution, it should no longer appear in the matrix. See 8.4.2 for template.

7.2. A List of New Minors That Are Part of a Degree or Major Program - A list of new minors that are part of a degree or major program as they are approved by institutional boards of trustees. Submission: as they are approved.

7.3. A List of Scheduled Program Reviews - The annual list of scheduled program reviews are defined in R411 including date of review. Submission: September.

7.4. A List of Credit and Non-Credit Certificates. An annual list of credit and non-credit certificates: the name of the certificate, the number of credits or hours required for the certificate, and the number of certificates awarded. Submission: December.

8.2. Templates for Action Calendar Items
8.2.1. Template for Submission of Executive Summary
8.2.2. Template for Submission of Proposals for New Programs
8.2.3. Signature Page to Accompany Action and consent Proposals

8.3. Templates for Consent Calendar Items
8.3.1. Template for Consent Calendar Items
8.3.2. Signature Page to Accompany Consent Proposals
8.3.3. Template for Three-Year and Two-Year Follow-Up Reports

8.4. Templates for Information Calendar items
8.4.1. Template for Submission to the Information Calendar
8.4.2. Template for Submission of Programs under Development or Consideration

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