APS #1019

Active

Degree Program Review

Brief Description

Requires procedures for review of all degree programs within an established timetable.

Reason for Policy

Provides reporting requirements for degree program review.  Degree program review is required by Regent Policy 4.B.1:  Academic Program Review.

Policy Profile

APS Policy Title: 
Degree Program Review
APS Number: 
1019
Effective Date: 
January 1, 2018
Approved By: 
President Bruce D. Benson
Responsible University Officer: 
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Responsible Office: 
Office of Academic Affairs
Policy Contact: 
Office of Academic Affairs
Supersedes: 
Implementation of Regent Policy on Program Review, January 1, 2014
Last Reviewed/Updated date: 
January 1, 2018
Applies to: 
All degree programs

I. Introduction

This policy requires the campuses to establish procedures for review of all degree programs within an established timetable and states the requirements for annual reports to the Board of Regents.

II. Policy Statement

All degree programs shall be reviewed at least once every seven years.  Each campus shall have policies defining degree program review procedures.  These procedures shall be designed to identify strengths and weaknesses of each degree program and provide constructive options for program improvement.

The ultimate goal of this policy is to promote and maintain high-quality degree programs that are administered efficiently.

A degree program review schedule may be modified to coincide with a professional accreditation review.

III. Annual Program Review Report

  1. On an annual basis, all campuses shall submit to the vice president for academic affairs:
    1. A list of degree program reviews completed in the prior academic year.
    2. A report of each degree program review completed in the prior academic year. The individual degree program reviews should be approximately one to two pages and shall consist of a summary and a data table, as stipulated below.
      1. The summary portion of each degree program review should be written in bulleted or narrative form and shall address:
        1. Up to five degree program strengths, challenges, and opportunities.
        2. Goals for the next review period.
      2. The following table shall be included in each degree program summary report with data for each year of the review period (depending on the length of the review period, please adjust the number of years in the table):
         
        PROGRAAM DATA 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
        Degree Program Headcount (Fall Census)          
        Student Credit Hours Delivered by the Degree Program (FY)          
             Percentage of Credit Hours Taken by Majors          
             Percentage of Credit Hours Taken by Non-Majors          
        Degrees Awarded (FY)          
        Note:  If a degree program has significant part-time enrollment and would like to report “FTE Enrollment in the major,” FTE enrollment data may be added to the table and/or discussed in the narrative.
    3. The campus report should conclude with a schedule showing degree program reviews by year that are anticipated to occur in the next seven years.
  2. The annual degree program review summary reports submitted by the campuses to the Office of Academic Affairs shall be provided to the president and Board of Regents.

IV. History

  1. Related Regent Policy History

    The Board of Regents passed a resolution at its November 1980 meeting requiring the review of all academic programs once every five years where feasible, but at least once every seven years.  The resolution also identified the goals for those reviews.  The academic program review requirement was codified in regent policy 4.C.  In July 2017, regent policy 4.C was revised, limiting the academic program review requirement to degree programs.  The new requirement is captured in current regent policy 4.B.
     
  2. APS History
    • Adopted:  September 1, 1983 – Existing Program Review.
    • Revised:  March 16, 1989 – updated to comply with implementation of regent policy 4.C on program review; March 1, 1996; September 1, 1996; September 1, 2006; July 1, 2010; January 1, 2014; January 1, 2018; April 2, 2018 – non-substantive clarification to Section III.A.3.ii.b; May 8, 2023 – non-substantive updates to section III to clarify annual degree program review reporting requirements.
    • Last Reviewed:  January 1, 2018.