Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Institution
Enter full name of institution
2.
Degree designation
Spell out and abbreviate
4. CIP code
7a. For a proposed spin-off, title and degree designation of existing degree program
7b. CIP code (existing program)
12. Location of program within institution (complete for every level, as appropriate).
Departments(s) or division of ___________________________________________________
School(s) or college(s) of _____________________________________________________
Campus(es) or off-campus site(s)_______________________________________________
Distance Delivery (web-based, satellite, etc.) __ Do not leave blank _
13. Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address of person(s) other than the institutions
chief academic officer who may be contacted by or may be expected to contact Council staff
regarding this program proposal.
Include contact information for the institutions SCHEV liaison and the faculty member.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This is the template necessary to initiate new degree programs. Proposals for new degree
programs must be submitted to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) at
least nine months in advance of their implementation.
Some general guidelines:
Proposal text should be Times New Roman or Arial (12 point font).
The order of the appendices should follow the text references.
Document sources with complete citations, such as footnotes, for referenced information.
If a URL is included, be sure it links directly to the documentation.
In using this template, please note that black text should remain in the proposal. Blue
text should be replaced with proposal-related content.
o Proposal-related content is included as a checklist, for ease of reference.
However, content should be presented as a well-written, cohesive narrative
throughout the proposal.
This template is intended to serve as a guide for individuals preparing proposals for new degree
programs. While the template details content that must be included in proposals, it is not
intended to be comprehensive. At any time, SCHEV may request clarification of proposal
content. In addition, SCHEV may request information beyond that included in the template.
Description of the Proposed Program
Program Background
This section provides an overview of the proposed program, including the location and date of
implementation. This section is not an executive summary of the program proposal. The
following items must be included:
_____
Type of degree
_____
_____
Implementation date
_____
_____
_____
_____
Mission
This section describes how the proposed program is appropriate to the institutions published
mission. Generic text concerning institutional mission is included below. Programs should
include information on how the proposed program relates to the mission. (Do not include text
concerning school or departmental missions.) The following item must be included:
_____
This section describes whether online delivery or distance education will be a component of the
proposed program. If such pedagogical tools will not be utilized upon initiation of the proposed
program, but are envisioned as a future component of the program, discuss future plans. If such
pedagogical tools will not be utilized upon program initiation or in the future, the following
statement is sufficient:
The proposed program will not utilize, and has no plans to utilize, online delivery or distance
education as part of the curriculum.
If yes, the following items must be included:
_____Description of online delivery, including plan, courses, and available resources
1
See www.virginia.edu/statementofpurpose/purpose.html.
2
Accreditation
This section describes whether the program is subject to specialized or professional
accreditation. If no, this section may be deleted.
If yes, the following items must be included:
_____
Accreditation Appendices
_____
This section describes whether the program will have an external advisory board. If no, this
section may be deleted.
If yes, the following items must be included:
_____
_____
This section provides an inventory of the materials required of applicants and the general
qualifications of applicants offered admission to the institution and, if applicable, the degree
program. The following items must be included:
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Target population
Curriculum
This section provides a detailed review of the curriculum, including the general education
curriculum for undergraduate degree programs. Per SCHEV policy, curricula must share a
common core of courses. The common core requirements are as follows:
Bachelors degrees 25 percent of total credit hours required for the degree, excluding
the general education core.
Masters degrees 50 percent of total credit hours required for the degree.
Doctoral degrees 25 percent of total credit hours required for the degree, excluding
thesis or dissertation hours.
The following items must be included:
_____
_____
Breakdown of curriculum and credit hours. For those items noted with an
asterisk, list specific courses and credit hours. Indicate which courses are new
(with an asterisk) and which, if any, courses are delivered via distance education.
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Curriculum Appendices
_____
_____
_____
Course descriptions for new and existing required common core courses and
restricted elective courses (denote new courses with an asterisk)
See Appendix A for a sample plan of study appendix. See Appendix B for a sample course
description appendix.
Spin-Off Programs:
A spin-off program is one that expands an existing degree program into a stand-alone degree
program at the same degree level and does not change its essential character, integrity, or
objectives and shares at least the first two digits of the existing programs CIP Code; shares at
least three-quarters of courses with the existing degree program; requires minimal or no
additional faculty; and, is funded through internal reallocations or private funds and does not
require additional state funding.
For spin-off programs, the following items must be included in the curriculum appendices, prior
to the sample plan of study and course descriptions:
_____
_____
_____
This section provides a description of the mechanisms in place to ensure the persistence and
completion of enrolled students, including advising and program milestones.
_____
This section provides a brief overview of the depth and breadth of faculty involved with the
program. Most importantly, it provides a description of full-time faculty committed to the
program, particularly those involved with the common core curriculum. The following items
must be included:
_____
_____
Number of faculty dedicated to the required common core and restricted elective
courses
Faculty Appendix
_____
Abbreviated curriculum vita for faculty dedicated to the required common core
courses. Include faculty rank, degree, year degree completed, institution from
which degree was earned, and area of expertise.
_____
If additional faculty will be hired to initiate the program, indicate the desired
degree level, rank, and focus areas of the new faculty.
_____
_____
Program Administration
This section provides a description of who will administer the program in areas such as
admissions, advising, the curriculum, and other relevant academic and administrative functions.
The following items must be included, to the extent that they are applicable to the proposed
program
_____
_____
_____
____
This section provides a description of student assessment. This section must receive the approval
of Lois Myers (lm2r) in Institutional Assessment and Studies (IAS) prior to approval of the
Board of Visitors. The following items must be included:
_____
Every degree program at the University is required to develop an assessment plan that meets the
requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
(SACSCOC). Appendix __ includes an approved assessment plan for the proposed program,
including student learning outcomes, assessment methodology, targets and standards,
interpretation of assessment results, and the use of assessment results.
_____Workplace competencies and employment skills. Using action verbs, include specific
competencies/skills that graduates will possess. Use employment announcements,
collected for the employment demand section, to document necessary
competencies and skills.
_____
2
The assessment plan included in the appendix should utilize the assessment plan template at
http://avillage.web.virginia.edu/iaas/assess/resources/Assessment_Plan_Template.doc.
7
Program Assessment
This section provides a description of program assessment, including plans for initial and
ongoing assessment and evaluation. The following items must be included:
_____
Program assessment
_____
_____
Systematic assessment and evaluation will take place as part of the Universitys academic
program review.3 As defined by the University, academic program review:
[C]onsists of on-going, high quality peer reviews of the Universitys academic units and
programs on a five to seven year cycle. The purpose of program review is to foster
academic excellence, to assess achievements and improvements in student learning
outcomes, and to provide guidance for faculty and administrative decisions in support of
continuous improvement.
Appendix __ includes the academic program review self-study guidelines, including a more
detailed description of the self-study requirements. After completion of the self-study, an
external review committee conducts an on-site visit, after which the committee prepares a report
for submission to the unit head. The unit head then submits a response to the dean. The dean
then prepares a position paper and action plan for the provost and the Universitys Academic
Strategy Committee. The provost and dean then finalize an agreed upon action plan, progress on
which will be reviewed at three- and five-year intervals by the Academic Strategy Committee.
Benchmarks of Success
This subsection provides a description of the numeric benchmarks by which a program will be
deemed successful, how such benchmarks will be applied, and what corrective measures will be
taken to address deficiencies.
_____Benchmarks (e.g. job placement rates, employer satisfaction, student/alumni satisfaction
rates, graduate school admission rates, etc.)
3
See http://provost.virginia.edu/academic-program-review.
8
_____
_____
This section describes the purpose of spinning-off the proposed program, if applicable, from the
parent program. (See Curriculum section for a description of a spin-off program.)
If the proposed program is not a spin-off program, the following statement is sufficient:
This program is not a spin-off program.
Expansion of Existing Programs
This section describes whether the program is an expansion of an existing program, such as a
major, certificate, concentration, minor, or track. If it is not, the following statement is sufficient:
This program is not an expansion of an existing program.
If yes, the following items must be included.
_____
_____
_____
This section describes the impact of the proposed program on existing degree programs at the
institution. It should include a discussion of similar programs at the institution and whether the
proposed program will compromise such programs. The following items must be included:
_____
_____
This section describes whether the proposed program is a collaborative program with another
institution or organization (e.g. non-profit, business, etc.), including the extent of the
collaboration. If it is not, the following statement is sufficient:
This is a standalone program. No other organization was involved in its development, and no
other organization will collaborate in its operation.
If yes, the following items must be included.
_____
_____
Resources
_____
_____
Program administration
_____
Governance
_____
This section should be a monograph of adequate length to demonstrate the general demand for
the degree program. In addition, ensure the following are included: (1) complete citations for
referenced information, (2) in-text citations for quoted information, and (3) links to Web-based
resources, when possible. Paraphrasing relevant sources and/or using Internet links are
acceptable. However, such links should direct the reader to the relevant literature, not simply to
a Web page that references the source. If a source is not publicly available on the Internet (e.g.
journal article, etc.), excerpt the source in an appendix. Include the primary reference page, the
page prior, and the page after.
Employment Demand
This section articulates how the program will respond to the needs of the labor market, including
the current and future demand for graduates of the program. In addition, ensure the following
are included: (1) complete citations for referenced information (including dates of access), (2) intext citations for quoted information, and (3) links to Web-based resources, when possible. The
following items must be included:
_____
_____
Labor market data. Include a discussion of the most recent data, with tables and
figures, from the resources below. The discussion should include (1) data from
the current 10-year timeframe (2) the percent change from BLS and VEC, and (3)
the annual average percent change from the VEC.
_____
_____
_____
4
To locate the required data, input an appropriate occupation in the Search OOH field, browse
through occupations on the left side of the page, and/or select A-Z Index to browse an
alphabetical listing of occupations.
5
Select LMI Home Occupation Data Occupation Employment and Projections (Long
Term).
11
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Job title
_____
_____
Duties/responsibilities
_____
Location
_____
Date of announcement
Signed on letterhead
_____
_____
_____
Letters of support from employers (if applicable and/or desired).6 These may not
be form letters.
_____
Signed on letterhead
_____
_____
See Appendix D for a sample employment demand appendix. (If letters of support are included,
they should be placed in a distinct appendix from the job announcements.)
6
If a letter of support discusses industry needs, in relationship to the proposed program, it also
may be discussed in the Response to Current Needs section.
12
Student Demand
This section provides evidence that sufficient student demand exists to support the projected
enrollments. Evidence must be obtained within the 12 months prior to submitting the proposal to
SCHEV. Evidence of demand must include a descriptive narrative of at least two of the following
measures of demand:
_____
Survey
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Enrollment data for the last three to five years (for programs evolving from a
concentration/minor to a standalone degree program)
_____
Survey
_____
_____
_____
See Appendix E for a sample survey appendix. See Appendix F for a sample prospective student
support appendix.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA
13
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Target Year
(2-year institutions)
Year 5
Target Year
(4-year institutions)
20xx 20xx
20xx 20xx
20xx 20xx
20xx- 20xx
20xx 20xx
HDC
T
HDC
T
HDC
T
FTES
FTES
FTES
HDC
T
FTE
S
GRAD
--
HDCT
FTES
Note: VCCS institutions only complete Year 1 through Year 4. Graduation rates must be
included in Year 4/Target Year for VCCS institutions. Four-year institutions are not to
complete the GRAD rate for Year 4.
The following assumptions should be included:
_____
Retention (%)
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Full-time students
_____
Part-time students
Full-time students
_____
Part-time students
Duplication
14
GRAD
This section provides evidence that the proposed program is not unnecessarily duplicative of
existing programs at public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth.
First, determine what similar programs are being offered at public institutions by visiting the
following link: http://research.schev.edu/DegreeInventory/default.asp. Under By broad
program area, select the general area of the proposed program. Note programs (including
program name and CIP code), at public institutions, sharing the same CIP code or a closely
related CIP code as the proposed program.
For each of these programs, the following items must be included and discussed individually:
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Table XX. Enrollments and Degrees Awarded at Comparable Programs in the Commonwealth
15
Enrollments
Virginia Tech
Christopher Newport University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Degrees Awarded
Virginia Tech
Christopher Newport University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Fall
20xx
39
34
25
20xx-xx
39
34
25
Fall
20xx
47
28
32
20xx-xx
47
28
32
Fall
20xx
53
34
36
20xx-xx
53
34
36
Fall
20xx
40
29
56
20xx-xx
40
29
56
Fall
20xx
53
27
56
20xx-xx
53
27
56
16
_____
_____
_____
_____
Part-time faculty
_____
_____
Adjunct faculty
_____
_____
_____
Classified staff
_____
_____
Equipment
_____
Library
_____
_____
Telecommunications
_____
Space
_____
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Parts B and C of this section outline the human and financial resources required to initiate and
operate the program. Proposals must use the SCHEV-approved tables for Parts B and C (see
below). Do not recreate these tables in an alternative format. Do not insert these tables as a
screen capture.
For Part B, use full-time equivalents (FTEs) when calculating personnel needs.
For Part C, assume no salary increases for personnel-related costs and do not include an inflation
factor for non-personnel-related costs. An Excel spreadsheet, with preformatted formulas, may
be found at http://www.schev.edu/schev/formsIndex.asp#publics.
Part B: Fill in the number of FTE positions needed for the program
Program Initiation Year
20XX 20XX
On-going and
Added
reallocated
(New)
Expected by
Target Enrollment Year
20XX 20XX
Added
Total FTE
(New)***
positions
Expected by
Target Enrollment Year
20XX- 20XX
Full-time faculty
salaries
fringe benefits
Part-time faculty (faculty
FTE split with unit(s))
salaries
fringe benefits
Adjunct faculty
salaries
fringe benefits
Graduate assistants
salaries
fringe benefits
Classified Positions
salaries
fringe benefits
salaries
fringe benefits
Total personnel cost
Equipment
Library
Telecommunication costs
Other costs (specify)
TOTAL
The institution will require additional state funding to initiate and sustain this program.
Yes
Signature of Chief Academic Officer
No
Signature of Chief Academic Officer
If no, please complete items 1, 2, and 3 below.
If additional state funding is not required to initiate and sustain the program, it is important to
demonstrate from where resources will come, whether through reallocation or development of
new revenue streams.
_____
In Item 1, indicate the dollar value of the reallocated or new resources in the
appropriate rows.
_____
_____
In Item 3, obtain the signature of the chief academic officer certifying that the
institution will not request new state funding to restore reallocated resources to
their original purpose.
Funding Source
Reallocation within the
department (Note below the
21
Appendices
_____
Appendices should contain page numbers with the following format: A-1, A-2, B1, B-2, etc.
_____
22
Sophomor
e
Junior
Senior
Fall Semester
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
Spring Semester
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
General Education (3)
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
A-1
_____
A-2
B-1
C-1
D-1
E-1