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Step One Intent to Plan

Intent to Plan: An institution must express to the chancellor by a statement of intent to plan a
new Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree program at least 120 days prior to the date when the Council considers approval of the new program. Early consultation allows exploration of such fundamental concerns as needs analyses, consistency with institutional mission, resource requirements, and other issues prior to engaging in extensive and detailed planning

The chancellor and staff will review the statement of intent to plan. Consultants may be used when deemed necessary. Approval of requests to plan shall be made by the chancellor.

Authorization to plan a new academic program does not, however, in any way constitute a
commitment on the part of the Council to approve the program at such time as the planning is completed and the program approval request is submitted. The authorization indicates that the program is consistent with the mission of the institution. Planning authorization allows the institution to formulate a proposal for establishment of the new program.

A request to develop a plan should indicate the projected date of submission of the full proposal
and the projected date of implementation. It should also include the following:

• A statement describing the educational objectives, the relationship of the objectives to the
  mission of the institution, and any special features or conditions that make the institution a desirable or unique place to initiate such a program.
• A brief description of the program.
• A statement describing how the institution will assure high quality standards for the
  program and maintain a continuing assessment of quality.
• A statement listing other institutions in West Virginia that offer similar programs.
• A statement on what societal, occupational, research, or public service needs will be met,
  as well as anticipated student demand for the program.
• A statement on what additional resources will be needed to offer the program.

Step Two: Submission Requirements for New Program Proposals

Once the institution has received notification that the Intent to Plan has been approved, an
institution may develop the program proposal. The format of the proposal should follow the sequence of items as they appear on the following pages. Please respond to each item if only to indicate that it is not applicable. Information may be presented in narrative or in outline form or in a combination of the two.
Supporting materials such as charts and tables may be included or attached. The cover page should include the following:

• Name of Institution
• Date
• Category of Action Required
• Title of Degree or Certificate
• Location
• Effective Date of Proposed Action
• Brief Summary Statement

Program Description.
Program Objectives: State the program objectives so that they can be related to the criteria
in the evaluation plan.
Program Identification: Each proposal shall include an appropriate program identification
as provided in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) developed and published by the U.S. Department of Education Center for Education Statistics.
Program Features: Summarize the important features of the program and include a full
catalog description. This section should contain:

• Admissions and Performance Standards: Describe admissions and performance
  standards and their relationship to the program objective.
• Program Requirements: Describe course requirements (indicating new courses with
  asterisks), areas of emphasis or concentrations, credit-hour requirements, research-tool requirements, examination procedures and other requirements. Also include field work or similar requirements and any other information that helps to describe the program of study.
• Program Outcomes: Indicate the expected results of the program and, if this is a proposal for an expanded or modified program, specify how the proposed change may achieve results different from those produced by the current program.
• Program content. The proposed educational programs shall be compatible with the
  institutional mission. The relationship shall be described in documents provided to the Council.
  • The content and length of the proposed academic program shall follow practices
    common to institutions of higher education. The commonly accepted program length is: 60 semester hours credits for associate degrees unless otherwise required by the accrediting agency.
  • All proposed A.A. and A.S. undergraduate degree programs shall include a coherent general education component that is consistent with the institution’s mission and appropriate to its educational programs. The undergraduate general education component shall be documented.

General Education requirements: The minimum requirement for general education for all undergraduate programs delivered through the traditional distributed curricula is 15 semester credits for technical associate’s degrees unless otherwise required by the accrediting agency and 24 semester credits for transfer associate’s degrees such as the Associate in Arts, the Associate in Science, and the Associate in Fine Arts, unless otherwise required by the accrediting agency. If the general education component is delivered through integrated, embedded, interdisciplinary, or other accepted models, institutions must demonstrate that the program meets minimum requirements equivalent to the distributed model.

Program Delivery: Describe any instructional delivery methodologies to be employed
such as distance education, on-line course delivery, weekend course delivery, or compressed time delivery, etc. Indicate costs associated with distance education or technology-based delivery.

Program need and justification

• Relationship to Institutional Goals/Objectives: Relate this program to the institution’s
  goals and objectives and the statewide master plan.
• Existing Programs: List similar programs (and their locations) offered by other institutions (public or private) in West Virginia. State why additional programs or locations are desirable.
• Program Planning and Development: Indicate the history to date of the development and submission of this program proposal. What resources (e.g., personnel, financial, equipment) have already been invested in this program? What planning activities have supported this proposal?
• Clientele and Need: Describe the clientele to be served and state which of their specific needs will be met by the program. Indicate any special characteristics, such as age, vocation, or academic background. Indicate manpower needs, interest on the part of industry, research and other institutions, governmental agencies, or other indicators justifying the need for the program.
• Employment Opportunities: Present a factual assessment of the employment opportunities that are likely to be available to program graduates. Include data and references supporting this assessment. Indicate the types and number of jobs for which such a curriculum is appropriate.
• Program Impact: Describe the impact of this program on other programs that it will
  support or that will be supported by it.
• Cooperative Arrangements: Describe any cooperative arrangements (including clinical
  affiliations, internship opportunities, personnel exchanges, and equipment sharing) that have been explored.
• Alternatives to Program Development: Describe any alternatives to the development of
  this program that have been considered and why they were rejected.
• Program implementation and projected resource requirements.
• Program Administration: Describe the administrative organization for the program and
  explain what changes, if any, will be required in the institutional administrative organization.
• Program Projections: Indicate the planned enrollment growth and development of the new program during the first five years (FORM 1). If the program will not be fully developed within five years, indicate the planned size of the program in terms of degrees and majors or clients served over the years to reach full development of the program.
• Faculty Instructional Requirements: Indicate the number, probable rank, experience, and cost of faculty required over the five-year period.
• Library Resources and Instructional Materials: Evaluate the adequacy of existing library resources and instructional materials for the proposed program. Estimate the nature and probable cost of additional resources necessary to bring the proposed program to an accreditable level.
• Support Service Requirements: Indicate the nature of any additional support services (e.g., laboratories, computer facilities, equipment, etc.) likely to be required by the proposed program. Include the expected costs and describe how such expansions will be incorporated into the institutional budget. Describe any student support services that will be put in place to enhance student retention and successful completion for this new program.
• Facilities Requirements: Indicate whether the program will require the addition of new
  space or facilities or the remodeling or renovation of existing space. If so, provide a statement detailing such plans and space needs and their estimated funding requirements. Describe the impact of this new program on space utilization requirements.
• Operating Resource Requirements: Using FORM 2, provide a summary of operating
  resource requirements by object of expenditure.
• Source of Operating Resources: Indicate the source of operating resource requirements if the service levels are to reach those projected in FORM 1. Describe any institutional plans to reallocate resources to the program in each year of the five-year period. Describe the supplementary resource needs that are beyond the usual or expected institutional allocations that are derived through the regular budget request process.

Program evaluation.

• Evaluation Procedures: Indicate the evaluation or review guidelines, procedures, schedule, and assessment measures that will be used for this program. Criteria and standards for program evaluation will vary according to the purpose of the program. The evaluation should address the viability, adequacy, and necessity of the program in relation to the mission of the institution. Both qualitative and quantitative indicators are important. Among the measures may also be the value of the program to the State and its people, its roles in contributing to human development, and its social utility in contributing to the further development of West Virginia.
• Accreditation Status: Indicate the accrediting agency for the proposed program, the
  schedule for initiating and receiving accreditation, and the costs of each stage of the process. Attach to the proposal the statement of standards used by the accrediting agency for such a program and how each accreditation standard will be addressed within the proposed program.

Council Review of New Program Proposals.

• Review of New Program Proposals: The chancellor’s staff will review the proposal and contact the institution if additional information or consultation is required. Any requests for financial support of the program shall be integrated into budget requests for the appropriate year. Questions about the proposal may be raised at the institutional budget hearing.
• Following the review of submitted documentation, Council staff will develop a recommendation for the Council regarding the new program proposal. Only those programs which meet state standards of quality will be recommended for approval. The Council will make the decision as to whether or not to approve the new program.

All associate degree program proposals and Certificate of Applied Science program proposals implemented under the provisions of Section 4.1 and Section 4.2 of this rule shall be reviewed via a post- approval audit three years after the initial approval was received. The structure of the audit will be determined by Council staff and will include review of such issues as enrollment, retention, adequacy, necessity, viability and consistency with mission.

Once implemented, per Council for Community and Technical College Education policy, Series 10, Policy Regarding Program Review, the new program must be reviewed at least every five years at the institution(s) of higher education where implemented. In the review process, the following must be addressed: the viability, adequacy, necessity, and consistency with mission of the program to the institutional master plan, the institutional compact, and the education and workforce needs of the responsibility district. Additionally, periodic studies of graduates and their employers to determine placement practices and the effectiveness of the education experience should be conducted.

Once programs are approved by the Council, programs must be submitted to HLC, The Office of Financial Aid, and any independent program acrredtiing body according to their processes and procedures.