Academic Program Approval and Review
Board Policy 4200 establishes the expectations for:
- Approval of new academic offerings for the State Colleges
- Review of existing programs currently being offered by the State Colleges
Board Policy 4140 establishes the definitions and requirements for all academic offerings delivered by the State Colleges.
The processes for each are described below, along with supporting documents that provide guidelines and suggested templates for Colleges to use in the development of their academic program materials.
New Academic Program Approval Process
All new academic programs, which include degrees; majors; options/concentrations, focus areas and endorsements within majors: certificates and minors, require prior approval of the Board. Proposals for new academic programs shall be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for initial review and recommendation to the Chancellor and Board of Trustees.
Academic program termination and subsequent reinstatement of a program also requires the submission of a formal proposal identifying the College’s recommendation, for approval of the Board. In all cases, the Board may require objective consultants to assist the Board in analyzing the proposal and arriving at a decision.
Existing Program Review Process
Existing academic programs shall be reviewed on a regular basis by each College, following the academic program review schedule established by the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE) for the Nebraska State Colleges. Such review shall be for the purpose of determining the quality and effectiveness of each academic program, the efficiency with which each is delivered, and for the purpose of avoiding unnecessary duplication.
Each College shall perform the review according to the established CCPE program review schedule and shall submit a report which compiles the results to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for review, along with supporting documentation and a recommendation for each program reviewed. Each program report will be considered by the Board for the continuation of the program; those programs approved for continuation will then have their reports forwarded for consideration and approval by the CCPE.
Exemptions to Existing Programs
If an exemption to the definitions and requirements outlined in Policy 4140 is desired for an existing program delivered by the College, a Policy 4140 Exemption Proposal for Existing Program report should be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, which will be reviewed and acted upon by the Board of Trustees.
