SAMPLE DISCONTINUATION POLICIES WITHIN CSU INSTITUTIONS
1. SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
DEGREE PROGRAM
DISCONTINUATION
1.0 Procedures: Proposals for
the discontinuation of degree programs may be initiated by departments or
schools, faculty members, college or University committees, or administrative
officers of the University. Proposals shall specify mechanisms to protect the
interests of students enrolled in such programs and, if possible, to allow the
students to complete
their degrees in a reasonable time. Proposals shall include a declaration of
intent to effect (a) a degree program
discontinuation or (b) the discontinuation of degree program with department or school dissolution. Proposals
shall address employment options, informed
by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, for the affected tenured and
probationary faculty and for permanent staff.
1.2 Proposals
shall be reviewed by designated department or school and college curriculum
committees, and the dean of the college.
1.3 Proposals
approved by the college dean shall be forwarded to the office of the Provost
for University-wide
distribution.
1.4 Undergraduate
Proposals
1.41 Undergraduate proposals shall be reviewed
for approval by the University Committee on Academic Policy and Planning, which shall seek broad
consultations with groups or persons likely
to be affected by the degree program discontinuation, including enrolled students in the affected degree program.
1.42 Proposals shall be additionally reviewed by
the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, with recommendations forwarded to the
Senate.
1.43 Approved proposals shall be forwarded to the
Senate, as action items. 1.44 Approved proposals shall be forwarded to the
President for final action.
1.5
Graduate Proposals
1.51 Graduate proposals shall be reviewed for
approval by the Graduate Council, which shall seek broad consultation with
groups or persons likely to be affected by the degree program discontinuation,
including enrolled students in the degree programs affected.
1.52 Proposals shall be further reviewed by the
University Committee on Academic Policy and Planning, with recommendations
forwarded to the Senate.
1.53 Approved proposals shall be forwarded to the Senate as
action items. 1.54 Approved proposals shall be forwarded to the President for
final action.
2.0 Dissolution of a Department or School: If a proposal
for degree program discontinuation implies the dissolution of a department or
school, this procedure shall be followed:
2.1 Proposals for the
discontinuation of degree programs may be initiated by departments or schools,
faculty members, college and University committees, or administrative officers
of the University. Proposals shall specify means to protect the interests of
students enrolled in the programs and, if possible, to allow those students to
complete
their degrees in a reasonable time. Proposals for degree
program
discontinuation shall include a declaration of intent to effect (a) a degree
program discontinuation or (b) the discontinuation of degree program with department
dissolution. Proposals shall address employment options, informed by the
applicable Memorandum of Understanding, for the affected tenured and
probationary faculty and for permanent staff.
2.2 Proposals shall be reviewed by designated
department or school and college curriculum committees.
2.3 Proposals shall be reviewed by the dean or
deans of the colleges. If the dean or deans deter-mine that the proposal has no
merit, this recommendation together with the original
proposal shall be forwarded to the Provost. If the dean or deans determine that
the proposal does have merit, the dean or deans shall form a special ad hoc
committee to give the matter full and serious consideration. The ad hoc
committee shall have at least five members, at least two of whom shall be
department chairs or school directors with one chair or director drawn from an
uninvolved college.
2.4 The ad hoc committee shall report its
recommendations to the dean and the executive committee (or equivalent) of the
colleges involved, and the dean shall subsequently transmit final
recommendations to the Provost who shall in turn convey the recommendations
with comments to the University Committee on Academic Policy and Planning.
2.5 The Committee on Academic Policy and
Planning shall seek broad consultation with groups or persons likely to be
affected by the degree program discontinuation, including enrolled students in
the affected degree program. The Committee shall forward its recommendations
regarding deletions or transfer of programs to the Undergraduate Curriculum
Committee for review. The Committee on Academic Policy and Planning shall
present its recommendation regarding dissolution of a department or school to
the Senate as an action item concurrent with the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
report on the deletion or transfer of programs.
2.6 The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
shall present its recommendations regarding the deletion or transfer of
programs to the Senate as an action item.
2.7 Approved proposals shall be forwarded to
the President for final action.
2. SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC PROGRAM DISCONTINUANCE (ACADEMIC SENATE POLICY #S93-177 (formerly
F92-177))
[At its
meeting of April 13, 1993, the Academic Senate unanimously
approved a revision to the existing
policy].
I. Preamble
This policy provides categories of decision
variables and a set of processes and procedures to be used in considering the
discontinuation of academic programs. Academic programs covered by
this policy include the following: a) undergraduate and graduate degrees; b)
concentrations; c) minors; d) certificate programs (including Extended
Education) and e) credential programs.
Should it be necessary to consider the
discontinuation of an academic program, a determination will be based upon a
review of the following:
a. the importance of
the program to the University's mission as articulated in the institution's
approved mission statement;
b. the quality of the
program; and
c. the efficiency of the program.
In considering
a decision to discontinue a program, no one category should necessarily be deemed more crucial than any other;
nor, likewise, is deficiency, or low rating, in any
one category necessarily sufficient for
program discontinuance. A decision to discontinue a program should not be
based solely on quantitative measures, but on a holistic assessment of the program in terms of all of the decision
variables, within a process that is broadly consultative and collegial.
II. Decision Variables
A. Importance to the Institution
1. To what extent the program is central to SFSU's
mission as described in the "Academic Mission
and Goals of the University" statement.
2. To what extent the program is central to the
curriculum of a department, a college, or the University.
3. To what extent the program promotes the
mission of the University.
4. To what extent the program advances the
University's affirmative action goals.
5. To what extent the program provides a special
service to the community.
6. To what extent the program has demonstrated
potential for external funding and support.
B. Quality of the Program
1. To what
extent the quality of the program is adequate to justify continuance in its present form.
Program quality may be assessed by program review, external review, or accreditation
review. The variables for evaluating program quality may include:
a. demonstrated
ability of the faculty to offer and maintain a current and rigorous
curriculum;
b. access to
resources adequate to develop the sufficient breadth, depth and coherence of the program;
c. demonstrated
ability to attract and retain well-qualified faculty;
d. the quality of the program's faculty as demonstrated by
participation in appropriate scholarly, creative and/or professional activity.
2. To what extent the program's excellence and
standing in its discipline enhances the reputation of the university.
C. Efficiency and Demand for the Program
1. To what extent the program is cost-effective
relative to disciplinary norms and compared to similar programs at
comparable institutions. The measurements presented shall include
student-faculty ratio; total cost per FTEF; and total cost per FTES. Other discipline
specific variables may also be used.
2. To
what extent the present and projected demand for the program is sufficient.
Demand for the program may be measured by
one or more of the following: a. the
number of completed applications for admission; b. the FTES generated in lower division, upper division, and/or graduate
level courses; c. the number of
students who completed the program; d. the anticipated need for graduates of
the program.
III. Process
The process for discontinuance is similar to the
process for the creation of programs. For undergraduate and graduate degrees,
concentrations, minors, and certificates, this involves program faculty,
the college, the Academic Senate, and the president of the university or
his/her designee. For credential programs, this involves the program faculty,
the college, the Teacher Credential Committee, the Dean of the College of Education and the Vice
President for Academic Affairs. This process shall be completed within
one calendar year from the initial recommendation.
A. A
recommendation to discontinue a program may be made by the faculty of the
program, the college dean, the Vice
President for Academic Affairs, or the President of the University. Each
recommendation must be accompanied by documentation that indicates specific reasons for discontinuance based on the
decision variables above. Each recommendation
must also include information regarding the potential effect on the future employment status of the faculty and staff in the
program. The Chair of EPC, through the Academic
Senate office, shall inform the campus community of any proposal for discontinuance
at least two weeks prior to its meeting to consider the action. Any interested
party may file a response with the EPC prior to its meeting. The EPC shall
review the recommendation.
B. EPC is responsible for deciding to
what extent to involve the following in the review:
1. Appropriate program committee;
2. Representative student groups of the program;
3. Appropriate cognate programs;
4. The
college council, the dean, and other appropriate college bodies;
5. Appropriate
university-wide councils and/or committees.
C. At the end of the review, the
Educational Policies Council shall report its recommendation to the Academic
Senate for action.
D. If a program is to be discontinued,
students shall be enabled to complete their course of study at San
Francisco State University. Procedures
shall be set up by the program or, in the case of a credential, by the
Teacher Credential Committee. The procedures shall include:
1. Preparation of an official list of students
enrolled in the program;
2. Establishment
of a cut-off date for adding students to that list;
3. Notification to all students on the list of
the following alternatives:
a. the date by which
program requirements must be met;
b. other programs
offered by the university to which the student may wish to transfer;
c. similar programs
offered by nearby institutions.
3. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, BAKERSFIELD
APPENDIX 12
POLICY ON
DISCONTINUANCE OF ACADEMIC DEGREE PROGRAMS
The following policy statement
describes the procedures and requirements under which an academic degree
program can be considered for discontinuance at California State University, Bakersfield. Program
discontinuation is a seldom used but important component to the long-range
planning of the University. It affords the University a deliberate process of
program evaluation, and when done well, produces substantial consensus
regarding the future direction of the department, school and/or
university. Program discontinuation is not an appropriate procedure for
addressing short-term financial crises or personnel problems. It is an appropriate
process for evaluating the relevance and vitality of specific programs where
substantial doubts exist as to the program's future viability and
responsiveness. Normally, these doubts will be raised first by the faculty
directly responsible for the program or will arise out of the normal program
review process.
Six criteria govern decisions
regarding discontinuance of an existing academic degree program. In each instance, strategies to strengthen or
modify the program shall receive first and serious consideration as
alternatives to discontinuance.
(1) The
overall quality of a program is an essential factor in decision-making. There
are many forms of supporting evidence that
lead to conclusions regarding overall quality. For example, evidence of excellence in teaching,
academic program reviews, accrediting agency
reports, reputation within the discipline (including published surveys) and reputation across the campus, evidence of faculty
and student scholarship, timeliness of the curriculum, currency of the faculty, and efforts to mentor and involve
students in intellectual and
creative pursuits attest to qualitative achievements.
(2) Centrality of a program to the
University is another consideration. This criterion basically addresses
whether the University might fulfill its mission were this program to be eliminated.
(3) Need is an important consideration. Both internal
and external factors determine need. Internal
considerations are related to the University's mission. It is the mission of California State University, Bakersfield, to be a
comprehensive university, which offers a variety of degree programs in the
liberal arts and professions. Also, the instructional contributions of a degree
program to other programs are important. External factors include the needs of
our regional population, the clientele we serve, and to some extent, current
student demand.
(4) Diversity is an important criterion
when considering program discontinuance. Faculty, students, and a curriculum,
which reflects diversity, contribute to our ability to create this environment
and better model a changing population.
(5) Degree program size is a consideration. To
be effective a degree program must have a sufficient number of faculty to provide a reasonable exposure to the discipline
and a sufficient number of students to insure the integrity and continuity of
the curriculum.
(6) Cost and resource
generation are appropriate criteria. In determining cost the following factors
are useful: student/faculty ratio, factors that determine resource generation,
program administration costs, anticipated future outlays, and a judgment about
maximum utilization of resources. When appropriate, the ability to generate
outside revenue can be balanced against cost
factors.
Initiation of Program Discontinuance
Procedures
A written request for the review
of an academic program for the purpose of determining whether program
discontinuance is warranted may be made by any one of the following parties:
(1) the Chair of the degree program with
the written approval of a majority of the tenured and probationary faculty in the program or, in appropriate instances, the
program committee;
(2) the Dean of the school
in which the program is housed;
(3) the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies, but only in regard to an undergraduate program;
(4) the Dean of
Graduate Studies, but only in regard to a graduate program;
(5) a majority vote of the Academic Senate; or
(6) a majority vote of the University Program Review
Committee.
Such a request shall be
submitted in writing to:
(1) the Vice President
for Academic Affairs;
(2) all Deans
involved in the administration of the program;
(3) the Academic
Senate; and
(4) all tenured and
probationary faculty who teach in the program.
The letter making this request
must clearly indicate the specific reasons for the suggested program
discontinuance. If within 14 calendar days* of receipt of this letter by the
Vice President for Academic Affairs, none of the individuals or parties
listed in (1) through (4) above (i.e., the Vice President
for Academic Affairs, any Dean involved in the administration of the program, the Academic Senate by majority vote, or
any tenured or probationary faculty member who teaches in the program) has objected to the proposed discontinuance
in writing to the Vice President for
Academic Affairs, a recommendation for discontinuance will be sent to the
President. If within 14 calendar days of receipt of the letter requesting
program discontinuance at least any one of those parties has objected to
discontinuance, then the following procedures must be followed before a recommendation for program
discontinuance can be made to the President.
"Calendar days"
exclude the Summer break and the breaks between
quarters wherever the term is used in this document.
Appointment of a Special Review
Committee
Within 14 calendar days of
receipt of a letter objecting to a proposed program
discontinuance from one of the parties listed above, the Senate Executive
Committee in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall
appoint a Special Review Committee to conduct a special program review focused
on issues related to potential discontinuance. The committee shall consist
of:
(1) six tenured faculty: one selected by the faculty who teach
in the affected program, three from
different units within the same school as the program in question, and one from
each of two schools different from
that of the program in question;
(2) the Dean of the school in which the program is housed, who
will serve as a nonvoting member; and
(3) the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies or the Dean of Graduate Studies, as appropriate, who will
serve as a non-voting member for a program included in his or her
administrative responsibilities.
Minimum Requirements for the
Special Program Review
As a minimum, this review shall
include:
(1) direct,
personal consultation with all current full-time faculty members who have
taught courses in the program within the last two academic years;
(2) an
opportunity for students presently enrolled in the program to provide both
written and oral statements regarding the proposed program discontinuance; and
(3) an open forum,
announced publicly at least 14 calendar days in advance, in which the
University community at large has a chance to express its views.
The review shall address the following
points:
(1) an evaluation of
the academic quality of the program (as described under criterion #1, P. 1);
(2) an analysis of the
cost and resource generation, over time, of the program;
(3) study of enrollment trends over the past ten years, present
enrollment in the program, and projected future enrollment;
(4) consideration of
alternatives that might increase the quality and/or student enrollment in the
program, as needed;
(5) consideration of
alternatives for providing additional financial support for the program, as
needed,
(6) assessment of
specific community needs served by the program;
(7) assessment of the favorable and unfavorable impact that
discontinuance of the program would have on other degree programs, other campus
activities, and the curricular priorities and mission of the University;
(8) study of the possible impact of program
termination on faculty in that program and evaluation of possible on-campus
faculty transfers which might occur, based on faculty skills, training, and
desire as well as campus need; and
(9) consideration of the impact discontinuance of the program
would have on students presently enrolled.
A maximum of 45 calendar days
will normally be allowed for the work of the Special Review Committee. Upon
completion of its review, the Special Review Committee shall make a written
report and recommendation to the Senate Executive Committee and the Vice
President for Academic Affairs. This report must include the opportunity for
minority reports from the Special Review Committee. The Senate Executive
Committee shall forward the report for review by the Academic Affairs Committee
and the Budget and Planning Committee. The Vice President for Academic Affairs
shall forward the report to the appropriate Dean(s) and the affected department
for review.
A maximum of 30 calendar days
will be allowed for review of and rebuttal to the written report by the
committees, Dean(s) and affected department. A copy of this report and any
written rebuttals or statements should then be forwarded to the Executive
Committee of the Academic Senate and the Vice President for Academic Affairs
for final review. The Academic Senate normally will make its recommendation to
the President regarding the program discontinuance no later than 60 days after
receiving the recommendation of the Special Review Committee.
CSU Program Discontinuance
Procedures
If the President decides that
program discontinuance is warranted, the campus will follow these procedures
required by EP&R 79-10 regarding review by the Chancellor of program
discontinuance proposals:
(1) The campus President shall inform the
Chancellor of the proposed discontinuance.
(2) The Chancellor will review the proposal for
system-wide effects with the advice from whatever groups he/she deems
appropriate, and may request additional information from the campus if needed
for this review.
(3) The Chancellor will ordinarily provide
comments on all such proposals within 30 days and will inform the President of
any system concerns so that these may be considered in the final decision.
(4) The
President will not take any administrative action leading to the de facto or
official discontinuance of an academic program before the Chancellor has
commented on the proposal.
In the event the President's
final decision is official discontinuance of an academic program, a cut-off
date shall be announced immediately beyond which no new students, including
transfer students, will be permitted to enter the program. All students
currently listed by the Registrar as participants in this program shall receive
written notification of the program discontinuance no more than 15 days after
the official announcement by the President.
Plans and alternatives shall be
developed to allow currently enrolled students to complete a degree program.
Students currently enrolled in the program should be given the opportunity to
provide both written and oral statements regarding the alternatives available.
These alternatives may include:
completion of the
program requirements by a certain date in order to receive the specified degree
from this University;
completion of a closely
related program offered by this campus;
completion of a similar
program, if any, offered by other institutions within the California State University system; and
use of
substitutions to meet this campus's requirements for the program.
The President, in consultation
with appropriate administrators and faculty committees, shall make every effort
to assist in the placement of faculty members displaced by program
discontinuance in other appropriate programs or activities in the University or
on other campuses in the California State University system.
Normally, an academic program
shall continue to serve its current students for at least three full quarters
following the official announcement of program discontinuance by the President.
During this transition period, course offerings should be designed to assist
students in the program to complete the program requirements.
Notice that the program has
been discontinued will be sent to all advisors, units, and agencies involved in
advising or providing information regarding academic programs on this campus.
TIMELINE FOR PROGRAM DISCONTINUATION
I. Letter
received by the Vice President for Academic Affairs requesting degree program
discontinuation.
14 Calendar Days* After Receipt of Letter
IIA. If no party as listed above has objected in
writing to the proposed discontinuation, a recommendation for discontinuation
will be sent to the President.
IIB. If any party as listed above has objected in
writing to the proposed discontinuation, the procedures for program
discontinuation as outlined in this document must be initiated.
Within 14 Calendar Days After Receipt of
Written Objection
Ill. Special Review Committee must be appointed
with procedures outlined above.
Within 14 Calendar Days Advance Public Notice
IV. An
open forum must be held in which the University community at large can express
their views.
Within 45 Calendar Days After Appointment of
Special Review Committee
V. Special
Review Committee must submit its completed report and recommendation to the
Senate Executive Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affair$.
Within 30 Calendar Days After Receipt of
Special Review Committee Report
VI. All
reviews of rebuttals to, and general statements
regarding the Special Review Committee report must have been submitted in
writing to the Senate Executive Committee and the Vice President for Academic
Affairs.
Within 60 Calendar Days After Receipt of
Special Review Committee Report
VII. The
Academic Senate must make its recommendation to the President regarding program
discontinuance.
["Calendar days"
exclude the Summer break and the breaks between
quarters wherever the term is used in this document.]
