FSU - V.02
Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF A NEW PROGRAM PROPOSAL OR A PROPOSAL FOR A SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATION, OR OFF-CAMPUS DELIVERY,
OF AN EXISTING PROGRAM
USING THE SHORT FORM (5 PAGES)

NEW DEGREE PROGRAM ONLY
USM Review

The BOR Committee on Education Policy reviews all new program proposals and passes its recommendations to the full Board of Regents for final action. The Board of Regents is required to take final action on all program proposals within 60 days of a proposal being received by USM campuses from MHEC. In order to facilitate the 60-day period of review, the Provosts have agreed to submit new program proposals within designated windows of time to ensure timely Board review. (See annual program approval calendar for deadlines for the 60-day window.)

Review of a new program using this short form proposal template is based on two factors as defined by Education Article 11-206.1, Annotated Code of Maryland:

(1) the new program is consistent with the institution’s adopted mission statement; and

(2) the new program can be implemented within existing program resources of the institution.

It is important to address and show the direct linkage of any new program to the institution’s mission statement. It is necessary to show that any new program will not be running in a deficit after the five-year period stipulated in the proposal charts. According to Article 11-206.1, however, the mere submission of a new proposal by an institution’s President using this short forms indicates the institution’s commitment to offer the program within existing resources.

MHEC Review

The Maryland Higher Education Commission reviews all new program proposals using this short form proposal template based on three factors as defined by Article 11-206.1:

  1. the new program is consistent with the Institution’s adopted mission statement;
  2. the new program does not represent an unreasonable program duplication which would cause demonstrable harm to other institutions; and
  3. the new program is not in violation of the State’s equal educational opportunity obligations under state and federal law.

To receive MHEC approval, it is helpful to address these three factors. Upon receipt, MHEC will circulate a new program proposal to all higher education institutions in the State. Objections from other institutions to the establishment of a new program or off-campus offering of an existing program must address one or more of the factors listed.

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ALL PROGRAM ADDITIONS REQUIRING FORM FSU – V.02
The Assistant Provost should be consulted early in the proposal planning process to answer any questions and to review proposals before they begin the campus review process. If necessary, the Assistant Provost will contact the USM Office of Academic Affairs for advice and a voluntary pre-review before proposals are sent to MHEC.

Suggestions for Completing Short Form for Program Proposal

NOTE: The condensed 5-page proposal can be used only when programs are mission consistent and utilize existing resources. Programs outside these categories must use the original long-form version for program proposals (available from the Assistant Provost). Programs that require new resources must be approved in principle by the Provost and the President before a proposal is developed.

Cover Sheet:

Use the cover sheet as designed. Use cover sheet FSU – V.02.1 for new degree programs (majors)and FSU – V.02.2 for new concentrations, minors, tracks, options, focuses, and offering an existing programin a new off-campus location or at a closed site. Copies of the entire proposal template can be forwarded by E-mail attachment and will be available on the Faculty Senate Web site by October 15, 2002. Request forms from Bonny Griffith, x4212,
The Assistant Provost will assist in assigning recommended HEGIS and CIP codes for new programs.
Programmatic changes cannot be implemented until they are fully approved and published in a catalog or official catalog supplement. The next undergraduate catalog will apply for students entering college in Fall 2003; the next graduate catalog for Fall 2004.

Body of Proposal: Do not exceed 5 pages.
Maryland private institutions objected to the continuation of the USM “fast-track” process during the 2002 Legislative session on the bases that the Board of Regents did not have enough information to judge the quality of a program or to determine whether a program could be offered using existing resources without negative effects on other programs. Several items were added to the “short form” proposal format to provide more information to measure program quality and to ascertain the source and impact of reallocated funds. As of July 2002, proposals must follow the new format.
In addition, beginning last year and continuing into the foreseeable future, the Educational Policy Committee of the BOR requires annual reports on the actual resources generated and funds expended to support a new program. It is imperative that your proposal provide responses to all points listed below, that enrollment estimates and new tuition and fee income are realistic, and that the finance tables are well-documented.

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A. Mission

A prime element in receiving program approval from the USM Board of Regents, from MHEC, and from the FSU Institutional Priorities and Resources Committee (IPR) is the mission consistency of the proposed new program. Quoting relevant sentences from the institution’s mission statement and making a clear argument concerning how the new program supports the mission facilitates the approval process.

B. Characteristics of the Proposed Program

Because MHEC will also be looking at issues related to unreasonable program duplication that would cause demonstrable harm to another institution and to any violation of the State’s equal educational opportunity obligations, it is helpful that this section emphasize the uniqueness of the program and the existence of State need and/or student demand. The remaining information provided in this section typically reflects what would be seen in the institution’s academic catalog.

The State’s equal educational opportunity obligations refer to the agreement with the Office of Civil Rights that requires, among other provisions, that institutions not compete with, or duplicate programs available at historically black institutions without strong justification. The Assistant Provost can providethe Maryland State Degree Inventory for you to use to determine which other institutions offer the program you are considering.

1. State the educational objectives of the proposed program.
Be sure educational objectives are related to the desired student learning outcomes listed below.

2. Provide a brief narrative that addresses the adequacy of curriculum design and related learning outcomes.
The narrative should (1) summarize factors that were considered in developing the proposed curriculum (such as recommendations of advisory and other groups, articulated workforce needs, standards set by disciplinary associations or specialized-accrediting groups, etc., and (2) include an overview of the following program characteristics:
- the general requirements of the degree;
- the total number of credits and their distribution;
- a list of courses by title and level;
- a description of thesis and/or non-thesis options for graduate programs;
- student learning outcomes and means of assessing them; and
- any additional information that is relevant to understanding the goals of the program and to assessing
the quality of the program.
3. Provide a brief narrative that addresses the demonstrable quality of the program faculty, including a summary of terminal degrees and other professional credentials as well as other information that is relevant.

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4. Describe the student audience to be served by the program; include enrollment estimates.
Provide realistic enrollment estimates as your targets will be checked in the BOR Ed Policy review mentioned above. In this section, you may include students whom you expect to transfer from another FSU major, as well as new students. However, in Resource Table 1, only tuition and fees generated from new students is credited as income generated by this program.

5. Describe the manner in which this program will enhance students’ technology fluency.
Technological fluency is a special concern of the BOR. This section needs to be specific, show genuine concern for the development of this competency, reflect the specialized needs of the field of study, and include student learning outcomes and assessment strategies that will validate the success of the program in enhancing relevant technological skills.

6. Assure that library resources are adequate by including the following statement:
“The president assures that institutional library resources meet new program needs.”

If the president cannot in good faith make this statement, you need to indicate what library enhancements will be required and include funding for these upgrades in your expenditures in Table 2. The Director of the Ort Library and staff can assist in ascertaining the strength of the collection in your program area and estimate the budget needed to improve the collection.

7. Assure that facilities are adequate by including the following statement:
“The president assures that institutional facilities meet new program needs.”

Again, if this statement is not accurate, you need to indicate what new or renovated facilities are needed and include funding in Table 2. The Director of Facilities and Maintenance and his staff can assist you in determining facilities’ costs.

C. Finance

Commitment is to requiring no new general funds from the State, but grants, partnerships, and reallocated Institutional funds used to support the program should be explained in narrative form in this section. Confirmation of grants and partnerships via letters or memorandums of understanding helps to support the case for non-tuition revenue sources. Additionally, any special equipment, library, or facilities identified in the expense table might be addressed here as opposed to briefer footnoting in Tables 1 and 2.

Institutions have significant leeway in deciding how to complete this section and Tables 1 and 2, but the extent to which assumptions and decisions affecting resources and expenditures are explicitly delineated is the extent to which questions and concerns are avoided.

Resources and Expenditures

Institutions typically can provide the departments developing programs with references to sources both on and off campus to help in completing the resource and expenditure tables. There are campus-specific definitions of full- and part-time students for research and comprehensive institutions, for example, as well as different projections for how many in-state and out-of-state students and full-time and part-time students might be expected to enroll in a particular new program. Consult with the Dean, Institutional Research Director, or Provost as to the best source of data at the Institution.

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Explanatory footnotes for assumptions made in projecting student and faculty FTE and for any special resource or expenditure data noted are encouraged to add clarity and understanding to the proposal.

Table 1: RESOURCES

Reallocated Funds

This figure should, at minimum, cover the deficit shown after identified expenditures are subtracted from identified resources. Balanced budgeting, where resources equal expenditures, meets the expectation of launching a new program with no additional state funding. The mere submission of the program using this form commits the Institution to running the new program within existing resources. Institutions are permitted to show a profit in program offering.

Tuition and Fee Revenue

Projected enrollments, based upon the number of full-time and part-time students (including in-state and out-of-state enrollments) will yield FTE enrollment. Estimates are based on two semesters per year. In projecting across the 2-year window, be sure to subtract anticipated numbers of students graduating from the program.

Use the current tuition rate to estimate tuition and fees generated across all five years (do not estimate tuition and fee increases). Note, too, any special program fees included in the estimate.

Grants, Contracts, and Other External Sources

If dollar amounts are included in these categories, identify the source. Additional supporting materials should be included in the proposal and are not counted as part of the 5-page maximum limit.

Table 2: EXPENDITURES

Faculty

MHEC is requesting that only the salary and benefits of NEW faculty–that is, faculty hired specifically to teach full-time or part-time in the proposed program–be included in the expense table.

Administration and Support Staff

Reflect any new part-time or full-time staff who have been hired to support the new program administration.

Equipment, Library, New or Renovated Space, and Other Expenses

If special expenditures for the new program are anticipated in these categories, a footnote to the table and an explanatory narrative in the body of the proposal are helpful.