Ï㽶ֱ²¥

Operating Policy and Procedure

HSC OP: 60.11, Development, Revision, or Termination of Academic Programs and Units

PURPOSE:The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to outline the procedure for initiating, developing, and implementing new academic programs and units; implementing significant curricular or administrative changes to existing academic programs and units; and terminating existing academic programs and units.

REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed by June 1 of every even-numbered year (ENY) by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Integrated Learning, THECB/SACSCOC Liaison, Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee, and Academics Council.

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

1. Governing Authority

As a component institution of the Texas Tech University System (TTU System), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Ï㽶ֱ²¥) is governed by the Board of Regents of the TTU System.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board () has degree-granting authority for all institutions of higher education in the state of Texas. As such, the THECB has authorized Ï㽶ֱ²¥ to award degrees and certificates at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional levels.

Ï㽶ֱ²¥ is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (). SACSCOC is an institutional accrediting body that seeks to ensure its member institutions' overall quality and effectiveness. In addition, specialized or programmatic accrediting bodies accredit individual academic programs and/or schools at Ï㽶ֱ²¥.

Each of the governing bodies has different requirements for initiating, developing, and implementing new academic programs and units; implementing significant curricular or administrative changes to existing academic programs and units; and terminating existing academic programs and units. Each entity often requires formal notifications and/or approvals.

2. This HSC OP applies to the following possible changes to academic programs at Ï㽶ֱ²¥. Please reference HSC OP 60.04, Substantive Change Reporting, for more specific information on SACSCOC substantive change requirements (see list of related OPs at the bottom of this document).

a. Development of New Academic Programs and Units:

i. Certificate Programs

ii. Degree Programs:

iii. Departments

iv.    Schools

b. Modifications to Existing Academic Programs and Units:

i. Significant Curricular and/or Assessment Change(s)

1. Program Content

2. Program Length (e.g., increase or decrease of total semester credit hours required)

3. Transition to/from Competency-Based Education

4. Transition/Addition in Method of Delivery (e.g., face-to-face to distance education)

ii. Administrative Change(s)

1. Combination, Dual, or Joint Academic Program

2. Off-campus Instructional Site/Additional Location

3. Student Enrollment Limitation (e.g., enrollment caps set by the program, school, THECB, or programmatic accreditor)

4. New Pathway, Concentration, Specialization, and/or Track

5. Change in name (e.g. certificate, degree program, department and/or school)

6. Change in organizational structure (e.g., certificate, degree program, department, and/or school)

7.     Change in Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code

8.     Program Closure (e.g., closure of program or pathways, tracks, specializations, concentrations, dual/joint agreements, and modalities)

9.     Program Consolidation

3. Overview

In general, the following steps will be taken for each proposed change (Note: these steps are not necessarily in chronological order due to compliance needs at the programmatic, state, and federal levels. These steps may take place in parallel, as guided by the Office of the Provost):

a.     Initial discussions at the program, department, and school levels per established school policies, including identification of the notification/approval process for programmatic accreditor, if applicable;

b.     Preliminary discussions at the institutional level, including appropriate Office of the Provost representatives. School accreditation liaisons are required to contact the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Integrated Learning and the THECB/SACSCOC Liaison prior to pursuing school-level approval;

c.     Development of appropriate planning documents at the program, department, and/or school level (e.g., degree plan, course descriptions, business plan, assessment plan, alignment with institution’s mission and strategic plan, and, if applicable, the appropriate THECB proposal form);

d.     Submission of proposal to the institutional platform following curriculum processes (see HSC Curriculum webpage for more information);

e.     Institutional platform may route the proposal to leaders of other institution-wide departments that the proposal may impact (e.g., Finance, Facilities, Information Technology, Digital Learning Committee, Interprofessional Education, Simulation, Student Business Services, Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Libraries, and Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Student Affairs) for review and/or approval, as guided by the Office of the Provost;

f.      Vote of approval at the Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (AACC) through consent agenda or a formal presentation, as directed by the chair of the committee. The proposal may be moved forward for review and approval by the Ï㽶ֱ²¥ Provost and Academics Council, and additional Ï㽶ֱ²¥ councils as needed;

g.     Notification to the Ï㽶ֱ²¥ President as needed;

h.     Notification and/or approval by the Board of Regents, if applicable;

i.      Notification and/or approval by THECB, if applicable;

j.      Notification and/or approval by SACSCOC, if applicable; 

k.     Notification and/or approval by programmatic accreditor, if applicable; and

l.      Implementation of the proposed change. 

i.    A program may only be marketed, recruited for, and added to the institutional catalog after approval by the Office of the Provost. 

Related Ï㽶ֱ²¥ OPs for review

• 60.04 (Substantive Change Reporting)

• 60.05 (Definition and Calculation of Credit Hours)

• 60.12 (Distance Education)

• 77.07 (Credit by Examination)

• 77.17 (Core and Transfer Compliance Policy)