Academic Program Actions

MDHE staff is involved in the approval of new academic program proposals, changes to existing programs, and the off-site delivery of existing programs by public institutions. MDHE staff also reviews and offers comments on programs from independent institutions.

Please note the new timeline for the review of academic programs:

Effective July 1, 2011, the CBHE will give provisional approval to new academic programs. The MDHE will review the program five years from the date of its provisional approval. If this review indicates that the program is not performing as expected, the CBHE may recommend the termination of the program, unless there are compelling justifications (i.e., central to institutional mission; supports other programs; meets statewide needs) for continuing the program.

For the five-year review, the MDHE will request that an institution provide enrollment, graduation and staffing data for the program, as well as a brief summary of program performance. If the program is performing as well as or better than the projections in the original program proposal, the MDHE will recommend that the CBHE approve the program without conditions.

Policy for Review of Academic Program Proposals & Clarifying Comments

The Policy for Review of Academic Program Proposals helps to ensure that Missouri's higher education institutions offer programs that effectively serve the citizens of the state. Effective service is achieved through

• provision of high quality programs,
• efficient use of resources,
• collaboration between institutions, and
• elimination of unnecessary program duplication within a service region.

Please refer to the "Review Process for Program Changes" within the Policy for the Review of Academic Program Proposals and Form PC (Word Version) to make title changes, combine programs, add certificates, add program options, and/or inactivate or delete programs or options from the state program inventory.

Clarifying Comments

The Clarifying Comments on the Policy for the Review of Academic Program Proposals provide more explicit descriptions of the type of information that the CBHE and MDHE staff use to evaluate new academic program proposals.

Form PC (Word Version)- Existing Program Change

Program Requests

The MDHE posts new program requests for review and comment and maintains an archive of requests from the previous year.

Academic program action requests must be approved by the institution's President/Chancellor or Chief Academic Officer. To submit new and off-site program requests and program changes, a written narrative and specific forms are required. Please see Section 10.2 of the Policy for the Review of Academic Program Proposals when submitting a new program request and Section 11.2 when submitting a request to offer an off-site program.

Forms

• Form NP (Word Version) - New Program Proposal
• Form SE (Word Version) - Student Enrollment Projections
• Form CL (Word Version) - Collaborative Programs
• Form PS (Word Version) - Program Structure
• Form FP (Word Version) - Financial Projections
• Form PG (Word Version) - Program Characteristics and Performance Goals
• Form OS (Word Version) - Off-site Delivery of an Existing Program

Public Policy Guidelines on Lower Division Delivery

The Public Policy Guidelines on Lower Division Coursework, Lower Division Certificate, and Associate Degree Delivery provides a framework that clarifies CBHE expectations concerning public institutional practices associated with lower-division coursework, lower-division certificate programs, and associate degree delivery.