GUIDELINE A-010

SUBJECT: Submitting Proposals for New Academic Programs or Units, and for Modifications of Existing Academic Programs, Policies, or Units

I. DEVELOPING ACADEMIC PROPOSALS 

A. LETTERS OF INTENT:
Submitting a Letter of Intent is the first step for any program proposal that requires approval from both TBR and THEC (See THEC policy A1:0 and A1:1). The TBR Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs should be notified that a Letter of Intent will be forthcoming. The Letter of Intent must be submitted to the TBR Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and include the following information:

• A brief description of the nature, purpose, and scope of the proposed action.
• The projected date for submission of the full proposal and the target date for Board approval.
• The projected date for implementation of the proposed program.
• The online delivery mode (if applicable) and,
• A statement of the total estimated cost for the first year of the program and the anticipated source of funding that will support the program over a long-term period.

Once a Letter of Intent is received, the proposed action will be reviewed by TBR and THEC staff, and the results shall be conveyed to the President by TBR. The President will authorize the development of the proposal and notification to SACS as appropriate. A copy of the approval letter should be submitted to TBR along with the proposal.

While a Letter of Intent is not required for proposals that are not subject to THEC authorization, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs should be informed prior to the development of any proposal anticipated to generate new costs or that may duplicate similar programs offered at other institutions serving the same region or population.

B. PROPOSAL FORMS
The following forms have been developed to assist the institution and to assure that the Board has the information it needs to review a proposal properly. The response should be tailored to meet the particular needs of the action being proposed. If an area is not applicable the response can be “NA.” Listed below are the various actions that require approval of the Board and the form that should be used for each.

FORMS IDENTIFICATION

The following forms are available on the TBR Academic Affairs webpage for “Publications and Forms.” Since forms may be revised by TBR staff as needed, all proposals should be developed using forms obtained directly from the website to insure that the most current format has been submitted.

COVER – Required for all proposals. This provides the President’s signature indicating that the proposal is supported and has been approved through the institution’s curriculum review process or other appropriate committee review.

SUM (Summary) – Required for all proposals. The summary should be no more than two (2) pages, excluding attachments. Notice that this form specifies documentation must be provided from the appropriate institution, if there is the potential for a TBR institution to be duplicating education or training at another TBR institution in the same service area or region, (i.e., TTCs, community colleges, or universities). Other TBR institutions are not required to approve of the proposed action before it is sent to the Board for approval. However, they must be given the opportunity to voice concerns or objections if there is a possibility of duplicating program offerings.

PS (Program Structure)

PJ (Performance and Justification)

SE (Student Enrollment Projections)

FP (Financial Projections)

CL (Collaborative Programs)

PC (Program Change, Creation of a New Academic Unit, Admission Policy change, etc.)

OCS (Extension of an existing degree program to an Off Campus Site)

OD (Online delivery) if applicable

PROPOSED ACTION AND REQUIRED FORMS (Add Form CL for all proposed collaborative programs.) Establish a New Academic Degree: COVER, SUM, PS, PJ, SE, FP Establish a New Certificate Program: COVER, SUM, PS, PJ, SE, FP Establish a New Concentration: COVER, SUM, PS, PJ, SE, FP Consolidate an Existing Academic Program: COVER, SUM, PC Converting on-ground program to a fully online delivery format: COVER, SUM, OD Substantive Curriculum Modification: COVER, SUM, PC (affecting 18 credit hours or more since the program was originally proposed or last modification approved, or to increase required hours for a degree that results in more than 60/120) Termination, Inactivation, or Reactivation: COVER, SUM, PC Revision of admission, retention, and/or graduation policy: COVER, SUM, PC

Extending an Academic Degree to an Off-Campus Site: COVER, SUM, OCS (Also include forms PJ, SE, and FP if new costs are created by the extension.) NOTE: THEC Policy A1.4 also has specific forms required.

Establishment of a new academic unit or reorganization resulting in a net gain of an academic unit (i.e., department, school, on campus center, institute, bureau, or college) COVER, SUM, PC (If new costs are anticipated, the FP form must also be submitted.)

C. SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL

Number of copies - Submit one copy of the proposal electronically, and one (1) paper copy with the President’s signature, to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Binding - Proposals should NOT be bound or stapled. Forms should be separated with one page of colored paper.

Review Calendar

The submission of a proposal should be carefully planned in order to assure timely staff review and Board consideration -- and, as may be required, THEC review and consideration. In doing so, the following considerations are relevant:

(a) The TBR considers academic proposals for new degree programs at each of its quarterly meetings; the THEC, on the other hand, considers academic proposals only at its Winter (January) and Summer (July) meetings.
(b) The number of proposals received at any one time may determine whether or not the staff review of a particular proposal is completed in time for submission to the TBR at the desired time. Proposals are generally reviewed on a first-come basis. Should the review of a proposal not be completed in time for the next meeting of the Board, it will be carried over with priority to the subsequent meeting.
(c) The following schedule may serve as a general guide for all proposed academic actions other than for the establishment of new degree programs. For proposed new degree programs, a timeline should be discussed with TBR staff and will be addressed in the letter to the President granting approval to develop the proposal after the Letter of Intent has been submitted. Proposed new graduate degree programs will require considerably more time than undergraduate degree program proposals.
Proposals will be accepted on a continual basis. Proposals (other than degree programs) received by 15th of each month (except December) will typically be reviewed by the end of the month and summaries prepared for consideration by the Board through the 30-day review process. Approval by the Chancellor, through delegated authority, will be given at the end of the 30-day review period unless objections were voiced by the Board. Letters will be sent to the appropriate institution to authorize implementation of the proposed action. If THEC approval is required, the letter will inform the institution of the approval by TBR and explain that the proposal will be sent to THEC for its review.

4. A-010 Status Reports
The staff attempts to keep the institutions apprised of the status of their proposals in a variety of ways including direct conversations and bi-annual A-010 Reports. Actions approved by the Board will be communicated through the A-010 Report that will be sent electronically to Presidents and Chief Academic Officers.

Source: March 5, 1976 meeting. Revised December 12, 1980 TBR meeting; November 8, 1982, May 29, 1984, February 10, 1987, and February 14, 1989 Presidents Meeting, Presidents Meeting, February, 2003, Presidents Meeting, May 20, 2003, Presidents Meeting, February 7, 2006; Presidents Meeting, November 8, 2006; Presidents meeting, February 12, 2008.