new degree policy

New-Degree Policy September 4, 2013

Woodbury University

Table of Contents

Process Overview .......................................................................................................................................................2

Process Diagram .........................................................................................................................................................3

Program Blueprint ......................................................................................................................................................4

Academic Plan ............................................................................................................................................................5

Market Feasibility .......................................................................................................................................................6

Resource Plan .............................................................................................................................................................7

Substantive Change Proposal .....................................................................................................................................8

Courses & Syllabi ........................................................................................................................................................9

New-Degree Policy 2 September 4, 2013

Process Overview

This policy governs the development and launch of new degree programs at Woodbury University. A degree

program is generally defined as a major; the launch of new minors or concentrations will remain under the

existing guidelines. A new program requires significant financial investment. This process provides the basis for

making fully informed decisions.

This policy differs from the existing Substantive Change Policy in the following ways:

1. The approval process has been streamlined.

a. Before, all of the approvals happened in sequence. This prevented each group from beginning work until the previous had finished. Now, the different committees & groups can work in parallel.

2. The primary body for coordinating and prioritizing new program launch is now the Cabinet. The Cabinet consists of the Vice Presidents, Deans, and Provost.

a. Placing the new program discussions in the Cabinet provides clarity and transparency. This encourages data-driven decisions that are open and documented.

b. The Cabinet considers the overall portfolio of programs offered by Woodbury. This aids the university in developing a balanced set of degrees.

c. The ultimate decision-making authority for launching new programs remains with the President, Provost, and Board of Trustees. The cabinet acts as the primary forum for discussions, but does not have the authority to launch a program.

3. The cabinet uses the following criteria to prioritize new degrees.

a. Does the program fit with Woodbury’s mission, vision, and strategic goals? Does it strengthen our existing degree portfolio?

b. Market Feasibility: Is the program appealing to potential students, what is its potential for growth, and will it generate sufficient revenue to be sustainable?

c. Resources: What will the program cost to launch, and will it break-even within 3 years?

d. Academics: Will the program be able to create a high level of academic quality?

4. Members of the Cabinet are responsible for distributing information about new programs to their respective areas. For example, this includes the Registrar, Library, Admissions, Academic Support, and IT.


Process Diagram

This diagram shows the multi-year planning process. Major documents are shown in yellow, groups are blue,

and critical decision points are black arrows. The entire process may take up to 2 ½ years, but can be

accelerated. Generally, at least a year is required between a program’s approval and launch. This time is

needed to properly recruit and market a new program.

Program Lead

Board of

Trustees

Educational Planning

Committee

Academic

Plan

Resource

Plan

Course

Syllabi

Cabinet, Provost, & President

Faculty Senate

Curriculum

Committee

Marketing

& Admissions

Program Lead

School Dean &

Provost

Cabinet

approved

Program

Blueprint

Market

Feasibility

Program Launch

Some programs require a

Substantive Change Proposal

WASC


Program Blueprint

The Blueprint describes a program in a maximum of 10 pages. It provides preliminary versions of the Resource

Plan, Academic Plan, and Market Feasibility Study. These sections provide information for the Cabinet to

prioritize planning efforts. Depending on the magnitude of the project, a course release may be appropriate.

Once the Cabinet approves the Program Blueprint, the Program Lead is responsible for creating the other

documents described later in this document. Program Leads should not invest significant time planning a new

program until they have Cabinet approval. The Cabinet is responsible for providing assistance & resources for

the planning process. Course release(s) for developing the proposal are granted depending on the project’s

scope.

Contents:

1. Preliminary Academic Plan (4-6 pages)

o Program description

o Fit with Woodbury University’s mission, vision, strategy, resources, & existing programs

o Course descriptions, sequencing, and delivery mode (hybrid/online/studio/discussion)

2. Preliminary Market Feasibility (1-2 pages)

o Potential student profile, demographics, age, educational background

o Relevant industry trends and potential job market

o Relevant education trends, competing colleges, and similar programs

3. Preliminary 5 Year Resource Plan (1-2 pages)

o Resource requirements (people, space, technology, etc…)

o Start-up costs & break-even point

Academic Plan

Program Blueprint

Market Feasibility

Section 1:

Preliminary

Academic Plan

Section 3:

Preliminary

Resource Plan

Section 2:

Preliminary

Market Feasibility

Initial Plan with 3

Sections

Resource Plan Final 3 Planning

Documents


Academic Plan

The Academic Plan for a new program is intended to explain the program’s content, structure, and rigor. Does it

meet high standards of academic quality?

Contents:

1. Program Overview

o Program mission, vision, & strategy

o Fit with university mission statement, pillars, and strategic plan

o Fit with current & potential university programs

o Reporting & organizational structure

o External accreditation plans

2. Curriculum

o Program outcomes

o Curriculum map

o Course descriptions, sequencing, and prerequisites

o General education courses & integrated learning plan

o Delivery mode (what % is online, hybrid, in-person, accelerated, weekend, etc…)

3. Assessment plan

o Description of assessment approach

o Program learning outcomes (with rubrics)

o Assessment map

4. Admissions standards

o Graduate programs should include a description of acceptable undergraduate degrees

o Description of any entry requirements, such as portfolios, test scores, or coursework.


Market Feasibility

The Program Lead, along with representatives from Enrollment Management and University Marketing, are

jointly responsible for the feasibility study. The format of this document may change, but it should provide a

valid prediction of student enrollment. It should be used to generate accurate resource requirements for the

other planning documents.

Contents:

1. Target students

o Demographics (age, first/second generation status, etc…)

o Geographic location (local, state, country, or international)

o Background (work experience, educational preparation, projected remediation/support)

o Other relevant characteristics. For example, to what degree will the program depend on recruiting existing students or alumni to meet enrollment projections?

2. Related programs

o Identification of competitive schools (local, national, or global)

o For competitive programs, what are their enrollment & tuition trends?

3. Positioning

o Does the program have unique aspects that make it more competitive?

4. Trends

o Academic degree and discipline trends

o Industry and job trends

o Other relevant local, state, national, & global trends

5. Five year projected enrollment

o Best, most likely, and worst case scenarios

o Description of risks, including cyclical demand cycles & the impact of the economy on student demand


Resource Plan

The Resource Plan describes a program’s 5-year start-up costs.

Project Leads will need to consult with prevailing guidelines to create accurate cost estimates such as

chargeback and overhead rates needed to calculate a break-even point. For example, verification that typically

programs should assume that 60% of tuition revenue would be used to fund core university operations. As

Woodbury develops its budget system, the structure and format of this section will evolve.

Once approved by the President, the program may begin gathering resources in order to launch the following

year. We expect that at least one year is required between approval and students beginning class. This year is

used for Admissions to begin recruiting students.

Contents:

1. Five-year budget (start-up & ongoing)

o In order to develop a realistic budget, Program Leads should identify two or three comparable existing programs at Woodbury. These program budgets should be averaged in order to develop a baseline. Budgets should not only include faculty and staff salaries with benefits, but also marketing, supplies, printing, and other expenses.

o Plans should describe needed resources. At a minimum, this should include each of the following:

Marketing & admissions start-up + ongoing costs. These estimates should be developed in consultation with each department’s staff, and include expenses such as brochures, travel, and website development.

Technology including any hardware, software, printers, and copiers needed in classrooms, labs, and offices.

Library resources

o Five-year budgets should show anticipated break-even point, along with the program’s minimum performance goals and timeline.

2. Facilities

o Programs should identify needed classroom, studio, and office space.

3. Staffing plan

o Identification of Program Lead and/or Chair.

o Faculty qualifications & numbers (full-time & adjunct).

Faculty should be on the normal salary schedule. Programs must justify any non-schedule salaries.

o Administrative staff requirements. Include program-related department- and school-specific personnel and include incremental program-related effects on student-development and student-support staffing.

o Plans should rely on the Feasibility Study’s worst, projected, & best-case enrollment scenarios.


Substantive Change Proposal

After the program is approved to launch by the Cabinet, Provost, and President, it needs to be approved by

WASC. The Market Feasibility, Academic Plan, and Resource Plan documents should provide most of the

information needed to complete a WASC Substantive Change Proposal. WASC has multiple templates

depending on the type of program being proposed. The Program Lead & Woodbury’s WASC Liaison will

collaborate on the writing of this document. Templates are available at

http://www.wascsenior.org/subchangetemplates.

The Program Lead is required to work with the WASC Liaison to ensure that enough time is available to gain

approval before the program launches. This generally takes 6-9 months for a graduate program, or a year for an

online program. Woodbury is currently certified to launch new undergraduate programs without prior

notification.

Depending on the program being proposed, we may also need approval from one or more of our disciplinary

accreditations. Program Leads are expected to collaborate with the appropriate liaison officers.

http://www.wascsenior.org/subchangetemplates


Courses & Syllabi

The Courses & Syllabi are a detailed view of the program. They are internal in focus, and governed by the

Faculty Association. Program Leads may work on these documents until the program launches. Syllabi should be

approved prior to the first offering of a course. They should comply with the University syllabi standards.

Contents:

1. Syllabi for each course

2. Curriculum Map

Note: Recommended for Approval by the President’s Cabinet on September 4, 2013. Approved by the President: ____________________________.