A campus of The
California State University
Office of the Academic Senate •
S04-3
At its meeting of
March 22, 2004, the Academic Senate passed the following Policy Recommendation
presented by James Brent for the Executive Committee.
POLICY RECOMMENDATION
SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE
Whereas,
Whereas, WASC requires that substantive changes in institutions be reported to the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities for approval in advance of implementation; therefore be it
Resolved, That SJSU adopt the following Substantive Change policy:
SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Any
“substantive change” as defined by the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges (WASC) must be reported to the Accrediting Commission for
WASC defines a substantive change as “one that may significantly affect [the institution’s] quality, objectives, scope, or control, or that triggers conditions established in federal law.” [WASC Handbook of Accreditation, page 86; http://www.wascweb.org/senior/handbook.pdf] Examples of substantive change are significant changes in the mission or objectives of the university, initiation of 50% or more of any degree program offered through distance education, a change from clock hours to credit hours, and the “addition of courses or programs that represent a significant departure, in either content or method of delivery, from those that were offered when the agency last evaluated the institution.”
The Office of the President shall have primary responsibility for reporting substantive changes to the Commission prior to implementation. The Office of the President shall notify the Academic Senate that it will be reporting a substantive change to the Commission and later report the response from the Commission. The Office of the President shall periodically remind vice presidents of this policy.
Approved: 3/15/04 by Executive Committee.
ACTION BY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: Approved by Interim President
Joseph
Crowley on April 1, 2004