Legislative History:

At its meeting of March 1, 1999, the Academic Senate approved the following policy recommendation presented by Ann Doordan for the Curriculum and Research Committee.

ACTION BY THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT:
"Approved as University Policy" signed Robert Caret, March 4, 1999.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION
Degree Termination

Replaces: S79-12, F79-3,F79-2, F83-3

Whereas: Termination of a degree program is a serious undertaking that requires sufficient time for all involved in the process to complete a thorough and thoughtful review, and

Whereas: This review process must be balanced by the need to facilitate future planning for enrollment in the program(s) under consideration, and this requires that the review process be accomplished in a timely manner. Therefore, be it

Resolved: That the attached policy be implemented as soon as it is administratively possible.

Approved
Present: Doordan, Dorosz, Fisher, Hamill, Holscher, Lessow-Hurley, Nuger, Redfern, Sree-Harsha, Van Hooff
Absent: Burton, Canziani, Singh
Vote: 10:0:0

Financial Impact: None

DEGREE TERMINATION POLICY

1. Scope of Policy. This policy governs the termination of any graduate or undergraduate degree or concentration. The termination of emphases, options, minors, and certificates shall proceed under normal curricular review processes. Under all circumstances of termination of degree or concentration, provision shall be made for currently enrolled students to complete their degrees. Insofar as possible, termination of emphases, options, minors and certificates shall also provide opportunities for students to complete those curricular paths.

2. Termination initiated by the department (or equivalent academic unit). Termination of a degree path often occurs through reorganization of existing courses into new degree paths. Two or more concentrations are often collapsed into a smaller number, and occasionally degrees and/or concentrations are merged across degree lines (e.g., a BS concentration merged into a BA). Such condensation/terminations are a normal part of curricular development and as such are subject only to normal curricular review processes initiated in departments and reviewed by appropriate college and university committees and offices. These curricular review bodies shall take into consideration any objection to the curricular change that is posed by dissenting faculty, students, or members of the public.

3. Termination initiated by College Dean, in consultation with or at the request of the Provost.

3.1 If the department, following its normal curricular review procedures, concurs with the Dean’s written termination request, then termination shall proceed under the conditions of Section 2 of this policy. This department decision shall be made within 20 faculty duty days (as specified in the current year’s academic calendar) of referral by the Dean.

3.2 If the department, following its normal curricular review procedures, does not concur with the termination request, the department Chair shall report this outcome to the Dean within 20 faculty duty days of the Dean’s termination request. Then the proposed termination shall be subject to the following procedures. Both the Chair’s and the Dean’s report discussed in the following sections must address potential issues of faculty lay-off, re-assignment to a different academic unit, or change in academic responsibilities of affected faculty, or other personnel matters covered by the current Bargaining Unit Contract. Both the Chair’s and the Dean’s report must also address resources necessary to support program continuation, and resource implications of termination.

3.2.1 No later than 15 faculty duty days after the department decision not to terminate the degree path, the department Chair and the College Dean shall provide to the College Curriculum Committee complete written arguments respectively against and for termination. The Chair’s arguments shall contain a full report of departmental deliberations, and may also include other materials that support the department’s position, including but not limited to student petitions, statements from other campus personnel, and statements from the public. The Dean’s arguments shall include whatever materials the Dean believes appropriate to the discussion.

3.2.2. No later than 25 faculty duty days after receipt of materials from the Chair and the Dean, the College Curriculum Committee shall make written recommendations to the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee (as appropriate). During its deliberations, the College Curriculum Committee shall conduct one well publicized public hearing for a minimum of two hours (or less if all present have had an opportunity to speak). This hearing shall be conducted by the Chair of the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, and must be attended for its full duration by a quorum of the College Committee. The session must be video-recorded and must also be attended or viewed by the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies or the Associate Vice President for Curriculum and Assessment. Members of the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, and the Curriculum & Research Committee, shall be notified of the hearing and invited to attend.

3.2.3. No later than 15 faculty duty days after receipt of materials from the College Committee, the Graduate or Undergraduate Studies Committee shall make a written recommendation for or against termination. This recommendation, all prior recommendations and reports, and any statement the Committee wishes to make, shall be forwarded to the Curriculum & Research Committee and to the Provost.

3.2.4. No later than 20 faculty duty days after receipt of materials from the Graduate or Undergraduate Studies Committee, the Curriculum & Research Committee and the Provost shall forward their independent recommendations to the University President. At its discretion, the Curriculum and Research Committee may ask the full Senate to report to the President in its stead.

3.2.5. If the President decides that the program shall be terminated, a report shall be forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for review. If the termination is approved by the Chancellor, the campus Academic Master Plan shall be altered, and program termination publicized appropriately.

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