SJSU must obtain prior Substantive Change approval for and report

• All off-campus programs offered more than 25 miles from the main campus
• All programs offered through distance education

SJSU must report

• All off-campus programs

Action required of chairs:

1. Fill out the reporting form (doc)  and submit it to the college dean's office by November 27, 2006.  The dean will sign and forward all forms to Undergraduate Studies for reporting to WASC.
2. Contact the ALO (currently AVP of Undergraduate Studies) for information if you are planning an off-campus or distance education program.

WASC website with more information

(http:www.wascsenior.org)

“WASC has required prior approval of institutional substantive changes in degree programs, methods of delivery, and organizational changes since 1979. In 1994, the Higher Education Reauthorization Act led to a significant number of regulations concerning substantive change, and the US Department of Education began requiring federally mandated site visits to off-campus programs. The substantive change process is designed to ensure the consistency of quality across all institutional operations, on and off campus and through distance education.”

“Under both Commission policy and federal law, certain substantive changes are required to have prior approval. In its development of substantive change policies, WASC has responded to relevant Department of Education regulations (Refer to Section II: Substantive Change Policies).”

Excerpts from 2006 WASC Update :

(http://www.wascsenior.org/wasc/Doc_Lib/
SubChange/InstructionsforUpdatingtheOCDETable.doc)

“A distance education program is one in which 50% or more of the degree program is offered via satellite, Internet, or any other kind of technology-assisted medium. Please only list programs that meet this definition.”

“An off-campus program requiring prior approval is defined by WASC as any program being offered at a new location where 50% or more of a degree program is offered more than 25 miles from the home campus. Due to new interpretations of additional location regulations by the Department of Education, sites within 25 miles of the home campus must also be reported on this form, although prior approval is not required for such sites at this time.”

Clarification of what constitutes an off-campus program:

An off-campus program is any program for which 50% or more of the instruction is off campus.  A course is considered to be off-campus if 50% or more of the instruction occurs off campus.  Thus, if a program is offered in which 50% of the courses are taught 50% of the time off campus, the program is an off-campus program even though only 25% of the content is taught off campus.