Proposed Criteria for Academic Program Development
From the University's Academic Plan:
"In order to create a framework for academic program development and support, the academic plan seeks to establish criteria for new academic programs. These criteria are intended to assure transparency and equity in the development of new programs, and are intended to be applied across the university to any new program at any academic level, whether it is at the undergraduate, registered area of study, certificate level or a proposed new graduate program.
Six criteria are proposed to constitute a framework for support of academic program development. A proposal for academic program development will receive favorable attention to the extent that it:
- Advances or is consistent with the university’s mission and core values
- Supports the university’s strategic plan and other major university and SUNY initiatives and mandates
- Represents a growth area or economic opportunity
- Integrates effectively with other curricular areas and is conducive to interdisciplinary approaches to program and curriculum development
- Reflects and builds on the expertise of our faculty
- Serves students’ needs for increasingly diverse programmatic options
We posit that it is important to consider three issues as these criteria are reviewed. First, the criteria should be viewed as interdependent. For example, enhanced interdisciplinary approaches to program development will, by definition, facilitate increased exposure to learning opportunities for students; at the same time, a more interconnected collegial environment facilitates greater opportunities for professional development. Similarly, as the university focuses on growth areas, our capacity will strengthen for attracting students and preparing them for meaningful transitions to further education or career growth.
Second, it is not expected that every proposal will satisfy all six criteria or satisfy them in the same way or satisfy them equally. Not all six need to be substantially present to sanction or certify an academic area as one which merits support. On the other hand, as it is the intent of the academic plan to chart a strategic direction for the university’s academic future, the more a proposed academic area fulfills these criteria, the greater the likelihood it will be endorsed by the university.
Third, the manner in which the six criteria are presented is not intended to be reflective of a hierarchy of importance. Particular criteria may emerge as vital measures of one new program’s value while other criteria may serve such a role for another program."