P-3 proposals are the basis of the administrative review and approval process that enable a second college or multiple colleges to deliver programs already authorized in another college; that enable a college to deliver an existing program at an additional campus within its purview or through the World Campus or Continuing Education or through the Video Learning Network (VLN); that authorize the closure of a major or minor program in a college or campus so long as that program will continue to be offered elsewhere at the University; that authorize dropping an option within a program so long as the program in which the option was located will continue to be offered; and that, under extraordinary circumstances, may authorize the delivery of extended degrees. Note that a P-6 proposal is required to terminate a program when doing so will completely remove it from the University's offerings. As with P-1 and P-6 proposals, P-3 proposals must be preceded by submission of an ACUE Curricular Program Prospectus. Following the completion of the prospectus process, a P-3 proposal may be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Education. It must address all relevant strategic and academic issues, including those outlined in Academic Administrative Policy P, Section V: Common Program Justification Criteria.
P-3 ProposalsOne or more colleges may be authorized to offer degree programs. This authorization has sometimes been referred to as academic program sponsorship or program sponsorship transfer. The Provost is responsible for administratively authorizing the moving, sharing, and discontinuance of academic sponsorship of existing degree programs for all colleges and campuses. The University Faculty Senate does not take part in this authorization.
Three types of sharing and transferring of sponsorship may occur:
(1) Joint sponsorship in which, in addition to the original sponsoring college, one or more additional colleges also are awarded authority to offer the existing program. Graduates in these programs belong to and are certified for graduation by the college in which they are enrolled.
(2) Handoff sponsorship in which the authority to offer an academic program is transferred from one college to another. Here, an original sponsoring college withdraws its academic authority for a program and another college or group of colleges is awarded authority in its place.
(3) Extended programs are discussed below.
In every case in which a program is transferred or shared, every effort must be made to insure curricular integrity by minimizing the number of core course substitutions at the newly offering campus or college. Disciplinary communities are nonetheless encouraged to consider the development of program options beyond the core that reflect local expertise, student demand, and market need. In all instances, colleges adopting programs through the P-3 process are subject to the originating program's entrance requirements. When those requirements are amended, they are amended for all colleges operating under the original P-1 and for all colleges delivering under the authority of P-3.
Deans retain the authority to move a degree program within a college without initiating the P-3 process. When such actions are taken, the college must notify the Office of Undergraduate Education, which will then inform other offices as appropriate.
Extended Programs
There is a third type of shared program referred to as an "extended degree." Based upon extraordinary circumstances, such as specialized licensing and/or accreditation requirements, a single college may offer its programs by extending their availability to additional campuses. In this arrangement, only the "extending" college has the authority to award the program degree, although the degree may be delivered at multiple campuses. A college must submit a P-3 proposal to the Office of Undergraduate Education that includes endorsement from both the extending college and the unit(s) at which the extended degree will be offered.
P-3 Extended Program Probationary Period
Four years after a program has been authorized for delivery by an additional campus/college or through World Campus or Continuing Education through a P-3 process, a program review will be conducted. The review will be conducted by the authorizing college in consultation with the Office of Undergraduate Education. The review may consist of requests for evidence, including items 1-7 below, and additional evaluations or data as necessary. The review may be conducted through site visits, outside evaluations, or other appropriate means as determined by the authorizing college in consultation with the Office of Undergraduate Education and the delivering unit.
The additional location offering the program will provide evidence to the authorizing college and to the Office of Undergraduate Education that the following criteria are being achieved:
1. Adequate faculty and staff resources exist
2. The program aligns with university and unit missions
3. Market need and demand exists to maintain sufficient student enrollments
4. Students are able to maintain timely academic progress
5. Adequate equipment, library and information technology resources, clinical and cooperative arrangements, or other special facilities exist
6. Adequate financial resources have been established to assure program continuation
7. Assessment data indicate that students are achieving the program's learning objectives
The provost may, through the Office of Undergraduate Education, end the P-3 probationary period by granting joint or handoff program sponsorship status to the unit(s); or the provost may, based upon an unsatisfactory evaluation of the reviewed criteria, require the P-3 offering to be phased out; or conditions may be established, including a limited time period to complete them, that must be met to avoid P-3 program phase out.
The four year review of extended programs triggers an additional set of questions and possible administrative responses. Assuming a positive evaluation of criteria 1-7 above (and/or other review criteria as appropriate), a determination will be made by the Office of Undergraduate Education in consultation with the authorizing college and the delivering unit as to whether (a) extended status should be continued or (b) extended status will be replaced by joint or handoff program sponsorship status. The decision will include elements such as licensing, accreditation rules, and other unique circumstances.
If the extended status is maintained, the next consideration of extended status will take place five years hence.
If the authorizing college determines that an extended status should not be continued and that the program should not be continued by the delivering unit, then the college will work in consultation with the Office of Undergraduate Education and the delivering unit to phase out the program at that location through the P-3 process.
P-3 Timeline
• Preliminary college and disciplinary consultation and consultation between appropriate campus chancellor(s) and Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses
• Submission of prospectus to ACUE by College Associate Dean
• ACUE Prospectus deliberation and written response to submitting college
• College development of formal proposal, including appropriate consultation, data collection, and research
• Submission of P-3 proposal by College Dean to Office of Undergraduate Education
• Office of Undergraduate Education review
• Provost review of Office of Undergraduate Education action
• Office of Undergraduate Education memo to implement distributed to appropriate offices
• Implementation the following semester or later
• Year Four P-3 probationary review