Cul de Sac PROGRAM REDUCTION AND DISCONTINUANCE Julie

Cul de Sac? PROGRAM REDUCTION AND DISCONTINUANCE • Julie Bruno, Sierra College • Sidney Burks, Chaffey College • Lesley Kawaguchi, Santa Monica College 2010 ASCCC Curriculum Institute Santa Clara Marriott • July 8 -10, 2010

Participant Learning Outcomes • After attending this session, participants should be able to: – Distinguish between Program Review and Program Discontinance – Explain the principles and key components of a Program Discontinance Policy – Develop a principled Program Discontinance Policy

A PRINCIPLED VIEW AND THE ROLE OF THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

DEFINING PROGRAMS • Title 5 § 55000(g): An educational program is “an organized sequence of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher learning. ”

TITLE 5 § 51022 • Requires California community colleges to have policies for the establishment, modification, or discontinuance of courses or programs

TITLE 5 § 78016 • Requires that districts form advisory committees for vocational education [career technical education] programs.

Education Code Section 78016 • Requires that occupational programs undergo a review every two years

EXAMINING PROGRAMS: PROCESSES • 1. PROGRAM REVIEW: – Self Study: • What the program is doing well • The resources needed to improve, including the use of Student Learning Outcome assessment results to highlight needs – Opportunity to show program quality and success – Opportunity to build a plan of correction – The emphasis is on improvement

PROCESSES, continued • 2. PROGRAM VIABILITY PROCESS: – EXAMPLE: Los Angeles Pierce College – See http: //www. asccc. org/Events/Curriculum/2009/ Curric 2009. htm • Two handouts under “Natural Lifecycle of a Program”

PROCESSES, continued • 3. Program Vitality/Discontinuance Policy

PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER • ASCCC POSITION: – Discontinuance policy is “distinct” from program review – Include collective bargaining representative(s). – Focus on saving or improving a program – Local senate should take lead and process should be collegial – Curriculum should reflect the missions of the community colleges

GETTING A POLICY • Curriculum Committee role

ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER

KEY COMPONENTS OF A PROGRAM DISCONTINUANCE POLICY • WARNING: Do not write a policy during the current budget climate!

POLICY PURPOSE: • Needs to be clearly stated

INDICATORS • What conditions or events “trigger” a vitality or discontinuance review are identified, such as – Significant decline in enrollment – Significant facility and/or equipment issues – Availability of qualified faculty – Failure to meet state mandates or accreditation standards – Significant changes in the labor market – Program no longer supports existing fulltime faculty

CONSIDERATIONS • Accreditation Standard II. A. 6. b: – “When programs are eliminated or program requirements are significantly changed, the institution makes appropriate arrangements so that enrolled students may complete their education in a timely manner with a minimum of disruption. ”

CONSIDERATIONS: • • • Impact on students Impact on faculty Impact on community Impact on local/regional employers Keep in mind: Curriculum and the multiple CCC missions

DEFINE THE PROCESS • • Who initiates the process? What are the steps? Who has the input? Is there a timeline? What data do you need? How is the final decision made? How is shared governance addressed?

QUESTIONS?

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