Program deletion at MDC can be accomplished using the following process as a guide. For questions/assistance, please contact the District Office of Academic Programs (OAP). Program Deletion might become necessary based on the MDC Program Review Process, other information concerning student needs, or on a State Department of Education (DOE) mandate. Examples of reasons for program inactivation include: The program no longer meets a workforce need, as demonstrated by consistently low enrollments and placements. The program no longer meets student needs (e.g., too long, wrong type of program, does not provide preparation, may have consistently low enrollments/completions, etc.). A program specialization track may also be inactivated for any of the above reasons or in order to streamline the program and increase program efficiency. The program has been eliminated at the state level by the DOE. The program has been eliminated or changed by accreditation agencies. Commission on Colleges Good Practices Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) CLOSING AN INSTITUTION OR PROGRAM: TEACH-OUT AGREEMENTS Policy Statement: Closing a Program http://sacscoc.org/policies.asp When the decision is made to close an educational program, the institution must make a good faith effort to assist affected students, faculty, administrative and support staff so that they experience a minimal amount of disruption in the pursuit of their course of study or professional careers. In all cases, individuals should be notified of the decision to close a program as soon as possible so that they can make appropriate plans. Students who have not completed their programs should be advised by faculty or professional counselors regarding suitable options including transfer to comparable programs. Arrangements should be made to reassign faculty and staff or assist them in locating other employment. The Commission on Colleges will work with the U.S. Department of Education and the appropriate State agency, to the extent feasible, to ensure that students are given reasonable opportunities to complete their education without additional charge. 1
Program Deletion Steps Program deletion may be the result of the Program Review Process, State Mandate, College decision, etc. The process should be modified depending on the special situation. STEP Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 ACTION Submit Program and Course deletions and supporting documentation as listed below in CurricUNET. AFTER CONSULTATION AND APPROVAL BY DISCIPLINE DEAN AND CAMPUS PRESIDENT: Develop a Justification for Deletion with the following information (Supporting Documentation): 1. Why is the program being deleted? 2. Is this program an In Demand occupation? (Search Labor Market Statistics) 3. How many students are currently enrolled in this program? (Contact Institutional Research for enrollment data from date of inception to current term. Be sure to include (within a table) student progression: Declared Major(s), Graduated, 25%+Benchmark, 50%+Benchmark, 75%+Benchmark, 100%+Benchmark.) 4. How will you be advising/accommodating students (e.g., Shift to another program, Program Transfer option). a. Develop a specified period of time for program completion Teach-Out option 5. Are the courses under the track still valid (e.g., can they be used as electives for the parent or other program)? 6. Does this program have any Professional Accreditations? If yes: provide name & location describe the steps for withdrawing draft (on a separate document) a Notification Letter to the accrediting body 7. Obtain signed copies of teach-out agreements with other institutions (if applicable). 8. Complete the attached TEACH-OUT Template. 9. List the number of Full-Time Faculty in the program and discuss the disposition of these faculties. 10. Discuss the impact of program deletion on program administrative and support staff and steps that will address that impact. Submit all Supporting Documentation to the Discipline Dean for review. Submit all supporting documentation, including program and course deletion information, to the Office of Academic Programs (OAP) for review and verification. Submit all Supporting Documentation to the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (AP Academic Affairs) for review. 2 PERSON RESPONSIBLE Program Coord. Originator and Discipline Dean APPROXIMATE TIME 3 Weeks Send information to AP, Faculty Initiatives, & AVP, Employee Relations, to review as per UFMDC Contract, Article 15. Send information to Campus President & AVP, Employee Relations, to review options. Discipline Dean will provide Originator 2 Weeks with feedback. OAP will provide the Originator with 4 Weeks feedback. AP Academic Affairs will consult with Executive Director for Workforce 2 Weeks Education (as appropriate) and will provide Originator with
feedback. Step 6 Submitted documentation will go through the curriculum Refer to CurricUNET review/approval process. flowchart Step 7 Present information to ALC. Originator requests Discipline Dean to place item on ALC agenda. Step 8 Discipline Dean Refer to Curriculum requests Campus Present to Executive Committee to request approval for deletion. Process Timeline on President to place CASSC Website. item on agenda. Discipline Dean with Develop a bulleted rationale with supporting data for program approval of Campus closure in order for Dr. Padrón to pre-advise the BOT that the President and Board item will be forthcoming. Provost. Step 9 Present to Board of Trustees. Prepared by the Prepare Board Item Discipline Dean. Packet Campus President (Refer to Board Item requests item to be Template Example placed on BOT attachment below) agenda. Step 10 Present information to Campus CASSC. Discipline Dean Refer to Curriculum Step 11 Present information to College-Wide CASSC. Discipline Dean Process Timeline on CASSC Website. Discipline Rep. with assistance from OAP will Inactivate the College Web Master program code in and Marketing & Odyssey. Publications. Step 12 Add the following statement to all websites, publications, and any resources that the School/Discipline may have: PROGRAM DISCONTINUATION PENDING. NO NEW STUDENT ENROLLMENT PERMITTED. Program students must be notified of the anticipated closure and the related timetable. Obtain student s interest and intent regarding completion options. Via certified letter, inform students currently enrolled in the program or students who have selected the program of study but have not yet enrolled. Be sure to specify the student option selected and the process each student will be required to follow. Program Advisory Committee A formal notification should be sent to each member of the program advisory committee. Program Faculty A formal notification should be sent to each program faculty member. Notification Checklist: Program students notified by Certified Mail Program Advisory Committee members notified Program faculty notified Registrar s Office, Financial Aid Office, Articulation Officer, and Marketing notified Counselors and advisors notified 3 Discipline Dean with assistance of Program Coord. (Refer to Student Letter Examples attachment below)
Step 13 Step 14 Develop SACS letter draft. Include reasons for discontinuance of program (e.g., decrease in enrollment, workforce demand), faculty implications, and student notifications. Note: Nothing is FINAL until SACS responds to the MDC notification. Initiate Teach-Out option/transfer-out Option Prepared by Program Coord., endorsed by Discipline Dean, reviewed by AP for Academic Affairs, approved by the VP for Education who forwards to College President for submission. Program Coord. with assistance from Discipline Dean 3-4 months (Refer to SACS Letter Example attachment below) (Refer to Teach-Out Template attachment below) Step 15 Enter changes into Odyssey. OAP 2 Weeks Step 16 Upon FINAL confirmation from SACS, remove all traces of program information from all websites, publications, and any resources that the School/Discipline may have. Discipline Dean with assistance from College Web Master and Marketing & Publications. 4
TEACH-OUT TEMPLATE Program Information Program Title Program Code Program Credit/Contact Hours Last Date for Admission to Program Date Program is to be Removed from Catalog Number of Students Enrolled Contact Person Reason for deletion: Program Review State Mandate Low Enrollment, Completion, Placement Other (Please specify) Student(s) Completing Teach-Out Plan 1. Based on current enrollment, identify the students who have elected to complete the Teach-Out program and include the method of notification. Enrolled student(s) must be reviewed each semester to ensure that timely progression is maintained and any progression issues resolved. This will also assist in ensuring that class sizes are maximized. STUDENT NAME 1. 2. 3. 4. MDC ID STUDENT STATUS Full-Time Part-Time NOTIFICATION METHOD DATE *Note: Expand as appropriate Course Mapping throughout the Teach-Out Period 1. Map course requirements for the teach period per year based on estimated student enrollment patterns (refer to Program Deletion Documentation step 2, #3). The course end date should reflect a normal, timely progression for both full-time and part-time students. Course offerings should be scheduled to maximize class size. SEMESTER Fall Term Spring Term Summer Term ACADEMIC YEAR *Note: Expand as appropriate COURSE TEACH-OUT ASSIGNMENTS Planned Courses for Year 1 Planned Courses for Year 2 5 COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Program Transfer Options 1. Based on current enrollment in the above program, identify students who have elected to transfer to another program (list new program choice): STUDENT NAME MDC ID NEW PROGRAM CODE NEW PROGRAM TITLE *Note: Expand as appropriate NOTE: Toward the end of the Teach-Out period, there may be a need to approve alternative course offerings to facilitate the completion of the program for courses that have been end-termed. Substitutions may need to be approved by the Discipline Chair or School Director. Develop a contingency plan for any student(s) who does not complete the prescribed course(s) by the end of the Planned Teach-Out Period but advise students of the limited range of options that may be available. Personnel Considerations Develop a disposition plan for the reassignment/elimination of personnel, budget, and facilities in conjunction with HR and Business Affairs, etc. for review by the College Provost and recommendation to the College President. Address the disposition of faculty and program administrative and support staff and the steps that will be taken (refer to Program Deletion Documentation step 2, # 9-10). Faculty/Staff Disposition Plan *Note: Expand as appropriate. Provide information regarding reassignment of faculty/staff and for assistance regarding locating other employment. For Faculty: Send information to AP, Faculty Initiatives, & AVP, Employee Relations, to review as per UFMDC Contract, Article 15. For Administrative and Support Staff: Send information to Campus President & AVP, Employee Relations, to review options. F= Faculty S=Staff NAME ACTION/ASSISTANCE PROVIDED (e.g., reassignment/relocation, etc.) *Note: Expand as appropriate Advisory Committee Provide formal notification. 6
STUDENT LETTER EXAMPLES 7
{{Date}} Sample student letter transfer into new program {{Student Name}} {{Address}} {{City, State, Zip}} Dear {{Student Name}}: Miami Dade College, with the involvement of the {{name of program}} administration, faculty, staff and advisory committee, has decided to inactivate the {{AS, AAS, CCC, and/or PSAV}} {{degree/vocational}} program. The program inactivation will be effective with the {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. If you are not currently an active student in this program of study, you should contact a counselor or an academic advisor in order to correct your College record. If you are pursuing this program of study the following option is available to you. Arrangements have been made to transfer your course work into the {{name of new program}}. You should contact your program manager {{program manager s name}} or academic advisor {{academic advisor s name}} as soon as possible to be sure that your records are correct and up to date. They will be able to advise you in more detail and make suggestions concerning future academic and career decisions. I encourage you to consider your academic goals and explore your options with an advisor. I wish you well in your future academic pursuits at MDC. Sincerely, {{Your Name}} {{Title}} 8
Sample student letter continue in program until end-term {{Date}} {{Student Name}} {{Address}} {{City, State, Zip}} Dear {{Student Name}}: Miami Dade College, with the involvement of the {{name of program}} administration, faculty, staff and advisory committee, has decided to inactivate the {{AS, AAS, CCC, and/or PSAV}} {{degree/vocational}} program. The program inactivation will be effective with the {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. If you are not currently an active student in this program of study, you should contact a counselor or an academic advisor in order to correct your College record. If you are pursuing this program of study, the following option is available to you. The {{name of program}} will be closed to any new student enrollment effective {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. You will be permitted to continue in the program; however, you must complete all of your required course work by the {fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. After this date, no further course work in this program of study will be offered. You should contact your program manager {{program manager s name}} or academic advisor {{academic advisor s name}} as soon as possible to be sure that your records are correct and up to date. They will be able to advise you in more detail and make suggestions concerning future academic and career decisions. I encourage you to consider your academic goals and explore your options with an advisor. I wish you well in your future academic pursuits at MDC. Sincerely, {{Your Name}} {{Title}} 9
Sample student letter both options {{Date}} {{Student Name}} {{Address}} {{City, State, Zip}} Dear {{Student Name}}: Miami Dade College, with the involvement of the {{name of program}} administration, faculty, staff and advisory committee, has decided to inactivate the {{AS, AAS, TC, and/or PSAV}} {{degree/vocational}} program. The program inactivation will be effective with the {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. If you are not currently an active student in this program of study, you should contact a counselor or an academic advisor in order to correct your College record. If you are pursuing this program of study the following options are available to you. Option 1: Arrangements have been made to transfer your course work into the {{name of new program}}. You should contact your program manager {{program manager s name}} or academic advisor {{academic advisor s name}} as soon as possible to be sure that your records are correct and up to date. They will be able to advise you in more detail and make suggestions concerning future academic and career decisions. Option 2: The {{name of program}} will be closed to any new student enrollment effective {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. You will be permitted to continue in the program; however, you must complete all of your required course work by the {{fall/spring/summer}} term {{year}}. After this date, no further course work in this program of study will be offered. I encourage you to consider your academic goals and explore your options with an advisor. I wish you well in your future academic pursuits at MDC. Sincerely, {{Your Name}} {{Title}} 10
BOARD ITEM PACKET EXAMPLE 11
EXAMPLE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Meeting of., SUBJECT: Consent Agenda, Item Page AUTHORIZATION TO DISCONTINUE THE ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE IN TRAVEL INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT AND PSAV CERTIFICATE IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM OPERATIONS RATIONALE: The President of Miami Dade College requests approval to discontinue the Associate in Science in Travel Industry Management and the PSAV Certificate in Travel and Tourism Operations. As part of the College s annual reporting process, the Wolfson Campus reviews its program offerings and related data on student enrollment, student attrition, cost, and job opportunities. The Travel & Tourism programs have experienced decreasing enrollment as well as challenges in student retention and completion. The program review conducted in the fall of 2009 found limited employment opportunities at the regional and national levels for graduates of the non-transferable AS degree and PSAV certificate. Travel agents and related career positions have been removed from the workforce region 23 Targeted Occupation List (TOL), Effective January, 2010 new student admission into the programs was suspended. In March, 2010 currently enrolled Travel & Tourism students were informed by letter of the proposed program discontinuation. Students who have been continually enrolled and who are successful in their course sequence will be able to meet graduation requirements by December, 2011. No new students have been admitted since January, 2010 nor will they be admitted henceforth. Instead, they have been advised to register for other MDC Hospitality Management programs. The data and information cited above demonstrate the challenges the programs offer. As a result, the Campus and College leadership have determined that the non-transferable AS degree program and the PSAV certificate are no longer viable and request program discontinuation at the conclusion of the fall term of 2011. 12
RECOMMENDATION: In accord with Florida State Statute 1001.65, the President of Miami Dade College is authorized to discontinue the Associate in Science in Travel Industry Management and the PSAV Certificate in Travel and Tourism Operations. EXAMPLE AGENDA ITEM: Policy Award of Bid Budget Amendment Purchase Order Report Resolution Contract Grant Other ACTION OF BOARD: Approved Disapproved Withdrawn Accepted Deferred Rejected EFFECTIVE DATE: AUTHORIZATION: Secretary to the Board 13
SACS LETTER EXAMPLE 14
Dr. Belle S. Wheelan August 12, 2010 President Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 1866 Southern Lane Decatur, GA 30033 EXAMPLE Dear Belle: I am writing to notify you that the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees, at its June 15, 2010 meeting, approved the discontinuation of the Wolfson Campus Travel and Tourism Programs which include the Associate in Science program in Travel Industry Management and the Travel and Tourism Operations Vocational Certificate. As part of the College s annual assessment process, the Wolfson Campus reviews its program offerings and related data on student enrollment, student attrition, and cost and job opportunities. That ongoing review prompted the Board action. The Travel and Tourism programs have experienced decreasing enrollment 1 as well as challenges in student retention and completion. Enrollment in the AS program has declined from approximately 100 students in the peak years (2001 and 2002) to 37 in 2009. The vocational certification enrollment has always been modest. The highest enrollment was 20 in 2002; that number has been as few 8 in recent years. In conjunction with the Wolfson Campus leadership, the Dean of Workforce Education and Development conducted a review (fall 2009) of local, regional, and national trends related to these programs. Dean concluded that there is an insufficient need or demand for the Travel Industry Management AS or vocational certificate. These employment areas have been removed from the region 23 (South Florida) Targeted Occupation List. This confirms the decreased demand for travel agents and related careers. Returning Travel and Tourism students were informed by letter of the program discontinuation in March, 2010. With June 15, 2010, Board action, students who have been continually enrolled and who are successful in their course sequence will be able to meet graduation requirements by December, 2011. No new students have been admitted since January, 2010 nor will they be admitted henceforth. Instead, they have been advised to register for other MDC Hospitality Management programs. There are two part-time and one fulltime faculty members affected by the discontinuation of these programs. The fulltime faculty member was informed of the discontinuation and chose to retire effective August 6, 2010. The two part-time faculty (one with ten years and the other with five years of service) have also been notified. They are among those adjuncts teaching the final course offerings. Please let me know if you have any questions or require additional information. Sincerely, Eduardo Padrón 15