Alabama Administrative Code › Title 300 - ALABAMA COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION › Chapter 300-2-1 - PROGRAM REVIEW › Section 300-2-1-.06 - Reasonable Extensions and Alterations of Existing Programs of Instruction

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1)
Purpose
. The purpose of
			 reviewing extensions and alterations to existing programs of instruction is to
			 ensure that public postsecondary institutions can make reasonable changes to
			 their program offerings without creating new programs of instruction.
(2)
Commission Responsibility
.
			 The Commission is responsible for reviewing changes to programs of instruction
			 for academic credit at the state's public postsecondary institutions in order
			 to determine whether a proposed change can be considered a reasonable extension
			 or alteration of an existing program of instruction or whether it constitutes a
			 new program of instruction. In addition, the Commission's responsibilities for
			 data collection and research necessitate that it maintains an accurate and
			 comprehensive record of for-credit program offerings in its Academic Program
			 Inventory.
(3)
Scope.
This rule shall apply to all programs of instruction offered for academic
			 credit by public colleges and universities in Alabama. It does not apply to
			 non-credit programs or other offerings that do not culminate in a postsecondary
			 award.
(4)
Definitions
. The following definitions shall apply:
(a) Academic Program Inventory ("Inventory"):
			 List maintained by the Commission's staff of programs of instruction offered by
			 public postsecondary institutions in Alabama, with a record for each degree and
			 certificate program.
(b)
			 Alteration: A type of program change that modifies an existing academic
			 offering within its previously defined scope. Such changes include
			 modifications to program coursework, modifications to program requirements,
			 including total number of hours, and updates to program titles or CIP
			 codes.
(c) Credit Hour: A unit of
			 measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per
			 week over the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of credit
			 hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate,
			 or other recognized postsecondary credential. Alabama's public postsecondary
			 institutions typically use the semester credit hour, rather than quarter credit
			 hour or other equivalent unit.
(d)
			 CIP Code: A six-digit code in the form of xx.xxxx that identifies an
			 instructional program specialty using the taxonomic coding scheme known as
			 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), maintained by the Institute of
			 Education Sciences (IES) within the US Department of Education. A program's CIP
			 code should accurately reflect the content of instruction and allow for
			 comparison of programs both within and between institutions.
(e) Curriculum: Body of coursework,
			 assessments, or other requirements necessary to complete a program of
			 instruction.
(f) Existing Program:
			 An academic degree or certificate program listed in the Academic Program
			 Inventory.
(g) Extension: A type of
			 program change that expands an existing academic offering beyond its previously
			 defined scope. Such changes include the addition of program options within a
			 degree program, as well as the development of for-credit, non-degree
			 certificate programs that are related to an existing program or unit of
			 instruction.
(h) IPEDS: The
			 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System is the postsecondary education
			 data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics
			 (NCES), a division of the Institute of Education Sciences within the US
			 Department of Education. IPEDS is designed to collect standardized data from
			 postsecondary institutions and educational organizations operating within the
			 United States.
(i) Method of
			 Delivery: Synonymous with "delivery modality," refers to the means of
			 delivering instruction within an academic program or assessing student progress
			 toward program completion. There are three distinct types, though a single
			 program may employ a combination thereof:
1.
			 Competency-Based Education: An educational program wherein student progress
			 toward completion is measured through the attainment of competencies, whether
			 within course-based units or through direct assessment of learning.
2. Distance Education: A formal educational
			 process using technological delivery in which instruction occurs where students
			 and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or
			 asynchronous. Distance education, distance learning, and e-learning are
			 recognized by the Commission as being synonymous terms.
3. Face-to-Face Instruction: Also referred to
			 as "in-person" instruction, occurs where students and instructors are in the
			 same place at the same time.
(j) Nomenclature: Also referred to as "degree
			 nomenclature" or "award name," a designation for the specific type of award
			 within a given level (e.g., Bachelor of Science, Master of Business
			 Administration, or Doctor of Philosophy). In its official record of an award,
			 an institution will identify the nomenclature followed by the program title
			 using the following format: [Nomenclature] in [Program Title] (e.g., Bachelor
			 of Science in Biology).
(k) Option:
			 An extension of an offering that is closely related to the existing program and
			 shares a common set of program coursework ("program core") with all other
			 options of the same program. Options can be referred to as concentrations,
			 tracks, or specializations.
(l)
			 Program Length: A measure of the amount of time required for a student to
			 progress to program completion, typically represented in semester credit
			 hours.
(m) Program of Instruction:
			 A postsecondary course of study offered for academic credit that leads to one
			 of the following types of postsecondary awards:
1. Degree: An academic program approved by
			 the Commission under the rules set forth in §
										300-2-1-.03.
2. For-Credit Non-Degree Certificate: An
			 academic program that leads to one of the following award designations as
			 defined within the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS
			 Level):
(i) Level 1a, Mini-Certificate (MINI):
			 A for-credit certificate program consisting of at least six (6) but less than
			 nine (9) semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework or the
			 equivalent.
(ii) Level 1b,
			 Short-Term Certificate (STC): A for-credit certificate program consisting of at
			 least nine (9) but no more than twenty-nine (29) semester credit hours of
			 undergraduate coursework, or the equivalent.
(iii) Level 6, Post-Baccalaureate
			 Certificate: A for-credit program consisting of at least six (6) semester
			 credit hours of graduate coursework, or the equivalent. Most graduate
			 certificates fall into the postbaccalaureate classification.
(iv) Level 8, Post-Master's Certificate:
			 Apart from the Education Specialist degree defined above, a postmaster's
			 certificate is a for-credit program consisting of at least six (6) semester
			 credit hours of graduate coursework designed specifically for those already
			 holding master's degrees. Post-master's certificates are typically offered in
			 nursing or other fields where it is common for master's degree holders to seek
			 additional specialized training.
(n) Program Status: An indication of whether
			 a program of instruction is actively enrolling new students. Each program will
			 have one of the following status types:
1.
			 Active: Active status indicates that the program may enroll new
			 students.
2. Deleted: Deleted
			 status indicates that the institution intends to terminate the program. Once a
			 program has been marked as deleted within the Academic Program Inventory, no
			 new students may be admitted, though current enrollees may be taught out. Note
			 that programs with deleted status remain in the Academic Program Inventory for
			 archival purposes.
3. Inactive:
			 Inactive status indicates that the institution intends to reinstate the program
			 to active status within five years. While a program is on inactive status, no
			 students will be admitted, though current enrollees may be taught
			 out.
4. Moved: Moved status is
			 assigned by ACHE staff for archival reasons to keep track of programs that have
			 changed CIP code or IPEDS level. The program at the new code or level retains
			 active status. New students are enrolled in the active program, though existing
			 students may be taught out from the moved program.
(o) Program Title: A name given by an
			 institution to describe a program's specific field of study and which is used
			 alongside nomenclature in official records of the award, such as in student
			 transcripts. The program title should accurately reflect the content of
			 instruction and therefore should closely correspond to the standardized name
			 within the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code list.
(p) Programs that Lead to Professional
			 Educator Certification: Academic degree programs at the baccalaureate,
			 master's, or education specialist level, that receive authorization from the
			 Alabama State Board of Education and are considered "Approved Programs," as
			 defined under Alabama Administrative Code §
									290-3-3-.01.
(q) "Reasonable": A reasonable extension or
			 alteration of an existing program of instruction is a modification which does
			 not change the essential character, integrity, or objectives of the
			 program.