Under the terms of Section 3333.04 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Board of Regents is authorized to approve or disapprove all new degree programs at all state colleges, universities, and other state-assisted institutions of higher education. These policies and procedures, which are based on Rule 3333-1-05 of the Ohio Administrative Code, provide guidelines to assist institutional administrators in preparing proposals for new degrees and new degree programs to be approved by the Board of Regents.

New degrees and new degree programs in state-assisted institutions of higher education are defined as follows:

A "new degree" means any new recognition or award for completion of a prescribed course of study in an institution of higher education evidenced by a diploma or certificate and designed customarily as Bachelor's degrees or professional degrees such as Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Surgery, and Doctor of Jurisprudence.

A "new degree program" means any prescribed course of study in an institution of higher education designated as a major, and/or area of specialization or concentration leading to a recognized degree which was not in effect as of September 20, 1963, and which has not previously been approved by the Ohio Board of Regents.

A "state-assisted institution of higher education" means any college or university receiving an appropriation subsidy for current operation of its instructional activity from an appropriation bill duly enacted into law by the State of Ohio.

Recognizing that many institutions are now conducting a continuing review and evaluation of programs, the policies set out below define the circumstances under which the Board of Regents will favorably consider new program proposals as progress is made toward the review of all programs now in place throughout the state system. (Ref. Ohio Board of Regents, "Policy Statement on Review of New Degree Program Proposals," January 15, 1982).

	1.	Substantial weight in review of all program proposals will be given to evidence of an institution's commitment and progress in carrying forward internal program review and evaluation, and over the longer period ahead to evidence that programs of lesser value and productivity are giving way to programs of greatest value. Attention is urged within such internal review and evaluation to trade-offs which reduce expenditures and which reallocate resources to enhance the overall quality of programming which is retained.

	2.	Increased focus will be given in review of new program proposals to the state-level perspective regarding the need for new programs, the reasonableness of costs of similar programs offered throughout the state system of colleges and universities, the need for geographical access to programs throughout the state, the relative quality of similar programs existing throughout the state, and the reasonableness of new program proposals to the missions of individual institutions.
		At the same time, added attention will be given to clarifying and understanding the larger context of institutional purpose and objectives within which individual programs are proposed.

	3.	New proposals of an experimental or novel character will be discouraged where similar programs have been approved elsewhere but not yet fully tested as to effectiveness, quality and student response.

	4.	Particular attention and care will be given to review of off-campus program proposals, not as fundamentally different from on-campus proposals, but as involving a setting in which all questions of need for service, duplication of public and privately-sponsored programs, quality maintenance, dissipation of resources and under-enrollment, are more likely to be encountered than in on-campus programming.

	5.	Due consideration will be given to program proposals associated with capital improvements appropriations enacted by the General Assembly, in the interest of avoiding unnecessary delay in construction planning, but subject to the imperatives of proper state purpose set out above.

A reluctance to approve new programs will be evident where programs of similar purpose already exist within the system which exhibit unused enrollment capacity or where expansion of an existing program can meet the state's need for service. Similarly, proposals which assert no additional institutional cost, due to use of existing courses and faculty resources, will be tested against the reality of new costs to the state through additional subsidy claims and through increased per-student support requirements in state subsidy formulas resulting from the addition of new but duplicative low-productivity programs of similar purpose.

NEW DEGREES AND NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS

The process for Ohio Board of Regents consideration of new degrees and new degree programs includes the following steps:

	1.	Advanced Notice. The administrative staff of the Ohio Board of Regents should be notified in advance of the institution's intent to initiate new degrees or new degree programs. A "Preliminary Prospectus" should be submitted to the Chancellor which is responsive to the guidelines in Appendix A.
		Following an administrative staff review of the "Preliminary Prospectus" against both institutional and statewide objectives, the Chancellor will notify the institution of additional actions needed.

	2.	Formal Application for New Degree or New Degree Program. Three (3) copies of the formal application for a new degree or new degree program shall be submitted to the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents at least six months before the anticipated starting date of the new program. Each application shall contain a cover page (Appendix B), a proposal which is responsive to the guidelines in Appendix C, and a "Report of Fiscal Impact" (Appendix D).
		NOTE: The formal application for new degrees or new degree programs shall be proposed to the Ohio Board of Regents for approval or disapproval only after all required college or university internal clearances or approvals have been secured, including approval by the Board of Trustees or Board of Directors of the institution.

	3.	Review and Approva1 of Proposed Program. The proposal for a new degree or new degree program will be reviewed and analyzed by the administrative staff of the Board of Regents. If it is deemed desirable to do so, the Chancellor may refer the request to an advisory committee of the Board for evaluation in terms of need and in terms of standards of desired performance. Or the proposal may be referred by the Chancellor to a consultant or consultants for evaluation in terms of need and in terms of standards of desired performance.
		The Chancellor shall present a recommendation to the Board for approval or disapproval of each proposed new degree or each proposed new degree program received by the Board. The interested institution shall be given the opportunity to present a statement of position on the matter at the same time.
		The Ohio Board of Regents will vote approval or disapproval of each new degree request or each new degree program request at an official and regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.

MODIFICATION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS

On occasion when new degrees or new degree programs are the result of modification of existing programs not requiring substantive changes in curriculum, faculty, or financial resources, the following process will apply:

	1.	Submit a "Preliminary Prospectus" (see guidelines, (Appendix A) for each program modification (e.g., change of degree title, redesignation of major, etc.) to the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.

	2.	Following an administrative staff analysis of the "Preliminary Prospectus," the Chancellor will notify the institution of additional actions-needed, or of approval of the modification.

	3.	If it is deemed necessary, the Chancellor will advise the institutional representative of the need for a formal application, in which case the procedures outlined above for new degrees and new degree programs should be followed.

OTHER PROGRAMS

	1.	Associate Degree Programs - refer to the policies and procedures outlined in the Operating Manual for Two-Year Campuses (Ref. Rule 3333-1-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code).

	2.	Off-Campus Programs - refer to "Procedures for Institutions Requesting Board of Regents Approval for New Off-campus Degree Programs" (Ref. Rule 3333-1-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code).

	3.	Graduate Degree Programs - refer to "Guidelines and Procedures for Review and Approval of Graduate Degree Programs" (Ref. Rule 3333-1-07 of the Ohio Administrative Code).

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1. Indicate the title of the proposed program and indicate whether it is a new degree, a new degree program, or the modification of an existing program.
2. State the rationale for initiating this action.
3. Provide information regarding the relationship of the proposed program action to the overall mission of the institution. Indicate whether the program is part of an ongoing traditional mission, or related to current strategies for modifying or redirecting institutional objectives.
4. Indicate the proposed implementation date for this action.
5. Indicate the department(s) or other organizational unit(s) responsible for this program.
6. Describe in catalog style, the program, including each concentration or option. (If this program is a modification of an existing program, indicate the specific changes.)
7. Provide details regarding the source of students. Provide estimates of the numbers of students (FTE) expected to enroll in the proposed program over the next four-year period. Indicate whether these will be current students or new students, and how many are estimated to be full-time and/or part-time.
8. Indicate the availability of other such programs within a fifty-mile radius.
9. Describe the impact this proposed program will have on facilities, faculty, and support services.
10. Estimate total costs, over and above current levels of operation, associated with this proposed program during the next four years.

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Please use this outline as a guide in the development of the formal application for new degrees and new degree programs.

 I. Nature of Request 

1. Indicate the type of program being requested (new degree and/or new degree program).
2. Indicate the location of the proposed program (e.g., main campus, off-campus site).

II. Objectives for the Proposed Program 

1. State the general and specific educational objectives of the program.
2. Describe how this program will help achieve the goals and objectives of your institution in terms of its role and mission.
3. Describe any unique characteristics or resources which make it particularly appropriate for your institution to offer the proposed program. 

III. Rationale and Need for the Program 

1. Explain the rationale for this program.
2. Cite the benefits for students, the institution, and the region or state, of initiating this program.
3. If applicable, state the specific local, state or national needs for individuals trained by the proposed program. If applicable, describe job opportunities that are available to persons who complete the program. Provide supporting data.
4. Indicate any licensure or certification requirements for which this program will prepare students.
5. Describe and document any needs, other than employment opportunity, which will be met by the proposed program.
6. Provide evidence of student interest in the program, as well as projections of enrollment (full-time and part-time) for each of the first five years of the program.
7. List academic programs similar to the one proposed that are offered in both public and independent institutions within a fifty- mile radius of the proposed instructional site.
8. Explain how these programs differ from the one proposed.

IV. Academic Planning

1. Provide a brief description of the institutional planning process that resulted in the initiation of the proposed program. Indicate the relative priority level of this program among institutional purposes, and explain how this has been established.
2. Describe how and when institutional clearances or approvals for the new program were achieved.
3. Provide information on the use of consultants or advisory committees in development of the proposed program (append copies of reports from such consultants or advisory committees).

V. Academic Control 

1. Describe administrative arrangements for the program (department, college, and/or school involved).
2. Indicate any cooperative arrangements with other institutions and organizations that will be used to offer this program. Specify the exact nature of such agreements and attach any formal statements of agreement that have been developed.
3. Specify the articulation arrangements with other institutions that will be in effect for the program. Attach appropriate documentation for such arrangements, if any.

VI. Curriculum 

1. Describe the program, including each option and concentration, as it would appear in a catalog.
2. List the courses (title, number, semester/quarter credit hours, and catalog description) that would constitute the requirements and other components of the proposed program. Indicate which courses are currently offered and which will be new (indicate new courses with an X).
3. Describe the specific methods that will be used for evaluation of the proposed program following implementation.
4. Indicate whether your institution intends to seek specialized accreditation from a professional association for this program, and whether additional resources are required to gain accreditation.

VII. Staffing Qualifications

1. Describe the number and qualifications of full-time faculty to be involved in the program. Provide a list of current faculty (and areas of expertise) who will teach in the program, and brief descriptions of the type of additional faculty needed.
2. Provide specific information on the number and qualifications of part-time faculty to be used in the proposed program. 

VIII. Facilities and Support Services 

1. Describe facilities and equipment currently in existence at your institution that will be used for the proposed program.
2. Explain how existing facilities and equipment for the proposed program will impact on existing programs.
3. Describe additional facilities, facility modifications and equipment that will be required for use in the proposed program.
4. Indicate institutional plans for meeting any needs for additional facilities and/or support resources.
5. Describe the adequacy of the existing library to support the proposed program in terms of print and non-print materials, equipment, and personnel. If there are library standards used by professional societies and/or accrediting agencies that will evaluate the program, compare these to existing library resources. 

IX. Financial Resources

1. Provide a projected budget for the next four (4) academic years indicating the total needs to support the proposed program.
2. Indicate the adequacy of expected subsidy and other income to meet these needs.
3. Discuss briefly the internal reallocations of resources which will occur, or other sources of funding to be used to support the remaining resource requirements of this program. Be specific in terms of faculty reallocations.
4. Complete and attach the "Report of Fiscal Impact" in Appendix D which provides an indication of the impact of the projected FTE's in this program on the institution's enrollments. (This form must be transmitted by the Ohio Board of Regents to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the Legislative Budget Office of the Legislative Service Commission, and the Director of Budget and Management, at least ten days prior to formal action taken by the Regents. Ref. Section 3333.021 of the Ohio Revised Code.)

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