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Board Policies 3.36 Academic ProgramsPart 1. Purpose and Applicability. The purpose of the Academic Programs policy is to direct system decision-making regarding the development, approval and management of academic programs to meet Minnesota’s educational needs. This policy applies to credit-based academic programs of system colleges and universities. Part 2. Definitions. The following definitions have the meanings indicated for all Board policies unless the text clearly indicates otherwise. Subpart A. Academic award. Academic award means a certificate, diploma or degree. Subpart B. Academic program. Academic program means a cohesive arrangement of college-level credit courses and experiences designed to accomplish predetermined objectives leading to the awarding of a degree, diploma, or certificate. Most academic programs include a general education component. The purpose of an academic program is to:
Subpart C. Academic program inventory. Academic program inventory means the official list of academic programs offered by system colleges and universities. Subpart D. Credit. Credit means a quantitative measure of instructional time assigned to a course or an equivalent learning experience such as class time per week over an academic term. Subpart E. General education. General education means a cohesive curriculum defined by faculty through system college or university procedures to develop reasoning ability and breadth of knowledge through an integration of learning experiences in the liberal arts and sciences. Part 3. Authorized Academic Awards. Subpart A. System college and university award authority. System colleges and universities have authority to confer academic awards only as specified below.
Approval by the Board of Trustees is required for a system college or university to confer an academic award type for which specific authority is not granted in this policy. Subpart B. Academic award characteristics. The chancellor shall specify the characteristics of academic awards. Part 4. Authority to Establish Academic Program Locations. Approval of the chancellor is required for establishment of a location at which an academic program may be offered. Part 5. Academic Program Approval. Approval of the chancellor is required for new academic programs, changes to existing academic programs, suspension of academic programs, and closure of academic programs at system colleges and universities. An approved academic program shall include curricular requirements for earning an academic award, such as credits in general education, a major and/or minor, and all prerequisite courses. The chancellor shall maintain the academic program inventory. Only academic programs approved by the chancellor as recorded in the academic program inventory may be offered by system colleges and universities. Part 6. Student Options when Academic Programs are Suspended, Closed, or Changed. A system college or university shall provide a student admitted to an academic program an opportunity, consistent with system college or university policy, to complete the academic program when it is suspended or closed or when the requirements have changed. Part 7. Academic Review. Each system college and university shall regularly review its academic programs for the purpose of academic planning and improvement. Each system college and university shall submit an annual summary of its academic program review activity to the chancellor. The chancellor, as appropriate, may conduct statewide or regional reviews of academic programs or program clusters, report findings to the Board of Trustees and, when necessary, impose conditions on academic programs.
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