Compliance Certification Report
3.4.1 |
3.4 Educational Programs: All Educational Programs (includes all on-campus, off-campus, and distance learning programs and course work) The institution demonstrates that each educational program for which academic credit is awarded (a) is approved by the faculty and the administration, and (b) establishes and evaluates program and learning outcomes.
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[Compliance] |
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| The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is in compliance with Principle 3.4.1 because it demonstrates that each educational program with credit is approved by the faculty and the administration, and that each academic unit establishes and evaluates program and learning outcomes. The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual, Board Rule 502 states that "primary responsibility for the planning and execution of academic programs begins with the faculty and staff of each System campus." Because UAH complies with this rule, it has processes in place for ensuring that faculty members approve educational programs for which credit is awarded. In addition, the Board approves all new degree programs before they are submitted to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Board Rule 504 "requires the institutions of The University of Alabama (UA) System periodically to review and evaluate all programs of instruction, research, and service." The review and evaluation summary must be submitted to the Chancellor's Office. The summaries for the 2003-2004 year are included as examples in source documents. The College of Administrative Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, and the Departments of Music and Computer Science also undergo professional accreditation reviews, which form part of the summaries reported to the Chancellor's Office. Procedures for changes in the undergraduate and graduate curriculum are set forth in the UAH Faculty Handbook, the UAH Curriculum Guidebook 2004-2005, and the UAH Graduate School Handbook 2003. The process for the creation of a new educational program, as outlined in the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual, Board Rule 502, requires that the process begin with the faculty and be approved by the administration. The process also is described in the UAH Faculty Handbook, and involves a series of administrative approvals. Minors and concentrations are included in this process whenever appropriate. The approval process for new educational programs begins with the faculty members of the department or college in which the program will reside. The faculty members prepare a proposal for the new program, including both educational and fiscal considerations, and send it to the dean. The dean then seeks the approval of the college curriculum committee, which consists of faculty members from the college. If approved by the curriculum committee and the dean, the proposal is sent to the Provost. The Provost refers graduate programs to the Graduate Dean and Graduate Council for approval and undergraduate programs to the University Curriculum Committee for approval. Both the Graduate Council and University Curriculum Committee comprise faculty members from all colleges of the University. Following these approvals, the Provost and President make the final campus decision on the educational merit and budgetary consequences of the proposed program. If they decide to pursue the approval process further, the University seeks approval from the staff of the Chancellor of The University of Alabama (UA) System, the Board of Trustees of The UA System, and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). Thus, no UAH educational program for which credit is awarded can be initiated without multiple levels of faculty and administrative approval. Substantive changes in an educational program must also be approved through the same process. Documents submitted as part of the approval process for several recent programs are included as source documents. The faculty members responsible for each of the UAH educational programs establish program and learning outcomes for those programs and use regular assessments to evaluate whether the program meets those outcomes. The program and learning outcomes, results of assessment of those outcomes, and improvements made in response to assessment are summarized in the UAH Online Profile System (UAH OPS) unit profiles of the academic units responsible for those educational programs. Unit profiles include:
Items six through eleven are repeated for each academic program in departments or units with multiple programs. Information about the assessment of educational programs and improvements based on those assessments can also be found in annual reports of departments and colleges, program accreditation and reaccreditation reports for the College of Administrative Science, Engineering, and Nursing, and Music and Computer Science degree programs, and program review reports. The UAH Faculty Handbook states that a comprehensive review to evaluate academic programs will be undertaken by the Provost, normally every eight years or in conjunction with a department's professional accreditation review cycle. As part of the review process, the unit conducts a self-study, and a review committee of faculty with an external consultant writes reports addressing strengths and weaknesses of the program. Findings and recommendations are submitted to the Provost. The dean, the department chair or program coordinator, and the Provost develop follow-up procedures. Procedures for review are contained in the Manual for Comprehensive Academic Program Reviews. The UAH OPS provides documentation for the learning and program outcomes for each of the programs for which academic credit is awarded. The programs are listed below: College of Administrative Science
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts
College of Nursing
College of Science
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