Ch4b

Chapter IV

Curricular Policies

Second Baccalaureate Degree

(Senate: 12/2/69, 4/23/74, 8/11/87, 10/27/98, 2/19/13, 10/14/15 [EA]; President: 12/31/69, 4/24/74, 7/25/88, 2/1/99, 6/24/13, 1/27/16; Editorial Amendment: 8/01)

Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree from Cal State L.A. other than nursing, may qualify for graduation with the approval and recommendation of the faculty upon completion of the following:

  1. Residence and scholarship requirements then in effect;

  2. A major program as specified by the major department/division/school;

  3. Completion of a minimum of 30 semester units in residence beyond the requirements of the first degree.  The student must complete 30 semester units in residence, which  must include at least 24 units in upper division courses, at least 12 units in the second academic major, and 9 units in General Education if applicable;

  4. Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR);

  5. General Education and other University requirements as appropriate:

In the case of a post-baccalaureate student pursuing a second baccalaureate degree, the General Education requirements and the GWAR shall be satisfied if the student previously earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or if the student completed equivalent academic preparation, as determined by the Admissions Office and Undergraduate Studies.

A student who completes a baccalaureate degree from other than a regionally accredited institution will be required to complete the following requirements if equivalent academic preparation was not completed as part of the first degree as determined by the appropriate campus authority:

  1. Breadth requirements for Executive Order 1100 with a minimum of 12 semester units in each of three areas (including 3 upper division units in each): natural sciences and math, humanities, and social sciences.  Course by course articulation or comparability will not be required.  Sub-blocks (B1, B2, B3) will not be considered; i.e., the GE block as a whole will be evaluated.

  2. Statutory requirements, i.e., U.S. history and California state and local government.

Nursing Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree:

Students who have been admitted to the baccalaureate nursing degree program who have previously earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association, may qualify for graduation with the approval and recommendation of the faculty upon completion of the major program, as specified by the School of Nursing.

Post-baccalaureate nursing students who have not previously earned a baccalaureate or higher degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association may qualify for graduation with the approval and recommendation of the faculty upon completion of the major program as specified by the School of Nursing and an academic preparation equivalent to an accredited baccalaureate that includes the following requirements:

  1. Residence and scholarship requirements then in effect;

  2. Completion of a minimum of 30 semester units in residence beyond the requirements of the first degree.  The student must complete 30 units in residence, which must include at least 24 units in upper division courses, 12 units in the second academic major, and 9 units in General Education if applicable;

  3. Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR);

  4. General Education and other University requirements as appropriate.

A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree from other than a regionally accredited institution will be required to fulfill the following requirements if they were not completed as part of the first degree as determined by the appropriate campus authority:

  1. Breadth requirements for Executive Order 1100 with a minimum of 12 semester units in each of three areas (including 3 upper division units in each): natural sciences and math, humanities, and social sciences.  Course by course articulation or comparability will not be required.  Sub-blocks (B1, B2, B3) will not be considered; i.e., the GE block, as a whole will be evaluated.

  2. Statutory requirements, i.e., U.S. history and California state and local government.

Course Components and Instruction Modes

(Senate: 1/23/07, 9/27/16, 3/15/22; President: 2/22/07, 3/20/17, 4/29/22)

I.  Course Components

Course Component refers to the teaching format used to designate the types of courses available to provide instruction in approved curriculum.  The standard course components are lecture, seminar, laboratory, activity, recitation, and supervision. Specific courses or course sections are designated as employing one or more of the course components listed above, typically classified in increments of at least one unit for a selected course component.

II. Instruction Modes

The three instruction modes of the course components are face-to-face, online, and hybrid. The instruction mode is determined by the proportion of face-to-face compared to online instruction. These instruction modes can be further specified into learning modes based on the CSU Chancellor's Office's definitions.

  1. In a face-to-face instruction mode, students meet in-person with an instructor physically present during class meetings. Class meetings outside of the university-assigned class time and/or physical space must involve comparable instructional activities such as field trips, service-learning experiences, directed study, or technologically-mediated instruction. Face-to-face instruction must account for at least 75% of the instructional time provided.
  2. In an online-only instruction mode, 100% of the instructional time occurs online. This includes all class meetings, instructional materials, office hours and support, class activities, assignments, exams, and assessments. Online-only components may be synchronous, asynchronour, or a combination of the two. The learning mode and meeting pattern (synchronous meetings, filed trips, etc.) must be published in the schedule of the classes before students enroll.
  3.  Hybrid instruction modes blend face-to-face instruction with more than 25% and less than 100% online instructional time.
  4. Learning modes in the table below are based on the CSU Chancellor's Office learning mode reporting examples, available on CSYOU Tools and Services under Academic Affairs tools, Academic Planning Database.
CODE INSTRUCTION MODE DESCRIPTION

DEFINITION
01 Online Only Asynchronous No Meeting Instruction is delivered online asynchronously (i.e. not at scheduled days/times) and requires no face-to-face meetings with students throughout the term.
02

Online Only

Synchronous No Campus Meetings

Instruction is delivered online synchronously (i.e. at scheduled days/times) and requires no face-to-face meetings with students throughout the term.
03

Hybrid (Allowed)

Asynchronous Meetings Allowed

Instruction is delivered online asynchronously (i.e. not at scheduled days/times) and may require face-to-face meetings with students throughout the term for one or more of the following: orientation, mid-term and/or final exam, and overview of next phase of course content.
04

Hybrid (Allowed)

Synchronous Meetings Allowed

Instruction is delivered online synchronously (i.e. at scheduled days/times) and may require face-to-face meetings with students throughout the term for one or more of the following: orientation, mid-term and/or final exam, and overview of next phase of course content.
05

Hybrid

Asynchronous with Meetings, Hybrid

Instruction is delivered in a combination of asynchronous (i.e. not at scheduled days/times) online and face-to-face meetings. Face-to-face portion of instruction must meet weekly or bi-weekly at scheduled days/times.
06

Hybrid

Synchronous with Meetings, Hybrid

Instruction is delivered in a combination of synchronous (i.e. at scheduled days/times) online and face-to-face meetings. Both the face-to-face and online portions of instruction must meet weekly or bi-weekly at scheduled days/times.
09

Face-to-Face

Face-to-Face

Instruction is delivered at least 75% in person with a live instructor and physically assembled students throughout the term.
10

Online Only

Polysynchronous  No Campus Meetings

Instruction is delivered in a combination of asynchronous (i.e. not at scheduled days/times) and synchronous (i.e. at scheduled days/times) online meetings and requires no face-to-face meetings with students throughout the term.

11

 Hybrid

Polysynchronous  Meetings allowed

Instruction is delivered in a combination of asynchronous (i.e. not at scheduled days/times) and synchronous (i.e. at scheduled days/times) online meetings and may face to face meetings with students throughout the term.

III. Curriculum Development and Approval

  1. The instruction mode has a significant impact on the learning experience of students.  Thus, the instruction mode(s) for a new or modified course shall become part of each new curriculum proposal.  The instruction mode shall be approved through the curricular approval process. A course component may be approved for more than one instruction mode.  If a course is offered in multiple sections, then different sections may have different instruction modes.
  2. For both new and modified courses proposing online-only and/or hybrid instruction modes, the course proposal must include a justification of the appropriateness of the proposed instruction mode(s).
  3. For both new and modified courses proposing online-only and/or hybrid instruction modes, the course proposal must include a description of how the student- to-student and student-to-instructor interaction appropriate for the instruction mode and course component (E.G. lecture, lab, seminar, activity) will be accomplished.
  4. For both new and modified courses, the course proposal must include the need for specialized technical skills, computer hardware, and/or computer software for each instruction mode.
  5. For both new and modified courses, the course proposal must address accessibility for any required materials.

IV. Operational Procedures

The University shall publish the following information in the Schedule of Classes:

  1. The instruction mode of each course offering that is online-only or hybrid.
  2. Regularly scheduled times for online class meetings, if applicable.
  3. Any required off-site meetings for any courses that include such a requirement.
  4. Notification to students that an instructor may drop them from an online-only course if they do not log in within the first four days of instruction.

Criteria for Proposing Courses with Hybrid and Online Components

(Senate: 3/15/22; President: 4/29/22)

This policy acknowledges that online-only and hybrid instruction can help meet the needs of our university community while addressing opportunity gaps and enhancing retention and graduation rates. It also acknowledges that faculty have academic freedom to innovate their courses as well as responsibility and control over all curricular decisions. To ensure continuity in delivering high-quality education across all modes of instruction, specific justifications and examples for proposing courses with hybrid and online-only components are outlined below. These criteria were developed in alignment with evidence-based best practices for technologically mediated teaching and learning, as outlined in the online white paper from the Academic Senate of the CSU

  1. All courses must be approved through appropriate curricular procedures.
  2. Programs must ensure that the addition of new online-only and hybrid course proposals or change to online-only or hybrid within a program does not constitute the program becoming 50% or more online without approval from WSCUC as a Distance Education Program.
  3. Courses that include separately listed components, e.g., a lecture and a lab section, must indicate the instructional mode(s) for each component. Each component that involves online-only or hybrid instruction must have a separate justification for that instructional mode that addresses all of the relevant standards.
  4. New course proposals and course modifications seeking approval to convert to hybrid or online-only must address in their justification the following QM standards. The feasibility of offering the online-only or hybrid course component will be assessed based on evidence provided in the justification as well as consideration of:
  • Program costs, including equipment, faculty workload in developing materials, academic support, and student services.
  • Availability of appropriate campus support for instructional design, technical assistance, technical support, and faculty professional development.

 

Justification

Annotation/Example

1

Purpose and structure of the online course

List the instruction mode(s) (online-only or hybrid) and delivery modality (synchronous vs. asynchronous); provide the breakdown of face-to-face vs. Online components; give a breakdown of synchronous vs. asynchronous components for online courses; describe the modes of communication; and general types of learning activities in the course.

2

Requirements for student interaction

List any specific requirements expected of students. This may include required log-ins, asynchronous interaction (e.g., discussion boards, video, or voice recordings), as well as any required synchronous meetings and participation (e.g., class discussion or breakout rooms).

For hybrid components, the schedule of in-person class meetings vs. online course delivery should be explicit.

For online components, the schedule of synchronous vs. asynchronous meetings should be explicit.

3

Minimum technology requirements for the course, and how to obtain the technologies listed

List all technologies needed to participate in the course, including any necessary to complete course assignments or activities.  Technologies refers to hardware, software, subscriptions, plug-ins, mobile applications (apps) and/or publisher materials or open-educational resources (OERS).

If students need to download and/or purchase any tools or equipment, information on where tools can be obtained should be specified.

For hybrid courses, if technology or software will be provided during in-person meetings (e.g., in-person sessions will meet in a computer lab), this should be explicit.

4

Computer skills and digital information literacy skills required of students

General, as well as course-specific technical skills, should be specified. 

Examples may include:

  • Using the Learning Management System

  • Creating and uploading Word processing files to submit assignments

  • Downloading and installing software for class use

  • Using spreadsheet programs

  • Using web conferencing programs

  • Using online libraries and databases to locate appropriate information

  • Preparing a presentation of research findings using presentation and/or graphics programs

5

Measurable course learning outcomes (e.g., skills, knowledge, attitudes) that will be achieved upon successful completion of this course

Measurable course learning outcomes clearly describe what students will learn and be able to do if they successfully complete the course. They describe actions that are specific and observable, as measured by the instructor.

Examples of measurable learning outcomes are:

  • Select appropriate tax strategies for different financial and personal situations.

  • Demonstrate correct use of personal protective equipment.

  • Create an original composition using computer technology.

  • Analyze a case study to determine the cause of the organizational issue.

Examples of learning outcomes that are not measurable are:

  • Understand various tax strategies

  • Learn the basics of using personal protective equipment

  • Demonstrate an understanding of using computer technology for music composition

  • Realize the significance of organizational issues

6

Instructional materials required for the course

Instructional materials may include physical or electronic textbooks, open educational resources (OERS), publisher- or instructor-created materials, slide presentations, etc. These materials should align with the course learning outcomes.

7

Plans for student-student interaction as well as plans for active learning in the course

Online course components should incorporate student-student interaction and active learning.

Examples of student-student interaction include:

  • Discussion boards

  • Small-group projects

  • Peer review of papers

  • Group collaboration using online tools

Examples of lessons that incorporate active learning include:

  • Students are asked to watch examples of persuasive speeches, then identify specific components of effective delivery. Students receive timely feedback from the instructor on the assignment.

  • Students are asked to view virtual lab content and complete an end-of-lab quiz. Then students discuss aspects of the virtual lab in an online discussion forum. The instructor facilitates the discussion and highlights key concepts from the lab before concluding the discussion.

8

Plans for student-instructor interaction, including for course communication and timely feedback

Frequent communication from the instructor increases students’ sense of engagement in online courses. Clear information should be provided as to when learners should expect email responses, feedback on assignments, and how often the course gradebook will be updated. List any potential communication tools used (e.g., cloud-based video office hours) and guidelines for contacting the instructor (e.g., email, Learning Management System (LMS), phone). In addition, the course should include multiple opportunities for student-instructor interaction
.
Examples of student-instructor interaction include:

  • Synchronous class discussions

  • Regular course announcements

  • Short instructor videos

  • Assignments submitted for instructor feedback and grading

9

Course assessments, including how you will ensure the security of assessment measures (e.g., exams, writing assignments). Course assessments should be aligned, sequenced, varied and suited to the level of the course

Course assessments should be aligned with the course learning objectives.  Please list the planned course assessments (e.g., exams, projects, papers) and how they help students meet course objectives.  In addition, please describe how the submission and grading of assessments will ensure academic integrity.

Examples of alignment between a course learning objective and assessment:

  • A course objective of “identify” or “recognize” includes a multiple-choice quiz

  • A course objective of “explain” or “describe” includes an essay or discussion forum activity

  • A course objective of “analyze” or “evaluate” includes a case study or problem-based scenario

If online exam proctoring is proposed, include justification for requiring this type of assessment in an online course and explain the rationale for offering the course online (instead of in-person) if high stakes, lower-level assessments are required.

Assessments should also be suited to the level of the course.  For example, an introductory survey course should focus on lower-level cognitive skills (e.g., remembering, understanding).  In contrast, a senior-level capstone course should include higher-order cognitive skills (e.g., evaluating, creating).

10

Accessibility of all course materials (e.g., videos, readings, webpages, etc.)

To ensure all learners can access course materials, departments must ensure online course materials meet any federal, state, or CSU accessibility standards (e.g., ADA, section 504).

Please describe the department’s steps to ensure all course materials are accessible, or if necessary, an equally effective alternate access plan (EEAAP) that will be used to meet accessibility standards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is strongly encouraged that all faculty avail themselves of the many resources on campus to help transition course components to hybrid and online-only modes, particularly training and support offered by the Center for Effective Teaching and Learning (CETL) and by CSU Online Course Services (CSU-OCS).

 

Inactivation of Infrequently Offered Courses from the Curriculum

(Senate: 10/3/79, 1/12/16; President: 10/25/79, 4/14/16; Editorial Amendment: 8/01, 8/11)

In order to avoid advertising the availability of courses that are not actually being offered, it is imperative that departments/divisions/schools and colleges act promptly to remove unused courses from the Catalog. Courses not offered successfully for a period of three years that normally would be offered annually will be inactivated. A course is considered to have been offered successfully if it meets through the census date. Courses not offered successfully for a period of four years that are normally offered every other year will be inactivated. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee may initiate the inactivation of infrequently offered courses. They will notify colleges and departments/divisions/schools of the proposed action in sufficient time for adjustments to be made.

Courses that have been recently inactivated will be reactivated upon notification from the department to the Office of Undergraduate Studies that it intends to offer them again.

The following courses are exempt from inactivation: Cooperative Education, Directed Study, Independent Study, Comprehensive Examinations, Graduate Research, Graduate Directed Study, Thesis or Project, and Special Topics Courses.

The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs produces each semester a report showing total enrollments in all University courses over the previous three years.  This report flags courses not offered during the previous two years ("two-year rule warning") and three years ("three-year rule warning"), and four years, as well as new courses and those offered recently at enrollment levels requiring special justification.  Courses thus flagged should be acted upon appropriately and promptly by departments/divisions/schools concerned.

Honors Convocation and Awards

(Senate: 3/2/93, 10/14/08, 5/10/16, 4/9/24; President: 5/14/93, 1/20/09, 8/17/16, 6/27/24; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01)

Honors Convocation. The University and colleges may, at their discretion, recognize undergraduate and graduate students in an Honors Convocation ceremony. Colleges may grant authority to departments/divisions/schools to recognize students in an honors ceremony.

Undergraduates Named to the Dean's List. Undergraduates who earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in 12 or more units of graded course work in one semester are named to the Dean's List.  Students who receive NC for any coursework in the semester under consideration are not eligible to be named to the Dean's List for that semester.

Scholarship and Award Recipients. Scholarship awards are generally based on high academic achievements.

Honor Society Initiates. Chapters of more than twenty national and international honor societies have been chartered at the University to accord recognition to students who demonstrated superior scholarship and leadership in specific academic areas.
Certificate of Honor. The primary purpose of this award is to recognize students for academic excellence. Students who receive the Certificate of Honor are selected by their respective academic departments/divisions/schools for outstanding and distinguished achievement within their major area of study. Each department/division /school is limited to two undergraduate and two graduate awards.

Graduate Students Receiving Special Honors. Graduate students who have a 3.80 or better GPA on their graduate programs and who have completed 80% or more of their graduate programs may be recognized  by their respective colleges and/or departments/divisions/schools.

Graduation with Honors in General Education

(Senate: 10/25/83; President: 11/8/83)

For members of the General Education Honors Program who entered the program during the fall, winter or spring quarter of the 1982-83 academic year, the number of honors courses required for graduation with Honors in General Education is reduced. Students would be required to take four classes instead of six and students who were freshmen when they entered during that period of time would be required to take five honors courses in order to graduate with Honors in General Education. All students entering the honors program during or later than fall quarter, 1983, will be responsible for completing the original requirement of six courses in order to graduate with Honors in General Education.

Honors College Recognition at Graduation

(Senate: 5/20/14; President: 6/26/14)

The following language will be included on the diplomas of students who successfully complete the Honors College Program:

"Honors College Program Completed."

Honors at Graduation

(Senate: 7/15/75; 10/25/83, 8/9/88, 11/28/95, 2/11/97, 5/10/16; President: 7/21/75, 11/8/83, 9/21/88, 4/30/96, 4/22/97, 8/16/16; Editorial Amendment: 9/99, 9/00, 8/9/16)

California State University, Los Angeles uses three designations of honors at graduation: cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude. To be eligible for honors a graduate must have completed a minimum of 45 units in residence at Cal State L.A. and have attained the appropriate standing (in terms of cumulative grade point average earned at Cal State L.A.) as described below.

    Summa Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.9
    Magna Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.75 but less than 3.9
    Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 but less than 3.75

All students attaining these minimum grade point averages will be awarded the corresponding honors upon conferral of degree.

Honors for Candidates for Second Baccalaureate Degrees

(Senate: 11/25/75; President: 12/8/75; Editorial Amendment: 1/6/16)

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree and are candidates for another baccalaureate degree (as distinct from an advanced degree or a teaching credential or other type of certificate) shall be eligible for the Dean's List or other academic honors according to the same criteria as candidates for first degrees. Candidates for second baccalaureate degrees shall be eligible for graduation with honors according to the same criteria as candidates for first degrees, with residence counted to include all residence at this institution that is applicable toward any baccalaureate degree (including the first). This excludes residence or grade points earned in graduate courses or professional education courses.

Review of Degree Programs

(Senate: 7/3/73, 2/7/79, 8/19/81, 4/26/83, 1/19/93, 7/29/97, 11/23/99; President: 7/5/73, 2/27/79, 10/6/81, 5/5/83, 2/16/93, 12/4/97, 12/28/99; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01; 9/03)

Trustee Policy.  Program Review on this campus has its origins in Chancellor's Office memorandum AP 71-32, "Performance Review of Existing Degree Major Programs," which requested that each campus "establish a formal performance review procedure for all existing degree programs on campus in order to assess periodically both the quantitative and qualitative viability of each undergraduate and graduate program in the total context of offerings." AP 71-32 was endorsed by the Educational Policies Committee of the Board of Trustees, and later by the Board of Trustees on July 14, 1971. Although initiated in the context of limited resources and impelled by externally defined quantitative criteria, the review process has matured into an intensive, quality oriented program of benefit to departments/divisions/schools, colleges, and the University alike.

Purpose of Program Review.  The purpose of  program review is to enable the University, its colleges and its departments/divisions/schools to effectively achieve their stated objectives, and to examine on a continuing basis the worthiness of these programs; in short, the purpose is to maintain and strengthen the quality of the University's curriculum. The priorities in program review center around the desire to provide a quality university-level program balanced with respect to the needs of society in general, needs of the urban community, professional preparation requirements, and student interest. Program review leads to informed recommendations related to program, faculty, and student needs; curricular planning, resource allocation, and management; and such matters as recognition of unique situations, the need for additional study or planning, augmentation, maintenance, consolidation or discontinuation of programs, and responses to the problem of diminution of available resources, while attempting to maintain and enhance program quality.

Inherent in program review are two assumptions:

  1. Program review is a judgmental process which uses both qualitative and quantitative data; it is comprehensive and intensive.
  2. Quality cannot be easily defined or simplistically evaluated. It emerges from honest professional discourse about the evaluation criteria that should be applied, changes in knowledge, the relationship of programs to each other, and the educational needs of students and the society at large.

Review Cycles. In accordance with the Trustees' resolution, each academic program must be reviewed qualitatively and quantitatively at least once every five years. The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designated subunit of that office will determine the specific review cycles for each department/division/school and interdisciplinary program by consultation with the administration of the colleges. In the selection of programs to be reviewed each year, related disciplines will be grouped to the extent possible and in such a manner that approximately one-fifth of the programs are reviewed each year over the review period. Care will be taken to schedule review of graduate programs at the same time as the review of the undergraduate program(s) within the same discipline, and to coordinate with accreditation cycles for the discipline. In the case of new programs, it should be expected that a developmental period of up to five years will be required to establish a valid measure of their productivity. The President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or the Educational Policy Committee may request additional reviews of programs in any given academic year for purposes of planning or to satisfy a request from the Chancellor's Office or the Board of Trustees. Reviews other than the university reviews may of course be conducted by colleges or departments/divisions/schools at times other than those scheduled by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and they may request a university review on their own initiative. The schedule for program review and all subsequent modifications will be published by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and distributed to the faculty.

Periodic Review. Departments/divisions/schools or interdisciplinary groups scheduled for university review prepare a complete program review document for the program under consideration, as a result of department/division/school wide consultation, and according to the format prescribed by the Program Review Subcommittee. However, a department/division/school that has programs which have undergone within the past three years specialized accreditation which included external reviewers will prepare a matrix comparing the standards and criteria of accreditation and those of program review, and, if necessary, a modified report consisting of those sections which are not addressed in the accreditation documents. The full program review reports will be submitted for department/division/school programs which were not addressed in the accreditation process. Copies of all accreditation documents shall be provided to the subcommittee.

Periodic Review of Accredited Programs.  Because the goal and intent of program review and accreditation are distinct, programs that have undergone accreditation review must also undergo program review, albeit modified, so as to utilize the work done for accreditation.  Therefore, one year prior to the scheduled program review the program will develop a matrix comparing the program review standards and criteria with the standards and criteria required for accreditation, and submit it to the college dean.  The matrix along with the accreditation documents will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee in order to determine the extent to which accreditation documents meet the program review criteria.  This ad hoc committee will be composed of the executive secretary of the Program Review Subcommittee, the chair of the Program Review Subcommittee, the college dean, and the chair of the program.  At the conclusion of the review of documents, the ad hoc committee will report to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs the extent to which the program's accreditation documents meet the requirements for program review self-study, and identify any areas that should be addressed in a modified program review self-study.

The Program Review Subcommittee is selected according to established campus procedures.*

Following review by the Program Review Subcommittee, its report will be transmitted to the department/division/school and college for their responses. The report of the Program Review Subcommittee shall be prepared by the voting members of the subcommittee. The Program Review Subcommittee report and response will be submitted to the Educational Policy Committee. The Program Review Subcommittee report and response will be filed in both college and university academic planning and resources offices, where they can be used for planning purposes (which might include processes such as long-range program planning, program modification, and reallocation of resources), data extraction for systemwide analyses, and other positive aspects of program development. Implementation of recommended changes shall be handled through appropriate academic channels.

External Review. All programs to be reviewed by the Program Review Subcommittee are subject to an independent evaluation by external reviewers. Unless otherwise determined by the Program Review Subcommittee, departments/divisions/schools in which an external review or national accreditation has been conducted within the previous three years will be exempt from this requirement. The external reviewers will be individuals of significant professional reputation in the field, who will report their findings to the Program Review Subcommittee and to the appropriate department/division/school or college. The evaluation report will become part of the permanent Program Review file. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee will be responsible for the overall coordination of the external review.

Nominations for evaluators of each program will be solicited from the chair of the department/division or director of the school, the dean of the college, and from other institutions, higher education associations and professional organizations. Nominees should have no prior or present academic appointment at Cal State, Los Angeles. These nominees will be reviewed by the departmental/divisional/school faculty, who may reject any of the nominees for cause. The external review evaluators will be selected from the remaining nominees by the Program Review Subcommittee. When possible one evaluator should be from the CSU system and one from outside the CSU system. The evaluators will spend at least two days on campus meeting with students, staff, department/division/school faculty, and administrators, and then prepare a written evaluation. Sufficient funds to cover the expense of the external reviews will be included in the budget of the University.

Additional Reviews. Student academic support programs (University Writing Center, Tutorial Center, Academic Advisement Center, Testing Center, GE Honors Program, PALS Program and the Library) must be reviewed qualitatively and quantitatively on a periodic basis.  The determination of review cycles and review criteria will be approved by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or a designated sub-unit of that office after consultation with the Educational Policy Committee.  Ad hoc review committees will be convened for the purposes of reviewing each of these programs which shall include a member of the corresponding Senate committee when such a committee exists, i.e., Academic Advisement Center - Academic Advisement Subcommittee.  In the case of new programs, it should be expected that a developmental period of up to five years will be required to establish a valid measure of their achievement.  The President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or the Educational Policy Committee may request additional reviews of the aforementioned programs in any given academic year for purposes of planning or to satisfy a request from the Chancellor's Office or the Board of Trustees.

____________
*See "The Program Review Subcommittee," Chapter II.

Policies and Procedures for Temporary Suspension of Academic Programs

(Senate: 4/27/2010; President: 5/25/2010; Editorial Amendment: 1/21/15)

Program suspension is a formal process to temporarily halt new student admission in an academic program.  Program suspension is not applicable when the goal is program discontinuance.  Temporary suspension of an academic program is intended to allow time for program faculty to review curricular structure, resources, enrollment issues, accreditation demands, etc., in order to reinstate the program by enrolling new students once again within three years.  It must be clear in the request for suspension that significant problems exist that prevent effective implementation of a program and that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these problems can be rectified within the proposed period of suspension.

Academic programs covered in this policy include: a) undergraduate and graduate degrees; b) concentrations and options; c) minors; d) credit certificate programs; and e) credential programs.

Program faculty refers to the tenured and tenure-track faculty in the department/division/school in which the program is housed.

I.  Procedures for Requesting Program Suspension

  1. Consultation

    1. Initial consultation between the dean and the program faculty entails meaningful interaction in which all parties may freely exchange information and counsel.

    2. Prior to a formal request for program suspension, a meeting between program faculty and the dean of the college in which the program is housed must occur and minutes shall be taken.  This consultation may be initiated by program faculty or the college dean.

    3. Upon completion of the consultation process, if the program faculty and dean are in agreement that program suspension should be requested, the formal request for program suspension will be made by program faculty, regardless of who initiated consultation.  If consultation was initiated by the dean, and program faculty still object to program suspension after consultation, the formal request for program suspension will be presented by the college dean.

  2. Formal request for program suspension

    The formal request for program suspension shall include all of the following, whether the request is made by program faculty or the college dean: 

    1. A full explanation of why the temporary program suspension is being proposed.

    2. Reasons why temporary program suspension is being proposed instead of discontinuance.

    3. The semester and date when the proposed suspension will take effect.  No temporary suspension may exceed three academic years.

    4. A complete list of courses where offerings will be suspended or substantially reduced.  Evidence of consultation with affected units, including written responses, if any.

    5. Student enrollment and application patterns for the program during the previous five years.

    6. Likely effects of the temporary suspension on students currently enrolled in the program.

    7. Potential consequences regarding faculty assignments.

    8. Any changes that would be necessary in order to resume offering the program.

  3. Review of formal request for program suspension presented by the college dean

    1. Formal requests for program suspension presented by the college dean are forwarded to the program faculty for review.  Program faculty are given 10 academic work days to prepare a written response to the request for suspension, which should include a justification for not suspending the program (which may include the need for the program, the importance of the program to the University, the quality of the program, and program benefits and costs), alternatives to suspension, identification of community stakeholders, and identification of other programs in the University that would be affected by the suspension.

    2. The dean submits the formal request for program suspension and the program faculty’s written response and any written dissent by program faculty to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Educational Policy Committee, the College Curriculum Committee, all other college deans, and affected programs that were identified in the program’s response.  The Educational Policy Committee, the College Curriculum Committee, college deans, and affected programs will have 20 academic work days to submit opposition to the proposed suspension, if any, to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. 

    3. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs makes the final decision regarding program suspension.

II. Procedures for Implementing Program Suspension

  1. Notification to program

    Following a decision to suspend a program by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the college dean, the Educational Policy Committee, the faculty of the suspended program, and others affected by the suspension will be notified as soon as possible regarding the decision to suspend, date of implementation, and length of suspension.

  2. Catalog

    A notice of program suspension will be included in the CSULA online catalog.  The notice will include that the program is under temporary suspension, is not currently accepting new students, the date of plans to resume the program, contingent on campus approval procedures, and an appropriate University contact for further information about the suspended program.

  3. Accommodating students

    If a program is to be suspended, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee shall:

    1. Require program faculty to develop a teach-out plan with a list of courses that would need to be offered during the suspension period or other mechanisms such as course substitutions that would allow those students to graduate in a timely manner.

    2. Prepare an official list of students enrolled in the program.

    3. Notify all students enrolled in the program of the following:

      1. the date by which requirements must be completed to receive the specified degree/credential/certificate;

      2. a provisional teach-out plan, a part of which will apply to each individual student;

      3. other closely related programs offered by CSULA to which the student may wish to transfer;

      4. similar programs available at other institutions in the geographical area or in the CSU system;

      5. the extent to which courses from other institutions can be substituted;

      6. a designated office that can assist the students to transfer to another institution or complete program requirements at CSULA;

      7. that readmission to the program will not be allowed during the suspension period if the student loses continuing student status;

      8. any other relevant aspects of the teach-out plan mentioned above.

  4. Faculty assignments

    If a program is to be suspended, the college dean must communicate to faculty who currently teach in the program their assignments during the period of suspension.

 III. Early Reinstatement

Program faculty can request reinstatement of a suspended program for sooner than the date originally specified.  A written justification must be submitted to the college dean, which is then forwarded to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The college dean may append a letter of support or non-support for the request for early reinstatement if desired.  The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will make the final decision regarding early reinstatement.

 IV. Extended Suspension and Discontinuance

A program will automatically be reinstated and new students will be enrolled at the end of the stated suspension period unless a request for a one-time extension of no more than one academic year has been approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Such a request may be initiated by program faculty or the dean of the college where a program is housed, and must explain why the program could not be reinstated during the proposed period of suspension, the continuing importance of the program to the University, and assurances that appropriate measures will be taken to assure that new students will be enrolled in the program by the end of the extension period.

Program faculty or the college dean may initiate discontinuance procedures if program reinstatement at the end of the approved suspension period, including extensions, if applicable is not desired.

Policies and Procedures for Academic Program Discontinuance

(Senate: 10/30/79, 8/25/81, 11/10/92, 7/29/00, 11/3/09; President: 5/30/80, 9/3/81, 11/25/92, 9/29/00, 11/23/09; Editorial Amendment: 9/00, 8/01, 9/03, 1/21/15)

I.  Preamble.  This policy provides criteria and a set of processes and procedures to be used in considering the discontinuance of academic programs. Academic programs covered in this policy include the following: a) undergraduate and graduate degrees; b) concentrations and options; c) minors; d) certificate programs (including those administered by Extended Education); and e) credential programs.

This policy, which describes two procedures for discontinuing programs, allows the University to maintain flexibility and respond to changing demands.  Programs shall be discontinued when they no longer serve the needs of the students, the University or society, or no longer possess academic validity or when the University cannot provide the resources to offer them.  The decision to discontinue a program shall be made only after all appropriate evidence has been gathered and examined, and thorough consultation with faculty and other affected parties has occurred.

In the event that imposed budget restrictions lead to a request for program discontinuance, the University shall seek alternatives to discontinuance, and the University shall terminate programs only as the last resort.

II. Criteria. Should it be necessary to consider the discontinuance of an academic program, a determination will be based upon a review of the program under the following criteria, which are listed in rank order:

  1. The need for the program and importance of the program to the University.

    1. The extent to which the University and society need the program should be assessed qualitatively by using the three criteria listed below:

      1. The extent to which the program is central to Cal State L.A. using the following priorities: (1) programs essential to a comprehensive public university; (2) programs that contribute to the mission of Cal State L.A. with its commitment to understanding and respecting diversity and to serving the changing needs of a global society; (3) programs that contribute to a well-rounded University but are not essential; and (4) programs that fill special needs for society, but without which the University could still fulfill its primary mission.
      2. Present and projected student demand for the program as well as present and projected demand for graduates of the program.

      3. The importance of the program to the Southern California community and the extent to which the program is unique to the Southern California community.

  2. The quality of the program.

    1. The quality of the program should be assessed by the results of the program reviews, accreditation reviews, or other comparable evidence. Among the variables for assessing the program quality are:

      1. Offering and maintaining a current rigorous curriculum.
      2. The quality of the faculty in terms of their degrees, currency in the field, quality of teaching, and level and quality of scholarly, creative and professional activity including the extent to which the faculty have received external funding and support. A demonstrated ability to attract and retain well-qualified and diverse faculty is an important part of this criterion.

      3. The quality of the positions received, or graduate or professional programs entered into, by graduates of the program.

  3. Program benefits and costs.

    1. The efficiency of the programs should be assessed using the following criteria and information from the departments/divisions/schools, colleges and university.

      1. The full-time equivalent faculty (FTEF), full-time equivalent students (FTES), and student-faculty ratio for the program or department/division/school; the trends in these numbers; and the reasons for these trends. Where data are available total cost per FTEF and per FTES may be used in comparison to comparable programs at other institutions. Other discipline specific information may be provided.
      2. The number of students completing the program per year.
      3. The graduation rate, the continuation rate, and the tracking rate (a combination of the continuation rate and the graduation rate).
      4. Other benefits and costs, including the extent to which programs support or duplicate other programs on campus.

III. Procedures for Program Discontinuance as a Result of Changes in Student, University, or Societal Needs, or a Loss of Academic Validity

  1. Program Discontinuance Process

    1. Requests for discontinuance of a program may be made by:

      1. the offering department/division/school,
      2. the Program Review Subcommittee,
      3. the dean of the college in which the program is housed,

      4. the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

    2. All requests to discontinue a degree program must proceed through all levels of curricular review with an accompanying record of its action and rationale for that action from each review forwarded to the next level.

    3. Requests for discontinuance made by and agreed to by the offering department/division/school will follow the regular levels of curricular review.

  2. Process When There Are Objections by the Offering Department/Division/School

    1. In cases where the Program Review Subcommittee, the dean of the college housing the program, or the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs makes requests for discontinuance, and where there are objections by the offering department/division/school; the following procedures shall be followed:

      1. The request for discontinuance shall be submitted to, or made by, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The request shall include the following information:

        1. the specific recommendations and justification for the recommendation to discontinue the program;
        2. an assessment of the impact on students, program faculty, other programs and the mission of the University if the program be discontinued;

        3. copies of the most recent program review documents including, but not limited to, the self-study, external evaluator reports, Program Review Subcommittee's reports and the department's/division's/school's responses to those reports.

      2. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall appoint an individual whose charge it will be to present the case supporting the recommendation for discontinuance at each curricular level.

  3. Levels of Review

    1. All recommendations made at each curricular level shall be forwarded to the next level and finally to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

    2. The levels of curricular review shall include the following:

      1. the department/division/school curriculum committee
      2. the department/division chair or school director
      3. the college curriculum committee
      4. the college dean
      5. the appropriate University level subcommittee of EPC

      6. the Educational Policy Committee

    3. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall establish timelines for the review of the recommendation for discontinuance in consultation with the department/division/school and college in which the program is housed and the Dean of Graduate and/or Undergraduate Studies, whichever is appropriate.  In no case shall the review extend beyond twelve months.

    4. In the case of a non-degree program the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall make the final decision on the discontinuance in this process.  In the case of a degree program the recommendation will be forwarded to the President or his or her designee in accordance with Trustee policy.

IV. Procedures for Program Discontinuance as a Result of Imposed Budget Restrictions

A.  The Program Discontinuance Committee (PDC).

  1. Membership. The PDC shall be made up of the following members:

    1.1  One tenured faculty member elected by the faculty in each college and three members-at-large from different colleges elected by the faculty for a one-year term in an all-university election from nominees provided by the colleges.

    1.2  Two student members from different colleges selected annually by the Board of Directors of the Associated Students. During committee service each student must be in good standing and must be either an upper division student enrolled in a minimum of six units or be an enrolled classified graduate or post-baccalaureate credential student.

    1.3  One liaison tenured faculty member from and appointed by the Executive Committee.

    1.4  The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee as non-voting Executive Secretary.

  2. Nomination and Election of Members.

    2.1  The timelines for the nomination and election process shall be set by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.

    2.2  Each college shall nominate and elect one committee member by procedures decided by the college. Simultaneously, the Nominations Committee shall nominate at least two full-time tenured faculty members for each at-large position on the committee.

    2.3  There shall be a petition process by which additional names of tenured faculty may be added to the ballot; the signatures of ten probationary or tenured faculty members are required to add the name of a faculty member to the ballot. Additional nominations may be made by petition of ten members of the full-time faculty provided such petition is submitted to the chair of the Academic Senate within five academic workdays following the presentation to the faculty of the slate nominated by the Nominations Committee.

    2.4  A preferential ballot with a single transferable vote shall be submitted to all probationary and tenured faculty members. The balloting period will be 10 full working days or major portions thereof.

    2.5  In the event an individual is elected to both a college position and an at-large position, the individual shall vacate the college position.

B.  Initiation of the Program Discontinuance Process.

  1. A recommendation to review a program for discontinuance may be made by any of the following:

    1. The faculty of the department/division/school in which the program is housed acting through its normal processes;
    2. The dean of the college in which the program is housed
    3. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs;
    4. The Educational Policy Committee of the Academic Senate;
    5. The Chairs of the Program Review Subcommittee for the previous six years meeting as a group;

    6. The Program Discontinuance Committee (PDC) which shall, in its initial meetings, compile through the process described in IV, Section C.1 a list of programs that should be considered for discontinuance.

  2. Any recommendation to discontinue a program must be accompanied by a rationale in terms of the stated criteria.

C.  Procedures for Review by PDC

  1. The PDC shall divide all University programs into five ranked groupings of approximately equal size using the criteria in II. Those programs falling in the bottom grouping shall constitute the PDC's recommendation for the list of programs to be reviewed for discontinuance.

  2. The pool of programs to be reviewed shall be the combination of lists provided for in IV, Section B1.

  3. If a program is recommended for discontinuance by more than one originating source, then the PDC shall consider that program for discontinuance. If a program is recommended for review by only one originating source, then the PDC may consider that program for discontinuance.

  4. When the PDC has assembled the list of programs to be considered for discontinuance, it shall inform the college dean, the department/division chair or school director, and the department/division/school faculty in writing regarding any programs in the unit that are being considered for discontinuance and will provide a written rationale for this decision. The department/division/school and the College Dean will have a two-week period to submit a response in writing to the PDC after being so informed.

  5. The PDC shall consider the responses it receives, examine all relevant information concerning the programs being reviewed and then compile a rank-ordered list of programs that it has decided should be further considered for discontinuance. This list will be transmitted, together with its rationale for each program so listed, to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall share the rationale with the department/division and the college dean and allow the submission of written appeals.

  6. After review of all pertinent documents and with the approval of the President, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall then issue a list of programs, if any, to be discontinued, with target dates.

D.  Information Sources.

The PDC may make use of any sources of information it wishes such as:

  1. Need and Demand for the program:

    1. Total enrollment, available by gender, ethnicity, and admission status.
    2. How the program relates to others on campus; overlap with other programs on campus.
    3. Availability of the program on other campuses in the region; unique characteristics of the program; commitments to other institutions, including 2+2 and similar agreements.

    4. Availability and effectiveness of educational equity programs.

  2. Program quality:

    1. Program Review Subcommittee reports and department/division/school self-study reports.
    2. External evaluations and accreditation reports.
    3. Results of survey of students, alumni, and employers.
    4. Summaries of Student Opinion Surveys.
    5. WPE pass rate.

    6. Grade distribution and average GPA by student level.

  3. Program: Benefits and costs:

    1. FTEF, FTES, SFR.
    2. Number of students completing the program.
    3. Student continuation rates; graduation rates; and tracking rates (a combination of continuation rate and graduation rate).

V.  If it be determined that a Program Leading to a Degree Shall be Discontinued by Either of the Two Procedures, the Following Plans to Accommodate Students and Faculty Will be Followed

A. Students: If a program is to be discontinued the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall:

  1. Determine and announce the cut-off date beyond which no new students will be permitted to enter the program.

  2. Prepare an official list (as of the cut-off date) of majors in the program.

  3. Notify all students in the major of the following:

    1. the date by which the degree requirements must be completed to receive the specified degree or certificate;
    2. other closely related programs offered by Cal State, LA  to which the student may wish to transfer;
    3. similar programs available at other institutions in the geographical area or in the CSU system;
    4. the extent to which courses from other institutions can be substituted;
    5. a designated office that can assist the students to transfer to another institution or complete the requirements of the degree at Cal State LA.

B. Faculty

If the discontinuance of a program is likely to result in the elimination of a position filled by a tenure-track faculty (probationary or tenured), the procedures are described in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association (currently Article 38) will be followed.

 

 

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