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116. Academic Program Proposals
State University of New York Policy Handbook, No. 130 (Revised Edition 1981)

A. Procedure for Submission of a Letter of Intent

A Letter of Intent should be addressed by the President to the Provost of the University and should be received well in advance of the anticipated initiation date of the program. A reasonable timetable should be allowed for academic and budgetary review, approval, and registration. Receipt of the Letter of Intent will be acknowledged and will indicate the individual to whom it has been sent for review. The campus contact with the Office of the Provost will then be the designated staff member, and he will transmit to the campus the formal response the Letter of Intent.

B. Content of the Letter of Intent

The Letter of Intent should contain as a minimum the program title, a description, and a concise statement justifying its consideration for addition to the college's curricula. Detailed information is not required in a Letter of Intent. However, it would be desirable and beneficial to include in this phase as much data and planning information as possible in anticipation of the information required in the program proposal. The Letter of Intent should provide sufficient information to enable the designated staff member to respond sensitively and usefully to the campus. It will serve as an advance notice of the college's intentions and its timetable for implementation of the campus master plan and will be the medium by which the staff may express any potential problems or concerns, such as possible duplication of effort or unfavorable enrollment trends.

C. Procedure for Submission of a Program Proposal

After the campus receives a positive response to the letter of Intent, faculty energy may be usefully devoted the development of a program proposal. Section D outlines the elements of a program proposal, applicable to undergraduate programs, to be used by all University campuses. It supplants the "eleven-point" format previously followed by community colleges and agricultural and technical colleges. Program proposals for graduate programs will follow the Evaluations of Graduate Programs. Programs involving teacher certification or other certification or licensure will follow the appropriate forms requested by the State Education Department. Five copies of the program proposal should be submitted to the Provost of the University reasonably prior to the proposed initiation date (e.g., at least six months).

D. Content of the Program Proposal

1. Identity of the program

a) Title of the program or curriculum.

b) Degree, certificate, or diploma.

c) Proposed beginning data.

d) Description of the course of study or content, including the course descriptions in appendix.

2. Long-range planning

a) Relation to University Master Plan.

b) Relation to campus master plan.

c) Relation to existing or other projected programs of the institution.

d) Relation to existing programs at other institutions, public and private, in the service area, region, and state.

3. Resources

a) Faculty and staff: does the program call for faculty resources already present which might be reassigned, or will it depend on new appointments? Include vitae in appendix.

b) Facilities, including equipment and library holdings: are the present facilities adequate for the proposed program, or are additional facilities, equipment, or library holdings required?

c) Expenditures: describe initial and long-range costs, including method of support, outside sources, and revenues.

4. Students

a) Identify: will the program serve a special clientele (e.g., disadvantaged, handicapped, veterans, aged)?

b) Counseling: describe provisions.

c) Demand: include potential enrollment for five years.

d) Employment possibilities: include data for geographic area and the state.

e) Articulation and transfer: describe potential for articulation of the program with preceding level and next appropriate level of instruction.

5. Evaluation

a) Academic quality and cost effectiveness: describe provisions for review.

b) Graduate programs: include special provisions.

6. Local resolutions

a) Include local resolutions and support documents from faculty councils, where appropriate.

[MP 73-48] ACAD