Policies and Procedures
Off-Campus Graduate Degree Program Proposals
August 2002
An off-campus graduate degree program is any graduate program in which more than one-half of the graduate units required completion are offered through Urbana-Champaign off-campus courses administered through the Office of Continuing Education. Units intending to offer an off-campus graduate degree program in a new geographic location through distance education should complete each section of this program proposal. Once completed, the proposal is to be reviewed and approved by the unit's school, department and/or college, the Office of Continuing Education, and the Graduate College before the program may be initiated. All proposals will be reviewed by the Graduate College Committee on Extended Education and External Degrees (CEEED). In the case of international programs, the Office of International Programs and Studies should be informed.
Assistance in completing the proposal should be sought through the head of the campus Division of Academic Outreach (333-3061; inforequest@talon.outreach.uiuc.edu, 1406 Presidential Tower, MC-433) early in the development process. The Graduate College "Guidelines for the Development of Off-Campus Graduate Degree Programs" should also be consulted.
- Program Identification
- Department
- Program title
- Degree offered
- Geographic location or delivery format
- Program Objectives
- Describe the program's objectives and the educational need(s) that the program will address. How were these needs assessed?
- How will the program complement and support the academic unit's teaching, research and service mission? If the program is to be offered outside Illinois, a strong rationale is particularly important.
- Program Clientele
- Describe the clientele to be served by the program. Include such characteristics as expected age of enrollees, special academic or vocational experiences, and other appropriate descriptive information.
- How many degree candidates are expected to enroll in the program? On what basis is this projection made?
- Program Characteristics
- Describe the program and state the requirements for the degree.
- What is the proposed starting date? What are the minimum and optimum times for degree completion for off-campus students? How long is the degree expected to be offered in this location?
- Will the program's curriculum content or more of instruction be adjusted to meet any special needs of the clientele? If so, please describe.
- State the criteria and standards for admission to the program.
- How will academic advising be accomplished? What procedures have been established to insure complete, accurate and timely two-way communication between off-campus students and the academic unit, particularly on matters of course scheduling, degree requirements, campus academic policy, etc.?
- How will the program be delivered?
- How will technology needed to deliver the program be made available to the students?
- Courses
Please provide the following information concerning each of the courses to be offered in the proposed off campus location as part of the degree program:- Name of academic unit
- Course number and title
- Semester to be offered
- Anticipated instructor (name and academic rank). Include the name(s) of back-up instructors if possible. Please provide a rationale for any planned use of adjunct faculty members, the extent of use, the criteria and process of selection, how they will be evaluated, and attach a copy of their vitae if they have been identified.
- Whether the course will be taught on an overload or on-load basis
- Resources
- Describe the sources of budgetary support for the program. Are necessary funds available to support the program? Is funding consistent with state guidelines?
- Describe the physical facilities available at the proposed location and the adequacy for meeting program objectives.
- What are the requirements for library and computer resources and how will they be provided?
- Relationship to Existing Programs
- Are there similar programs offered in the same geographic location by other Urbana-Champaign units, other University of Illinois campuses, or other postsecondary institutions? If so, please identify these programs.
- If similar programs are offered, why is the proposed program needed? (Highlight clientele or manpower needs currently not being met.).
- Program Evaluation
- Describe how the quality of the program will be monitored and evaluated.
- Describe how the continuing need for the program will be periodically evaluated.
- Describe how faculty will be evaluated.
- Administration
- How will academic control be insured? Who will be assigned to coordinate the program? How will student progress be monitored and what form of record-keeping will be maintained? In the case of out-of-state programs, what on-site coordination will be available?
- How will the academic unit insure that students are accurately informed about the purpose, objectives, admission requirements, program requirements, cost, academic and financial policies, timelines, and the services to be provided or not provided prior to enrollment?
- How will the academic unit provide orientation to the program to all faculty?
- Are other academic units involved in supporting the program? If so, please include written commitment of their support.
- Are there any special accreditation issues related to the proposed program and, if so, how have they been addresses?
- If the program is offered out-of-state, will all necessary approvals be obtained before offering the program?
- If the program is discontinued, how will obligations to students be met?
Approval Signatures:
| ________________________________ | _____ | ||
| Academic Unit | date | ||
| ________________________________ | _____ | ________________________________ | _____ |
| School | date | Office of Continuing Education | date |
| ________________________________ | _____ | ________________________________ | _____ |
| College | date | Graduate College | date |
