P-3 Curricular Program Prospectus submission form. For assistance see the CIM site.

P-3 proposals are the basis of the review and approval process that:

• enables a second college or multiple colleges or campuses (including World Campus and Continuing Education) to deliver majors and options already authorized in another college;
• authorizes the closure of a major or option in a college or campus as long as that program will continue to be offered elsewhere at the University;
• may authorize the delivery of extended programs.

P-3 proposals are initiated by submission of an ACUE Curricular Program Prospectus. Following the completion of the prospectus process, a proposal must be submitted by the academic unit.  Following the standard review workflow for the college, the proposal is then listed on the Senate Curriculum Report and the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs reviews and makes its recommendation. The Senate reports the recommendation to the Dean for Undergraduate Education to act on the request.

Principles

One or more colleges or campuses may be authorized to offer degree programs. This authorization has sometimes been referred to as an academic program partnership or an extended program.

Three types of agreement may occur:

1. Joint partnership or consortia in which, in addition to the original sponsoring college or campus, one or more additional colleges or campuses are also awarded authority to offer the existing program. Graduates in these programs belong to and are certified for graduation by the college or campus in/at which they are enrolled.
2. Handoff agreement in which the authority to offer an academic program is transferred from one college and/or campus to another. Here, the originating college withdraws its academic authority for a program and another college/campus or group of colleges/campuses is awarded authority in its place.
3. Extended program agreements are those in which the sponsoring college or campus extends a program to an additional campus or campuses where only the originating college or campus has the authority to award the program degree. Extended programs include:
   • programs offered through the World Campus and/or Continuing Education because these delivery units do not have academic authority independent of an academic unit;
   • circumstances where specialized licensing and/or accreditation requirements are involved, such as Nursing programs, in which the originating college retains the academic authority.

In every case in which a program is transferred or shared, every effort must be made to ensure curricular integrity by minimizing the number of course substitutions at the newly offering campus or college. Disciplinary communities are nonetheless encouraged to consider the development of program options beyond the core that reflect local expertise, student demand, and market need. In all instances, colleges or campuses adopting programs through the P-3 process are subject to the same academic entrance to major requirements. When those requirements are amended, they are amended for all colleges operating under the same curriculum.  Administrative entrance to major requirements can vary by location.

Deans or chancellors retain the authority to move a degree program within a college or campus without initiating the P-3 process. When such actions are taken, the college must notify the Office of Undergraduate Education, which will then inform other offices as appropriate.

Review and Approval Process:

The process for moving/sharing/discontinuing degree programs among colleges and campuses begins in the academic unit adding or discontinuing the program and follows the college workflow. Once unit approval is obtained, the steps listed below must be taken. Proposal approval times may vary based on unit requirements, consultation, and committee meeting schedules; therefore, these steps should be initiated at least one year in advance of the desired changes.

• Preliminary college and disciplinary consultation and consultation between appropriate academic leaders including deans, campus chancellor(s), the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, and World Campus leadership.
• Submission of prospectus.
• ACUE prospectus review and response to submitting college/campus by Office of Undergraduate Education. Review will include consideration of requests to place an enrollment hold on academic programs. Such requests must be supported by appropriate justification such as data on low enrollments or the lack of faculty resources or support. When an enrollment hold is authorized, the proposer is notified of the expectation to submit a full proposal within six months.
• College/campus development of formal proposal, including appropriate consultation, data collection, and research.
• Submission of proposal in CIM.
• Following approval by Dean(s)/Chancellor(s), and for non-University Park campuses the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses, the proposal is listed on the Senate Curriculum Report; the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs reviews and makes its recommendation. The Senate reports the recommendation to the Dean for Undergraduate Education to act on the request.
• The Office of Undergraduate Education reviews and records the decision in CIM. 

Proposal Elements

After the prospectus has been reviewed by ACUE, a note in CIM will be issued from the Office of Undergraduate Education authorizing the proposal process to begin. For adding a new program at a site, the proposal is submitted as an edit to the existing program by selecting “Yes” to the question “Is this a proposal to begin offering a current major or option at a new location?”  The major sections to be completed include the following:  

1. College(s) to be granted academic authority.
2. A rationale addressing how the proposed academic program will enhance the existing academic portfolio of the college/campus and fit within the university and college/campus mission and strategic plan.
3. A market analysis to include an overview of the career paths of students who will graduate in the proposed program, a summary of the national and state employment outlook, and a statement regarding the regional competition, including the colleges/universities that offer the degree and the number of degrees they award. It should also include any relevant information about the local employment outlook and attach any letters of support from local industry. For programs leading to graduate study, the graduate fields of study students may be eligible to pursue should be included.
4. Address, as appropriate, any impact on college and campus enrollments and/or the flow of students between campuses.
5. A listing of existing or planned faculty positions to show the on-going involvement of three or more full-time faculty aligned academically and disciplinarily in the program. These faculty may be located at a single campus, or in the case of shared programs, across multiple campuses.
6. Identification of faculty program leadership.
7. Information on how the campus’s physical infrastructure will support the program including classroom and laboratory facilities, equipment, and technology.
8. A proposed delivery plan that supports students' ability to complete the degree in a timely manner, provides a sufficient number of program electives within the discipline and in supporting areas of study, minimizes the need for core course substitutions, and supports university wide curricular integrity by including disciplinary community engagement and avoiding curricular drift. This plan should include details on academic support services, academic advising, learning support, internships (if relevant), and career advising.
9. Signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of all parties (when applicable). An MOU is typically required for a joint partnership or consortia, and it typically includes items related to administration of the program, teaching assignments, and exit strategies.

Program Review

Four years after a program has been authorized for delivery by an additional campus/college or through World Campus, the Offices of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and Undergraduate Education may elect to conduct a program review outside of any university reviews that are required as part of standard processes.

The review will be conducted by the authorized college or campus in collaboration with the Offices of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and  Undergraduate Education. The details of how the review will be conducted will be determined collaboratively with the goal of making an informed decision on program continuation or adjustment.