While this 30 credit hour program curriculum utilizes 18 credit hours of new courses, it is my professional judgment that less than or equal to 40% of the program utilizes content at the masters level that is new to Clemson. Because this exceeds a 25% threshold, simple notification must be made to SACSCOC. That notification was made 18 June 2024, and completes our institutional obligations in this regard.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Owing to its new content at the graduate level, this program requires formal SACSCOC approval prior to implementation that is triggered by the enrollment of students and beginning of delivery (i.e., implementation is not defined by establishment in our student information system or receiving applications). SACSCOC approval has been sought in accordance with the Substantive Change policy.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
The addition, per se, of new concentrations to a program does not require SACSCOC notification or approval. However, the concentration utilizes new content at the graduate level; programs, or concentrations therein, utilizing new content are within the scope of current SACSCOC substantive change policy. This 39 credit concentration curriculum utilizes a “menu” of courses in each of four categories. If such courses were selected at random to satisfy the 39 credit curriculum, then 11 of those credit hours would comprise new courses on average. If the use of new courses developed for the concentration were used by a student to satisfy program requirements, then 15 credit hours would be in the form of such new courses. Accordingly, the professional judgment of the Institutional Accreditation Liaison is that 28-38% of the program would be seen by a reasonable SACSCOC reviewer as the typical-to-maximum amount of new content in this concentration. Because this level range exceeds the 25% threshold identified in SACSCOC substantive change policy, notification to SACSCOC is required. That notification has been made, and that notification completes our institutional obligations required for implementation in this regard as the level of new content does not exceed
49%.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Instructional site closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Closure of a site due to inactivity constitutes a substantive change.
SACSCOC has advised Clemson and CoC to accomplish these changes via: (a) the independent submission by both institutions of a notification of closure (including a teach-out plan) regarding the joint program, and (b) the submission of a notification or approval of substantive change by Clemson regarding the Clemson-only program if appropriate and required. I.e., SACSCOC does not view “ownership” or jointness as a program attribute. Rather, the joint program is a separate and distinct program to be closed, and the Clemson-only program is a new distinct program that is being established.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
The required notification was submitted in February to SACSCOC regarding the addition of 50+% distance education modality for the program. That submission fulfills our institutional obligations to SACSCOC in order to implement the distance education modality addition for the program.
Termination of a program is a substantive change. A substantive change proposal was sent to SACSCOC for their approval per the Substantive Change guidelines.
Recent changes in SACSCOC substantive change policy require notification when programs add methods of delivery that include >50% program delivery via distance education—this is the case here. This notification has been made, and guidance from SACSCOC (via an 11 March 2021 e-mail from Dr. Robin Zuniga, Coordinator of Substantive Change at SACSCOC) is that the act itself of notification submission
completes our institutional obligations in this regard, and that we do not have to wait for SACSCOC acknowledgement or acceptance to implement such a change.
The University has had SACSCOC approval to offer programs online for many years. Recent changes in SACSCOC substantive change policy, however, do require SACSCOC notification when programs add methods of delivery that include >50% program delivery via distance education—this is the case here. Because we do not have records of the level of blended distance education that is currently approved for this program, we are submitting in the next few days a notification to SACSCOC regarding >50% distance education delivery out of an abundance of caution. Guidance from SACSCOC (via an 11 March 2021 e-mail from Dr. Robin Zuniga, Coordinator of Substantive Change at SACSCOC) is that the act itself of notification submission completes our institutional obligations in this regard, and that we do not have to wait for SACSCOC acknowledgement or acceptance to implement such a change.
The closure and termination actions culminating in this memo were
undertaken to ensure this program was removed from the public CHE inventory of approved programs and the public inventory of approved programs that we are obligated
to provision by SACSCOC policy.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
The SACSCOC substantive change policy requires that closure of program sites/methods-of-delivery be submitted for approval even if the program itself is not closing. In this instance, the program is closing: Clemson University-Main Campus; Blended Distance Education (25-49% level); and University Center of Greenville in exchange for 100% Online Delivery.
Because: a) the curriculum modifications do not, in my professional judgment, constitute a significant departure from current content offered by the University or substantive change of the curriculum, and b) the University has had approval to offer programs online for many years, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
Because: a) the curriculum modifications do not, in my professional judgment, constitute a significant departure from current content offered by the University or substantive change of the curriculum, and b) the University has had approval to offer programs online for many years, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
Because these modifications: a) do not establish a new program, b) require no new financial, capital, or human resources, c) entail no new pedagogical content at the PhD level (extant courses are being utilized for these concentrations), it is my professional judgment that there is no significant departure that would constitute substantive change edu regarding the program concentration formalizations/additions under current SACSCOC policy.
The CHE acceptance paperwork is attached to the communiqué containing this memo. Because the University has had SACSCOC approval to offer programs online for many years, and because this modification is not a substantive change in the program itself, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
Because the University has had SACSCOC approval to offer programs online for many years, and because this modification is not a substantive change in the program itself, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
The CHE acceptance paperwork is attached to the communiqué containing this memo. Because the University has had SACSCOC approval to offer programs online for many years, and because this modification is not a substantive change in the program itself, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
Current SACSCOC policy does not require notification or approval of concentration terminations. Recent changes in SACSCOC substantive change policy, however, require SACSCOC notification when programs add methods of delivery that include >50% program delivery via distance education. Because the program had only been historically approved for blended distance education at the 25-49% level, this necessitates a SACSCOC notification. That notification was submitted on 17 June 2021, and our guidance from SACSCOC (via an 11 March 2021 e-mail from Dr. Robin Zuniga, Coordinator of Substantive Change at SACSCOC) is that the act of notification submission completes our institutional obligations in this regard, and that we do not have to wait for SACSCOC acknowledgement or acceptance to implement such a change.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure (which they consider to be the suspension of admissions/new enrollment) as 3 May 2021. CHE has closed the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) in Fall 2020, reflecting the circumstance that there were/are no current enrollees—thus the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and new entry of extant students into the program, but reflects an immediate termination of the program.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure as 3 May 2021. CHE will close the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) effective summer 2021, reflecting the circumstance that there are no current enrollees—and thus that the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and entry of extant students into the program, but reflects a termination of the program following summer 2021.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure as 31 December 2020. CHE will close the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) in summer 2021, reflecting the circumstance that there are no current enrollees—and thus that the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and entry of extant students into the program, but reflects a termination of the program following summer 2021.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure (which they consider to be the suspension of admissions/new enrollment) as 1 August 2019. CHE will close the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) in summer 2021, reflecting the circumstance that there are no current enrollees—and thus that the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and new entry of extant students into the program, but reflects a termination of the program and cessation of the program following summer 2021.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure (which they consider to be the suspension of admissions/new enrollment) as 3 May 2021. CHE has closed the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions)in Fall 2020, reflecting the circumstance that there were/are no current enrollees—thus the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and new entry of extant students into the program, but reflects an immediate termination of the program.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure as 3 May 2021. CHE closed the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) in summer 2020, reflecting the circumstance that there are no current enrollees—and, thus, the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and new entry of extant students into the program, but reflects an immediate termination of the program.
It is my understanding that, despite original CHE approval of this certificate program in 2011, it was never implemented/activated in our student information (and other) systems - and, thus, there may be no transactional tasks to be performed to terminate this program. However, because the program was approved by CHE, it was listed on their program inventory for Clemson University. This termination removes the program from that inventory.
SACSCOC has recorded the intended implementation date of closure (which they consider to be the suspension of admissions/new enrollment) as 1 May 2020. CHE has closed the data file on this program (including enrollments and completions) in Fall 2020, reflecting the circumstance that there were/are no current enrollees—thus the closure does not just simply suspend admissions and new entry of extant students into the program, but reflects an immediate termination of the program.
Program closure requires a notification to SACSCOC.
The CHE acceptance paperwork is attached to the communiqué containing this memo. Because the University has had SACSCOC approval to offer programs online for many years, and because this modification is not a substantive change in the program itself, notification to SACSCOC will not be made, and SACSCOC approval will not be sought.
The 60 credit curriculum utilizes 24 credits of new coursework (Directed Study and Dissertation Research). Accordingly, the professional judgment of the Institutional Accreditation Liaison is that 40% of the program would be seen by a reasonable SACSCOC reviewer as a level of new content at the doctoral level in this program. Because this level range exceeds the 25% threshold, but is below the 50% threshold, identified in SACSCOC substantive change policy, notification to SACSCOC is required. That notification was made on 8 June 2023, and that notification completes our institutional obligations required for program implementation.
Clemson University is notifying SACSCOC of a substantive change (program change: method of delivery-notification) regarding our existing PhD Design and the Built Environment program. This program will be adding distance education (including at the >50% level) delivery beginning in the spring 2025 term to attract high-quality applicants and accommodate working professionals interested in earning a doctorate.
The extension of this degree program’s modality to distance education was approved by Clemson University Board of Trustees on 4 April 2024 and by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education on 12 August 2024.