Prospectus Requirements

Required Components of the Prospectus

Page Limit

Please note SACSCOC has a 25 page limit for the prospectus. This page limit does not include appendix information.

Abstract

• Describe the proposed change with its date of implementation.
• For a new program, identify where it will be offered.
• For a new off-campus site or branch, list the complete physical address.
• Provide projected number of students, if applicable.
• Indicate the projected life of the program or site, if applicable.
• Describe the primary target audience.
• Describe the instructional delivery methods to be used.
• Describe strengths of the institution to undertake this change.

Demonstration of need for the change/relationship to mission/planning and approvals for the change

• Describe how the change is consistent with the mission and goals of the institution.
• Describe the rationale and need for the program to include how the institution determined need.
• Provide evidence of legal authority for the change if approval is required by the governing board or the state.
• Provide documentation that faculty and appropriate other groups were involved in planning for and approvals of the change.

Required information for the specific substantive change

New Program

• Provide curriculum for the program and projected schedule of course offerings.
• Provide specific programmatic goals (objectives) and specific student learning outcomes for the program.
• Describe how the student learning outcomes for the program will be assessed.
• Provide course descriptions for all courses in the proposed program.
• Describe admission and graduation requirements for the program
• Demonstrate compliance with Definition of Credit Hours of the Principles of Accreditation.
• Describe administrative oversight to ensure the quality of the program.
• For a program offered in compressed time frames, describe the methodology for determining that levels of
• knowledge and competencies comparable to those required in traditional formats have been achieved.
• Follow instructionsbelow for providing information concerning number and qualifications of faculty scheduled to teach in the program.

New off-campus site

• Identify whether the site is a branch campus or an instructional site. The definitions of “branch campus” and “instructional site” may be found on pages 5-6 of the Principles of Accreditation. See also Procedure One in the policy entitled “Substantive Change for SACSCOC Accredited Institutions”. Note: An institution is required to present itself and its sites to SACSCOC in the exact way it presents itself to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Describe the educational program(s) to be offered at the site or branch. If a program to be offered at the site or branch is a new program requiring approval, also respond to the requirements for a new program listed above.
• Describe any differences in admission, curriculum, or graduation requirements for students enrolled at the new site or branch or any special arrangements for grading, transcripts, or transfer policies.
• Describe how programs at the new site or branch will be monitored and evaluated and how they will be incorporated into the institutional evaluation and assessment processes.
• Describe the administrative structure for overseeing the site or branch campus.
• Describe how services and operations at the new site or branch will be evaluated.
• Follow instructions below for providing information concerning number and qualifications of faculty scheduled to teach at the site or branch campus.

Offerings via distance methodology

• Describe the infrastructure to support distance delivery methods to include the learning management system and administrative structure for electronic delivery.
• Describe how faculty members will be trained in distance delivery methodology and how courses will be developed.
• Describe technical support for students enrolled in courses delivered by distance methods and technical support for faculty members.
• Describe how effectiveness of programs offered via distance delivery will be assessed.
• Document compliance with relevant standards.
• Follow instructions below for providing information concerning number and qualifications of faculty scheduled to teach courses provided by distance methodology.
• Describe processes in place to ensure that students have structured access to faculty members.

Initiation of degree completion programs

• Describe the degree completion program to include a description of how the degree completion program differs from the same program offered in traditional format.
• Describe how the institution ensures that student learning outcomes are the same for the program offered as a degree completion program as those for the program offered in traditional format.
• Describe assessment methods for determining achievement of student learning outcomes for the degree completion program.
• Describe admission requirements for students entering the degree completion program.
• Describe the format for offering the degree completion program (for example, compressed format, accelerated format, etc.).
• Follow instructionsbelow for providing information concerning number and qualifications of faculty members scheduled to teach in the degree completion program.

Faculty Qualifications

• Complete the Faculty Roster Form for faculty members scheduled to teach in the new program, in a degree completion program, at a new site or branch campus or in programs to be offered by distance methodology.
• For a new program, demonstrate that it has at least one qualified member to develop and/or teach discipline courses in the new program.
• Provide narrative with supporting evidence that the number of full-time faculty members will be adequate to support the initiative and describe the impact on faculty workload.
• Document, scholarship and research capability of faculty members teaching in graduate programs and document faculty experience in directing students research.

Library and Learning Resources

• List and describe discipline specific learning resources to support a new program. Please do not list all resources located in the library if they do not relate to a specific change.
• Document discipline specific refereed journals and primary source materials.
• If the institution is reliant on agreements with other libraries, provide a signed copy of each formal agreement and describe how the collections support the program(s).
• Describe specifically how students enrolled in a new program and/or enrolled in a program at an off-campus location and/or enrolled in a distance education program access these discipline-specific learning resources.
• Describe how students and faculty members will access information electronically.
• Describe how faculty and students are instructed in the use of online resources as well as on site library resources.
• Describe resources to support students for accessing and utilizing.
• Note: If electronic databases are listed, describe the discipline-specific suites of resources and not just the name of the database or the consortium through which it is accessed (such as Viva, TexShare, Galileo, Louis, etc.)

Student Support Services

• Describe specific programs, services, and activities which will support students enrolled in the new program, at a new off-campus site or distance education program. Do not list student support services which are not relevant to the specific change.

Physical Resources

• Describe the adequacy of physical facilities which will support the change.
• Describe equipment which will be available for a new program or available at a new site.
• Describe the impact that the proposed change will have on physical facilities and equipment for existing programs and services.

Financial Support

Provide a business plan that includes all of the following (NOTE: This applies to ALL submissions): 

• a description of financial resources available to support the proposed change, including a budget for the first year of the proposed change (a three-year budget is required for a new branch campus).  Do not send a copy of the entire institutional budget. 
• projected revenues and expenditures and cash flow for the proposed change
• the amount of resources going to institutions or organizations for contractual or support services for the proposed change
• the operational, management, and physical resources available for the change.

Provide Contingency plans in the event that required resources do not materialize. The institution must disclose if it is currently on reimbursement for Title IV funding. Institutions currently on sanction with SACSCOC for financial reasons must provide a copy of the audit for the most recently completed fiscal year.

Description of Institutional Evaluation and Assessment Processes for the Change

• Provide brief description of institutional assessment processes.
  Describe how the institution will incorporate the change into the institution wide review and assessment processes.

Appendices

• May be used in hard copy submission to provide documentation supporting the narrative in the prospectus.
• Hard copy submissions tabs must be provided to identify each appendix referenced in the narrative.
• Links may be provided in electronic submissions.