Pine Technical College
Policy and Procedure

Policy Number: 213 REV 3 Date: 5/18/00 Revision Date: 10/10/01, 03/28/07, 10/1/07
Division/Department: Academic Affairs Author: Robert Musgrove
Subject: Programs and Credential Design
Revised by: Hamid Eydgahi; Rev 2 Mary Jo Mettler Rev 3 Nancy Mach

Authorities:
MnSCU Board Policy 3.10 Academic Program Improvement
MnSCU Board Policy 3.17 Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates

Purpose:
Pine Technical College will develop and maintain a consistent philosophy for the development of certificates, diplomas, and associate degree programs. The policy will establish a uniform approach to curricula and program plans for such offerings in order to address student and industry needs common to all programs.

Policy:
Criteria established under this policy is used to form a consistent approach to curriculum development and to guide content and structure of program plans for different levels of offerings. It is the policy of Pine Technical College that all program credentials address certain common needs, such as basic workplace skills, transferability and technical training and expertise.

DEFINITIONS:
1. Associate in Science: The AS degree may be awarded for successful completion of a program in a designated field or area, which transfers to a baccalaureate major in a related scientific or technical field. An Associate in Science degree must have one or more articulation agreement(s) between the institution awarding the Associate in Science degree and an institution awarding a related baccalaureate degree. An AS degree may also be designed to prepare students for employment. An Associate in Science program shall include a minimum of 30 semester credits in general education credits. An Associate in Science degree is designed to provide a substantial general education component. General education courses shall be selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. An Associate in Science degree may include the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.

2. Associate of Applied Science: The AAS degree may be awarded for successful completion of a program primarily intended to prepare students for employment. An AAS degree may be designed to transfer to a related baccalaureate major. An AAS program shall include a minimum of 25 percent of the total semester credits in general education credits. General education courses shall be selected from at least three of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. At least 30 semester credits shall be program-related occupational or technical credits. Per MnSCU Policy 3.17, Part 2, Subpart E, item 1, “at least 20 semester credits shall be taught by faculty recommending the awarding of the degree.” For an AAS degree to be approved for a program area, one of the following questions must be answered positively and supported with data from the field:

A. Does the discipline, as entry-level criteria, require that graduates possess an associate degree? Will employers only hire holder of associate degrees? Or,

B. Will the holder of an associate degree receive a higher starting wage than the holder of a diploma or certificate? Or,

C. Will the holder of an associate degree receive promotions and advancements before the holder of a diploma or certificate?

3. Diploma: The diploma is intended to provide a student with an intensive and thorough program of study in a given discipline. This should include addressing the principal basic skills areas required by employers as recommended by research and by the program advisory committee. Diploma programs will address basic skills through a combination of college-level general education courses, such as college composition and algebra, as defined by the program advisory committee. Per MnSCU Policy 3.17, Part 2, Subpart B, “at least one third of the credits shall be taught by the faculty recommending the awarding of the diploma; this requirement may be decreased upon recommendation by the institution’s faculty and approval by the president of the college.”

4. Certificate: There are two types of certificates. The first is intended to prepare a student for immediate employment in a minimum amount of time. As such, the courses will principally be in technology with minimal basic skills instruction as defined by the program advisory committee. The second provides advanced competencies for students or individuals who are returning to upgrade specific skills.

5. Basic Skills: Basic skills refer to workplace skills or employability skills. These are identified in the report of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report (1992). These include not only reading, writing and math at an appropriate level but also interpersonal communications, logical ability, and the capability to work in teams.

6. Developmental Education: Educational courses designed to prepare a student for college-level work in math, reading and writing as determined by assessment. These courses do not count (are not used) towards fulfilling graduation requirements. Developmental education courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher in order for the student to move into courses at the next level.

7. Applied Skills: Educational courses intended to impart basic skills to students in the context of their technology or discipline (e.g., Applied Math for Technologist). These courses are oriented toward preparing a student for success in a technology or career. These courses are typically not recognized as MN Transfer general education. However, these courses may be transferred and applied towards technology programs via college-to-college articulation or transfer agreement.

PROGRAM LENGTH:
Program length will conform to the guidelines of MnSCU Policy 3.17. The following will be considered in designing (and re-design) of programs at PTC:

A. Any exception to MnSCU Policy 3.17 necessitates approval by the Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC ) and Faculty Shared Governance Council .

B. Any credentials of forty-five (45) or more semester credit hours will require 25% of general education including three (3) credits of communication. Math competencies must be addressed in the program plan, either through inclusion of College Algebra or the inclusion of an applied basic skills technical math course, depending upon the recommendation of the program advisory committee.

C. When appropriate, and thoroughly supported, and in lieu of an associate degree (AAS and/or AS), diploma programs with greater semester credit hours could be designed to meet specific need(s).

D. Any and all credits earned at a lower credential level shall be included as part of the next higher-level credential.

General Education Content: An excerpt from The Higher Learning Commission (HLC):
…[The institution] will give evidence of its commitment to the importance of general education by including an appropriate component of general education in all of its programs of substantial length, whether they lead to certificates, diplomas, or degrees (Handbook of Accreditation, Second Edition, p. 24). …The Commission concluded that a benchmark should be stated: "Programs of substantial length" will be understood to refer to those requiring the successful accumulation of 45 or more credit hours.

1. Associate degree programs will follow the MnSCU guidelines that a minimum of 25% of the coursework in the degree program must be in college level general education. Program faculty must select a mix of general education offerings to meet a minimum of three goal areas (for an AAS degree) and a minimum of six goal areas (for an AS degree) of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum areas.

2. Diploma and certificate programs will address basic skills through a combination of college-level general education courses and applied skills courses, as defined by HLC, other nationally recognized standards and the program advisory committee.
Related Occupational Technical Skills:
Program degree plans and curricula must include coursework to address employability and retention issues.

1. Program faculty may elect to use the college's job seeking and keeping course to address this requirement.

2. Program faculty choosing not to do so must demonstrate that these skills are covered within a syllabus and/or a course outline of a technical course other than job seeking and keeping. Program faculty must provide evidence of this through inclusion of course material with the paperwork to be submitted to the Dean of Academic Affairs.

Assignment of the Course to Programs and Majors:
All new courses, including those designed and delivered by Customized Training (CE/CT) and intended to create college credit, must be tied to a program CIP and program major or designated as general education to generate FYEs.

Prerequisites:
1. Student placement in college-level general education courses requires either acceptable scores on the placement test, as per PTC policy #300, or completion of the appropriate developmental course(s) with a grade of “C” or higher.

2. To ensure student success in subsequent courses, prerequisite, which may include developmental courses, will be established as determined by faculty in consultation with their advisory committee. These should be indicated in the catalog description and course syllabi.

Advisory Committee Input:
1. Advisory committee recommendations must be contained in written minutes taken in formal meetings of the committee and approved by the committee chair.

2. Care will be taken to heed and follow the guidance of program advisory committees in designing programs and including courses, technical and basic skills requirements, and general education requirements and courses.

3. If advisory committee recommendations cannot be followed because of MnSCU or NCA requirements or for any other reason, the exception must be documented and communicated in writing to the advisory committee by the Chief Academic Officer.

Core Curricula Divisions:
Divisions where a significant amount of the course work is shared between several programs must honor the core curricula. Program faculty must consult and obtain approvals from the faculty of other programs within the core before making changes to a degree plan or program curricula.

Electives:
1. AS degree programs may choose to address two of their general education requirement courses through the use of a general education elective. This may be done only after other courses are included in the degree plan that meet the college communication requirement and at least four of the other skills areas defined in the Minnesota Transfer Curricula and offered at PTC.

2. AAS degree programs may choose to address one of their general education requirement courses through the use of a general education elective. This may be done only after other courses are included in the degree plan that meet the college communication requirement and at least two of the other skills areas defined in the Minnesota Transfer Curricula and offered at PTC.

3. Required technical elective: Programs may choose to include in the degree or diploma plan a technical elective to be selected from a list developed by the program faculty and approved by the Chief Academic Officer.

4. Unrestricted electives: Programs may choose (but are not required) to include unrestricted electives in a degree or diploma plan in order to provide for flexibility for students in meeting the credit hour requirements. Students will select, with consultation with an advisor and/or faculty member, any unrestricted electives

Procedure:
1. New programs and awards will be designed by program faculty, AASC and the Chief Academic Officer, in collaboration with industry experts and/or advisory committees.

2. New programs will be designed within the guidelines of this policy.

3. Program revisions will be designed by program faculty based upon guidance of the advisory committee and upon empirical data from research on the technology or discipline.

4. Timelines for revisions will be established by the office of academic affairs in collaboration with the AASC (see PTC Policy 211).

5 Academic affairs will insure that new and revised program plans adhere to the tenets of this policy and to MnSCU curriculum policies.

Responsibilities:
1. The Chief Academic Officer will specify in the checklist or in attached documentation what type of forms and documents must be submitted with a change request or new program request in order to satisfy the requirements of this policy and of the checklist (see PTC Policy 211)

2. The Chief Academic Officer will ensure that all the criteria set forth in this policy are met before a program change package or a new program package is submitted to AASC for their review and approval.

3. The Chief Academic Officer will insure that new programs and program revisions are supported by appropriate documentation of need and advisory committee approval.

4. The Academic Affairs and Standards Council will review materials submitted by the Chief Academic Officer for compliance with PTC policy and effect upon other programs.

5. The Academic Affairs Office Specialist will maintain up to date program plans, both in hard copy on file and on the shared directory of college server.

6. The Academic Affairs Office Specialist will maintain up to date lists of course names and numbers for use by program faculty in selecting numbers and names for new courses or revised courses. Course numbers and names will not be duplicated and will be selected in order to eliminate confusion by students or other customers. The Chief Academic Officer and the Division Chair will monitor course names and numbers to ensure this.

Dissemination:
It is the responsibility of the Chief Academic Office, and division chairs to insure an orderly process for implementation and dissemination of this policy.

Reviewed by Executive Cabinet:06/05/00, Revised 10/01/01
Reviewed by Faculty Senate: 09/13/00, 10/10/01
Reviewed by: 06/05/00, Leadership Team 10/01/01
Approved: Date: 09/13/00, 10/10/01
Revision Reviewed by Leadership Team: 4/2/07
Revision Reviewed by Faculty Shared Governance: 4/11/07
Revision Reviewed by Leadership Team: 10/08/07
Revision Reviewed by Faculty Shared Governance: 10/03/07

Approved: ______________________________________ Date: 10/08/07
Robert L. Musgrove, Ph.D., President