1.12.3 Academic

Old Policy: 3.7.3 (Revised October 1, 2012; October 1, 2016)
New Policy Created: October 1, 2022

Cooperative Academic Arrangement (with Title IV and Non-Title IV Entities)

The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs oversees the communication about, review of, and approval of all cooperative academic arrangements.  The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs provides arrangement information to the Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC liaison.  The Dean of Planning and Research also reviews the arrangement proposal and then follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures to determine if notification or approval is needed.   

Generally, the college only enters into cooperative academic agreements with Title IV institutions with less than 50% of program content being offered through the agreement.  However, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Dean of Planning and Research review all new and updated agreements to ensure that the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures is closely followed. 

Method of Delivery

The Office of Planning and Research works directly with the Office of Curriculum Operations to review annually method of delivery (MOI) program changes.  The Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC Liaison, reviews the changes, determines the percentage of MOI change, and then follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy to determine if approval or notification is needed.  All required paperwork is submitted to SACSCOC for approval or notification.

Program Length Change and Clock-Credit Hour Conversion

Because Sandhills Community College is a public institution and member college of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), program length and clock-credit hour conversion is determined by the NCCCS Curriculum Standards and policies.  If changes are issued by the NCCCS, the Director of Curriculum Operation notifies the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Institutional Planning, the Vice President of Instruction, and the Dean of Planning and Research.  If the change falls within definition of substantive change, as defined in the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy, the Dean of Planning and Research submits a prospectus to SACSCOC for approval.    

New Program

Planning for a new program begins with faculty, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Planning and Research, and the Director of Curriculum Operations.  Employer and student surveys are launched to determine local employer needs and program interest.  If the need is great, faculty write a formal curriculum program application, and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Director of Curriculum Operations submits it to the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) for review and approval.  The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs requests approval from the SCC Board of Trustees.  The Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC Liaison, evaluates the program coursework, based on the NCCCS curriculum standards, to determine what percent of the coursework is new and then follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy to determine if a prospectus or notification is needed.  All required paperwork is submitted to SACSCOC for approval and/or notification. If a new program requires SACSCOC approval, the college waits for that approval notification before marketing the program and enrolling students.      

Program Closure

Once the decision to close a program has been made, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs will notify the Vice President of Instruction, the Dean of Planning and Research and the Vice President of Enrollment Management who will advise college recruiting, admissions, advising, financial aid, and registration staff that the program is no longer available. The SACSCOC Liaison, who is also the Dean of Planning and Research, will notify SACSCOC and provide them with a teach-out plan and/or all relevant details related to closing the program. The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs also notifies the Director of Marketing and Public Relations to terminate all marketing efforts in that program. The Director of Career Services will be available to assist any student who chooses to consider alternate academic programs.

Program Re-open

Program re-opening begins with faculty, the Vice President of Instruction, and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, who notifies the Dean of Planning and Research and the Director of Curriculum Operations. Notification is also provided to the SCC Board of Trustees, the North Carolina Community College System, and SACSCOC.  If more than five years have elapsed since program closure, the Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC liaison, follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures to determine if notification or approval is needed.   

Program Length Change and Clock-Credit Hour Conversion

Because Sandhills Community College is a public institution and member college of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), program length and clock-credit hour conversion is determined by the NCCCS Curriculum Standards and policies.  If changes are issued by the NCCCS, the Director of Curriculum Operation notifies the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Institutional Planning, the Vice President of Instruction, and the Dean of Planning and Research.  If the change falls within definition of substantive change, as defined in the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy, the Dean of Planning and Research submits a prospectus to SACSCOC for approval.    

New Program

Planning for a new program begins with faculty, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Planning and Research, and the Director of Curriculum Operations.  Employer and student surveys are launched to determine local employer needs and program interest.  If the need is great, faculty write a formal curriculum program application, and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Director of Curriculum Operations submits it to the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) for review and approval.  The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs requests approval from the SCC Board of Trustees.  The Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC Liaison, evaluates the program coursework, based on the NCCCS curriculum standards, to determine what percent of the coursework is new and then follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy to determine if a prospectus or notification is needed.  All required paperwork is submitted to SACSCOC for approval and/or notification. If a new program requires SACSCOC approval, the college waits for that approval notification before marketing the program and enrolling students.      

Program Closure

Once the decision to close a program has been made, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs will notify the Vice President of Instruction, the Dean of Planning and Research and the Vice President of Enrollment Management who will advise college recruiting, admissions, advising, financial aid, and registration staff that the program is no longer available. The SACSCOC Liaison, who is also the Dean of Planning and Research, will notify SACSCOC and provide them with a teach-out plan and/or all relevant details related to closing the program. The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs also notifies the Director of Marketing and Public Relations to terminate all marketing efforts in that program. The Director of Career Services will be available to assist any student who chooses to consider alternate academic programs.

Program Re-open

Program re-opening begins with faculty, the Vice President of Instruction, and the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, who notifies the Dean of Planning and Research and the Director of Curriculum Operations. Notification is also provided to the SCC Board of Trustees, the North Carolina Community College System, and SACSCOC.  If more than five years have elapsed since program closure, the Dean of Planning and Research, also the SACSCOC liaison, follows the SACSCOC Substantive Change Policy and Procedures to determine if notification or approval is needed.