TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION IV:  EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM    

4.1 Introduction

4.1.1 Educational Programs

4.1.2 Faculty

4.2 Related College Goals

4.2.1 Strategic Plan 1995-2000

4.2.2 Strategic Plan 1999-2005

4.3.Assessment of the Compliance of Educational Programs with SACS Criteria

4.3.1        General Requirements of the Educational Program.. 

4.3.1.1 All aspects of the educational program MUST be clearly related to the purpose

4.3.1.2 The institution MUST provide a competent faculty, adequate library/learning resources  

4.3.1.4 In addition, the institution MUST ensure appropriate levels of student achievement  

4.3.2        Undergraduate Program.. 

4.3.2.1     Undergraduate Admission

4.3.2.1.1 General admission policies MUST be established by the governing board

4.3.2.1.2 The unit responsible for administering the policies

4.3.2.1.3 In those institutions in which various subdivisions maintain separate admission requirements,  

4.3.2.1.4 Admission policies MUST be consistent with the educational purposes

4.3.2.1.5 They MUST include qualitative and quantitative requirements

4.3.2.1.6 An institution admitting students with deficiencies in their preparation for collegiate study  

4.3.1.2.7 Diagnostic testing SHOULD BE an important element of a developmental  

4.3.2.1.8 Each institution MUST regularly evaluate its admission policies.  

4.3.2.1.9 To be admitted to degree programs, applicants MUST show evidence of high school graduation  

4.3.2.1.10 To be admitted to degree programs, applicants MUST show evidence of high school graduation  

4.3.2.1.11 Procedures established for implementation of institutional admission policies

4.3.2.1.12 The institution MUST provide evidence that it selects students whose interests and capabilities are consistent  

4.3.2.1.13 An institution MUST clearly define and publish its policy on the admission

4.3.2.1.13 The policy MUST include the following:  

4.3.2.1.14 (1) The requirements for official transcripts of credits earned from all institutions

4.3.2.1.15 (2) Qualitative and quantitative criteria determining the acceptability of transfer work;  

4.3.2.1.16 (3) Criteria regarding the award of advanced standing, whether by credit at another institution,  

4.3.2.1.17 (4) And, conditions governing admission in good standing,  

4.3.2.1.18 Institutions which award credit based on advanced placement or other examinations;  

4.3.2.1.19 (1) The amount of credit awarded is clearly stated

4.3.2.1.20 (2) Credit is awarded only in areas offered with the current curriculum of the institution,  

4.3.2.1.21 (3) Decisions regarding the awarding of credit and the determination of such credit  

4.3.2.1.22 In awarding credit for prior experiential learning,  

4.3.2.1.23 The institution MUST inform transfer students of the amount of credit which will transfer,  

4.3.2.1.24 A Course work transferred or accepted for credit toward an undergraduate degree  

4.3.2.1.24 B An assessing and documenting equivalent learning and qualified faculty, an institution  

4.3.2.1.25 There MUST be clearly defined policies regarding the academic dismissal  

4.3.2.2     Undergraduate Completion Requirements

4.3.2.2.1 In each degree program, there MUST be an appropriate sequence of courses leading to the degree.  

4.3.2.2.2 The requirements MUST be appropriate to the degree offered and MUST specify the total credits  

4.3.2.2.3 Undergraduate degree programs MUST contain a basic core

4.3.2.2.4 A minimum of 30 semester hours of general education courses IS REQUIRED for degree  

4.3.2.2.5 The core MUST include at least one course from each of the following areas:  

4.3.2.2.6 The institution MUST demonstrate that its graduates of degree programs are competent  

4.3.2.2.7 An institution MUST clearly define what is meant by a major  

4.3.2.2.8 An adequate number of hours with appropriate prerequisites MUST be required in courses  

4.3.2.2.9 For degree completion, at least 25 percent of semester credit hours,  

4.3.2.2.10 All courses, other than those identified by the institution as developmental/remedial, offered by an institution for credit  

4.3.2.3     Undergraduate Curriculum.. 

4.3.2.3.1 Curricula MUST be directly related and appropriate to the purpose and goals of the institution  

4.3.2.3.2 The institution MUST have a clearly defined process by which the curriculum is established,  

4.3.2.3.3 For each major in a degree program, the institution MUST assign responsibility

4.3.2.3.4 The governing board MUST be responsible for approving the number and types of  

4.3.2.3.5 The administration and faculty MUST be responsible for the development of academic programs  

4.3.2.3.6 Curricula intended to provide basic preparation for students who will subsequently transfer to another institution

4.2.3.3.7 Inverted “two plus two” and similar programs MUST include an adequate amount of advanced coursework in the subject field.  

4.3.2.4..................................................................................................... Undergraduate Instruction

4.3.2.4.1 Instructional techniques and policies MUST be in accord with the purpose

4.3.2.4.2 Instruction MUST be evaluated regularly

4.3.2.4.3 Students MUST be provided written information about the goals and requirements of each course,  

4.3.2.4.4 Methods of instruction MUST be appropriate to the goals of each course

4.3.2.4.5 Experimentation with methods to improve instruction MUST be adequately supported  

4.3.2.4.6 An institution MUST use a variety of means to evaluate student performance.  

4.3.2.4.7 An institution MUST publish its grading policies

4.3.2.4.8 The institution MUST evaluate the effectiveness of its instructional program.. 

4.3.2.4.9 Courses offered in non-traditional formats, e.g., concentrated or abbreviated time periods, MUST be designed to ensure an opportunity for preparation,  

4.3.2.4.10 Therefore, an institution of higher education MUST provide for its students a learning environment  

4.3.2.4.11 In certain professional, vocational and technical programs

4.3.2.4.12 The institution MUST demonstrate that an effective relationship exists between curricular content  

4.3.2.4.13 An institution MUST demonstrate that program length, clock hours or credit hours,  

4.3.2.5     Academic Advising of Undergraduate Students

4.3.2.5.1 Each institution MUST conduct a systematic, effective program.. 

4.3.2.5.1 An institution MUST ensure that the number of advisees assigned to faculty

4.3.2.5.2 An effective orientation program MUST be made available to all full and part-time

4.3.2.5.3 Orientation and advisement programs MUST be evaluated regularly and used

4.3.3        Graduate Program.. 

4.3.4        Publications

4.3.4.1 The content and design of publications produced and distributed by an institution MUST be accurate  

4.3.4.2 An institution MUST make available to students and the public accurate, current catalogs  

4.3.5        Distance Learning Programs

4.3.6        Continuing Education, Outreach and Service Programs

4.3.6.1 Continuing education and outreach and service programs

4.3.6.1 All continuing education and outreach and service programs offered for credit MUST comply  

4.3.6.2 For outreach and service programs, an institution

4.3.6.1.4 An institution planning to initiate, through continuing education or outreach programs,  

4.3.6.1.5 An institution MUST not award academic credit for work taken on a non-credit basis  

4.3.7        Student Records

4.3.7.1 The institution MUST have adequate student records for both credit  

4.3.7.2 The institution MUST take all steps necessary to ensure the security of its student records,  

4.3.7.3 The institution MUST have policies concerning what constitutes the permanent record of each student,  

4.3.7.4 It MUST establish and publish information release policies which respect the rights of individuals privacy,  

4.3.8 Faculty

4.3.8.1     Selection of Faculty

4.3.8.1.2 An institution MUST show that it has an orderly process for recruiting

4.3.8.1.2 Recruitment and appointment procedures MUST be described in the faculty handbook  

4.3.8.1.3 IT IS EXPECTED that an institution will employ faculty members whose highest earned degree presented

4.3.8.1.4 Institutions MUST ensure that each faculty member employed is proficient in oral and written communication

4.3.8.2     Academic and Professional Preparation

4.3.8.2.1 Both full-time and part-time faculty MUST meet the following criteria for academic and professional preparation.  

4.3.8.2.1    Associate

4.3.8.2.2    Baccalaureate

4.3.8.2.2.1 Each full-time and part-time faculty member teaching credit courses leading toward the baccalaureate degree,  

4.3.8.2.2.1.2 In exceptional cases, outstanding professional experience and demonstrated contributions to the teaching discipline may be presented

4.3.8.2.2.3 The Commission encourages interdisciplinary courses and recognizes that appropriate credentials  

4.3.8.2.2.4 IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY of the institution to keep on file for all full-time and part-time faculty members documentation

4.3.8.2.2.2.5 At least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each undergraduate major MUST be taught by faculty members

4.3.8.2.2.2.6 In some disciplines, the master’s degree in the discipline may be considered the terminal degree,  

4.3.8.2.2.7 The above requirements also APPLIES to each major offered through distance

4.3.8.2.2.8 Faculty members who teach in remedial programs MUST hold a baccalaureate degree  

4.3.8.2.3      Graduate

4.3.8.2.4      Distance Learning

4.3.8.3     Part-Time Faculty

4.3.8.3.1 The number of full-time faculty members MUST be adequate to provide effective teaching,  

4.3.8.3.2 Part-time faculty members teaching courses for credit MUST meet the same requirements for professional,  

4.3.8.3.4 Each institution MUST establish and publish comprehensive policies concerning the employment of part-time faculty members.  

4.3.8.3.5 Procedures to ensure student access to part-time faculty members

4.3.8.4     Graduate Teaching Assistants

4.3.8.5     Faculty Compensation

4.3.8.5.1 An institution SHOULD provide adequate salaries and benefits

4.3.8.5.2 Salary increases MUST be based on clearly stated criteria.  

4.3.8.6     Academic Freedom and Professional Security

4.3.8.6.1 Faculty and students MUST be free to examine all pertinent data,  

4.3.8.6.2 An institution MUST adopt and distribute to all faculty members a statement of the principles of academic freedom.. 

4.3.8.6.3 Institutional policies MUST set forth the requirement for faculty members to carry out their duties  

4.3.8.6.4 Although tenure policy is not mandated, each institution MUST provide contracts,  

4.3.8.6.5 If the institution uses faculty ranks and tenure, the policies and procedures for promotion,  

4.3.8.6.6 Termination and non-renewal procedures MUST contain adequate safeguards

4.3.8.7     Professional Growth

4.3.8.7.1 An institution MUST provide faculty members the opportunity to continue their professional development  

4.3.8.7.2 The general tone and policies of an institution MUST make it clear that individual faculty members are to take the initiative

4.3.8.8     The Role of the Faculty and Its Committees

4.3.8.8.1 Primary responsibility for the quality of the educational program MUST reside with the facult.y.  

4.3.8.9     Faculty Loads

4.3.8.9.2 The institution SHOULD have policies to protect faculty members

4.3.8.9.3 The calculation of instructional loads SHOULD take into account such factors as number of preparations,  

4.3.8.10       Criteria and Procedures for Evaluation

4.3.8.10.1 An institution MUST conduct periodic evaluations of the performance

4.3.8.10.2 The evaluation MUST include a statement of the criteria

4.3.8.10.3 The criteria MUST be consistent with the purpose and goals

4.3.8.10.4 The institution MUST demonstrate that it uses the results of this evaluation

4.3.9        Consortial Relationships and Contractual Agreements

4.3.9.1 The Commission on Colleges recognizes the right of a member institution to enter into consortial relationships  

4.3.9.1.2 All consortia and contracts MUST be evaluated regularly.  

4.3.9.1     Consortial Relationships

4.3.9.1.2 A member institution seeking to participate in a consortium degree

4.3.9.1.2.1 The member institution MUST maintain the quality of all courses/programs

4.3.9.1.2.2 Educational courses/programs offered through a consortial relationship

4.3.9.2     Contractual Agreements.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6
Committees Foreword Introduction Mission Tables Vision

© 2001 Benedict College, 1600 Harden St., Columbia, SC 29204

Last Modified: February 25, 2001 1:36 PM