Section 1050.50  Review of Existing Units of Instruction, Research and Public Service

The Board of Higher Education is authorized to review, periodically, all existing programs of instruction, research and public service at the State universities and colleges and to advise the appropriate board of control if the contribution of each program is not educationally and economically justified.  [110 ILCS 205/7]

a)         Units of Instruction Approved after December 23, 2008

1)         Third Year Progress Report

Three years after approval of a new program, the institution shall provide a program progress report to the Board as part of the institution's annual report.  The third year progress report shall describe the institution's performance in meeting program objectives and show where any improvements are necessary.  The placement of a program in voluntary temporary suspension will not negate the requirement of submitting a third year progress report.

2)         Third Year Status as Determined by the Institution

A)        Program in Good Standing:  The institution is meeting the program objectives as outlined in the original application that was submitted during the program approval process. 

B)        Program Flagged for Review:  The institution is not meeting the program objectives as outlined in the original application that was submitted during the program approval process.  In that event, the institution shall flag the program for review and shall submit a plan for improvement.  The plan will outline the steps to be taken, benchmarks indicating adequate progress, and a timeline indicating step completion and/or benchmark achievement points.

C)        Additional Requirement for Programs in which State Licensure is Required for Employment in the Field:  In the case of a program in which State licensure is required for employment in the field, a program can be found to be in good standing if the institution is able to provide evidence that program graduates are eligible to take the appropriate licensure examination and pass rates are maintained as specified in the objectives of the unit of instruction.  If there is no such evidence, the institution shall report the program as flagged for review.

3)         Upon completion of the third year progress report or the annual interim report required for programs flagged for review:

A)        If the program is in good standing, the institution will add the program to the eight-year program review cycle as provided in subsection (b).  

B)        If the program has been flagged for review, the institution shall submit annual interim reports until the status of good standing is achieved.  A flagged program will no longer be considered a Board approved program beyond the fifth anniversary of its original approval. If no required annual interim report is submitted for a flagged program, the Board will interpret the absence of an annual interim report as an indication that the institution has terminated the program and the program will no longer be considered a Board approved program.

C)        Annual interim reports on flagged programs shall:

i)          Delineate actions taken to resolve the issues or improve the program;

ii)         Identify areas for further action or improvement; and

iii)         Describe how the program will be monitored to ensure continued improvement until the next review.

D)        An institution may request approval to place a program in voluntary temporary suspension.  That status does not negate the requirement for submitting annual interim reports and does not negate the limitation of five years duration as a program flagged for review.

4)         Community Colleges

Community colleges may be deemed compliant with the program review process by participating in a comparable review required by the Illinois Community College Board.  This will not abrogate the Board of Higher Education's authority to request reviews of community college programs.

b)         Existing and newly approved units of instruction that have been identified as being in good standing will be reviewed on an eight-year cycle.

1)         Eight-year Program Review Process

Programs deemed to be in good standing will be reviewed by the institution on a staggered eight-year cycle, with the institution determining the schedule for individual programs, but requiring that each program be reviewed at least once every eight years.  Each institution will implement a program review process that best meets its unique needs and that is consistent with Board requirements as contained in this subsection (b) for the eight-year cycle.  Institutions have the discretion to use findings from specialized program accreditations and other reviews as the basis of the program review as long as the findings are not more than two years old.  When an existing report or review is to be used, the institutions will inform the Board of the process prior to the review. While the institution is responsible for developing its unique program review procedures, it shall include, at a minimum, the following components:

A)        A statement of program goals and intended learning outcomes;

B)        An end- or near-end-of-program assessment of student learning, in addition to course-by-course assessments;

C)        Multiple performance measures, if necessary, that reflect the uniqueness of academic programs and disciplines;

D)        Feedback from key stakeholders (e.g., current students, alumni, employers and graduate schools);

E)         Evidence of a formal feedback or improvement mechanism (i.e., a regular review process in place) and that the results are used to improve curriculum, instruction and learning; 

F)         Improvements to its capacity to efficiently and effectively deliver programs using technological innovation and comprehensive data systems; and

G)        Findings and recommendations for improvement, suspension or closure.

2)         Status Report

A)        Upon the conclusion of the eight-year review, the institution shall provide to the Board a summary report that contains, at a minimum, the following:  

i)          Description and assessment of any major changes in the program, including changes in the discipline or field, student demand, societal needs, institutional context for offering the degree, and other elements appropriate to the discipline; 

ii)         Major findings and recommendations, including evidence of student learning outcomes and identification of opportunities for program improvement;

iii)         Actions taken since the last review, including instructional resources and practices, and curricular changes; and

iv)        Actions to be taken as a result of this review, including changes in instructional resources and practices, curriculum and assessment of student learning.

B)        The institution shall determine the status of the program.  A program may be in one of three categories: in good standing; flagged for review; or under temporary suspension.

3)         Community Colleges

Community colleges may be deemed compliant with the eight-year program review cycle by participating in a comparable review required by the Illinois Community College Board.  This will not abrogate the Board of Higher Education's authority to request reviews of community college programs.

c)         Units of instruction that have been reviewed as part of an eight-year review process and are not considered to be in good standing will be reviewed annually beginning December 23, 2008.

1)         Programs Flagged for Review

If the program has been flagged for review, the institution shall submit annual interim reports until the status of good standing is achieved, but the program will no longer be considered a Board approved program beyond the fifth anniversary of the year the program was flagged for review. If no required annual interim report is submitted for a flagged program, the Board will interpret the absence of an annual interim report as an indication that the institution has terminated the program and the program will no longer be considered a Board approved program. Annual interim reports on flagged programs shall:

A)        Delineate actions taken to resolve the issues or improve the program;

B)        Identify areas for further action or improvement; and 

C)        Describe how the program will be monitored to ensure continued improvement until the next review.

2)         Programs Placed in Temporary Suspension Status

An institution may place any approved program on temporary suspension after receiving Board approval.  The institution shall provide an annual status report to the Board on any program under temporary suspension status. The Board will consider a program placed on temporary suspension status to be terminated if an annual status report is not received or if no reinstatement request is received within the first five years after the program was placed on temporary suspension.  An institution may petition for reinstatement during the five-year period.

3)         Community Colleges

Community colleges may be deemed compliant with the review process by participating in a comparable review required by the Illinois Community College Board.  This will not abrogate the Board of Higher Education's authority to request reviews of community college programs.

(Source:  Added at 33 Ill. Reg. 78, effective December 23, 2008)