Discontinuance
Process
Purpose:
To critically
review a program or discipline for possible discontinuance or to recommend
remediation that will result in a viable program or discipline. The Discontinuance Process is separate from
the Program and Services Review Process.
The Program and Services Review process is formative, providing
evaluation that leads to continual improvement.
The Discontinuance Process provides a summative evaluation of a program
or discipline’s viability and may lead to the termination of a program or
discipline.
Process:
1. Identification:
An at-risk instructional program is identified, on the basis of the
criteria listed below, by the Vice President for Instruction, the Vice
President for Student Services, the Area Dean, a member of the discipline, or
the Academic Senate.
2. Convening:
The Vice President for Instruction convenes
the Discontinuance Committee. This is
not a standing committee, but rather is convened as needed with the following
membership:
·
Vice
President for Instruction
·
2
Deans (neither of which is dean of the program in question)
·
2
faculty appointed by the Academic Senate (neither from the program in question)
·
1
student appointed by the Student Senate
3. Initial
Review: The Discontinuance Committee conducts an
initial review to determine whether full review is warranted. Full review is necessary if:
any
two of the Primary Criteria are met, or
any
three of the Secondary Criteria plus one of the Primary Criteria are met
|
Primary Criteria (any 2) |
|
Secondary Criteria (any 3 plus 1
primary) |
|
·
Declining
market/industry demand |
|
·
Declining
university transfer trends* |
|
·
Advisory
Committee recommendation |
|
·
Insufficient
frequency of course offerings to assure reasonable opportunity for completion
of the program |
|
·
Decreasing
numbers of students enrolled* |
|
·
Lack
of available resources |
|
·
Low
or decreasing WSCH/FTEF* |
|
·
Poor
retention within courses* |
|
·
Poor
rate for student achievement of program goals (e. g. completion rate, numbers
of degrees and certificates, job placement) |
|
·
Unavailability
of the transfer major |
|
·
Decline
in importance of service to related disciplines (applies only when discipline
does not offer degree or certificate). |
|
·
Poor
term-to-term persistence for students in the major* |
*as
compared to statewide norms for the discipline and local data over the last
three to five years.
The
Discontinuance Committee will issue a brief narrative report recommending to
the Superintendent/President whether a full review is warranted or not. The report will include the reasoning for the
decision. The report will be submitted
to the Superintendent/President, filed with the Office of Instruction and sent
to the party initiating the review, the Academic Senate, the Dean responsible
for the program, and the Hartnell College Faculty Association.
4. Full
Review: If the Discontinuance Committee determines
that a full review is warranted, the review is conducted by the committee. Data used should be based on trends over time
(typically three to five years) and should relate to program goals as well as
the mission of the college. The criteria to be examined include uniform
measures that must be applied to all programs, specific measures required for
different categories of program, and other measures that may also be
considered.
|
Qualitative |
Quantitative (3-5
year trend) |
|
·
Balance of college curriculum |
·
Enrollment |
|
·
Match of program with Hartnell Mission and Vision |
·
Retention within course (successful course completion) |
|
·
Student satisfaction |
·
Retention within major (semester-to-semester persistence) |
|
·
Previous steps taken to strengthen program |
·
Number of degrees and certificates awarded |
|
|
·
Scheduling/course offering trends |
|
|
·
Resources available |
|
Qualitative |
Quantitative (3-5 year trend) |
|
·
Duplication/uniqueness of training programs |
·
Labor demand |
|
·
Employer satisfaction |
·
Employment placement rate |
|
·
Advisory committee recommendation |
|
|
·
Information about “job-outs” |
|
|
Qualitative |
Quantitative (3-5 year trend) |
|
·
Transfer program availability |
·
Number of transfers (UC, CSU, private) |
|
|
·
Number of transfer ready students |
|
Qualitative |
Quantitative (3-5 year trend) |
|
·
Constraints that may limit enrollment and productivity
measures |
·
Enrollment as a percent of available seats |
|
Qualitative |
Quantitative |
|
·
Regional needs for the program |
·
Industry/ market demand (non-vocational programs) |
|
·
Impact of program on underrepresented and female students |
|
5. Recommendation:
The committee will issue a written recommendation to the
Superintendent/President based on the analysis of the data. The recommendation
will consist of:
a) recommendations
for strengthening the program, including specific goals developed jointly with
discipline faculty and a schedule is set for periodic review
of progress toward the goals, or
b) recommendation
for program or discipline discontinuance.
With few exceptions, a recommendation for discontinuance would not be
made without first recommending actions to strengthen the program. In most cases, a recommendation to
discontinue would only follow failed attempts at reviving/improving the program
or compelling evidence to indicate that this is not the best use of the college
resources.
6. Actions:
If
a recommendation is made for discontinuance, and the recommendation is accepted
by the Superintendent/ President and the Board, provisions will be made for
adequate notification of affected faculty, and retraining or transfer of
faculty to another area.
7. Impact
on students: If a
recommendation is made for discontinuance, and the recommendation
is accepted by the Superintendent/President and the Board, opportunities will
be provided for students to finish the program or transfer to a related
program.
The
discontinuance process will be reviewed by the Academic Senate and the
administration during the spring semester of odd numbered years in order to
keep the process current.
During the first
five years after this process is adopted, no program can be recommended for an
initial review that has not had the opportunity for review and improvement
through the current Program and Services Review Process. The Vice President for Instruction has the
authority to schedule a discipline on the Program and Services Review calendar.