1P3 Academic Program Design

Academic Program Design focuses on developing and revising programs to meet stakeholders’ needs. Describe the processes for ensuring new and current programs meet the needs of the institution and its diverse stakeholders. This includes, but is not limited to, descriptions of key processes for:

• Identifying student stakeholder groups and determining their educational needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)
• Identifying other key stakeholder groups and determining their needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)
• Developing and improving responsive programming to meet all stakeholders’ needs (1.C.1, 1.C.2)
• Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to assess the currency and effectiveness of academic programs
• Reviewing the viability of courses and programs and changing or discontinuing when necessary (4.A.1)

Identifying Student Stakeholder Groups and Determining Educational Needs
Note:  Because Southeast Tech’s specific student stakeholder groups frequently become our key student groups (2P 1 ), the Institute has provided more detail on how it works with these student stakeholder groups in Category 2. In this section, the Institute will focus on the larger general population stakeholder groups we serve and how we meet their educational needs. 

Southeast Tech’s current mission is to “educate for employment.”  Therefore, our academic offerings are developed to specifically meet that mission, and the general student stakeholder groups we serve are those interested in pursuing educational options that lead to specific industry careers.  Currently, the Institute offers the following options:

• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs: The AAS degree is designed to prepare students for a specific technical career and typically requires 60-75 credits for completion, including technical and general education courses. A full time student will generally complete the program in two years.
• Diploma programs: Diploma programs are also designed for entry-level positions in a specific technical career but typically require fewer credits for achievement and generally range from 30 to 45 credits with around five to nine general education credits.  A full time student will typically complete a diploma program in one year or less.  Diploma credits can frequently be used to fulfill AAS program requirements.
• Certificate programs:  Southeast Tech currently offers a limited number of certificate programs, such as truck driving, which can generally be completed in a semester or less and require 16 or fewer credits or are non-credit based.  Certificate programs are very focused and seldom include general education coursework.  Certificate completion can frequently be used to fulfill requirements in diploma or AAS programs.

Capture:  Given the mission of the Institute and the above program options, Southeast Tech begins the process of identifying general student stakeholder groups by capturing the inputs related to student stakeholder identification. The Office of Institutional Research collects these inputs, which include regional demographic data (age, race, economic status, educational levels), internal student population data (full/part time, age, race, economic status, transfer/first time, etc.), Employer Survey results, and graduate job placement rates and locations. Additional data is provided through internal and external stakeholder input, which may include environmental/workforce scans, unemployment rate data, potential incoming industries, etc.  This information is frequently gathered through direct Institute connections with area Chambers of Commerce, Forward Sioux Falls, local school districts, state agencies, etc.   

Develop:  Once collected, data is reviewed by both the Student Success Team, Admissions and the Administrative Team.  The Admissions department analyzes the data to determine what changes have taken place in terms of student recruitment - what student stakeholder groups are growing or shrinking, how regional demographics are changing, etc.  This information is then used as part of the recruitment process to determine what adjustments are necessary to better recruit students interested in completing Institutional programs.  The Administrative Team analyzes the data to determine how the community we are serving is changing and how we, as an Institute, can better meet community needs.

Decide:  The Administrative Team, along with the Student Success Team and Admissions department, then determines what changes, if any, are necessary to the student stakeholder groups we serve and recruit.  These changes are then implemented and become part of the data collection process for future review and analysis.  Any changes to student stakeholder groups are communicated across campus to all employees through emails, direct discussions with those areas impacted by the change, and/or topics covered during monthly employee meetings.  Each year, as new data becomes available, it is analyzed for changes and measured for impact.  Student stakeholder groups are again reviewed and revised to determine any necessary changes. 

Once student stakeholder groups are identified, the Institute determines the group’s educational needs.  This process is described in full detail in 2P 1  and involves departments, programs and employees from across campus. In general terms, the new student stakeholder group is given to the Student Success Team and the Office of Institutional Research, who work together to determine the stakeholder group’s educational needs.  This is done by capturing and analyzing the data that was used to determine the student stakeholder groups, data provided from various departments, programs, and individuals from across campus, and Institutional research, which includes student retention, graduation rates, certificate completion, certifications received, etc. (See 2P 1  for Southeast Tech’s process for deployment, evaluation, publishing/communicating, and reflection for meeting student stakeholder groups needs.)  

Currently, the general population student stakeholders we serve, and the initial educational needs required of these groups, as well as a sample of the services we provide to meet those educational needs are:

• First Time Students: For students attending post-secondary education for the first time, the transition can be difficult.  Students may have had strong support for pursuing higher education at home, but once the student moves to post-secondary education, that support may be far away and its impact may dwindle.  Southeast Tech strives to assist these students by providing Institutional support through the Student Success Seminar course, Student Success and Academic Advisors, and JumpStart orientation days (2P 1 ).
• Transfer Students:  Transfer students to Southeast Tech make up 35-40% of the Institute’s student population.  These students need a simple, effective process for transferring courses as well as an understanding of how transfer may impact financial aid and time to graduation.  Southeast Tech offers a transfer equivalency calculator, reviews of financial aid, and initial registration and transfer review by Admissions to assist these students (2P 1 ).  
• Underprepared Students:  Whether the underprepared student is first time or transfer, Southeast Tech strives to develop placement requirements that are specific to general education courses in order to assure that these students receive the initial assistance they need in order to be successful.  Admissions staff assure students are placed appropriately and that initial student schedules are created to provide students the best opportunity for success.  For students who have not yet received a GED or are in need of English as a Second Language (ESL) preparation prior to entry, Southeast Tech’s Hovland Learning Center provides these services.  Finally, for those students who attend Southeast Tech but struggle academically, the Institute offers pre-academic coursework, peer tutoring, an Academic Recovery course and Student Success lab (2P 1 ). (1.C.1, 1.C.2)
• Full Time/Part Time Students: With a regional unemployment rate of less than 3%, almost all Southeast Tech students hold full or part time jobs.  This requires the Institute to be as flexible as possible with program offerings, which has resulted in Southeast Tech offering online programs and courses whenever possible, as well as flexible traditional schedules to meet student needs (2P 1 ). 
• Program-Specific Students: Every program has its own unique requirements and rigor; therefore, Southeast Tech has established specific program entrance requirements to assure students entering the program are ready to meet the academic challenges for that program (see 1P 4  for the entrance requirement process).  For those students who do not meet these entrance requirements, Southeast Tech has developed numerous options, which may include completing a certificate or diploma program prior to entering an AAS program, or taking a program over an extended period of time.  

While ESL students are listed under “Underprepared Students”, the Institute has determined that this student stakeholder group’s needs may differ enough from the underprepared category to warrant further attention.  Therefore, the Institute has established a sub-committee of the Student Success Team and developed an AQIP Action Project to determine and address this student stakeholder group’s needs (1R 3  and 1I 3 ).  Additional information on the above student stakeholder groups and other key student groups can be found in 2P 1 . (1.C.1, 1.C.2)

Identifying Other Key Stakeholder Groups and Determining Needs  

Southeast Tech has always maintained excellent relationships with its non-student key stakeholder groups. However, the previous methods used to maintain these relationships was unaligned with other processes within the Institute.  While these previous methods provided opportunities to identify new key stakeholder groups and their needs, they did not assure that all new groups were identified, needs were addressed in the most effective manner, or that these stakeholder relationships were communicated effectively across campus.

Therefore, in 2016-2017 Southeast Tech developed a stronger process for identifying key stakeholders, determining and meeting their needs, and developing stronger stakeholder relationships. This process is fully described in 2P 2 . The Institute also implemented a new AQIP team, called the External Stakeholder Relationships Team, that is dedicated to key stakeholder groups.  This new team is described in 6P 2 .

See figure 2P3.1 for a list of the Institute’s currently identified non-student key stakeholder groups as well as how the Institute maintains these relationships and determines needs.  The table also indicates the current identified needs of the specified key stakeholder group and the champion who internally assures that stakeholder connections are maintained and enhanced. Each champion is a member of the External Stakeholder Relationships Team to assure internal communications on key stakeholders occurs.

Developing and Improving Responsive Programming to Meet All Stakeholders’ Needs 

Southeast Tech has long been recognized by its stakeholders for the Institute’s ability to respond to employer needs in a timely manner while assuring the learner receives the appropriate academic training and support required to meet industry need. This responsiveness and ability to meet all stakeholder needs is an Institutional advantage over four-year college competitors who cannot respond with the same agility.  

The development of responsive programming follows a formal approval process that includes input at the Institutional, Board, and State level as shown in Figure 1P3.2 and described below:

1. Stakeholder Input
The program approval process begins by capturing stakeholder input. Southeast Tech:

• partners with the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulations, Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, Development Foundation, and Forward Sioux Falls to combine resources in collecting and sharing economic trend and employment projection data, environmental scans, and regional demographics information;
• holds industry forums to monitor employment trends;
• gathers input from program faculty, program Advisory Committees, and employers to generate ideas for new programs and courses; 
• collaborates with the South Dakota governor, legislators, and business and industry leaders to identify educational and training needs;
• reviews Employer and Graduate surveys and other Institutional data, including student assessments, enrollments and retention and graduation rates, certifications and licensure results, etc., as they relate to the new or expanded program;
• conducts needs assessments to establish program viability.

2. Program Proposal Development
Once the decision is made to pursue new programming, Southeast Tech’s academic administrators and program faculty work together to determine the level of training required (certificate, diploma, or degree) and develop a formal program prospective, including program objectives, initial curriculum, needs assessments, budget, etc.  

3. External Program Approval
If the new programming requires HLC, Department of Education, or other external approval or notification of intent to offer a new program (or format), Southeast Tech applies for/notifies the appropriate organization to meet accreditation, financial aid, or other requirements.

4. Local Approval
Formal proposals for new or expanded programs are reviewed by the Southeast Tech Council, which recommends the proposal to the Sioux Falls School Board.  Approval by the Board is required and frequently occurs at a similar time to the submission of the new or expanded program to the state Office of Career and Technical Education. (For non-credit certificate programs, the programming implementation can occur once Southeast Tech administrative approval has been received.)

5. State Office of Career and Technical Education Recommendation
State approval begins with the state Director of the Office of Career and Technical Education bringing the program forward during one of the technical institute president’s monthly meetings.  The program is discussed and any concerns are addressed, especially any concerns regarding program duplication.

Prior to submitting the recommendation, the office reviews the following to assure the new programming meets the following state standards as well as the appropriate state administrative rules:

• Program description, competencies, curriculum design and budget
• Labor market demands in the United States and South Dakota
• Student needs
• Industry support
• Statement and determination of non-duplication
• Wage factor

These criteria are used to assess currency, effectiveness and viability of the new/expanded programming.

If the Director approves that the prospective move forward, the Director recommends program approval to the South Dakota Board of Education, which has final approval authority.

6. State Board of Education Approval
The State Board of Education scrutinizes new program proposals and makes the decision to approve programs that are deemed competitive and demonstrate a regional need for program graduates. The department also assures that duplication of programs does not occur unless there is a proven need (for example, Surgical Technology is offered on both the west and east side of the state due to regional need).

7. Implementation, Evaluation and Reflection
If approved, Southeast Tech deploys the new or expanded programming and evaluates the results through its formal program and student learning assessment processes, including the State Program Review process and related accrediting body requirements.  Adjustments to new programming are made accordingly (reflect).

Selecting the tools/methods/instruments used to assess the currency and effectiveness of academic programs

The selection of methods to assess the currency and effectiveness of academic programs occurs at both the internal and state levels.

• Internal Level: It is the responsibility of Southeast Tech’s Administrative Team to select the local methods used to assess academic program currency and effectiveness.  Using the input and assistance of the Southeast Tech Futures Team, which oversees the Institute’s continuous quality improvement processes and consists of representation from administration, faculty and staff, the Administrative Team selects and develops the local review processes.
• State Level: The state Director of the Office of Career and Technical Education is responsible for selecting the state methods used to assess academic program currency and effectiveness.  Using the input of the four technical institute presidents, the Director selects and develops the state review process.

Reviewing Program and Course Viability and Changing or Discontinuing When Necessary

Southeast Tech’s program review process occurs at both state and Institutional levels, utilizing several methods and metrics:

• Annual Internal Program Review

Internally, the Southeast Tech Administrative Team annually reviews all programs using both the state’s criteria (see Annual State Program Review) and program data:

• Student enrollment
• Retention rates
• Graduation rates and graduate count
• Regional employment needs/graduate placement/graduate salaries
• On-going program costs
• Program facility and equipment needs
• Instructor availability
• Employer and student satisfaction
• Assessment results

Southeast Tech is currently piloting a more formal Annual Planning Process which incorporates a program review within the process (4P 2 ).  The new Annual Planning process provides two pages of program information.  The Office of Institutional Research provides five year program data (listed above), program descriptions, program goals, targets and current actions, recent program accomplishments and major budget requests. The Business Office provides program revenue and budget information, relevant equipment and facility needs, etc.  The two data sources are then used to review program overall vitality.  

By combining this information into one document, Southeast Tech can more directly tie program review to operating revenue and expenditures and therefore make more informed decisions regarding program continuation and modification.  The process also provides the opportunity to determine and respond to at-risk programs faster, allowing the Institute to make adjustments before program continuation decisions become critical.

During the initial stages of the Annual Planning process, program faculty receive draft budget program pages.  Faculty then meet with their Academic Administrator to review the data and develop potential action plans and budget requests to meet Institutional or program goals and targets.  Once these are developed, the Office of Institutional Research and the Office of Finance make adjustments to the pages to match the input collected.

The entire budget is then presented to the Administrative Team for review, which includes a discussion regarding program viability and continuation.  If the Administrative Team determines that a program should be discontinued or modified significantly, the decision is discussed with program faculty, the appropriate Advisory Committee and other internal and external stakeholders.  Any discontinuation or major modification to a program requires Southeast Tech Council review and Sioux Falls School Board approval, as well as notification to the state. (4.A.1)

• External Program Accreditations

Programs with external, program-specific accreditation requirements undergo rigorous program reviews through the accreditation process itself, which is completed according to individual accreditation timelines.  Southeast Tech uses these program accreditation reviews as additional evidence that these programs are maintaining appropriate standards of excellence. (4.A.1)

• Annual State Program Review

Southeast Tech submits data on all program enrollments, retention, and placement to the State Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) every year. The OCTE reviews the data and compares it to a set of performance levels established by OCTE and the technical institutes. Programs that continue to fall below the established performance levels for two consecutive years are required to complete a follow-up report on how the institute plans to improve the program’s performance level for the unmet measures. After a third consecutive year below an established performance level, a program is assessed as high risk, and the director of OCTE submits an updated continuing program report to the Secretary of Education and the Board of Education with recommendations regarding the continuation of the program. The recommendation may be to continue or discontinue the program. The Director’s recommendation includes parameters for ongoing review and continued approval of the program if the Board of Education approves program continuation. (4.A.1)

Whenever the state or Southeast Tech determines that a program will be discontinued, a plan is developed for phasing it out. This plan is developed at the local level and is carried out by the Institute and includes information on how Southeast Tech will assist current program students to complete the program or transition into another one, communicate changes to faculty, staff and the community, and remove the program from various processes and publications (4.A.1).

• Course and Curriculum-level Internal Review 

New and revisions of courses, and changes in curriculum, are generally initiated by faculty teams working with administration and using input from Advisory Committees and industry. Courses and curriculum are reviewed and approved through the Southeast Tech Curriculum Committee process (1P 4 ).  Criteria for approval include appropriateness of curriculum, competitive advantage, and up-to-date content. (4.A.1)