Definition
"A substantive change is a change to an institution’s mission, educational programs, scope, control, location, or organizational structure that needs to be reported to and approved by WSCUC in advance of implementation."
Processes
The USD Academic Program Procedures assures that USD follows WSCUC’s substantive change policies and procedures.
New academic programs (including non-degree programs that bear academic credit) or modifications to existing programs must be submitted to WSCUC prior to implementation. Examples of program modifications include changes to
- program modality,
- the curriculum constituting at least 25% of the program since the most recent reaffirmation,
- CIP Code (see CIP Code Change Process)
- program length (e.g., number of credit hours to complete the program),
- program delivery location,
- a dual or joint degree,
- a competency-based program, or
- the addition of an academic partner
WSCUC requires that institutions submit a substantive change screening form for review and either notification or approval before the change can be implemented by USD. The USD employee responsible for submitting this screening form to WSCUC is USD’s WSCUC Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) (see contact information below). The screening form is only available via WSCUC’s password protected portal for ALOs; to collect the required information, USD has embedded fields in the Coursedog approval process.
- Law new program and program modification proposals for Law use the former Qualtrics form
- All other programs follow the Academic Program Procedures process in Coursedog (see Coursedog tutorial recording)
Once USD’s ALO is notified of the request, they will submit the form via the WSCUC portal. Once WSCUC receives the official substantive change screening form, WSCUC will respond to USD’s ALO within 30 days.
- In some cases, the requested change will be treated as notification to WSCUC with only WSCUC “staff review” required and no further action needed. “Staff review” is for routine changes within the institution’s current scope of accreditation, such as a request to offer an academic program in a discipline closely related to the institution’s existing offerings, or a new program that does not require substantial new courses to implement. In this case, USD is permitted to implement the change as scheduled once WSCUC staff has responded to the initial screening form.
- In other cases, the screening form will trigger a WSCUC “committee review” in order to gain approval. Requests that will require a committee review and approval are for non-routine changes, such as new programs representing a departure from the institution’s academic portfolio or alterations to delivery methods of existing programs. If a committee review is required, more information beyond the initial screening form will be needed from the faculty making the request.
The initial screening form should be submitted well in advance of the program’s anticipated implementation (ideally six to nine months) in case a “committee review” may be required.
For more information, please contact USD’s WSCUC Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), Dr. Marilee Bresciani Ludvik, Director of Academic Effectiveness, at ire@sandiego.edu.