SECTION 9: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

9.1 PROGRAM CONTENT [CR]

Educational programs (a) embody a coherent course of study, (b) are compatible with the stated mission and goals of the institution, and (c) are based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.

JUDGEMENT

Compliance     Non-Compliance     Partial Compliance

NARRATIVE

N.C. A&T was last accredited by SACSCOC in 2010.  The institution is committed to fulfilling its mission through exemplary undergraduate and graduate instruction, scholarly and creative research, and effective public service. The curriculum is also designed to prepare students for leadership roles within the state, the nation, and the world. As a land-grant institution, N.C. A&T offers a curriculum that is reflective of and responsive to the needs of the people of North Carolina, and thus emphasizes its historic strengths in agriculture, science, and engineering as well as the social sciences. As a doctoral/research-intensive institution, the university is committed to maintaining excellence in undergraduate and graduate education and research. The university’s reorganization in 2016 and the establishment in 2019 of three university-wide centers in the areas of product design and advanced manufacturing; cybersecurity research, education and outreach; and entrepreneurship and innovation are significant examples of the university’s commitment to continue to bolster its capability to achieve its mission and goals.

N.C. A&T offers 96 degree programs that include 56 undergraduate degree programs, 30 master’s degree programs, and 10 doctoral programs (PhD), and three free-standing certificate programs, none of which is currently active. The university does not consider concentrations or minors to be separate degree programs, nor does the University of North Carolina System, which maintains an inventory of all approved degree programs in each of its 16 universities.

Academic programs are offered through eight academic units:

1. College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

2. College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

3. College of Business and Economics

4. College of Education

5. College of Engineering

6. College of Health and Human Sciences

7. College of Science and Technology, and

8. Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

The Graduate College is an administrative unit that does not have faculty or degree programs.

(a) Embody a Coherent Course of Study

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s degree programs all embody a coherent course of study that is compatible with the university’s mission and are based on fields of study appropriate to postsecondary education. In North Carolina, the University of North Carolina System (UNC) uses the US Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) taxonomy for postsecondary disciplines during the approval process for degree programs.  Therefore, all degree programs at N.C. A&T have CIP codes and are broadly consistent with postsecondary programs throughout the University of North Carolina system and the United States.

All but one of the institution’s degree programs that have program/professional accreditation are accredited, further attesting to the fact that the university’s programs embody a coherent course of study.  The list of accredited programs is presented in Part 4:  Institutional Summary Form Prepared for Commission Reviews, which is a part of this report.

Programs not accredited by professional associations are reviewed regularly by external reviewers to ensure that each curriculum is appropriate and consistent with good practices in higher education. Degree programs at N.C. A&T meet the standards of national and international accrediting bodies, as shown in the attached list.  The list of programs with no specialized accreditation is maintained by the university, through its Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness.  These programs are each on a six-year external review cycle.

To ensure that N.C. A&T’s programs embody a coherent course of study, each begins at the level of the academic department, where the faculty experts reside.  The curriculum review process includes scrutiny by a variety of peer groups, including department faculty who originate the proposal with the signature of the department chair; the department curriculum committee that reviews to ensure that the proposal is relevant and coherent, the college curriculum committee, the entire faculty of the college (e.g., the College of Engineering with the dean signing); and several others as shown on the signature sheet attached.   The Graduate Council reviews and signs if the program being reviewed is at the graduate level and Teacher Education reviews and signs if it is for a teacher education program.  The current (old) and proposed (new) curriculum guides are included as part of each curriculum packet.  Before the formal process begins, new program proposals are first discussed with the Provost for help in ensuring alignment with the mission and goals of the institution. All new program proposals must be approved by the Faculty Senate as are all curriculum revisions.

Distance education programs go through the same curricular approval and program approval processes as traditional programs. As with traditional programs, all new Distance Education programs must be approved by the UNC system.

(b) Are Compatible with the Stated Mission and Goals of the Institution

Every degree program at N.C. A&T is compatible with and seeks to achieve the university’s stated mission and goals.

Mission: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University advances knowledge through scholarly exchange and transforms society with exceptional teaching, learning, discovery and community engagement. An 1890 land-grant doctoral research institution with a distinction in STEM and commitment to excellence in all disciplines, North Carolina A&T creates innovative solutions that address the challenges and economic needs of North Carolina, the nation and the world.

The University assures that each degree program demonstrates coherence in sequencing, increasing complexity, and linkages between and among program components through the rigorous and comprehensive program proposal review and approval process. As outlined in the Procedures to Request Planning for a New Academic Program at N.C. A&T, any new program must be consistent with the university’s vision, mission and goals.

New graduate degree programs receive additional scrutiny during the approval process by the university’s Graduate Council and by the Graduate Council of the UNC system.

(c) Are Based upon Fields of Study Appropriate to Higher Education

All of the university’s degree programs are based upon fields of study appropriate to higher education.  The university has no unique programs. 

The academic programs all are in accordance with Section 400.1.1 of the University of North Carolina Regulation for Academic Program Planning and Evaluation, which requires that all degree programs at the university be approved by the Board of Governors of the UNC System. When a new degree programs is approved, an approval letter is issued by the UNC System.

To ensure that the curricula for degree programs are consistent with best practices in American higher education, the university relies on the faculty's disciplinary expertise and professional experience. Evidence of faculty involvement in curricula across the colleges and school of the university can be seen in the curriculum approval process.  A copy of a curriculum approval packet is provided.  The cover page shows the number and types of approval needed, and demonstrates the involvement of the faculty.

New degree program requires formal authorization to plan from the University of North Carolina System. Each request is submitted by the Provost, on behalf of the university.  The Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness works with the respective dean to develop the formal Request to Plan (now called a Letter of Intent), which must indicate how the proposed program fits into the institution’s comprehensive strategic plan and address issues such as need, demand, potential duplication, readiness of the institution to offer the program, and potential costs. Once the Request to Plan is approved by the UNC System, the university files a Request to Establish.  This review process ends with approval or denial by the Board of Governors of the UNC System.  Once the Board of Governors approves the program and the UNC System Office issues a letter of approval, the university takes the final step—submitting the substantive change proposal to SACSCOC for approval.  The process is shown on the UNC Academic Programs website, attached as a pdf.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. US Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)

2. List of Accredited Programs

3. List of Program with no Specialized Accreditation

4. Curriculum Approval Signature Sheet

5. Curriculum Approval Packet (Landscape Architecture)

6. Procedures to Request Planning for a New Academic Program

7. Section 400.1.1 of the University of North Carolina Academic Program Development Procedures

8. UNC System New Program Approval Letter

9. UNC System [new] Academic Program website