Executive Policy 5.201 Executive Policy 5.201

Approval of New Academic Programs and Termination of Academic Programs

Executive Policy EP 5.201, Approval of New Academic Programs and Termination of Academic Programs
Effective Date:  June 2026
Prior Dates Amended:  March 1987, April 1989, May 2014, June 2020, June 2022
Responsible Office: Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy
Governing Board of Regents Policy RP 5.201
Review Date:  June 2029

1. The following guidelines outline the processes for academic program approval, program classification, program naming, and program termination process.  Chancellors will develop procedures to implement this policy as required for their campus.


2. The objectives of the executive policy are:
   
   
   1. To establish guidelines and procedures for the preparation and processing of proposals for new academic programs.
   
   
   2. To assure the administration and Board of Regents of the academic and fiscal soundness of proposed academic programs and their appropriateness to both University-wide and campus missions.
   
   
   3. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that provisions for adequate physical facilities for the academic programs have been included in campus long-range development plans.
   
   
   4. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that academic program offerings are aligned across the system, duplication is strategic and intentional, and curricular pathways exist.
   
   
   5. To assure the administration and the Board of Regents that provisions for meaningful assessment of student learning have been included in proposals for new academic programs and reviews of programs.

Definitions of all degrees and certificates offered by the University of Hawai‘i System are provided in EP 5.205, Academic Programs Definitions and Guidelines.

1. Academic Program
   A structured set of courses and requirements, formally approved by the University at either the system or campus level, which culminates in the awarding of a degree or credit-bearing certificate.


2. Stop-Out
   The action of pausing the admission of students while a program is being reevaluated.


3. Termination
   The termination of a program means its removal from the official list of degrees and certificates, which means that it is no longer available to students.


4. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)
   
   1. The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) provides a taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and program completion activity.
   
   
   2. Each program CIP code is aligned to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CIP definition and title (when possible). It is used for reporting of programs to the NCES.
   
   
   3. A CIP code and title generally apply to all levels of certificates and degrees.
   
   
5. Significant Change
   A major modification or expansion of the nature of an academic program, including content, objective, or goals.


6. Significant Resources
   As defined in RP 5.201, significant resources include one or more of the following:  new faculty or staff positions, new facilities including lab or office space, and/or new operating costs that must be requested through a new budget request to the Board and/or Legislature.  This would not include situations in which resources can be internally reallocated from other units in the college, department, division, or school in the context of reprioritizing programs and services.

1. As described in RP 5.201, Board approval is required for all new academic programs granting course credit leading to a degree or credential, upon recommendation by the President with the exception of those in B, C and D below.  The President can then delegate approval as outlined in B, C and D.


2. Credentials listed below can be approved by the President or designee if the academic program does not require significant resources:
   
   1. A program which desires to change to or add a new type of degree (e.g. BA to BS, AS in xx to AS in zz) with minimal change to degree requirements.
   
   
3. The President may delegate approval authority for the credentials listed below to the Vice President for Community Colleges (VPCC) or Vice President for Academic Strategy (VPAS) if the program does not require significant resources. Such proposals must be shared with the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy (OVPAS) for a 30-day review period, in consultation with the Council of Chief Academic Officers (CCAO), before approval:
   
   1. All new stand-alone certificates of competence or academic subject certificates.
   
   
   2. A stand-alone certificate where the existing Board-approved associate degree or certificate of achievement is being terminated.
   
   
4. The President may delegate approval authority for the credentials listed below to the Chancellor if the program does not require significant resources. Such proposals must be shared with the OVPAS for a 30-day review period, in consultation with CCAO, before approval:
   
   1. New minors, concentrations or certificates consisting of courses within or among existing Board-approved academic programs.
   
   
   2. A stand-alone minor where the existing Board-approved major is being terminated.


5. Official Program Name
   
   1. The name of the program, including parenthetical information, and the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code approved by the Board of Regents at the time of program establishment becomes the Official Program Name and CIP code for purposes of Board of Regents-conferred credentials and is used in University publications. The Official Program Name for programs approved under section III(D) shall be established by the Chancellor.
   
   
   2. Program names and CIP codes should align with titles, descriptions and CIP codes for similar programs in the national database and should be consistent across campuses unless the program name is unique to the UH System or there is a documented reason for the difference. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy (OVPAS) must approve program names and CIP codes not aligned with the national standard or across the institution. A Master List of Board of Regents-authorized degree and certificate programs, and programs approved by the President or Chancellor, is maintained by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy.
   
   
   3. Requests to change the Official Program Name in order to maintain currency in terminology and which involve no significant change in the program are made to the President. Upon approval, such changes are reported to the Board of Regents as an informational item.
   
   
   4. Official Program Name changes that reflect a significant program change are handled according to the requirements for new program authorizations as outlined in this policy.
   
   
   5. Any program name change must be aligned with the correct Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code and title.
   
   
   6. No program shall be given a name to honor a person without approval of the Board.


6. Preliminary Proposal for New Academic Programs
   
   1. A preliminary program proposal sets forth the description of, and justification for, new academic programs sought by the campuses.
   
   
   2. The proposal must contain sufficient information to permit assessment of the academic integrity and quality of the program, to determine its fiscal soundness and efficiency relative to other University activities, and to determine its appropriateness to the mission of the University and the campus. See Appendix A for guidelines for preparing the proposal.
   
   
   3. The proposal must have an appropriate CIP code approved by the OVPAS.
   
   
   4. Procedures and Processing
      
      1. Each unit establishes internal procedures for the preparation and processing of new program proposals, ensuring appropriate faculty input and student input, and attention to the questions outlined in Appendix A.
      
      
      2. Once vetted through campus-level governance processes, preliminary program proposals are initially reviewed by the OVPAS, which (a) checks for completeness of the proposal and alignment with strategic directions, (b) assesses the level of duplicative programs, (c) checks appropriateness of degree type for that campus, and (d) determines if the proposal will advance or return to campus for revision and resubmission.
      
      
      3. The preliminary proposal is then reviewed by the Council of Chief Academic Officers (CCAO). CCAO provides formal, consolidated feedback that specifies which actions must be addressed in a revision prior to proceeding forward. This may include input on the content and scope of the proposal, academic integrity, articulation plan, and the relationship with programs offered by other campuses to ensure program differentiation. Following required revisions, preliminary proposals endorsed by CCAO are forwarded by the OVPAS to the UH Officers and the President for review and approval.
      
      
      4. The Office of the President reviews the preliminary proposal and (if approved), the Official Program Name and CIP code are assigned by the OVPAS.
   
   
7. Full Proposal for Board of Regents Approval
   
   1. Once a preliminary proposal has been approved by the President, the campus may proceed to develop a full proposal for Board of Regents’ approval by completing the final steps outlined in Appendix B.
   
   
   2. The full proposal will be reviewed by OVPAS and CCAO, and feedback will be used to make final revisions prior to submission for approval.
   
   
   3. The President will then review the full proposal and either (a) approve the proposal, (b) reject it, or (c) reject it with the option to review and resubmit.
   
   
   4. Upon approval from the President, the program proposal will be submitted to the Board of Regents, which will approve or reject the full program proposal.
   
   
   5. Resources for newly approved academic programs are sought in accordance with standard budgetary policies and procedures.
   
   
   6. All new academic programs must also obtain approval from the institutional accreditor (i.e., WSCUC or ACCJC) prior to implementation. WSCUC will evaluate proposals for reduced-credit bachelor’s degree programs as offerings at a new degree level, even if the institution already offers a program in the same field under a 120-credit structure.
   
   
   7. Programs that obtained provisional status under the prior version of this policy may elect to bring forward a full proposal to the Board on an expedited timeline.
   
   
8. Review Cycle for New Programs
   
   1. Each new program shall undergo a comprehensive program review at the end of its first full cycle. The review shall examine the program’s actual achievement of its proposed enrollment, completion, resource use, impact, and role in the curriculum. This initial program review shall be submitted to the OVPAS.
   
   
   2. A review cycle for a new program is determined by the proposed completion time for the credential: 150% of standard time for bachelor’s degrees and doctoral-level degrees (e.g., JD, MD, PhD); and 300% of standard time for certificates and associate degrees. For example, a one-year certificate program is reviewed in year 3.
   
   
9. Program Stop-Outs and Terminations
   
   1. Degree programs may be stopped out by the Chancellor based on the criteria in item III.I.4. Degree programs may be terminated by the President based on criteria in item III.I.5. Termination of all certificates and stand-alone minors may be approved by the Chancellor.
   
   
   2. A program stop-out indicates that the program is no longer accepting new students. A stopped-out program is noted as stopped out, but it is not removed from the UH System official list of degrees and certificates offered.
   
   
   3. A terminated program no longer accepts new students, and it is removed from the official list of degrees and certificates. A program scheduled for termination should generally be preceded by a stop-out period that provides time for students currently in the program to graduate.
   
   
   4. A degree program may be stopped out by the Chancellor if one of the following criteria applies:
      
      1. It is scheduled for termination and requires a period to teach out existing students in the program;
      
      
      2. It is undergoing curriculum redesign with the intention to continue the program after a temporary stop-out;
      
      
      3. It is listed on the Programs with a Low Number of Degrees Conferred report for five consecutive years and stop-out is recommended as a result of a comprehensive program review.
      
      
      4. It is determined to be under performing after an external review, and stop-out is recommended by either the department, the Dean, or the campus Chief Academic Officer.
      
      
   5. A degree program may be terminated by the President if it meets one of the following criteria:
      
      1. Termination is recommended to the President by the program, Dean, or Chancellor;
      
      
      2. It has been identified as a Program with a Low Number of Degrees Conferred, per EP 5.229, for five or more consecutive years and has been recommended for stop-out by the Chancellor;
         
      3. Termination is recommended based upon an external review that indicates a program is underperforming.

The President delegates limited program approval authority to the Chancellors, Vice President for Community Colleges, and Vice President for Academic Strategy as specified above.

Office of the Vice President for Academic Strategy, 956-6897, ovpas@hawaii.edu

RP 5.201, Academic Programs
RP 5.205, Academic Program Definitions and Guidelines
EP 5.229, Programs with Low Number of Degrees Conferred

Appendix A
Appendix B

    Wendy F. HenselPresident