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Home / SACS Accreditation / 3.12.1 Substantive Change...

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3.12.1 Substantive Change

The institution notifies the Commission of change in accordance with the substantive change policy and, when required, seeks approval prior to the initiation of changes.

Judgement of Compliance:

Partial Compliance

Narrative:

Monitoring Substantive Changes
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has engaged in a concerted effort to inform and educate its staff about the concept of and policies related to substantive change. Six (6) members of the faculty and administration have attended SACS-COC Substantive Change seminars in the past three years.  A summary of the policy for use by faculty, department heads, and deans in developing new programs is available on the Academic Affairs web page. A set of Curriculum Proposal Protocols is also available on the Academic Affairs web page via the “Policy and Procedure” link. They include review by the Distance Education Council and the Accreditation Liaison for substantive change issues. The Academic Affairs web page also includes a link to the SACS-COC substantive change FAQs.

Substantive Changes
Since 2001, UTC has implemented ten (10) new degree programs. SACS-COC was notified of each change and a prospectus was submitted when requested by the Commission. In addition, five (5) programs have been enhanced by offering delivery online or at remote sites.  Documentation of the changes and SACS approval is available in the table below.

Year	Degree	Substantive change	Approvals
2001	MS Engineering Management	Online delivery	Notification 6/27/01; SACS approval 8/13/01
2003	Doctor of Physical Therapy	New level	SACS request for add’l copies of Prospectus 3/13/03; SACS receipt of Prospectus 4/14/03; SACS Substantive Change arrangements letter 11/6/03; UTC receipt of Committee Report 12/17/03; SACS approval 7/9/04
2003	MBA	New site, Maytag Corporation, Cleveland, TN	Notification 7/5/02;Deferral to C&R Committee 7/29/02; SACS approval 1/10/03
2003	Med	New site	Notification 7/5/02;Deferral to C&R Committee 7/29/02; SACS approval 1/10/03
2004	EdD Learning and Leadership	New doctoral degree	Notification 8/4/04; SACS request for clarification 9/21/04;  Clarification 10/20/04; SACS approval 12/20/04; SACS request First Monitoring Report 1/5/06; SACS request Second Monitoring Report 1/9/07; SACS approval 1/9/08
2004	PhD Computational Engineering	New level	Prospectus cover letter 3/8/04; SACS Substantive Change Visit letter 4/14/04; Visit report letter 2/25/05; Visit Response Cover letter 6/28/05; SACS request First Monitoring Report 1/5/06; SACS request Second Monitoring Report 1/9/07; SACS approval 1/9/08
2007	DPT Post-professional	Online delivery	Notification 7/21/06; SACS request for clarification 9/11/06; Clarification 9/21/06; SACS approval 11/6/06
2007	Med Elementary or Secondary Education	Online delivery	Notification 2/20/07; SACS approval 4/2/07
2009	Master of Science Athletic Training	New major; name change from MS Health and Human Performance	THEC notification 4/3/08; Proposal 4/16/08; Notification email with Sheeley, 2/25/09; Response from Sheeley, 2/27/09
2009	Master of Science: Mathematics	New level in discipline	Notification 3/3/09 Prospectus request 5/26/09; Request for clarification 7/29/09; Clarification 8/4/09; SACS approval 11/10/09
2009	BS Chemical Engineering, BS Civil Engineering	New programs: from BSE to BSCE and BSChE	Notification 8/25/09 Approval 1/5/10
2010	EdD Learning and Leadership	New site	Notification 6/17/09; SACS request for Prospectus 11/2/09; Prospectus cover letter 1/7/10; Approval 5/4/10
2010	Doctor of Nursing Practice	New level	Notification 1/14/08; SACS request for Prospectus 2/27/08; SACS approval  7/15/10

Some programs have been terminated, and others have been added that were considered not to be substantive changes. However, it is understood that the Commission should have been notified of some of these changes prior to implementation. Notification has been made and steps taken (described above) to ensure that such notification is provided as required. Students in terminated programs were given advance notification and careful academic advisement, and were permitted to graduate with their degrees within the valid lifespan of their respective catalogs (ten years). No faculty were terminated.

Unreported Substantive Changes
Degree programs

Degree	Change	Year
Bachelor of Science: Occupational Therapy	Deactivated	2003
Bachelor of Social Work	Deactivated; lost CSWE accreditation; deadline for graduation, August 2005	2005
Bachelor of Social Work	Reactivated; regained CSWE  accreditation	2006
Bachelor of Science: Human Services Management	Deactivated	2007
Bachelor of Science: Medical Technology	Phased out	2007
Bachelor of Science: Electrical Engineering	New major from existing concentration; no new resources or courses – restructured per ABET	2008
Bachelor of Science: Mechanical Engineering	New major from existing concentration; no new resources or courses – restructured per ABET	2008
Bachelor of Music: Sacred Music	Deactivated	2008

New Certificates

Certificate	Year
Undergraduate Certificate: Advanced information Systems	2008
Undergraduate Certificate: Information Systems	2008
Graduate Certificate: Engineering Quality Management	2001, two new courses, in conjunction with revision of concentrations
Graduate Certificate: Urban Specialist	2004, Grant- funded, phased out
Graduate Certificate: English as a Second Language	2008, mostly existing courses, new courses developed per State regulations for ESL

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Documentation:

1. Substantive Change Summary
   http://www.utc.edu/Administration/AcademicAffairs/documents/SubstantiveChangesBasics.pdf
   


2. Curriculum Proposal Protocols
   http://www.utc.edu/Administration/SACS/ComplianceReports/Documentation/CS312/Curriculum&NewProgramProposalProtocols.pdf
   


3. SACS Substantive Change FAQs
   http://www.sacscoc.org/SubstantiveChangeFAQs.asp
   


4. MS Engineering Management
   a. Notification of Intent June 27, 2001
   b. SACS approval August 13, 2001


5. Doctor of Physical Therapy, New doctoral degree
   a. SACS request for additional copies of Prospectus March 13, 2003
   b. SACS receipt of Prospectus April 14, 2003
   c. SACS Substantive Change visit arrangements November 6, 2003
   d. Receipt of Committee report December 17, 2003
   e. SACS approval July 9, 2004


6. Master of Business Administration, New site
   a. Notification of Intent July 5, 2002
   b. C&R Committee July 29, 2002
   c. SACS approval Junary 10, 2003


7. Master of Education, New site
   a. Notification of Intent July 5, 2002
   b. C&R Committee July 29, 2002
   c. SACS approval January 10, 2003


8. EdD Learning and Leadership, New doctoral degree
   a. Notification of Intent August 4, 2004
   b. SACS request for clarification September 21, 2004
   c. Clarification October 20, 2004
   d. SACS approval December 20, 2004
   e. First Monitoring report January 5. 2006
   f. SACS Second Monitoring report January 9. 2007
   g. SACS approval January 9. 2008


9. PhD Computational Engineering, New doctoral degree
   a. Prospectus cover letter March 8, 2004
   b. Substantive Change visit arrangements April 14, 2004
   c. Substantive Change visit report letter February 25, 2005
   d. Visit response cover letter June 28, 2005
   e. First monitoring report request January 5, 2006
   f. Second monitoring report request January 9, 2007
   g. SACS approval January 9. 2008


10. DPT Post-professional program, online delivery
    a. Notification of Intent July 21, 2006
    b. Request for clarification September 11, 2006
    c. Clarification September 21, 2006
    d. SACS approval November 6, 2006


11. MEd Elementary or Secondary Education, online delivery
    a. Notification of Intent Feburary 20, 2007
    b. SACS approval April 2, 2007


12. MS Athletic Training, New major, name change from MS Health and Human Performance
    a. THEC notification April 3, 2008
    b. Proposal April 16, 2008
    c. Notification email to Steven Sheeley February 25, 2009
    d. Response from Steven Sheely February 27, 2009


13. MS Mathematics, New level in discipline
    a. Notification of Intent March 3, 2009
    b. Prospectus request May 26, 2009
    c. Prospectus
    d. Request for clarification July 29, 2009
    e. Clarification August 4, 2009
    f. SACS approval November 10, 2009


14. BS Chemical Engineering and BS Civil Engineering, New programs from BSE
    a. Notification of Intent August 25, 2009
    b. SACS approval January 5, 2010


15. EdD Learning and Leadership, New site
    a. Notification of Intent June 17, 2009
    b. Request for Prospectus November 2, 2009
    c. Prospectus cover letter January 7, 2010
    d. Prospectus
    e. Approval May 4, 2010


16. Doctor of Nursing Practice
    a. Notification of Intent January 14, 2008
    b. Request for prospectus February 27, 2008
    c. Prospectus
    d. SACS approval July 15, 2010

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