April 12, 2024
SUBJECT: Academic Transformation Update: Program Review Preliminary Recommendation
Dear President Stuart and Dean Smith,
As part of the ongoing Academic Transformation initiative, the Provost’s Office has completed its Board of Governors Rule 2.2 Program Review process for the BS in Mathematics at WVU Institute of Technology.
Possible Recommendations
Under WVU Board of Governors Rule 2.2., there are four possible recommendations for programs, and they are defined as follows:
- Continue at the current level of activity (i.e., no recommended changes for the program)
- Continue at the current level of activity with specific action (i.e., the program will continue to exist, but there are recommended changes for the program)
- Development of a cooperative program (i.e., potentially merging one or more programs together to create a new program / curriculum with the potential reduction of faculty positions)
- Discontinue the program (i.e., program will no longer exist after a teach out is completed and there may be a potential reduction of faculty positions)
Preliminary Recommendations
After considering the data previously released, the information contained within your unit’s Self-Study Review Form, and consulting with the campus’ institutional leaders, the Provost’s Office Preliminary Recommendation is as follows:
- BS Mathematics: Discontinuance
The key components that led to the Provost’s Office Preliminary Recommendations include the following:
- Program enrollment has historically been very small (between 4 and 6 students) and the ratio of faculty-to-program majors is well below institutional and peer benchmarks.
- The plan presented by the unit in its self-study addressed challenges in DFW rates for both Math major-specific and service courses. However, the DFW rates in Math service courses are having a profound negative impact on student success at the institutional level and were specifically mentioned in a range of other programs’ self-studies as major impediments to student success in those programs. We do not believe the plan to address the DFW rates in the Math service courses was sufficient nor is it likely to succeed as presented.
- The institution has made a mission decision that the degree program in Mathematics is not aligned with student interest and is recommending its discontinuation so that WVU Tech can instead focus on the improved delivery of its Math service courses and make a significant impact on institutional student success through those changes.
Next Steps for Discontinuance or Development of Cooperative Program
For programs that have been recommended for discontinuance and for which the Board of Governors approves that final recommendation at their June 21 meeting, the unit should submit a program deactivation in CIM by August 31, 2024.
Faculty Reduction
If this recommendation is approved by the Board of Governors on June 21, 2024, the number of faculty positions in the unit may potentially be reduced from its current number. All decisions about the reduction of faculty positions will be made in accordance with BOG Faculty Rule 4.7.
Program Review Appeal Process
If a chair opts to appeal any part of the Provost’s Office Preliminary Recommendation, they must submit a Notice of Intent to Appeal by Friday, April 19, 2024.
Any chair who files a Notice of Intent to Appeal will receive notification at least three business days in advance of when the Program Review Appeal Committee hearing for their program will be scheduled. Most hearings will occur on either April 25 or 26, 2024.
To ensure a broad-based representation, the Provost’s Office will establish a Program Review Appeal Committee specific for each unit. As specified in Board of Governor’s Rule 2.2, members will include the vice provost, the associate provost for undergraduate education, the program review officer, an administrative representative from program’s home college, two representatives from dean’s offices outside of the program’s home college, and the Faculty Assembly chair or designee from the program’s home college.
The chair, school/division director, or faculty member who filed the Notice of Intent to Appeal must submit the Program Review Appeal Form, which contains any additional information or data they wish the Program Review Appeal Committee to consider, at least two business days in advance of the hearing.
During the appeal hearing, the unit’s representative is given 30 minutes to present the substance of their appeal and 15 minutes to address questions from the Program Review Appeal Committee.
The Program Review Appeal Committee will then deliberate and vote to accept or change the Provost’s Office Preliminary Recommendation. The program review officer tallies the votes, informs the Program Review Appeal Committee of the results, and communicates the results to the campus leadership and chair within three business days following the hearing.
If the appeal is denied, the original recommendation will be presented to the Board of Governors for a vote on June 21. If the appeal is granted, the Program Review Appeal Committee may provide a new recommendation to the campus leadership. This new recommendation would also go to the Board of Governors for a vote. All decisions made by the Program Review Appeal Committee are final.
Sincerely,
WVU Office of the Provost