Agenda and Meeting Notes
Deans Council - Oct. 7, 2025 (Special Session)
- Provost Updates – Barbara Bichelmeyer
- Program Approval Process – Jen Roberts
- Program Modality Change Approval Process – Jen Roberts and Nick Stevens
- Scheduling and Coding Online Courses/Programs – Nick Stevens
Meeting Notes
Provost Updates – Barbara Bichelmeyer, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Barbara Bichelmeyer, Chief Academic Officer/Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for KU Lawrence and Edwards, discussed some of the challenges facing higher education and areas that KU needs to focus efforts on improving and innovating. Despite a successful five-year run of improvements in budget, enrollment and retention, the institution faces fierce competition and limited unrestricted revenue sources (tuition and state appropriations). To stay competitive in a rapidly changing educational landscape and offset the limited state appropriations, Provost Bichelmeyer emphasized the need for KU to continue improving and innovating on areas like competency-based education, program approvals, course scheduling and delivery formats, right-sizing programs, and use of artificial intelligence for efficiencies.
Provost Bichelmeyer also encouraged greater collaboration between central administration and academic units to explore regional markets, improve faculty engagement, and to clarify KU’s value proposition.
Program Approval Process – Jen Roberts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Jen Roberts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies, discussed revisions to the academic program approval process that aims to improve prioritization and ensure continuous oversight of program development. Roberts provided deans with copies of the updated workflow process and responsible parties during each phase.
All new programs must be introduced to Academic Affairs through the Course Inventory Management (CIM) system. While deans may discuss ideas with faculty, formal progress requires entry into CIM, followed by the dean’s endorsement and submission of a coherent degree map. This degree map – which is typically the biggest delay in the approval process – must include student learning outcomes and demonstrate the program’s uniqueness within Kansas, as well as its potential to generate tuition revenue. The Provost will evaluate proposals based on several factors, including projected enrollment, market demand, instructional costs, and possibly a breakeven analysis.
On average, the approval process takes 18 months to complete, in part due to external approval timelines. KBOR approval takes 3-4 months on average, potentially longer due to meeting schedule changes. HLC approval for course-based programs is typically 3-4 weeks; however, approval for Competency-Based Education (CBE) programs requires 6-12 months. The process’ timeline is an important consideration because marketing for student recruitment must begin at least 10 months before the intended launch semester. Roberts emphasized the need for deans and their units to innovate and think about how the approval process can be streamlined to reduce time to launch.
Roberts shared a launch schedule to help people think about what they need to do now to get a new program launched in Fall 2028.
Program Modality Changes – Jen Roberts and Nick Stevens
Jen Roberts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and Nick Stevens, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, discussed updates to the workflow for programs requesting a modality change, from in-person to online. There are fewer steps in the process, however, the timeline largely depends on the timing of faculty meeting with instructional designers.
Stevens noted that Enrollment Management evaluates potential negative impact on in-person credit hours. Approval of a modality change (in-person to online) depends on the extent to which it will negatively impact in-person credit hours and the market demand in the online space. Smaller programs may benefit from modality shifts to remain viable if in-person enrollment is unsustainable.
Deans are encouraged to share feedback about the updated process with Gina Wyant, Director of University Assessment.
Scheduling and Coding Online Courses – Nick Stevens
Nick Stevens, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, presented a draft policy formalizing course coding practices to ensure compliance with requirements from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR). KU needs to ensure that students are provided with a clear and accurate course catalog, particularly with regards to program modality (in-person, hybrid in-person, hybrid online, and 100% online). It is also critical that KU ensures regular substantive interaction (RSI) to maintain Title IV funding.
HLC and the DOE classify KU as one university with a main campus (Lawrence), a branch campus (Medical Center), and several additional locations (Edwards, Wichita, Salina, etc.). KBOR classifies KU as two state agencies, KU Lawrence and KU Medical Center. Academic program plan codes are associated with the respective governing campus of Lawrence or KUMC in Kansas City. Tracking subplans are used to designate academic programs, physical locations and distance education modalities.
The Department of Education defines four types of class instruction modality:
- In-person: 51–100% of formalized instruction and interaction occurs face-to-face.
- Hybrid (in-person): 50–74% of formalized instruction and interaction occurs at a distance from campus.
- Hybrid (online): 75–99% of formalized instruction and interaction occurs at a distance from campus.
- Online: 100% of formalized instruction and interaction occurs at a distance from campus.
Stevens emphasized that transparency in scheduling and catalog accuracy is critical for student expectations and financial aid eligibility. Courses that don’t accurately reflect catalog listings can jeopardize Title IV funding. Tuition rates and financial aid can vary if students are in the wrong subplan (i.e. a student switching from in-person to online or vice versa).