13 Ky. Admin. Regs. 2:110

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, March 1, 2024
Section 13 KAR 2:110 - Advanced practice doctoral degree programs at comprehensive universities

RELATES TO: KRS 164.001, 164.020(15), 164.295(3)

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 164.295(4) and (5) require the Council on Postsecondary Education, in consultation with the Advisory Conference of Presidents pursuant to KRS 164.021, to promulgate an administrative regulation to establish the criteria and conditions upon which an advanced practice doctoral degree program may be approved for a comprehensive university. This administrative regulation establishes the criteria and conditions for the approval of an advanced practice doctoral degree program.

Section 1. Definitions.
(1) "Advanced practice doctorate" means a program of study beyond the master's degree designed to meet the workforce and applied research needs of a profession.
(2) "Board" or "governing board" is defined by KRS 164.001(4).
(3) "College" means an administrative unit within a state university, which consists of related academic disciplines, that offers academic programs but does not have the authority to grant a degree.
(4) "Comprehensive university" is defined by KRS 164.001(7).
(5) "Council" is defined by KRS 164.001(8).
(6) "Learning outcomes" is defined by KRS 164.001(25).
(7) "Postsecondary education system" is defined by KRS 164.001(17).
(8) "Public" is defined by KRS 164.001(19).
(9) "Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges" means the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Latin America, and other international sites.
(10) "Specialization" means a set of courses designed to develop expertise within a major at the doctoral level.
(11) "Strategic agenda" is defined by KRS 164.001(23).
Section 2. General Requirements.
(1) In submitting the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program required by Section 3(1) of this administrative regulation and the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program required by Section 3(5) of this administrative regulation, a comprehensive university shall demonstrate that an advanced practice doctorate adheres to the role and scope of the institution as set forth in its mission statement and as complemented by the institution's academic plan by:
(a) Listing the objectives of the advanced practice doctorate;
(b) Providing a copy of the curriculum and explaining how the advanced practice doctorate relates to the institutional mission and strategic plan;
(c) Explaining how the advanced practice doctorate addresses the state's postsecondary education strategic agenda; and
(d) Explaining how the advanced practice doctorate furthers the statewide implementation plan for the strategic agenda.
(2) In submitting the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program required by Section 3(1) of this administrative regulation and the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program required by Section 3(5) of this administrative regulation, a comprehensive university shall demonstrate program quality and commitment to student success by:
(a) Listing all learning outcomes;
(b) Explaining how the curriculum achieves the objectives of the advanced practice doctorate by describing the relationship between the overall curriculum or the major curricular components and the objectives;
(c) Highlighting any distinctive qualities of the advanced practice doctorate;
(d) Noting whether the advanced practice doctorate will replace any specializations within another doctorate program;
(e) Including the projected ratio of faculty to students;
(f) Explaining if the comprehensive university will seek specialized accreditation if accreditation exists for the advanced practice doctorate;
(g) Demonstrating that faculty possesses terminal degrees, master's degrees with professional experience in the field of study, and research experience;
(h) Demonstrating that library resources meet standards for study at the doctoral level and in a particular field of study if standards are available from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges or a specialized accrediting agency for a specific field of study;
(i) Demonstrating availability of classroom, laboratory, office space, and specialized equipment;
(j) Explaining the admission and retention standards;
(k) Stating the degree completion requirements;
(l) Describing how the advanced practice doctorate articulates with related programs at other comprehensive universities and at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville;
(m) Providing course descriptions for all courses that will be offered as part of the advanced practice doctorate;
(n) Describing alternative methods of program delivery involving use of technology, distance education, or accelerated degree designs;
(o) Describing how the advanced practice doctorate builds upon the reputation and resources of the comprehensive university's existing master's degree program in the field of study;
(p) Explaining the impact of the advanced practice doctorate on undergraduate education at the comprehensive university; and
(q) Discussing the nature and appropriateness of available clinical sites if there is a clinical component to the advanced practice doctorate.
(3) In submitting the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program required by Section 3(1) of this administrative regulation and the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program required by Section 3(5) of this administrative regulation, a comprehensive university shall demonstrate demand for the advanced practice doctorate and lack of unnecessary duplication by:
(a) Providing evidence of student demand at the regional, state, and national levels;
(b) Identifying the potential pool of students and how potential students will be contacted;
(c) Describing the student recruitment and selection process;
(d) Identifying the undergraduate and master's level programs as well as employers from which students will be identified;
(e) Providing any evidence of a projected net increase in total student enrollments to the campus as a result of the advanced practice doctorate;
(f) Estimating student enrollment, doctoral candidacies, and degrees conferred for the first five (5) years of the program;
(g) Describing the types of jobs available for graduates, average wages for these jobs, and the number of anticipated openings for each type of job at the regional, state, and national levels;
(h) Justifying the advanced practice doctorate based on changes in the field of study or other academic reasons;
(i) Explaining new practice or licensure requirements in the profession and new requirements by specialized accrediting agencies;
(j) Identifying similar advanced practice doctoral programs in the member states of the Southern Regional Education Board; and
(k) Comparing the program to similar programs within Kentucky in terms of curriculum or areas of specialization, student populations, access to similar programs, demand for similar programs, and potential for collaboration between the proposed program and similar programs.
(4) In submitting the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program required by Section 3(1) of this administrative regulation and the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program required by Section 3(5) of this administrative regulation, a comprehensive university shall demonstrate costs and funding sources for the advanced practice doctorate by:
(a) Identifying any necessary additional resources;
(b) Explaining the financial impact on existing programs and organizational units within the comprehensive university;
(c) Demonstrating sufficient return on investment to Kentucky to offset new costs;
(d) Obtaining letters from other comprehensive universities stating that there will not be a negative financial impact on any of their existing programs;
(e) Providing financial and enrollment data from other comprehensive universities with similar programs;
(f) Estimating funding available from state, federal, other non-state, tuition, and institutional allocations and reallocations; and
(g) Estimating costs associated with faculty, student employees, graduate assistants, and professional staff; equipment and instructional materials; library materials; contractual services; academic and student support services; other support services; faculty professional development; student space and equipment; faculty space and equipment; and miscellaneous expenses.
(5) In submitting the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program required by Section 3(1) of this administrative regulation and the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program required by Section 3(5) of this administrative regulation, a comprehensive university shall demonstrate program evaluation procedures by:
(a) Identifying what program components will be evaluated;
(b) Explaining when and how the components will be evaluated;
(c) Identifying who is responsible for the data collection;
(d) Explaining how the data will be shared with faculty;
(e) Explaining how the data will be used for program improvement;
(f) Identifying measures of teaching effectiveness; and
(g) Identifying plans to assess students' post-graduation success.
Section 3. New Advanced Practice Program Application Procedures.
(1) A comprehensive university shall submit the Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program to the online Kentucky Post-secondary Program Proposal System (KPPPS) after the pre-proposal has been approved by the appropriate college within the comprehensive university.
(2) After this information is posted to KPPPS, the chief academic officers, or their designees, of the postsecondary education system and council staff shall have thirty (30) days to review and comment on the proposed program. The thirty (30) day time period shall begin on the date that the pre-proposal is submitted.
(3) If another institution or the council staff expresses concerns about the proposed program, the council staff may require additional relevant information and may request review by the chief academic officers of the postsecondary education system. If additional information is requested, the proposing institution shall submit that information within thirty (30) days of the request.
(4) Once all concerns have been addressed, the council staff shall notify the comprehensive university that:
(a) The advanced practice doctoral degree program proposed for that comprehensive university has been pre-approved; and
(b) The comprehensive university may continue the process for developing the program.
(5) The comprehensive university shall submit a Proposal for a New Doctoral Program, which has been approved by the institutional governing board, to the council within six (6) months of the council staff's pre-approval.
(6) Upon receipt of the Proposal for a New Doctoral Program, council staff shall review the proposal. If council staff determines that the comprehensive university has met all the requirements established in Section 2 of this administrative regulation, staff shall recommend the proposal to the council for approval.
(7) Upon staff recommendation, at its first subsequent meeting after completion of the proposal process, the council shall either:
(a) Approve the proposal; or
(b) Deny the proposal and identify deficiencies in the proposal that shall be corrected by the comprehensive university by submitting a revised proposal to council staff within ninety (90) working days.
Section 4. Incorporation by Reference.
(1) The following material is incorporated by reference:
(a) "Kentucky Postsecondary Program Proposal System", November 2011;
(b) "Pre-Proposal for a New Academic Program", November 2011; and
(c) "Proposal for a New Doctoral Program", November 2011.
(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, 1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 320, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

13 KAR 2:110

38 Ky.R. 1243; 1435; eff. 3-2-2012; 43 Ky.R. 1625; eff. 6-2-2017.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 164.295(4), (5)