HI Joe;
I know I'm a broken record but will this change include an updated definition or terminology of an Option in policy 303.1? There is a lot of confusion (at least on this campus) surrounding what is a minor "that supports or compliments a field" verses an option which seems to have the same philosophy but is built into the major instead of being a complimentary minor and maybe allows a little bit more credits to be part of the full major than a typical major/minor combination would allow. The faculty on this campus who have been that have been in the system (and at least some administration) for 15 or more years have the history to remember when and why options were established, but new faculty are struggling with when and where to use a minor vs an option and how to explain an option to students. The other concern we've had very recently with students is they see the word "Option" meaning it is optional. While this also speaks to advising protocols it would help if the words were modernized a little bit. I know the general feedback I've received when venturing forth into this conversation is that concentrations is another word for options. Is it possible to consider an update to that terminology officially (or maybe based on your documentation that is what is planned)
Otherwise I think the spreadsheet is workable and makes sense for the project you outlined.
Charity
Charity Walters| Registrar and Director of Institutional Research | The University of Montana Western | 710 South Atlantic Street | Dillon, Montana 59725 |
Phone 406.683.7471
"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi
From: MACRAO Listserv <MACRAO@LISTSERV.GFCMSU.EDU> On Behalf Of Thiel, Joe
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2020 12:39 PM
To: MACRAO@LISTSERV.GFCMSU.EDU
Subject: MUS Program Inventory Template FOR REVIEW
MACRAO colleagues:
OCHE is looking to revamp our degree inventory. Our current inventory (https://apps.mus.edu/Degrees/degree_default.asp) is badly out of date, has inaccurate information, and a data structure that is not useful for some of our key needs.
Campuses have been rightfully frustrated, as this list is not only a potential source of information for prospective students, but it is also the list the US Department of Education is likely to first look to when identifying approved programs for Title IV funding.
A subgroup of registrars and admission administrators have been helping me to build a template for a new inventory (see attached). Our vision is that campuses would fill in this inventory, OCHE would validate through BOR records, adding BOR item numbers where available, and then this would become the basis for an online academic program submission and approval web app to keep the inventory up-to-date as programs change in future.
However, I would really value your input before we start gathering this information. Could you please take a look at the attached template and let me know if you think anything is missing or ill-put? Is this a template your campus could fill out with the definitions and instructions provided? Is the information being requested useful to our audiences (prospective students; US DOE; others?)
If you have any ideas or comments please respond to me at jthiel@montana.edu no later than Friday, February 28th.
Kind Regards,
Joseph Thiel
Director of Academic Policy and Research
Montana University System
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