15-1444.01. Baccalaureate degree programs; reporting requirements; definitions
A. Each community college that offers a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to section 15-1444, subsection B, paragraph 16 or 17 must meet both of the following:
1. All applicable regional accreditation requirements.
2. All applicable state licensure requirements.
B. When determining whether to offer a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to section 15-1444, subsection B, paragraph 16 or 17, the district board shall make its determination based on all of the following criteria:
1. Whether the community college can demonstrate both:
(a) Workforce need for the baccalaureate degree program in the region served by the community college.
(b) Student demand for the baccalaureate degree program.
2. A financial analysis that shows the short-term and long-term impacts to initiate and sustain the baccalaureate degree program, including all of the following:
(a) The source of monies.
(b) Facilities requirements.
(c) Faculty.
(d) Personnel.
(e) Administrative costs.
3. Whether the baccalaureate degree program would unnecessarily duplicate the degree programs offered by other institutions of higher education in this state.
4. The ability of the community college to support the baccalaureate degree program with student enrollment and the adequacy of the community college's facilities, faculty, administration, libraries and other resources.
C. A community college that is within a community college district located in the same county as the main campus of any public university and that is developing a baccalaureate degree program shall notify the public university whose main campus is located in the same county as the community college district at least sixty days before submitting the report prescribed in subsection D of this section to the district board. Within thirty days after the date the community college submits the notice, the public university may provide a written response to the district board for its review. This subsection does not allow a public university to prevent a community college from offering a baccalaureate degree program.
D. Before the district board authorizes a community college to offer a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to section 15-1444, subsection B, paragraph 16 or 17, the community college must submit a report to the district board that includes all of the following information:
1. The name of the proposed academic degree program.
2. The academic department that will offer the proposed degree program.
3. Whether the instructional modality would be immersion or online, or both.
4. The total credit hours necessary to complete the degree program.
5. The proposed inception term.
6. A brief description of the proposed degree program.
7. A learning outcomes and assessment plan, including:
(a) Concepts.
(b) Competencies.
(c) Assessment methods and measures.
8. The projected enrollment by year for the first three years the degree program is offered.
9. Evidence of market demand for the proposed degree program.
10. Similar degree programs offered at other institutions of higher education in this state.
11. The new resources required, including a long-term plan for faculty recruitment that indicates the ability to pay the increased salaries of doctoral faculty and identifies recruitment strategies for new faculty.
12. Any written responses provided by a public university pursuant to subsection C of this section.
E. Each community college that offers a baccalaureate degree program pursuant to section 15-1444, subsection B, paragraph 16 or 17 shall submit a report to the joint legislative audit committee on or before October 1 of the fifth year after initially offering that baccalaureate degree program. The report shall review the first five years of the baccalaureate degree program at the community college and shall include all of the following:
1. The number of:
(a) All baccalaureate degree programs implemented at the community college.
(b) Applicants to each baccalaureate degree program.
(c) Persons who are admitted into each baccalaureate degree program.
(d) Persons who are enrolled in each baccalaureate degree program.
(e) Persons who received degrees from each baccalaureate degree program.
2. The costs of each baccalaureate degree program, including cost per degree and the funding sources that were used to finance each degree program.
3. Current trends in workforce demands that require four-year degrees in each specific baccalaureate degree program offered.
4. Current completion and continuation rates, if available, for each cohort of students participating in each baccalaureate degree program.
5. Information on the impact of each baccalaureate degree program on underserved and underprepared students.
6. The extent to which each baccalaureate degree program fulfills identified workforce needs for new baccalaureate degree programs.
7. Information on the places of employment of students and the subsequent job placement of graduates of each baccalaureate degree program.
8. For each baccalaureate degree program, the costs to students, the amount of financial aid offered and the student debt levels of graduates.
9. Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for each baccalaureate degree program.
F. Each community college district that offers a baccalaureate degree program shall include all of the following in its annual report required by section 15-1427:
1. The total number of students pursuing a baccalaureate degree at the community college district pursuant to this section.
2. The total number of baccalaureate degrees completed at the community college district.
3. Workforce data showing demand for the baccalaureate degree programs offered at the community college district.
4. The average cost of tuition per credit hour for the baccalaureate degrees offered at the community college district.
G. For the purposes of this section:
1. " Main campus" means the central location of the public university's library system and computer center.
2. " Public university" means a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.