We will be working quickly to provide institutions additional guidance, but for now there are two categories institutions can select to submit those substantive changes under: 

1. Substantially Changing the Number of Clock or Credit Hours – This category would be selected if your institution is seeking to modify the credit hours of an existing degree program or add a reduced-credit degree program parallel to an existing program of traditional length that will remain in the Program Inventory. 
2. Adding Program Content or Academic Program(s) that Represent a Significant Departure (25% or more aggregate change) from Program(s) or Related Programs Approved Previously – This category would be selected if your institution is seeking to add a new degree program with reduced credit hours that is not currently offered by the institution.

Page 17 of the Substantive Change Manual, under item 4, outlines the key areas that an institution will currently need to address when submitting a substantive change proposal for a bachelor’s degree seeking to offer less than the historical 120 semester or 180 quarter units/credits.    

At this time, we have not designated a name for these degrees, but it is essential that the institution include an identifier of the accelerated nature of these degrees within the program name. We recognize that some institutions and/or systems are referring to them as Accelerated Bachelor’s, Three-Year Bachelor’s, Reduced Credit Bachelor’s, and/or Bachelor’s of Applied Studies. We want to ensure that states and institutions have the necessary flexibility regarding naming conventions at this time. We may determine, at some point, that there is general consensus on a degree name, but for now we are providing institutional flexibility. 

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Updates to Processes & Fees

Process to Evaluate and Approve Substantive Change Proposals

On July 29, 2022, the Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the NWCCU Board of Commissioners, approved the process for approval of Substantive Change requests that fall under 34 CFR 602.22(a)(1)(ii) (C), (E), (F), (H), and (J), which may be approved by NWCCU’s senior staff, under the United States Department of Education’s regulations.

In contrast, Substantive Change requests under 34 CFR 602.22(a)(1)(ii) (A), (B), (D) (G), (I), and (K) require approval by the Commission.

Please contact your NWCCU Staff Liaison for details on this new process.

Change to Onsite Peer Evaluation Visit Fees

On July 29, 2022, the Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the NWCCU Board of Commissioners, approved a change to billing for onsite peer evaluation visit fees. This change becomes effective September 1, 2022.

Currently, NWCCU member institutions are charged a fee of $2,500 for each evaluator and NWCCU staff liaison plus actual travel costs for the evaluation visit. NWCCU has heard from several institutions that this model creates several challenges, including difficulty to budget for evaluation visits.

Billing for the new evaluation fee will include the evaluation fee of $2,500 for each evaluator and NWCCU staff liaison and a flat $2,000 amount to cover the cost of travel. The latter amount was calculated based recent travel costs associated with evaluation visits. The proposed fee and billing structure is as follows:

• Institutions to undergo Year Seven Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness are evaluated by a team of Peer Evaluators, which is accompanied by an NWCCU Staff Liaison. Institutions are invoiced for the evaluation fees ($4,500 per evaluator and per NWCCU staff liaison) in advance of the onsite evaluation visit
• Institutions to undergo Mid-Cycle Review are evaluated by a team of Peer Evaluators only. Institutions are invoiced for the evaluation fees ($4,500 per evaluator) in advance of the onsite evaluation visit
• Institutions to undergo Ad Hoc Review with a Visit or Financial Resources Review with a Visit are evaluated by a team of Peer Evaluators only. Institutions are invoiced for the evaluation fees ($4,500 per evaluator) in advance of the onsite evaluation visit

Note that the flat $2,000 fee to cover travel costs will be reviewed and revised as needed around June/July of each year; domestic institutions outside NWCCU’s traditional region of seven states and British Columbia and international institutions will be required to pay a surcharge to cover additional travel expenses.

Please contact your NWCCU Staff Liaison for details on this new fee structure.

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