III.Z. – Planning and Delivery of Postsecondary Programs and Courses – 10-2024

1. Expectations for Leadership, Planning, and Collaboration

Idaho’s public postsecondary institutions are expected to meet the educational and workforce needs of the state through planning, alignment of programs, collaboration, and coordination. This subsection shall apply to the University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Eastern Idaho, College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, and North Idaho College (“institutions”). The State Board of Education (“Board”) aims to optimize the delivery of postsecondary programs while allowing institutions to grow and develop consistent with their vision and mission with an appropriate alignment of strengths and sharing of resources. This policy requires the preparation and submission of plans to advise and inform the Board in its coordination of postsecondary programs in a manner that adheres to the following principles: • enhance access to quality programs • adapt to accommodate high priority needs for industry, • avoid wasteful duplication of effort • foster innovation, and • maximize the cost-effective use of educational resources through coordination between institutions. As part of this process, the Board hereby identifies its expectations of the institutions governed by the Board to deliver Service Region and Statewide Programs. This policy also includes provisions for collaborative and cooperative agreements when necessary to advance the Board’s vision through planning and delivery of postsecondary programs

2. Definitions

1. Designated Institution shall mean an institution with a Statewide Program Responsibility or an institution whose main campus is located in a Service Region as identified in subsection 4.b.i below and which possesses the first right to offer assigned Statewide Programs in all regions of the state or Service Region Programs within designated service region(s).
   1. Statewide Designated Institutions shall have Statewide Program Responsibility for all assigned Statewide Programs.
   2. Service Region Designated Institutions shall have Service Region Program Responsibility for those regions identified in subsection 4.b.i.
   3. With respect to career technical Service Region Programs, Designated Institutions shall include only the College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho, North Idaho College, College of Eastern Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and Idaho State University and shall have Service Region Program Responsibility for those regions identified in subsection 4.b.i.
2. Non-Designated Institution shall mean either:
   1. an institution whose main campus is located outside a Designated Institution’s Service Region; or
   2. an institution not assigned a particular Statewide Program.
3. Service Region Program shall mean a postsecondary program delivered by a Service Region Designated Institution that meets regional educational and workforce needs.
4. Service Region Program Responsibility shall mean an institution’s responsibility to offer and deliver a Service Region Program to meet regional educational and workforce needs in its Service Region as defined in subsection 4.b.i .
5. Statewide Program shall mean a specific postsecondary program assigned by the Board to be delivered by a particular institution to meet statewide educational and workforce needs.
6. Statewide Program Responsibility shall mean the Board’s expectation that an institution will offer and deliver all assigned Statewide Programs. Statewide Program Responsibilities are assigned to the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and Boise State University as expectations by the Board.

3. Program Planning

1. Institution Plan
   
   Each institution shall, in accordance with a template to be developed by the Board’s Executive Director or designee, submit to the Board for approval a rolling three (3) year plan, to be updated annually, that describes all current and proposed programs and services to be offered in alignment with each institution’s Statewide and Service Region Program Responsibilities (“Institution Plan”).
   1. Statewide Programs Institutions with a Statewide Program Responsibility shall plan for and determine the best means to deliver each assigned Statewide Program to meet statewide educational and workforce needs. If an institution desires to add a Statewide Program to its Statewide Program Responsibility, it shall first indicate this request to the Board through its annual update to its Institution Plan. In such cases, the Institution Plan shall include a description of the proposed Statewide Program, a rationale for how the institution is uniquely positioned to offer the program, an estimate of anticipated resources to be employed, and a justification of the need for the program using relevant workforce and student demand data. If an institution desires to remove a Statewide Program from its Statewide Program Responsibility, it shall first indicate this request to the Board through its annual update to its Institution Plan. In such cases, the Institution Plan shall include a justification for removal using relevant workforce and student demand data.
   2. Service Region Programs It is the responsibility of each Service Region Designated Institution to plan for and determine the best means to deliver Service Region Programs that respond to the educational and workforce needs of the Service Region.
   3. Timeline and Process for Annual Updates to Institution Plans Institution Plans shall be updated and submitted to the Board annually following a timeline and process established by the Executive Director or designee. This timeline and process shall optimize collaboration among the institutions, ensure efficient use of resources, foster innovation, and avoid wasteful duplication effort.
2. Three-Year Plan The Board staff shall, using the Institution Plans submitted, create and maintain a rolling three (3) year plan (Three-Year Plan) which includes all current and proposed programs from all eight public postsecondary institutions. The Three-Year Plan shall be submitted to the Board for review and approval annually. Board approval of the Three-Year Plan shall not constitute Board approval of any specific proposed programs or program modifications listed or described in the Three-Year Plan. Institutions shall follow the standard program approval process as provided in Board Policy III.G. for all program requests. No requests for legislative appropriation to support postsecondary programs shall be made for programs unless they are included on the current approved Three-Year Plan.

4. Delivery of Programs

1. Statewide Program Delivery The Board has established Statewide Program Responsibilities for the University of Idaho, Boise State University, and Idaho State University. Each of these institutions is designated to ensure delivery of all Statewide Programs assigned to it by the Board. Institutions with Statewide Program Responsibilities shall deliver assigned Statewide Programs face-to-face when possible, or online when necessary, to meet the needs of all Idahoans. A list of Statewide Program assignments will be contained in the Board approved Three-Year Plan document and made available to the public on the Board’s website.
   1. Evaluation of Statewide Programs
      
      Each Statewide Designated Institution with a Statewide Program Responsibility shall evaluate its assigned Statewide Program list every two years using relevant workforce and student demand data. The evaluation shall be conducted according to a timeline, principles, and process established by the Executive Director or designee. Results of the evaluation shall be included in the subsequent update to the Three-Year Plan.
   2. Expectations
      
      Each Statewide Designated Institution is expected and has the right to offer the Statewide Programs assigned to it by the Board in all regions of the state. A Statewide Designated Institution need not establish an MOU with any Non-Designated Institution before offering the Statewide Program in any region of the state.
      
      If a Non-Designated Institution identifies a need not being met for a Statewide Program to be offered in its Service Region(s), it shall request the Statewide Designated Institution expand the Statewide Program to the identified Service Region.
2. Service Region Program Delivery The Board has established six geographic Service Regions for the institutions aligned to the six geographic boundaries of the community college districts identified in Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Academic Service Regions are established by the Board and. Career Technical Service Regions are established based on the six junior college areas established in Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. A Service Region Designated Institution shall be responsible for assessing and ensuring the delivery of all postsecondary programs and services necessary to meet the educational and workforce needs within its assigned service region.
   1. Geographic Service Regions Region I shall include the geographic area within Area No.1 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Lewis-Clark State College, the University of Idaho, and North Idaho College are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing undergraduate programs. The University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing graduate programs within Region I. Lewis-Clark State College and North Idaho College are the Designated Institutions serving applied baccalaureate degree needs. North Idaho College is the Designated Institution providing career technical programs within Region I. Region II shall include the geographic area within Area No.2 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing undergraduate and graduate programs within Region II.
      
      Lewis-Clark State College is the Designated Institution providing applied baccalaureate and career technical programs within Region II. Region III shall include the geographic area within Area No.3 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Boise State University and College of Western Idaho are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing undergraduate and applied baccalaureate programs within Region III. Boise State University is the Service Region Designated Institution providing graduate education programs within Region III.. College of Western Idaho is the Designated Institution providing career technical programs within Region III. Region IV shall include the geographic area within Area No.4 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Idaho State University and College of Southern Idaho are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing undergraduate and applied baccalaureate programs within Region IV. Idaho State University is the Service Region Designated Institution providing graduate education programs within Region IV, with the exception that Boise State University will provide undergraduate and graduate programs in Business. College of Southern Idaho is the Designated Institution providing career technical programs within Region IV. Region V shall include the geographic area within Area No.5 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Idaho State University is the Service Region Designated Institution providing undergraduate, applied baccalaureate, and graduate programs within Region V. Idaho State University is the Designated Institution providing career technical programs within Region V. Region VI shall include the geographic area within Area No.6 under Section 33-2101, Idaho Code. Idaho State University and College of Eastern Idaho are the Service Region Designated Institutions providing undergraduate and applied baccalaureate programs within Region VI. Idaho State University is the Service Region Designated Institution providing graduate programs in Region VI. College of Eastern Idaho is the Designated Institution providing career technical programs within Region VI.
3. Right of First Refusal If an institution desires to offer a program for which it is not designated in this policy, it shall notify the Board Office via a Letter
   
   of Interest. The Letter of Interest shall include a rationale for the request, a program description, an assessment of workforce and student demand, and an assessment of institutional capacity to offer the program. The Board Office shall then transmit the Letter of Interest to the Designated Institution, which shall respond in one of three ways:
   1. Agree with the Non-Designated Institution to offer the program collaboratively, and submit a signed MOU to the Board Office within three (3) months of receiving the Letter of Interest, OR
   2. In the case of a Statewide Program, determine to expand the Statewide Program into the Non-Designated Institution’s region(s) without collaboration. Within one (1) month of receiving the Letter of Interest, the Statewide Designated Institution shall submit a Letter of Intent to the Board Office and, within three (3) months, submit either a Letter of Notification per Policy III.G. that the Statewide Program has been expanded to the Non-Designated Institution’s service region(s) or a Plan of Action with specific timelines for expanding the program expediently, OR
   3. Refute the need for new program to be offered by the Non- Designated Institution and request the Board settle the dispute by submitting a Letter of Dispute to the Board Office within one (1) month of receiving the Letter of Interest. Letters of Dispute will be presented to the Board for resolution at the next regular Board meeting. The Non-Designated Institution may submit a proposal per Policy III.G. if the affected Designated Institution takes no action within three (3) months of receiving the Letter of Interest or does not meet the deadlines for the specified actions above.

5. Collaboration with Institutions Not Governed by the Board

New programmatic collaborations with institutions not governed by the Board shall be shared with the Board Office prior to commencement of the collaboration.

6. Duplication of Courses

If courses necessary to complete a Statewide Program are offered by the Service

Region Designated Institution, they shall be used and articulated into the Statewide Program.

7. Dispute Resolution

All disputes relating to items addressed in this policy shall be forwarded to the Board’s Executive Director or designee for review. The Board’s Executive Director or designee shall prescribe the method for resolution, except where this policy expressly prescribes resolution by the full Board. Institutions may appeal any decision made by the Executive Director or designee to the Board, in which case the Board will serve as the final arbiter.

8. Exceptions

1. This policy is not applicable to programs for which 90% or more of all activity is required or completed online.
2. This policy is not applicable to dual credit courses for secondary education.
3. This policy is not applicable to face-to-face academic undergraduate and graduate education offered within adult correctional facilities under the jurisdiction of the Idaho Department of Correction.
4. This policy is not applicable to programs specifically contracted to be offered exclusively to a private, corporate entity. New programmatic collaborations offered exclusively to a private, corporate entity shall be shared with the Board Office prior to commencement of the collaboration.