Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education Degree Productivity Standards

Degree Productivity Standards (PPR11) - In the fall of 1999, the Council on Postsecondary Education and the public institutions approved a five year-average degree productivity standard. The standards are based on degree level as follows:

Efficiency Indices - An index to be applied to programs that do not meet the degree productivity standard to acknowledge a significant teaching service for the university. The efficiency index is based on the average number of credit hours generated per full-time equivalent faculty by department. Index for comprehensive universities (NKU) is 540 per FTE faculty member. Programs that do not meet the degree productivity standards will not require additional justification if they meet the efficiency index and are not listed as a state priority area.

Exception to Low Productivity Program Requirements - Graduate education programs involved in rank changes and alternative certifications that appear in low-productivity may include in justification numbers of rank changes and alternative certifications as evidence of productivity.

State Priority Areas - Regardless of efficiency indices, state priority areas are required to meet degree productivity standards. Programs that do not meet productivity standards and are on the state priority areas list are not justifiable through the efficiency index.

Report Responses. The three responses to CPE Low-Productivity Program Reports are as follows:

1. The program should no longer be offered. Program may "teach out" any students in the program. For programs designated for closure in the next few months, current majors and newly admitted students who will matriculate in the next few months, current majors and newly admitted students who will matriculate in the next summer and fall sessions should be permitted to complete their degrees in a timely fashion.
2. The program should be continued but altered in some form. Response should include a plan for alteration of program and explanation of why it should increase productivity over the next four years.
3. The program should continue in its current form. For programs that exceed the efficiency index and are not on the state needs list you may simply note the index score for this option. Programs should be needed in the Commonwealth despite low degree and credit hour production. Provide evidence of well-documentated value such as level of external research funding, clear upward trajectory in enrollments and degrees conferred, and programs where most, if not all, courses service other programs. Responses should include statement about whether program productivity will improve or why program is not alterable to increase efficience.