Fielding Graduate University

A. General

1. Minimum requirements
The purpose of centers shall be to: facilitate research capabilities, strengthen scholarly activities, increase scholarly publications, raise visibility and enhance Fielding’s reputation. All Centers should be congruent with Fielding’s mission, vision, and value statements. It is also expected that a Center will develop revenue sources over time.

2. Written Plan
A Center is proposed by a written plan describing, minimally, the following: mission statement, vision, and program activities including expected outcomes of the Center; justification for establishment; plan for formation and evolution; time line for planning; criteria for success; a mechanism for periodic review of outcomes; adherence to institutional policies or rationale for any expected deviation from policies; and budget. 

3. Names
Names should be descriptive of the functions of the Center. If the name of a Center is to be changed, then the Director and the Dean must provide a request for name change with written justification to the Provost for approval. Naming opportunities in response to financial gifts will be assessed by the Dean in conjunction with the Provost and the Advancement & Development office of Fielding.

4. Participants
Participants in a Center may be Fielding Graduate University faculty members, students, alumni, or colleagues external to the Fielding community. Exceptions may be granted on a case by case basis with the concurrence of the Dean of the School which is the Center’s primary home; or, the approval of the Provost in the case of a free-standing Center. 

5. Annual Reports
The Director of each Center shall be responsible for the preparation of an appropriate Annual Report to be submitted to the Dean of the home School for the Center with copies to the Provost; or, to the Provost in the case of a free-standing Center.

6. Periodic Reviews
Each Center shall be reviewed every 2 years for meeting minimal requirements. A Center may be discontinued with a year’s notice if the minimum requirements are not fulfilled and the plans for the Center are not fulfilled. In addition, the Director of the Center and the Dean of the home School (or the Provost in the case of a free-standing Center) shall schedule periodic comprehensive reviews of the performance of the Center. This comprehensive review will focus on the outcomes referenced in the plans for the Center. Outside reviewers may be part of this process.

B. Process for Centers within Schools:

1. Formation of a Center
The formation of a Center within a School is proposed to the Dean by the faculty members in or proposed to become participants in the Center. If the Dean approves of the proposal for the Center then the Dean presents the proposal for the Center to the Academic Leadership Team (ALT) for review and comment. After review and comment, the Provost makes the final decision about whether to go forward with the Center. If approved, the Provost shall notify the President and the Board.

2. Director of a Center
The Director of a Center and the participants in the Center will normally hold faculty appointment in the School. The Director, who is appointed by the Dean in consultation with the appropriate Faculty members, will report to and serves at the pleasure of the Dean.

3. Budget for a Center
The budget for a Center may be maintained by the Dean within the School budget; or, the Director may maintain a separate Center budget as approved by the Dean.

4. Significant Changes to a Center
Any changes in the mission, vision, or policies of a Center must approved by the Dean and the Provost.

C. Process for Free-standing Centers:

Under special circumstances, a Center with reporting requirements exclusively to the President or Provost may be proposed. Proposals to form such Centers should be developed only after full consultation with the President, Provost, and Deans of the schools. Such proposals should follow the form and format of other Centers and must include a full explanation of the advantages of such a Center formed without formal association with one or more Schools. Such proposals shall be presented for review and comment to the Academic Leadership Team.  After review and comment, the Provost and President make the final decision about whether to go forward with the Center. If approved, the Provost shall notify the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board.

 

The Director of the Center and the members of the Center will normally hold faculty appointment in one of the Schools. The Director, who is appointed by the Provost in consultation with the Deans and appropriate Faculty members, will report to and serves at the pleasure of the Provost, and may maintain a separate Center budget.

D. List of Centers:

The Office of the Provost shall maintain, and periodically publish, a list of authorized Centers in the university.

1. Titled "[Graduate/Post-doctoral] Certificate in.."
2. Courses required are graduate level academic credit courses;
3. The minimum number of credits required for a GCP is 12.
4. To complete the certificate the student must have a minimum 3.0 average on all certificate course work.
5. The minimum grade to receive credit for a certificate course should be established by the department/program but can be no lower than a grade of "C-."
6. Transfer credit from other institutions is not allowed for GCPs. All course work must be registered through Fielding.
7. All GCP requirements must be completed within four (4) calendar years, beginning with the date the student commences courses applicable to the GCP, unless a more restrictive time limit has been established by the program or school.

• OMD-650A Evidence Based Coaching: the first course in the EBC year-long certificate
• Professional development courses offered in the school of ELC
• PSY KAs offered to select groups, such as the Trial Lawyers and Napa fellows

• As an institution regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Fielding occasionally offers CE credit offerings on its own authority.
• American Psychological Association (APA) and California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBSE) to offer professional continuing education for psychologists, and those holding the designations of Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Marriage & Family Therapist (MFT)
• International Coach Federation (ICF)—The year-long Evidence Based Coaching certificate program is an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) with ICF. Fielding also offers programs for which successful participants can apply for Continuing Coach Education Units (CCEUs) on a course-by-course basis. For example, participants in the 12-week Evidence Based Coaching (EBC) and Appreciative Coaching courses can submit proof of completion to be awarded Continuing Coach Education Units (CCEUs) by ICF.

• Proposals should have already been administratively reviewed by the school before submission to the Provost’s Office. Those proposals submitted before the below deadlines will receive a written response by the end of that proposal cycle from the Office of the Provost.  This response will include a description of necessary revisions to the proposal and next steps in the review process, including the type of review assigned and a preliminary timeline for the review. 
• There are three deadlines for the submission of new non-degree program proposals each year: March 1, June 1, and Dec. 1. These deadline dates are prior to the normally scheduled meeting dates of the Academic Policy Committee (APC).
• Note that implementation timelines for GCP programs that intend to seek financial aid eligibility should plan for a 6 month U.S. Department of Education approval process.

• All proposals must be submitted to the Office for Continuing Education (OCE).
• Proposals for programs should be submitted at least 120 days prior to the proposed registration deadline in order to obtain full OCE support. If the proposal is submitted with less than 120 days available, then the proposer must submit information about how required services will be provided.  
  • For September 1 program start date, proposal due date is May 1.
  • For January 1 program start date, proposal due date is September 1.
  • For May 1 program start date, proposal due date is January 1.
• Requests to offer programs previously approved should be sent to the OCE no later than 30 days prior to the proposed registration deadline.
• Proposals for programs intended to offer continuing education to psychologists must meet the APA standards required of approved CE providers. This documentation process is rigorous. Sponsors of programs of this nature should allow up to 90 days for review, and should contact OCE for further guidelines and support.
• Proposals for programs will be evaluated by OCE according to the criteria listed below, and forwarded within two weeks for final approval to the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management (APEM), or the Provost when the APEM is unavailable. The APEM will consult and inform the Academic Leadership Team and Operations Committee as necessary.

GCPs: The object of a graduate certificate program is to provide students with a concentrated, cohesive area of study. GCP proposals should address the enhanced professional opportunities for certificate awardees.

GCPs: Provide enrollment projections for three years.

SLCs/CEPs: The sponsoring school and program lead will be responsible for all academic matters and for CE student recruitment. All promotional print materials and web pages must, however, be coordinated through and approved by the OCE to assure compliance with institutional guidelines.

GCPs: Per Fielding’s definition, a graduate certificate program requires a minimum of twelve academic credit units. Programs may require more than the minimum number of units, depending upon the subject matter. Certificate programs for matriculated graduate students cannot be simply a subset of courses required for their degree; however, courses taken for the certificate can count as electives to fulfill degree requirements based on approved internal articulation agreements. Programs for matriculated students must add significant breadth to degree requirements, and should add an interdisciplinary aspect to the graduate degree. Certificates may include a capstone or equivalent unifying experience that provides intellectual cohesion to the program. Examples of appropriate capstone experiences include a project or comprehensive examination, or other appropriate experience that draws on the entire content of the program.

CEPs: The number of units/credits awarded will be based on the number of hours of instruction.

GCPs/SLCs: Students in any academic credit program must meet minimum requirements for admission to Fielding. NOTE: If School policy allows, students may enroll in more than one GCP, however no more than 6 credits may overlap between programs. Transfer credits may not be applied towards certificate requirements.

 

CEPs: Registrants must meet minimum eligibility standards as detailed in the program description. Continuing education students in programs awarding CE or CEU credit only are not required to provide documentation of earning a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited school in the U.S. (or its equivalent).

CEPs: The OCE will provide or coordinate the following administrative support services:

1. Assistance with and coordination of basic printed materials such as a printed brochure or flier
2. Editing and posting web content
3. Entering prospects into the ERP
4. Assistance with inquiries, registration, and billing
5. Enrollment tracking and reporting
6. Event logistics, e.g. space, audio/visual support needs
7. Preparation of program completion documentation. It may take up to 45 days from the receipt of final notification of registrants’ progress from the program lead, sponsor or faculty member(s) for said documentation to be sent to successful participants.

GCPs: A graduate certificate program must have a faculty lead/director and a core faculty group, all of whom must be employed by or contracted with Fielding.

SLCs/CEPs: A continuing education program must have a sponsoring lead (e.g. field faculty or associate dean). The proposal must include documentation of the experience/skill sets which qualify faculty and/or trainers to deliver the content of the program.

• Projected enrollment, fee schedule and total revenue
• Direct program costs
• Indirect costs (using the cost of instruction indirect cost allocation model)
• Net income

GCPs: Before proposal presentation to the APC, the budget will be approved by the Dean of the School and the Chief Financial Officer.  Approval of additional resources required to carry out the program would be obtained through the annual budget and financial planning process.

Step 1: Written proposal reviewed and approved by the school in which the program will be housed.

Step 2: Written and school-approved proposal submitted to the Provost’s Office by either March 1, June 1 or Dec 1.

Step 3: Provost’s office provides a written response, and schedules proposal item for review at the appropriate Academic Policy Committee meeting.

Step 4: Budget proposal must be reviewed/approved by CFO.
Step 5: Academic Policy Committee review occurs.

Step 1: Obtain and fill out the CE program proposal form – including the sponsoring Dean’s approval signature

Step 2: Send the form to the CE Project Manager of the OCE, who will review and route for review/approval to the Associate Provost for Enrollment Management

• Sponsor/Program lead name, contact & affiliation
• Any co-sponsor contact info, institutional affiliation and/or credential
• Program title & description; objectives & outcomes; minimum standards for participation
• Assessment of program demand
• Target audience(s) and recruitment strategies
• Enrollment projections and budget chart
• Faculty information and qualifications
• Description of tracking, infrastructure and program evaluation mechanisms

• Required core courses and electives, including course descriptions. 
• Capstone experience description (if applicable)
• Assessments of potential overlap with existing graduate degree and certificate programs and impact on existing graduate courses
• Core faculty list 
• DoE status regarding participation in the federal student loan programs

• Materials to be distributed to learners
• Program date(s), location(s), and registration deadlines
• Mailing/distribution lists/outlets
• Existing marketing/advertising venues & resources (graphics, photos, etc.)

At least every five to seven years, each academic degree program of Fielding will engage in a formal program review. The Provost’s Office is responsible for maintaining the schedule for such reviews. When possible, program reviews will be synchronized with specialized accreditation reviews.  At the Provost's discretion, a specialized accreditation review may be substituted for the internal process. 

In keeping with the recommendations of the Council of Graduate Schools and the standards of the Western Association of Schools & Colleges, program reviews at Fielding will include:

1. A self-study in which the program analyzes its curriculum, modes of delivery, faculty resources, student retention and time to completion, and learning outcomes, and where it reviews assessment studies conducted since the last review.
2. Feedback from both internal stakeholders and external reviewers evaluating these outcomes and their assessment and providing suggestions for improvement.
3. Plans for connecting the program review outcomes to planning and budgeting processes and actions.

It is expected that each program will negotiate the specific focus(i) of a particular program review with the Provost before beginning the formal process.