MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education

2500 Broadway� �� PO Box 203101� �� Helena, Montana 59620-3101�
(406)444-6570� �� FAX (406)444-1469

MEMORANDUM�� September 21, 2001

TO:�� �� Montana Board of Regents

FROM:�� Joyce A. Scott, Deputy Commissioner for Academic & Student Affairs

SUBJECT:�� Level I Announcements & Approvals

This memo updates you on important events affecting Montana higher education and sets forth the Level I changes in academic programs approved in the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education since the last meeting of the Board of Regents.� I will be happy to answer questions about these changes.

Summary of Accreditation Actions taken by the Commission on Colleges and Universities, Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, June 14-15, 2001 meeting:

Reaffirmed Accreditation on the Basis of Full-Scale Evaluation:

� Dull Knife Memorial College

Reaffirmed Accreditation on the Basis of Regular Interim Evaluation:

� Miles Community College

Reaffirmed Accreditation on the Basis of Focused Interim Evaluation:

� Rocky Mountain College, Billings, Montana

� Stone Child College, Box Elder, Montana

Deferred Action on the Basis of a Focused Interim Report:

� Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Montana

Removed Show Cause and Imposed Probation on the Basis of a Focused Interim Report:

� Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Montana

Progress Reports Accepted:

� Fort Belknap College, Harlem, MT�� MSU-Great Falls College of Technology, MT

� MSU-Northern, Havre, MT�� Stone Child College, Box Elder, MT

NASC Major Substantive Changes Approved November 2000 through June 2001

Dawson Community College, Glendive, Montana: �AA and AAS degree by distance delivery through contractual agreement with CCC Online March 12, 2001

Level I Changes

Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology

Request for the addition of a Certificate option to existing program in Health Information Technology. Currently, the College offers a specialized endorsement and an Associate of Applied Science degree in HIT.� This change would require adding three courses (computation, communications, and human relations) to the endorsement program to fulfill regional accreditation requirements.� These courses already exist.� Enhancing the specialized endorsement this way would make financial aid available to students who seek a one-year program rather than the two years required for the AAS.

Montana State University-Billings

Request for the elimination of the General Business Option and the Economics Option from the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

The following actions derive from the comprehensive program review in Spring 2000.� The Board of Regents approved these changes in that process and they are now reported as having been completed.

Request for the elimination of the Bachelor of Science in Education (BSED) teaching major in the content areas of Art (K-12), Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, Music (K-12), Social Science (Broadfield), and Spanish (K-12)

Request for the addition of a teaching certificate option to the B.A. in Art, B.S. in Biology, B.S. in Chemistry, B.A. in English, B.A. in History, B.S. in Mathematics, B.S. in Music (K-12), and B.S. in Spanish (K-12)

Request for the addition of certification in Social Science (Broadfield) to replace the BSED in Social Science (Broadfield) major that was eliminated.

University of Montana � Helena College of Technology

Request to re-title the AAS in Correctional Officers to AAS in Corrections because the focus of the program has broadened to include many aspects of corrections, not just the role of the officer.

Request to delete the Micro Applications option under the AAS degree in Computer Technology for want of student enrollment.

Cc:�� Commissioner Crofts

Chief Academic Officers

Sherry Rosette