Commission on Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Kennesaw State University

September 08, 2006

The richness of KSU’s Compliance Certification Report is best realized online where Web-based interactivity quickly links cited supporting documentation to arguments for compliance in the report’s narratives. Downloading response time has been minimized to facilitate the reviewer’s validation efforts. All contents of the hard copy of Parts 1-4 of the Compliance Certification Report provided to evaluators are accessible in the Web version and are linked there to the Documents Directory. The Commission’s Faculty Roster (labeled SACS Faculty Roster in the Faculty Qualifications System) is best used in its interactive Web-based version with quick links to supporting documents for clarification and justification of faculty qualifications. See Technical Tips Sheet for more information about the most efficient access to KSU’s Compliance Certification.

Technical Support and Special Document Needs Available 24/7

Peer evaluators are invited to request technical support and assistance to facilitate access to KSU’s Web-based Compliance Certification, Documents Directory, Commission’s Faculty Roster, or other Web-based resources pertinent to their review.  Primary and back-up technical support experts may be contacted on a 24/7 basis:

Evaluators needing additional documents or print materials may contact:

Major changes in the educational services provided by the university, such as those involving a level change in degree offerings (e.g., KSU’s recent shift from Level III to Level V), or collaborating with peer institutions in unique ways to offer a distance learning program (e.g., KSU’s collaboration with four state universities in creating and launching the Georgia WebMBA), have been recognized by university officials as substantive changes that required Commission review. In both of those instances, KSU (and its collaborating partners) requested and received approval for substantive change as follows:

Had KSU elected to establish a branch campus or an off-campus regional center for the delivery of multiple degree offerings, officials would have recognized the need for formal review and approval of such a major substantive change by the Commission. Over the past 10 years, KSU has not established any branch campuses or regional centers for the delivery of its educational programs.

However, at the other end of the continuum of institutional changes that are minor in comparison to the examples above, the definition of substantive change is less clear. In these instances, there is often no consensus at KSU about what constitutes a substantive change. Several factors contribute to a lack of consensus. One is that the Commission’s definitions of substantive change have shifted from time to time, probably more as a result of the U.S. Department of Education’s insistence than the Commission’s inclination. Past definitions of "off-campus programs" that were based primarily on distance from the main campus (the dividing point was 30 miles or more from the main campus) apparently have given way in recent years to a broader definition that includes any site that is not part of the main campus, including a single cohort being taught at a site a few miles away from the University. If that interpretation of the current definition of "off-campus programs" is correct, KSU is remiss in submitting full prospectuses and seeking prior approval for its efforts to accommodate student cohorts and their supporting employers through educational outreach. The University has, however, Notified the Commission of Current Off-Campus Sites, and they are listed in Part 4 of this report.

As a point of clarification, all of KSU’s nine current off-campus sites exist to support at least 50% of a single degree program and sometimes serve only a one-time cohort in graduate education. None of these sites are more than an hour’s commute from the resources of the main campus, and several are less than 10 miles away. These off-campus sites for instruction are often used for the convenience of the student cohort who are practicing professionals and/or their supporting employers. They involve KSU’s regular program faculty as instructors and are offered in classrooms comparable to or more sophisticated than those available on the main campus. The off-campus students also have the same Web-dominated educational support services available to them as on-campus students. Quite simply, these off-campus sites are not substantially different from their on-campus counterparts in the support they provide to KSU students in professional programs.

Many program changes in the last decade that might appear to have been substantive changes were really not. Many new degree programs evolved from tracks or concentrations in broad field programs that were in place during KSU’s 1996 reaffirmation. For example, the bachelor’s degree programs in sociology and criminal justice were substantial concentration options in the human services major ten years ago, and their evolution into stand-alone majors was not considered to be a substantive change. Similarly, substantial concentrations in sport management and exercise science evolved into stand-alone majors and were separated out from the broad field major of health & physical education that included them ten years ago. Those were not considered to be substantive changes. The establishment of an undergraduate biochemistry major from the long-standing curriculum in chemistry and biology or the initiation of an interdisciplinary studies major configured from guided electives in the existing curriculum were not considered to be substantive changes. At the graduate level, creation of the Master of Arts in Teaching in the College of Education as an alternate route to the Master of Education degree for advanced teacher certification was not considered to be a substantive change. Consequently, many new programs that evolved over the past decade were not specifically identified or reported as substantive changes. They were, however, reported to the Commission through the institution’s annual profile and its submission of undergraduate and graduate catalogs.

Differing interpretations exist of what constitutes a substantive change when new programs are initiated at an existing degree level. For example, since all of KSU’s master’s programs are professionally oriented, some have argued that additions to that collection do not constitute a change that is substantive. Arguments have been made that the addition of degree program specializations under the same degree designations (M.Ed., M.S.N., M.S., etc.) in the same field of study (education, nursing, computer science, etc.) are not substantive changes. However, a narrow and literal interpretation of differences among the disciplinary orientations of existing and new degree proposals recently led KSU to submit the following substantive change prospectuses for review and approval by the Commission staff:

The decision to submit a prospectus for the M.S.W. was made because a program in social work had not been offered at the graduate level, even though a closely related undergraduate program in human services, offered by a faculty with advanced degrees in social work, had been available at KSU for more than ten years. Likewise, the M.S. in Applied Statistics was submitted for the Commission staff’s approval even though KSU’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics has offered mathematics programs including concentrations in statistics at the undergraduate level for many years as well as highly successful mathematics education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. A consensus among officials at KSU did not exist as to whether these programs actually constituted substantive changes in these contexts of existing disciplinary faculties and existing disciplinary offerings. Nevertheless, a narrow and literal interpretation of the Substantive Change Policy suggested that the Commission’s staff review and approval of prospectuses for such programs was expected. Requested Clarification of the Interpretation of Substantive Change Policy was also sent to staff at the Commission in an effort to help resolve differences of opinion among campus officials on these and similar issues.

Soon after his arrival in July 2006, KSU’s new president took comprehensive steps to ensure the University’s compliance with the Commission’s Substantive Change Policy. His actions assumed that narrow and literal interpretations of the Commission’s Substantive Change Policy apply. (See President Papp’s letter to Commission Staff on Substantive Change Compliance.) Subsequently, the President’s Directive for Substantive Change Compliance was issued to all academic administrators. Administrators overseeing the curriculum review and approval processes for new degree and distance learning programs were directed to increase Visibility of Requirements for Compliance with Substantive Change. KSU’s Accreditation Liaison was charged to coordinate these efforts. KSU’s Liaison Posted Information, Instructions, Forms and Sample Reports on Substantive Change on the Center for Institutional Effectiveness Web site and has taken steps toward the Development of Improved Tracking Systems for Substantive Change Reporting.

Clearly, officials at KSU are making good faith efforts to better understand the Commission’s conditions and expectations for substantive change reporting and prior approval and to adhere closely to those expectations under the leadership of its new president.

Commission on Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Accreditation Liaison
Ed Rugg, KSU's Accreditation Liaison, 770.499.3609, erugg@kennesaw.edu

Name, Title, Phone number, and email address of Technical Support person for the Compliance Certification
Erik Bowe, Director of Information Management, 770.499.3609, ebowe@kennesaw.edu

1. Level of offerings (Check all that apply)

Diploma or certificate program(s) requiring less than one year beyond Grade 12
Diploma or certificate program(s) of at least two but fewer than four years of work beyond Grade 12
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution
Associate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 60 semester hours or the equivalent not designed for transfer
Four or five-year baccalaureate degree program(s) requiring a minimum of 120 semester hours or the equivalent
Professional degree program(s)

Master's degree program(s)

Work beyond the master's level but not at the doctoral level (such as Specialist in Education)
Doctoral degree program(s)
Other (Specify)

Types of Undergraduate Programs (Check all that apply)

Occupational certificate or diploma program(s)
Occupational degree program(s)

Two-year programs designed for transfer to a baccalaureate institution

Liberal Arts and General
Teacher Preparatory
Professional
Other (Specify)

Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive, metropolitan, public, Master’s I institution in the University System of Georgia. Chartered in 1963 as a junior college, elevated to four-year status in 1976, extended into graduate education in 1985 and renamed a university in 1996, KSU grew rapidly in enrollment from its initial 1,000 students in 1966 to nearly 20,000 (roughly 18,000 undergraduate, 2,000 graduate) in 2006. Most of this growth occurred under the 25-year administration of the University System’s first woman president, Dr. Betty Siegel, who turned over the CEO’s responsibilities to Dr. Daniel Papp, KSU’s new president effective July 1, 2006. KSU has established a progressive, innovative, national reputation for its notable achievements in student success, global learning, and educational quality. Three-fourths of KSU’s 700 full-time faculty hold terminal degrees in their field. A dozen endowed chairs have been established for distinguished faculty. Almost all degree programs for which national accreditation exists have attained full accreditation status. The university’s professionally-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, teacher education, computer science/information systems, nursing, and other applied fields are especially popular. Program enrollments in the arts and sciences are also strong and tend to be in the top tier of degree productivity among the institutions in the University System of Georgia. KSU received approval in 2006 to initiate its first professional doctoral program, the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership in Learning, in 2007. Admissions are selective. Under-prepared freshman applicants requiring developmental studies placement are typically not admitted. About half of the undergraduate student body is nontraditional in age. As is common among metropolitan universities, sixth- year graduation rates are low (31%), but fail to take into account that over two-thirds of all baccalaureate degrees are granted to students whose average age is 28 and who began their college educations as first-time freshmen elsewhere. Minority student enrollment has grown from 5% of the student body fifteen years ago to 20% today. The northwest region of Georgia, including Greater Metropolitan Atlanta, is the university’s primary service area. However, KSU also enrolls over 1,600 international students from over 130 foreign countries, reinforcing its efforts to promote international and intercultural learning. All KSU students were commuters until 2002 when on-campus student housing first became available and now accommodates over 2,100 residents. KSU’s intercollegiate athletics teams were highly competitive nationally in NCAA Division II and moved to Division I in 2005.

College of the Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art Bachelor of Science (BS) in Art Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music Performance Bachelor of Music (BM) in Music Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theater & Performance Studies

Bagwell College of Education

Doctor of Education (EdD) in Leadership for Learning Specialist in Education (EdS) in Leadership for Learning

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Master of Education (MEd) in Adolescent Education Master of Education (MEd) in Early Childhood Education Master of Education (MEd) in Educational Leadership Master of Education (MEd) in Special Education

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Early Childhood Education Bachelor of Science (BS) in Middle Grades Education

(Also provides coordination for teacher education programs in all other colleges through the Professional Teacher Education Unit for NCATE)

Coles College of Business

Master of Accounting (MAcc)
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Career Growth MBA
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Coles Executive MBA
Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Georgia WebMBA

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Economics
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Marketing
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Professional Sales

WellStar College of Health & Human Services

Master of Social Work (MSN)
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Human Services

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Nursing Care Management & Leadership
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health & Physical Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Exercise & Health Science
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Sport Management

College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW)
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Master of Science in Conflict Management (MSCM)

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in African & African Diaspora Studies
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Affairs
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Modern Language & Culture
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Communication
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Geographic Information Science
Bachelor of Science (BS) in English Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in History Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Political Science
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Sociology

College of Science & Mathematics

Master of Science (MS) in Applied Computer Science
Master of Science (MS) in Applied Statistics
Master of Science (MS) in Information Systems

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biochemistry
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biotechnology
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemistry
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mathematics
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mathematics Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Information Systems
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Information Security & Assurance

University College

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Interdisciplinary Studies

Locations and Distance Education

KSU is located in an affluent, highly educated and densely populated region of Greater Metropolitan Atlanta. The university has historically responded to traditional and nontraditional student demands for access to its educational programs by expanding its on-campus offerings during the afternoon, evening, weekend, and early morning hours. The university has been highly successful in providing extensive and expanded weekday access to on-campus courses from 6:30 AM to 11 PM as well as coursework on Saturdays and Sundays. Consequently, the demand and motivation for off-campus and distance program delivery has not been as great at KSU as it often is at other universities located in rural and less populated regions of the State. Comparatively speaking, KSU routinely offers very little off-campus and distance education.

Distance Education Programs

While more than half of its traditional on-campus courses incorporate various forms of enrichment through electronic instructional technology, only about 100 sections of 50 different courses scheduled for Spring and Fall 2005 were designed to be offered primarily through electronic means. Most of those courses were lower division offerings, serving local students predominately, and were supported through WebCT. None of KSU’s undergraduate degrees can presently be obtained primarily through distance education, and only one graduate degree program with modest enrollment is offered entirely and solely online (the cooperative Georgia WebMBA program). A second graduate program, the Master of Science in Applied Computer Science, could be completed entirely online, but few of its students elect that asynchronous option of delivery; most prefer the traditional instructional format which is supplemented by electronically captured and archived live video, audio, and graphic classroom presentations.

Off-Campus Programs

There was a time when programs offered at sites within 30 miles of a campus were considered close enough to the resources of the main campus that they were treated as campus-supported rather than “off-campus” programs. In the contemporary Web-dominated environment, actual physical distance from the campus is fast becoming unimportant in that support services and advisement is increasingly provided to on-campus as well as off-campus students via interactive Web sites and virtual systems. Access to Georgia’s virtual library system of 10 million volumes and 220 full-text electronic data bases is a prime example. KSU has few off-campus program sites that are more than 30 miles from the campus. However, traditional instruction for specific cohorts of master’s degree students in education or business is provided at school or corporate locations within the metropolitan service area of the university and within a relatively short commute to the campus, often for the convenience of a cohort or contract group. All current off-campus sites where students can obtain 50% of the credits for a degree program are listed below, regardless of their distance from campus:

Off-Campus Site Degree Program Available

1. Atlanta, GA Coles Executive MBA BellSouth Tower, Lenox Square (75% off-campus) (20 miles from KSU)

2. Atlanta, GA Career Growth MBA Cobb Galleria (50% off-campus) (10 miles from KSU)

3. Dalton, GA Career Growth MBA Dalton State College (100% off-campus) (65 miles from KSU)

4. Rome, GA Bachelor of Nursing Georgia Highlands College (50% off-campus) (45 miles from KSU)

5. Calhoun, GA M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Calhoun City High School (100% off-campus) (45 miles from KSU)

6. Dallas, GA M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Board of Education Building (100% off-campus) (20 Miles from KSU)

7. Smyrna, GA M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Campbell High School (100% off-campus) (30 miles from KSU)

8. Avondale Estates, GA M.Ed. in Adolescent Education Avondale Estates Middle School (50% off-campus) (35 miles from KSU)

9. Kennesaw, GA M.Ed. in Adolescent Education Kennesaw Mountain High School (50% off-campus) (5 miles from KSU)

Accreditations

Relationship to the U.S. Department of Education

KSU’s financial aid programs are in good standing with the U.S. Department of Education and the Georgia Student Finance Commission and are operating without any special restrictions.

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