TITLE 5 POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

CHAPTER 55 PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERAL PROVISIONS

PART 7 META-MAJORS AND TRANSFER MODULES

5.55.7.1 ISSUING AGENCY: State of New Mexico Higher Education Department, 2044 Galisteo Street, Suite 4, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, (505) 476-8400.

[5.55.7.1 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.2 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Section 9-25-8 NMSA1978 and Section 21-1B-1 et seq. NMSA 1978.

[5.55.7.2 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.3 SCOPE: The provisions of 5.55.7 NMAC apply to all public higher education institutions operating within and receiving financial support from the state of New Mexico.

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5.55.7.4 DURATION: Permanent.

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5.55.7.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: June 12, 2018, unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

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5.55.7.6 OBJECTIVE:

A. Establish a process to develop and approve statewide meta-majors and transfer modules.

B. Establish a process by which statewide meta-majors and transfer modules are maintained.

[5.55.7.6 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.7 DEFINITIONS:

A. “Certificate” means a program of study that is designed to develop or enhance a focused area of expertise, provide specific skill training and to enhance employability.

B. “Degree map” means the sequence of courses required to complete an undergraduate program of study.

C. “Department” means the New Mexico higher education department.

D. “Faculty” means the current members of the faculty at the public post-secondary institutions operating within and receiving financial support from the state of New Mexico.

E. “Institution” means a public higher education institution operating within and receiving financial support from the state of New Mexico.

F. “Meta-major” means 15 credit hours of lower-division courses that include general education and prerequisite courses that can articulate to multiple degree programs.

G. “Transfer module” means a list of lower-division courses that fulfill graduation requirements for a specific degree program.

H. “Undergraduate program” or “program” means any sequence of courses, activities or experiences which leads to the award of an associate's or bachelor's degree.

[5.55.7.7 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.8 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

A. The department shall develop and maintain a statewide system of meta-majors and transfer modules. The meta-majors and transfer modules will be based on the requirements of current, approved undergraduate programs and certificate programs offered at institutions in New Mexico. The department shall utilize degree maps submitted by each institution in formulating statewide meta-majors and transfer modules.

B. A degree map provides college students with a clear and direct path to on-time completion. Degree maps shall include specific required courses listed by term.

C. A meta-major consists of lower division courses that articulate to multiple undergraduate programs in related disciplines. A meta-major will fulfill the first term degree map requirements of multiple similar disciplines that share common lower-division course requirements and are transferable between institutions. A meta-major or transfer module may include courses from the general education curriculum, as defined in 5.55.6 NMAC.

D. A transfer module consists of lower division courses that articulate to a specific bachelor’s degree program. A transfer module will fulfill the first four terms of degree map requirements of a bachelor’s degree and be transferable between institutions. A transfer module may be an associate’s degree or a certificate.

E. The department shall maintain and make available a listing of the statewide meta-majors, transfer modules, and certificate and degree programs offered by all institutions.

F. Each institution shall maintain and make available to students a listing of the meta-majors, transfer modules, and certificate and degree programs offered at the institution.

G. Any tribal college or tribal university may participate in the statewide meta-majors and transfer modules, upon execution of a memorandum of understanding with the department expressing its intent to implement statewide meta-majors and transfer modules. If a tribal college or university has executed a memorandum of understanding with the department, the tribal college or tribal university shall be considered an institution for purposes of the Subsection E of 5.55.7.7 NMAC.

H. The department may assess a fee for the actual cost of maintaining the degree mapping platform.

[5.55.7.8 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.9 NEW MEXICO CURRICULUM AND ARTICULATION COMMITTEE: The department will convene and chair, as a non-voting member, a statewide committee of faculty to advise the department on issues related to articulation and curriculum, such as common course numbering, general education curriculum, meta-majors, transfer modules, or any other matters related to curriculum.

A. The New Mexico curriculum and articulation committee (NMCAC) shall consist of at least one representative from each institution. The representative should also be a member of the institution's curriculum committee.

(1) Each institution will have one vote on matters brought before the committee. In case of a tie vote, the committee chair shall cast the tie-breaking vote.

(2) The NMCAC may form subcommittees upon the request of any committee member. Subcommittees may seek subject matter experts to review or study a specific matter. Subcommittees shall report findings and make recommendations to the NMCAC membership.

B. The NMCAC will meet at least four times during the academic year.

[5.55.7.9 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.10 DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVAL OF META-MAJORS AND TRANSFER MODULES:

A. Each institution shall report the following information to the department, in the format requested by the department:

(1) every course offered by the institution;

(2) institution structure; and

(3) degree or certificate requirements.

B. The department shall analyze the information collected from the institutions to determine proposed degree maps. The department shall submit the proposed degree map to the institution’s chief academic officer for review, comment, and revisions. The department shall collaborate with each institution to develop degree maps for all programs offered.

C. The department shall analyze the completed degree maps to develop proposed statewide meta-majors and transfer modules. A meta-major or transfer module shall not be presented to the NMCAC until the department has completed its analysis and holds a period for institution comment.

D. Proposed statewide meta-majors and transfer modules shall be sent to the NMCAC and the chief academic officers with a request for review and comment from the appropriate faculty prior to its next meeting and placed on the agenda.

E. Comments collected by NMCAC and the chief academic officers shall be submitted by the deadline set by the department. If the comments are not received by the deadline, the comments will not be considered by the NMCAC when voting to approve the statewide meta-major or transfer modules. Comments will be forwarded to the NMCAC prior to its meeting for consideration.

F. After the comments have been considered, statewide meta-majors and transfer modules will be presented to the NMCAC for approval. The department shall have a representative present during the NMCAC meeting to present the statewide meta-major or transfer module.

G. NMCAC shall consider the proposed statewide meta-majors and transfer modules and comments during its meeting. The chair shall conduct a roll call or written vote. Each institution shall cast a single vote. Based on the majority vote, NMCAC may approve, deny, table, or send the request to a subcommittee for further review. The vote shall be certified by the committee chair and the department shall issue official notice of the NMCAC decisions to all institutions within 10 business days.

H. Approved statewide meta-majors and transfer modules shall be adopted and published in the next catalog printed by each institution.

I. The department shall update the inventory of statewide meta-majors and transfer modules to reflect all changes.

[5.55.7.10 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

5.55.7.11 MAINTENANCE OF META-MAJORS AND TRANSFER MODULES:

A. Any change to the items previously reported to the department under Subsection A of 5.55.7.10 NMAC shall be reported to the department within 30 business days. The department will analyze the curricular change to determine if it affects one or more meta-majors or transfer modules.

B. If the change affects one or more meta-majors or transfer modules, the department shall notify the institution and any other institution that offers the meta-majors or transfer modules. Upon notification, the department will meet with representatives of the affected institutions to determine how to preserve the articulation of the affected meta-majors or transfer modules.

C. Proposed changes to the affected statewide meta-majors, and statewide transfer modules shall be approved through the process in Subsection D through Subsection H of 5.55.7.10 NMAC.

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5.55.7.12 TRANSFER OF META-MAJORS AND TRANSFER MODULES: If an institution offers a degree program to which a meta-major or transfer module articulates, that institution shall accept transfer courses taken as part of the meta-major or transfer module as fulfilling the degree requirements for that program.

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5.55.7.13 COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE TRANSFER OF META-MAJORS AND TRANSFER MODULES:

A. Institutions shall establish appropriate policies and practices for receiving and resolving complaints from students or other complainants regarding the transfer of meta-majors and transfer modules. Such policies shall include at least the following components:

(1) Complainants shall be required to first seek resolution of their complaint directly within the institution.

(2) A time frame within which the institution will investigate the complaint and respond to the complainant shall be specified.

(3) The institution shall assure that an impartial party will be involved in consideration of the complaint.

(4) The institution shall assure that no adverse action will be taken against the student or complainant as a result of registering the complaint.

(5) The institution shall identify the department as the agency to be contacted in cases where the complaint remains unresolved.

B. When a student or other complainant contacts the department with a complaint, the department will require that the complaint be submitted in writing. The complaint must include a summary of the process followed by the complainant in an attempt to resolve the complaint through the institution’s internal procedures.

C. Following receipt of a written complaint, the department will contact the relevant institution to ascertain whether or not the complaint is bona fide, that is, whether or not the institution's internal complaint process has been followed sufficiently to warrant filing of the complaint with the department.

D. Upon determination that the complainant has not followed the institution's internal process to a sufficient extent, the department shall refer the complainant to the institution to follow the institution’s complaint procedure.

E. Upon determination that the complaint is bona fide, the department will request a response to the complaint from the institution, summarizing its position and justification for its course of action. Such response shall be provided in writing to the department within 10 business days of receipt by the institution.

F. The department will conduct an analysis of the complaint, considering all information submitted by both parties, and may at its discretion solicit additional information relevant to the complaint. The analysis will be consistent with the general principles and other specifications of 5.55.7 NMAC.

G. The department will render its decision as to the appropriateness of the actions of the parties to each complaint. If a student’s articulation complaint includes commonly numbered courses or courses contained in a meta-major or transfer module and is upheld, the receiving institution shall reimburse the student the complete cost, including tuition, books and fees, of each course the student was required to repeat at the receiving institution.

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5.55.7.14 REPORTING:

A. An institution shall report annually to the department by August 31.

B. An institution shall report on a form provided by the department.

C. The department shall use the information and data provided by the institutions to prepare its annual report to the legislative finance committee and the governor regarding the status of articulation and transfer, which includes common course numbering, general education, meta-majors, and transfer modules.

[5.55.7.14 NMAC - N, 06/12/2018]

HISTORY OF 5.55.7 NMAC: [RESERVED]