Regents accept program planning list, review low‑producer thresholds and approve Act 790 high‑cost program categories

The Academic and Student Affairs committee presented a package of items that included a year‑one list of 57 proposed programs of interest (permission to plan), progress reports on 126 programs and requests from campuses to terminate 22 low‑producing programs.

Deputy Commissioner Tristan Denley clarified that the committee’s acceptance of the planning list does not equal approval of degrees; each proposed program must later come forward with a full proposal showing fiscal sustainability and curricular alignment. Denley said staff and management boards reviewed the proposals in partnership with regional economic development offices and the workforce commission and that roughly one-third of the 57 planning requests typically reach final approval in a year.

Denley also reviewed the low‑completer thresholds used to flag programs for review: a 3‑year average of 2.5 completers for doctoral programs, 6 for master’s and 10 for bachelor’s/associate degrees. Staff said it will revisit those thresholds and provide campus‑level engagement to avoid terminating programs prematurely.

On tuition policy, Denley presented the Act 790 list that creates categories of high‑cost undergraduate programs eligible for differentiated tuition or fees. He emphasized the list does not compel any campus to raise tuition; it simply gives institutions the authority to consider differential rates while requiring waiver criteria to protect students with financial hardship. The board voted to approve the staff recommendations and the Act 790 high‑cost categories.