RVCC 2019 NECHE Self-Study

Any new program that the College would like to be developed must go through the CCSNH
BoT (policy 640.02). If RVCC wishes to create a new program, the College must first
present a letter of intent to the VPAA’s of all CCSNH colleges with sufficient rationale,
identified need, anticipated enrollment, and costs of the new program. Upon VPAA
approval of the proposal, RVCC undergoes an internal process of curriculum development
including sequencing of courses and course outlines for each course that will be included in
the program. These documents must be approved by the Curriculum Team through their
standard process. Upon approval by RVCC’s Curriculum Team, the new program is
presented to the CCSNH Board of Trustees for final approval before RVCC can implement
the new program.
All current programs have been required to undergo the in-college program review process
developed in 2010. Because of concerns that the existing process did not capture relevant
information, in the Spring 2018 semester, the Department Chairs and the VPAA redesigned
the program review document, creating a process and a new timeline for each program’s
review. This new process is being implemented during the 2018-2019 academic year, and
training of the Program Directors in the new process is ongoing.
Academic Planning at the Academic Centers
Academic planning falls under the purview of the VPAA who works in conjunction with the
President. For example, in Fall 2017, the Interim President/VPASA and the College Advisor
began working on a process to clearly define the roles of the Claremont campus and the
Keene and Lebanon Academic Centers. They carefully examined student populations,
finances, and distribution of programming. This process was further supported by the
promotion of the new VPAA and the hiring of the President in Summer 2018. Going
forward, feasibility studies will be conducted in order to make data-informed decisions
about focus directions for each of RVCC’s Academic Centers.
Early College and Other Off-Campus Educational Experiences
Academic experiences that take place off-campus include the Running Start Partnerships
as well as the partnerships with local facilities for the Allied Health, Nursing, and Early
Childhood Educational practicum, internship, clinical and fieldwork experiences. Courses
offered for college credit through RVCC’s Workforce Development Program are also offered
through local businesses as described later in Standard Five. All MOU’s for these programs
are overseen by the Office of the VPAA and housed in the Academic Affairs Office.
RVCC’s Educated Person and English Language Expectations
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