Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Organizational Leadership - BA in Law

z-2018-2019 Program - New - Major or Certificate

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  • Type of Program *

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    1. Please turn on the help text before starting this proposal by clicking on the icon in the top right corner of the heading. Items with help text indicating format should be typed in the exact format as the help text (excluding the quote marks).
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  • Status*
  • Identify Purpose of Proposal*
  • College*
  • Department*
    (e.g. Department, Division, School)
  • Program Level*
  • Does this proposal require TEC approval?*
  • Degree Level*
  • If Certificate, select appropriate option
  • Program Type*
  • Degree Type*
  • Title of Proposed Degree Program*
    BA in Law
    BA in Law
  • EEO Status
  • Name of Program Director*
    Jonathan McKenzie
    Jonathan McKenzie
  • Intended Date of Implementation*
    August 2018
    August 2018
  • Anticipated Date for Granting First Degrees*
    May 2022
    May 2022
  • Evaluation Criteria

  • All actions in the approval of new programs for public institutions are subject to a stipulation regarding the programs ability to attain specified goals that have been established by the institution and approved by the Council on Postsecondary Education (the Council). At the conclusion of an appropriate period of time, the programs performance shall be reviewed by Council staff following criteria established in the Councils Academic Programs Policy.

  • Centrality to the Institutions Mission and Consistency with States Goals

  • A program will adhere to the role and scope of the institution as set forth in its mission statement and as complemented by the institutions strategic plan.

  • List the objectives of the proposed program*
    1. Increase understanding of the complex relationship between government, law, and public policy;
    2. Develop rigorous analytic skills that can be applied to work in law and policy; and a variety of other occupations
    3. Increase critical thinking skills by employing the Socratic method in select courses, and encouraging student research
    4. Enhance awareness of different fields of legal study and identify their major problems, doctrines, and theories.
    These objectives should deal with the specific institutional and societal needs that this program will address.
  • Explain how the proposed program relates to the institutional mission and academic plan*

    The B.A. in Law furthers NKU’s mission of preparing students for a global society and providing a positive impact on the Northern Kentucky region. In emphasizing a unique field of study that provides a number of tools necessary for work in today’s environment, the B.A. in Law will be extremely useful to the region’s urban economic climate.

  • Explain how the proposed program addresses the states postsecondary education strategic agenda*

    The B.A. in Law is designed to assist the Council on Postsecondary Education’s stated goals of “filling workplace shortages” and “guiding more graduates to a career path.” The program prepares students for immediate opportunities for employment in law, public policy, nonprofits, health care and health insurance, human resources, compliance, and a number of other opportunities. The skill set graduates receive from this program compares favorably with other liberal arts degrees.

  • Explain how the proposed program furthers the statewide implementation plan*

    The program furthers the statewide push toward degrees that produce work-ready graduates and it does so without requiring significant additional resources to the state or university. 

  • Program Quality and Student Success

  • The curriculum should be structured to meet the stated objectives and student learning outcomes of the program.

  • Student learning outcomes of the program
    No Student learning outcomes of the program
    List all student learning outcomes for the program.
  • Explain how the curriculum achieves the program-level student learning outcomes*
    • Demonstrate proficiency in legal research and effective written and oral communication skills;
    • Classify and evaluate key law and policy issues
    • Summarize and critique the implementation of law and policy at the local, state, and national levels;
    • Describe key facets of the American common law system and sources of law.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the connections between law and policy to current social and political issues;
    • Demonstrate critical thinking skills grounded in legal philosophies and conce
    Describe the relationship between the overall curriculum or the major curricular components and the program objectives.
  • Highlight any distinctive qualities of this proposed program*

    The B.A. in Law is only the second baccalaureate-level degree in Law offered in the United States (the first, at the University of Arizona, opened in 2014 and is thriving). The B.A. in Law offers a multidisciplinary curriculum that includes the opportunity for undergraduates to take courses offered by faculty in the Chase College of Law.

  • Will this program replace or enhance any existing program(s) or track(s) within an existing program?*
  • If yes, please specify. Include the projected faculty/ student in major ratio
  • Is there a specialized accrediting agency related to this program?*
  • If yes, identify the agency
  • Do you plan to seek accreditation?*
  • If yes, explain your plans for accreditation. If no, explain your rationale for not seeking accreditation*

    There are no plans to seek accreditation.

  • Attach the SACS Faculty Roster Form in the Proposal Toolbox . Faculty resources shall be demonstrated to be adequate and appropriate for the proposed program. The number of faculty should meet external standards where appropriate. The qualifications of faculty will support the objectives and curriculum of the proposed program.

  • Access to the qualitative and quantitative library resources must be appropriate for the proposed program and should meet recognized standards for study at a particular level or in a particular field where such standards are available. Adequacy of electronic access, library facilities, and human resources to service the proposed program in terms of students and faculty will be considered. Physical facilities and instructional equipment must be adequate to support a high quality program. The proposal must address the availability of classroom, laboratory, and office space as well as any equipment needs.

  • Describe the library resources available to support this program. You may attach any documentation provided to SACS*

    Library resources are available through the major undergraduate library at NKU. In addition, students may request access to the Chase College of Law library on campus.

  • Describe the physical facilities and instructional equipment available to support this program*

    Courses will be offered in the Founders Hall, Landrum Hall, as well as Nunn Hall, home of the Chase College of Law.

  • Clearly state the admission, retention, and completion standards designed to encourage high quality*

    To gain admission to the Bachelor of Arts program, entering students must have a 2.0 cumulative high school/college transfer GPA. Students must receive a C in all courses within the major in order for those courses to count toward graduation.

  • Clearly state the degree completion requirements for the program*

    Students are required to complete 48 hours in the major at a C or above, including 27 hours of core courses and 24 hours of electives. Core and elective courses are listed below.

  • Provide the following information for the program and for each concentration (some categories may not apply to all programs):

  • Total number of hours required for degree (incuding General Education credits)*
    120
    120
  • Number of hours in degree program core*
    27
    27
  • Number of hours in concentration*
    0
    0
  • Number of hours in guided electives*
    24
    24
  • Number of hours in free electives*
    69
    69
  • Delivery Method*
  • Alternative Delivery Mode Formats (Check all that apply)*
    Does the program use alternative learning formats (e.g. distance learning, technology-enhanced instruction, evening/weekend classes, accelerated courses)?
  • Describe how the proposed program will articulate with related programs in the state*

    The B.A. in Law does not currently anticipate any coordination or partnership with related programs in the state. 

    It should describe the extent to which student transfer has been explored and coordinated with other institutions.

  • Attach all draft articulation agreements related to this proposed program in the Proposal Toolbox .

  • Provide Catalog Program Description:*

    The Bachelor of Arts in Law is a multidisciplinary degree providing students with tools and skills necessary for a career in which legal training is necessary but a law degree is not required. The B.A. in Law is a 48 hour degree, with 24 core hours and 24 open electives across the College of Arts and Sciences and the Chase College of Law.

  • List courses under the appropriate curricular headings, byThen follow the directions below to create proposed curriculum in Proposal.

    Prospective Curriculum Field

    Step 1

    There are two options to add courses for proposed changes: "Add Course" and "Import Course." For courses that already are in the catalog, click on "Import Course" and find the courses needed. For new classes that are in the Curriculog Approval Process click on "Add Course"-- a box will open asking you for the Prefix, Course Number and Course Title.

    Step 2

    Click on  "View Curriculum Schema." Click on "Add Core" which will be the header for your course groups of the program. After creating the different sections you can proceed to assign courses in each header by clicking on "Add Courses" this will bring up the list of courses available from Step 1. Select the courses you wish to add and reorder as needed by dragging courses. For removing courses click on the .

    Commonly used headers: Degree Requirements, Core Courses, Electives.

  • Prospective Curriculum*
  • Describe planned alternative methods of program delivery*
    No alternative methods are planned at this time
    No alternative methods are planned at this time

  • Complete the following only if the proposed program is an advanced practice doctorate:

  • Describe how the doctorate builds upon the reputation and resources of the existing masters degree program in the field
  • Explain the impact of the proposed program on undergraduate education at the institution
    Within the explanation, note specifically if new undergraduate courses in the field will be needed.
  • List and discuss the nature and appropriateness of available clinical sites
    Supply letters of commitment from each clinical site that specifies the number of students to be accommodated and identifies other academic programs that also use the facilities.

  • Supply letters of commitment from each clinical site that specifies the number of students to be accommodated and identifies other academic programs that also use the facilities.

  • Program Demand/Unnecessary Duplication

  • Proposed programs must respond to the needs of the academy and to larger economic and social environments. Thus, the institution must demonstrate demand for the proposed program. All proposed programs must address student demand. Programs must also address either employer demand or academic disciplinary needs.

    Student Demand:

  • Clearly describe all evidence of student demand*

    The B.A. in Law would have a positive impact on our regional economy. According to www.bizjournals.com, the higly regulated insurance industry will need several thousands of additional workers by 2020. According to the article, Greater Cincinnati is an insurance hotbed. Shelly Gillis, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at American Financial Group Inc. (which owns Great American Insurance Group), believes that higher education is the long-term answer to bridging the talent gap that is facing the industry. As a part of the Greater Cincinnati area, Northern Kentucky University seeks to be a part of the solution. Further, the Greater Cincinnati area is home to ten Fortune 500 companies: The Kroger Co., Procter & Gamble, Macy’s, Ashland, Omnicare, General Cable, American Financial Group, AK Steel, Fifth Third Bancorp, and Western and Southern Financial Group. Fortune 1,000 firms in our region include: Cincinnati Financial, Cintas, Convergys, and Vantiv. The aforementioned employers have large operations within very regulated industries. The graduates of the B.A. in Law program will have a distinct edge when applying for employment with these organizations (or many other organizations) due to their education in law. 

     

    A cursory glance at available job openings in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region reveals that legal research skills and experience are desirable for jobs in Compliance, Human Resource Management, Risk Analysis, Licensing, Real Estate Management, Insurance, and Banking.

     

    According to the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics, job demand across the state is declining or holding steady. Projections for many of the jobs the BA in Law is meant to prepare students for, however, outpace demand for state labor overall. In particular, disproportionate growth is expected for jobs in Compliance (in four of the workforce areas divided by the Center), Municipal and Court Clerks, Financial Analysis, Healthcare support/Health Services support, Legal support (in three of the workforce areas), Legal Assistance, and Social and Community Service. 

    Typically in the form of surveys of potential students and/or enrollments in related programs at the institution.
  • Provide evidence of student demand at the regional, state, and national levels*

    This program will be the second of its kind in the nation; therefore, data is limited. However, The University of Arizona (the first institution to develop an American B.A. in Law) reports that it now has 444 majors in Tucson, AZ, (the count as of mid-September of 2016) for a program that didn't exist two-and-a-half years ago.

  • Identify the applicant pool and how they will be reached*

    Potential applicants to the program will primarily include those who come to NKU with a plan to commit to a Liberal Arts degree but with no clear path. The B.A. in Law will be well situated to attract these students. 

  • Describe the student recruitment and selection process*

    Recruitment efforts by the College of Arts and Sciences will focus on the uniqueness of the B.A. in Law program and its desirability for students with an interest in law but without the necessary commitment of a graduate degree. 

  • Identify the primary feeders for the program*

    The B.A. in Law will primarily attract high-performing students from the Northern Kentucky region with an interest in law.

  • Provide any evidence of a projected net increase in total student enrollments to the campus as a result of the proposed program*

    The program is new and access to data is limited. 

  • Complete the Projected Student Demand Estimate for the first five years of the program [link to resource document to be provided] and attach in Proposal Toolbox .

    Employer Demand:

  • Clearly describe evidence of employer demand*

    See attached document: balawsurvey.pdf.

    Such evidence may include employer surveys, current labor market analyses, and future human resources projections. Where appropriate, evidence should demonstrate employers preferences for graduates of the proposed program over persons having alternative existing credentials and employers willingness to pay higher salaries to graduates of the proposed program.
  • Describe the types of jobs available for graduates, average wages for these jobs, and the number of anticipated openings for each type of jobs at the regional, state, and national levels*

    Compliance, Human Resource Management, Risk Analysis, Licensing, Real Estate Management, Insurance, Health Care, and Banking

  • Academic Disciplinary Needs:

  • Clearly describe all evidence justifying a new program based on changes in the academic discipline or other academic reasons*

    This is a new program that crosses disciplinary boundaries. It is intended to service a student population with interest in law but no intention of intending law school. 

  • If the proposed program is an advanced practice doctorate explain the new practice or licensure requirements in the profession and/or requirements by specialized accrediting agencies that necessitate a new doctoral program

  • Similar programs:

  • A new program may serve the same potential student population, the proposed program must be sufficiently different from existing programs in the state or access to existing programs must be sufficiently limited to warrant initiation of a new program.

    Identify similar programs in other Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states and in the nation.

    If similar programs exist in Kentucky,

  • Does the proposed program differ from existing programs?*
  • If yes, please explain

    Morehead State University offers a similar program, the B.A. in Legal Studies. NKU’s B.A. in Law is more multidisciplinary and focuses on a wider range of research and writing skills. 

  • Does the proposed program serve a different student population from existing programs?*
    (i.e., students in a different geographic area)
  • If yes, please explain

    NKU serves a different geographical student population from Morehead State University. 

  • Is access to existing programs limited?*
  • If yes, please explain
  • Is there excess demand for existing similar programs?*
  • If yes, please explain
  • Will there be collaboration between the proposed program and existing programs?*
  • If yes, please explain the collaborative arrangements with existing programs
  • If no, please explain why there is no proposed collaboration with existing programs

    The other program is at an institution in Eastern Kentucky.

  • Cost and Funding of the Proposed Program

  • The resource requirements and planned sources of funding of the proposed program must be detailed in order to assess the adequacy of the resources to support a quality program. This assessment is to ensure that the program will be efficient in its resource utilization and to assess the impact of this proposed program on the institutions overall need for funds.

  • Will this program require additional resources?*
  • If yes, provide a brief summary of additional resources that will be needed to implement this program over the next five years

    In anticipation of increased majors by year 3, the B.A. in Law will require an advisor and a part-time clerical staff to meed the needs of faculty and staff in the Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Organizational Leadership. One additional part-time clerical staff member could ease the burden that would otherwise be placed on staff. Based on an S65 paygrade of $13/hour for 15 hours/week, we estimate the clerical cost of $12,776. Additionally, an advisor would be required that could share time with the Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Organizational Leadership (currently at over 1100 majors with only 1.25 FTE devoted to advising). Based on a $35,000 NTTR salary with 26% fringe with position shared with PSC,CJ, and OL, we estimate a cost of $22,050. In total, the new program would cost an additional $34,826 per year. 

  • Will this program impact existing programs and/or organizational units within your institution?*
  • If yes, please describe the impact

    The B.A. in Law could negatively impact enrollments in the Political Science and Criminal Justice programs. The interdisciplinary nature of the program will likely balance some of this possible impact.

  • Provide adequate documentation to demonstrate sufficient return on investment to the state to offset new costs and justify approval for the proposed program.

    If this is an advanced practice doctorate, provide assurance that funding for the program will not impair funding of any existing program at any other public university.

  • Cost/Funding Explanation

  • Complete the Funding Sources, by year of program and Breakdown of Budget Expenses/Requirements tables for the first five years of the proposed program [link to resource document to be provided] and provide an explanation of how the institution will sustain funding needs, attach document in Proposal Toolbox. *The total funding and expenses in the table should be the same, or explain sources(s) of additional funding for the proposed program.

  • Program Review and Assessment
  • Describe program evaluation procedures for the proposed program*

    As a liberal arts degree, the primary method of assessing program SLOs will be through written assignments. This will particularly be true of SLOs 1,2, and 5, where a combination of short, explicatory writings and long written assignments will be used to measure student success in achieving these SLOs. SLO 3, which addresses the relationship between law and policy on different levels, will be directly addressed through written examinations wherein students are required to assess the multi-level applicability of particular policies or cases. SLO 4 will be addressed through the curriculum, but particularly in the two-course sequence of common law courses, where students will be required to complete written assignments and examinations to assess their ability to describe the common law system. Finally, SLO 6 will be a focus of the curriculum as well, as most courses in a liberal arts curriculum aim to foster critical thinking skills. The BA in Law will combine this liberal arts focus with an intensive study of the law in order to measure critical thinking skills appropriately.   

    The core courses for the BA in Law will undergo yearly program review and assessment in order to gauge student progress and SLO applicability. Optional courses will undergo assessment every two years in order to gauge their appropriateness to the curriculum. 

    These procedures may include evaluation of courses and faculty by students, administrators, and departmental personnel as appropriate. Program review procedures shall include standards and guidelines for the assessment of student outcomes implied by the program objectives and consistent with the institutional mission.

  • For each assessment method, please provide direct indicators of achievement of program-level student learning outcomes and frequency of data collection:

  • Which components will be evaluated?*

    Program SLOs will be evaluated by appropriate core courses through appropriate student work (examinations, papers) at the end of the semester. 

  • When will the components be evaluated?*

    Each SLO will be evaluated once per year. 

  • When will the data be collected?*

    At the end of each semester, affected course instructors will present reports and data will be aggregated. 

  • How will the data be collected?*

    Course instructors will collect data based on student performance. Once this data is collected and sent to the program director, program level SLO data will be aggregated from the course instructor data. 

  • What will be the benchmarks and/or targets to be achieved?*

    Faculty will set individual benchmarks, but the program will target 75% of students achieving understanding of the SLO at the appropriate level. 

  • What individuals or groups will be responsible for data collection?*
    Instructors in affected courses
    Instructors in affected courses
  • How will the data and findings be shared with faculty?*
    Reports will be available for faculty the following semester.
    Reports will be available for faculty the following semester.
  • How will the data be used for making programmatic improvements?*

    Data will be provided to faculty, who will be asked to respond to problems or inefficiencies in their own courses.

  •  

  • What are the measures of teaching effectiveness?*

    The program director will assess faculty syllabi, teaching methods, methods of student assessment, student success in completing courses, grade distributions, and creative and innovative delivery methods. 

  • What efforts to improve teaching effectiveness will be pursued based on these measures?*

    Faculty will be encouraged to attend professional development activities and work with other faculty across the degree program to enhance their teaching effectiveness. 

  • What are the plans to evaluate students post-graduate success?*

    The B.A. in Law plans to conduct post-graduation surveys and incorporate alumni networks. 

  • Attachment List
  • Attached
  • Attached*
  • Attached
  • Attached
  • Attached
VPUAA Processes
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  • CIP Code
    22.0000
    22.0000
  • BOR Approval Date
    5/2/2018
    5/2/2018
  • CPE Final Approval Date
    11/20/2018
    11/20/2018
  • CPE ID
    14527
    14527

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