Create or Renew Domestic Academic Partnership Agreements
The Office of Academic Assessment and Accreditation (OAAA), within the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, works with faculty and staff seeking to develop domestic academic partnership agreements on behalf of Rutgers with educational institutions and other organizations throughout the State of New Jersey and the United States.
The development and renewal of domestic academic partnership agreements is led by faculty, staff, and leadership within Chancellor-led units across the university. OAAA’s role as a partner in this process ensures that agreements are developed in accordance with the university’s academic affairs policies and other university policies and guidelines, including those addressing agreement duration and partner obligations. The process also ensures that agreements align with expectations related to the university’s institutional accreditation with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
What Is An Academic Partnership Agreement?
Academic partnership agreements typically include academic contracts, academic memoranda of understanding, and other agreements pertaining to academic programs, academic affiliations, non-degree programs, continuing education programs, establishment of structured internship programs, and dual degree programs. These agreements often enable joint degree, dual degree, double degree, articulated degree, and transfer programs involving Rutgers and other institutions. Many of these academic partnership agreements involve Rutgers faculty providing instruction or Rutgers students receiving instruction at a partner institution. A common feature of these agreements is that the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs routinely executes these agreements on behalf of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
These types of agreements directly relate to accreditation policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards established by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which are foundational to MSCHE’s institutional accreditation and monitoring processes. The Office of Academic Assessment and Accreditation (OAAA) conducts specialized reviews of agreements to ensure compliance with MSCHE policies, procedures, guidelines, standards, and requirements. OAAA also identifies agreements that trigger Substantive Change requests or other adjustments to instructional locations reported to MSCHE, coordinates the submission of any required documentation to MSCHE, and serves as a liaison with MSCHE.
Accreditation Policies and Agreements
Due to MSCHE accreditation policies and procedures, many types of agreements and contracts beyond articulation agreements and transfer agreements may be directly related to compliance with institutional accreditation requirements. OAAA is prepared to help members of the Rutgers community understand these expectations. Contact OAAA if you have any questions on these topics or to determine whether OAAA should review an agreement or contract.
The following MSCHE accreditation policies are relevant to academic partnership agreements:
Student Learning & Support, Accreditation Policies, and Agreements
MSCHE policies address the locations where instruction occurs, which includes tracking what MSCHE identifies as “other instructional sites.” The MSCHE Accreditation Review Cycle and Monitoring Policy defines these other instructional sites as any off-campus site where the institution is operating and where it offers one or more credit-bearing or Title IV-eligible courses when 49 percent or less of an educational program can be completed there. Some examples include dual enrollment courses at high schools, schools where students complete practica or other structured, institution-supervised learning experiences for teacher preparation, or clinical sites or hospitals so long as 49 percent or less of an educational program can be completed at the site. Rutgers must follow MSCHE’s guidance to ensure these types of locations are reported to and/or approved by MSCHE.
Locations, Accreditation Policies, and Agreements
MSCHE policies address the locations where instruction occurs, which includes tracking what MSCHE identifies as “other instructional sites.” The MSCHE Accreditation Review Cycle and Monitoring Policy defines these other instructional sites as any off-campus site where the institution is operating and where it offers one or more credit-bearing or Title IV-eligible courses when 49 percent or less of an educational program can be completed there. Some examples include dual enrollment courses at high schools, schools where students complete practica or other structured, institution-supervised learning experiences for teacher preparation, or clinical sites or hospitals so long as 49 percent or less of an educational program can be completed at the site. Rutgers must follow MSCHE’s guidance to ensure these types of locations are reported to and/or approved by MSCHE.
Resources for Domestic Academic Partnership Agreements
OAAA has developed the following resources to support the creation and renewal of academic partnership agreements.
- Description of the OAAA’s six-step process for developing or renewing an academic partnership agreement
- Timelines for OAAA review, approval, and execution of academic partnership agreements
- Templates for common types of academic partnership agreements
Contact OAAA to learn about the available templates.
Questions?
If you have a question, contact the Office of Academic Assessment and Accreditation (OAAA).