May 5th Academic Affairs

The May 5th Academic Affairs meeting of the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) focused primarily on academic program reviews, policy updates, and approval of performance agreements. Key procurement-related discussions included approval of the AY 2027 Bridge Performance Agreement, which extends current performance agreements for one year and emphasizes enhanced student-level data collection for placement and co-requisite courses. The board also considered and approved adjustments to program review thresholds for regional universities to better reflect their scale and capacity. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing and approving recommendations for the pilot of Reduced Credit Baccalaureate Degrees (RCBD), including policy framework, approval processes, credit hour requirements, and naming conventions. The board passed motions to approve these recommendations and the associated draft policy, with ongoing deliberations about how to denote these degrees on transcripts and diplomas to ensure clarity without devaluing the degree. Additional agenda items included program mergers, discontinuations, and updates on tenure and faculty workload reporting. No direct contract awards, vendor selections, or capital improvement projects were discussed during this meeting.