Determining the feasibility of collaborative academic programs: A program development model

The purpose of this study was to test the utility of a proposed conceptual model for determining the feasibility of collaborative academic programs. Based on a review of three distinct bodies of literature—the scholarship of engagement, higher education feasibility studies, and academic program development—a conceptual model was designed and tested as a decision-making tool for higher education professionals, including both faculty and administrators, who consider the prospects of developing an academic program in partnership with an organization external to the university. The study was framed as a qualitative study that embraced both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Integrating theoretical and practical perspectives, it functioned as an embedded case study that examined multiple subunits or perspectives embedded in the larger, single case, namely, the feasibility of expanding an existing master\u27s degree program at Purdue University via collaboration with external partners. These subunits included input from: faculty; institutional mission; institutional resources; accreditation; governmental oversight; prospective students; prospective program partners; prospective funding partners; current and potential employers; pedagogy; admission projections; and the political environment. The study accordingly produced a variety of results that are discussed on multiple levels. This included the feasibility of expanding the specific program at Purdue University. It also included the context for program expansion, specifically, the current national landscape for K–12 and higher education financial administration. Finally, the results suggested that the conceptual model offers higher education decision-makers an effective, comprehensive instrument for determining the feasibility of collaborative academic programs