Advice

Our advice is to jump into inter-institutional curriculum development if the "right" faculty members and academic administrators (department heads and deans) are enthusiastic about the program.

Talk about the program philosophy, learning outcomes, and target audience, before developing the curriculum. It will be tempting to use the courses currently taught by each institution, but this is a unique opportunity to build the "ideal" curriculum from scratch.

Thoroughly review all of the Great Plains IDEA model documents, particularly the Steps for Institutional Approval and Implementation of Inter-Institutional Programs.

Obtain permission from the Great Plains IDEA to use the model documents.

Contact the Institute for Academic Alliances at Kansas State University to obtain advice and assistance from FIPSE LAAP project directors, staff, and participants.

Be prepared to spend time explaining the program and seeking support across campus at each partner institution at all academic and administrative levels.

Seek "hard" data about the need and demand for the program.