CIPR Program Review Process

As part of the CNM 2025 initiatives launched in 2021, CNM has implemented the new CIPR process, which incorporates student and employer demand, student and graduate outcome goals, program economics, and of course, academic standards.

Consistent with the College’s vision of “Changing Lives, Building Community,” the CNM Collegewide Integrated Program Review Process provides a unique opportunity to:

• Reflect on our work and continuously improve our program offerings
• Engage in cross-divisional dialogue to understand and support program goals, strengths, challenges, and opportunities
• Use a data-informed approach to:
  • Evaluate program offerings to ensure alignment with the mission of the college
  • Evaluate program effectiveness and quality via academic standards
  • Evaluate program economics in terms of cost, revenue, and margins
  • Ensure all programs lead to completion, transfer, and/or positive employment outcomes - Make recommendations to the board on existing programs

Program review is an integral part of the process of planning and budgeting at CNM. The outcomes from each instructional program review provide the basis for informed decision-making on the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and services, personnel, facilities, equipment, and budget for the future of the program under review. In addition, program review outcomes inform and support the College’s strategic and operational plans.

CIPR Program Review Cycle

The program review process for credit programs begins within the academic schools, with school administration and faculty reviewing internal and external data and providing insight and context regarding program performance, market demand, student demand, and program economics. 

Important data related to programs and their career clusters such as the number of jobs currently available and projected job growth, pay rates, student interest, degree fit, and workforce and economic factors in New Mexico are now fundamental components for helping CNM determine what, how, and when programs are offered. 

Based on the data sheets and academic school input, CIPR has added additional feedback and recommendations from CNM Ingenuity, Enrollment Management Services (EMSS), Marketing and Communications Office (MCO), Finance and Operations Division (F&O), Division of Workforce and Community Success (W&CS), and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office (DEI).

Upon completion of the CIPR program review cycle, each program receives a final designation of Sustain, Grow, Fix, or Sunset.

• Sustain: Continue the successful operation of an existing program.
• Grow: Concerted effort to expand an existing program. Requires program support plan.
• Fix: Investigate target measures not met and consider areas for improvement. Requires program support plan.
• Sunset: Deactivate the program. Requires deactivation plan.

Visit the CIPR Program Support page for more on program support plans.

Methodology 

There are ten metrics that have threshold levels programs are expected to meet. These target measures, along with their thresholds, are:

1. Contribution per SCH (from Gray): greater than or equal to 20th percentile of all programs in the same school
2. Market rating (from Gray): greater than or equal to 70th percentile of all CIP codes
3. Number of graduates: at least 10 per year
4. Percentage of graduates employed in New Mexico (AAS and CERT only): at least 75%
5. Graduates employed in field (AAS and CERT only): at least 25%
6. Graduates transferred to four-year school (AA and AS only): at least 25%
7. Declared majors attending CNM: at least 30 per year
8. Course fill rate: at least 60%
9. Course C-pass rate: at least 60%
10. Withdrawal rate: at most 30%

For a visual representation of how the metrics above are used to arrive at the initial, data-suggested recommendation of Sustain, Fix, or Sunset, please review the CIPR Methodology Flow Chart. 

Additional Information

Discontinued Programs

CNM has always performed an annual review of our program offerings and the local economy’s needs for new programming to determine if programs should be created, grown, maintained at current levels, or deactivated. Programs are deactivated virtually every year when it is determined they are no longer viable. When the college discontinues or transitions programs to other modes of delivery, the information will be publicly accessible to students, staff, faculty, and the community.

Students

The effective date for the discontinuation of a program takes into consideration all declared majors in the program and the timeframe required for them to complete the program in a timely manner. Additionally, the academic school where the program resides will communicate directly with the students affected and academic advisors will support the students in their academic planning.

Faculty and Staff

Should a program be identified for sunset by CIPR, CNM makes every effort to ensure that staff and faculty supporting those programs are reassigned to similar positions throughout the College, in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement. This may include assigning staff and faculty to teach non-credit versions of those programs through CNMI if applicable.

CNM Ingenuity Programs

Programs transitioned to CNM Ingenuity (CNMI) as non-credit, workforce training offerings will continue to be offered. Programs at CNMI have the opportunity to be grown, reconfigured, or improved based upon the most relevant and timely information outside of the College’s curriculum and accreditation standard timelines. This allows programs transitioned to CNMI to be more responsive, flexible, and accommodating to the demands of both students and employers.

Skills and competencies learned in a CNMI program may also qualify for college credit through CNM’s Credit for Prior Learning.