continuous assessment is also being evaluated to address the SACSCOC concerns.

• 3. OFF Campus/ Bridges Program – Since Kentucky State University is not issuing a certificate, but only offering a course that leads to a certificate, it has been determined that no site visit from SACSCOC will be needed as previously thought. A letter explaining KSU's involvement with the program will be drafted by February 1, 2016, and upon the President's approval will be sent to SACSCOC.

V. Update on Textbook Solutions

The Office of Academic Affairs has explored alternatives to the rising cost of textbooks. Several alternatives have been discussed including the adoption of free textbooks where appropriate, and establishing a textbook rental system funded by a flat student fee. Meetings have been held with Department Chairs. Math and Science has adopted free textbooks since 2013 for several selected courses. For Math 111, 115 and 172, open source textbooks are used; a PDF version is free and can be downloaded from a site. For Math115 and 176, an inexpensive book, about $30.00, can be used for a year. If the students buy access for the homework, they can access the text and other supplemental texts online. For Biology 111, the textbook is available in a wide variety of free online formats via the website. For PHY 211 and 212, an open access text is used.

VI. Update on Faculty and Chair Searches

The original search plan was designed with 16 faculty lines across the academic departments. These included needed lines which emerged from an initial data-driven exercise counting and measuring credit hours, enrollment numbers, and number of majors to Advisors. The search plan also accounted for four retirements from the Whitney Young School of Honors and Liberal Studies, and one faculty vacancy from Public Administration.

In addition to the list of needed faculty, the search plan includes announcements for ten chair positions. Descriptions for all positions have been completed. The final set of search announcements are the four Endowed Chairs: Endowed Chair of Humanities, Endowed Chair of Math and Science, Endowed Chair of Education, and Endowed Chair of Business.

Over the course of several weeks, we have heavily scrutinized the plan and reduced the faculty search to 12, redesigned the chair profiles, requiring proficiencies in subject areas from the chairs of the departments that were originally needed by the four faculty lines being advertised. For example, the faculty originally required in Computer Science to teach Cybersecurity was deleted and the chair description for Computer Science was modified to include a proficiency in cybersecurity. Supply Chain Management and Operations were treated similarly in the School of Business as were Spanish in the

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