Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law v. American Bar Association (TV1) Doc. 33 Att. 1 Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools DOCUMENTATION FOR THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE COMMITTEE For use with the following types of changes: Initiating programs at a more advanced degree level Expanding programs at current degree levels (when the new program is a departure from current programs) Initiating programs at a lower degree level Expanding electronic delivery to include currently offered degrees Name of the Institution: Lincoln Memorial University Nature of the Substantive Change: Expanding programs at the current level (when a new degree program is a departure from current programs). To offer the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree program at the Former City Hall Building, Knoxville, Tennessee, 601 West Summit Hill Drive. Date: January 22, 2010 By signing below, we attest to the following: 1. That Lincoln Memorial University has attached a complete and accurate overview of the proposed Substantive Change. 2. That Lincoln Memorial University provided complete and accurate disclosure of timely information regarding compliance with the selected sections of the Principles of Accreditation affected by this Substantive Change. Name and signature of the President: _____________________________ Dr. C. Warren Neel, President (Int.) Name and signature of the Accreditation Liaison: _____________________________ Dr. Clayton Hess COC Staff Member assigned to the Institution: Dr. Cheryl Cardell 1 Dockets.Justia.com Part I. Overview A. Describe the proposed change. Include the location, initial date of implementation, projected number of students, primary target audience, projected life of the program (single cohort or ongoing), and instructional delivery methods. Provide specific outcomes and learning objectives for each new program, a schedule of proposed course offerings for the first year, and copies of syllabi for new courses. Narrative Response: Lincoln Memorial University-Duncan School of Law (DSOL) is located at 601 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, and offers a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree. Classes began in the fall of 2009 (August 17, 2009). The J.D. Program is composed of eighty-eight semester credit hours of coursework.1 The initial class is composed solely of part- time students. In the fall of 2010, both a full-time and part-time class will begin their studies. For every projected year thereafter, on an on-going basis, DSOL will have both a full-time and part-time class. Part-time students are projected to complete their program of studies in four years. Full-time students are projected to complete their program of studies in three years. Both of those time periods are consistent with standards promulgated by the American Bar Association (the ABA)2 and are consistent with practices followed by ABA-accredited law schools. The current class is composed of seventy-five, part-time students. In year two of DSOL’s operation, enrollment is projected at: seventy returning part-time students, one hundred and ten entering full-time students, and sixty entering part-time students. Thus, the total current projected enrollment for year two is approximately 240 students. Ultimately, at full enrollment, DSOL projects an estimated enrollment of 550-600 students. 1 This complies with American Bar Association Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools, Rule 304(b), which provides: “A law school shall require, as a condition of graduation, successful completion of a course of study in residence of not fewer than 58,000 minutes of instruction time . .” See Exhibit 25. 2 See Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools, Rule 304(c) (“A law school shall require that the course of study for the J.D. degree be completed no earlier than 24 months and no later than 84 months after a student has commenced law study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credit.”). 2 Classroom instruction is consistent with traditional instruction in a law school environment. Students receive instruction using one or more of the following methods: lecture supplemented with visual aids including but not limited to Powerpoint; casebook method; statutory instruction; and the Socratic method. In addition, DSOL uses advanced technology as a means to enhance its instruction, including but not limited to Mediasite3 and TurningPoint.4 DSOL’s specific outcomes and objectives include the following: 1. Knowledge of Major Content Areas of Substantive Law Graduates will understand the fundamental principles of Civil Procedure, Contracts, Property, Torts, Criminal Law, Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Wills, Trusts and Estates, Constitutional Law, Business Organizations, Commercial Transactions, Conflicts of Law, Domestic Relations, Remedies, Secured Transactions, and Professional Responsibility. 2. Critical Thinking Skills Graduates will demonstrate the ability to use critical thinking in analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating various types of issues related to law and general problem solving. 3. Legal Research Skills Graduates will demonstrate the ability to conduct legal research. 4. Communication Skills Graduates will demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication about issues in the field of law, including advocacy and dispute resolution. 5. Professional Responsibility/Ethics Graduates will demonstrate values, attitudes, and behaviors congruent with the code of ethics established by the profession as provided in American Bar Association and state bar association rules. 6. Continued Learning Graduates will demonstrate the ability to engage in continued learning and/or service in a legal context. More specific information regarding learning outcomes and assessments of student learning are fully discussed in section 3.3.1.1, beginning on page 111. 3 Media Site is a technology package permitting DSOL to capture the students’ classes and permit remote viewing. Currently, students at DSOL can watch or review any class delivered at the DSOL either on campus or from any location where they have internet access. For a full description, see Exhibit 1. 4 TurningPoint permits real-time feedback on questions asked during class. Currently, DSOL is using this technology as a means to facilitate learning by requiring each professor to ask multiple-choice questions during class. The results of the students’ responses are then immediately available both individually and in the aggregate, providing the professor immediate feedback. For a full description, see Exhibit 2. 3 Currently, there are only four law schools serving the state of Tennessee, not including the DSOL.5 In keeping with Lincoln Memorial University’s (LMU) mission, the primary targeted demographic of DSOL is students who have earned baccalaureate degrees and who are from those counties in Tennessee and surrounding states designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission as being part of Appalachia. In February of 2009, DSOL received approval by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE).6 DSOL will formally notify the ABA of its intent to seek accreditation for the J.D. Program in August of 2010. 5 Those law schools are: Vanderbilt University Law School, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Nashville School of Law, and the University of Tennessee College of Law. 6 See Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Tennessee, Rule 7, Article 2, Section 2.03 (“The Board may approve any law school in Tennessee not accredited by the American Bar Association for the purpose of allowing its graduates to be eligible to take the Tennessee bar examination when the standards in this section are met and the Board finds the school is effectively achieving its mission and objectives.”). For additional information, see Exhibit 3. 4 B. Discuss the rationale for the change, including assessment of need. List currently offered certificate and/or degree programs that are related to the proposed expansion. Provide evidence of the legal authority for the change. List institutional strengths that facilitate implementing the proposed change. Narrative Response: Rationale for the Change Including an Assessment of Need Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) is committed to fulfilling its Mission and considers the initiation of the Duncan School of Law (DSOL) Program to be an important initiative toward meeting the educational needs of the service area. LMU conducted a Feasibility Study7 to assess the need for a new law school in east Tennessee, and the results indicate the need is significant. It seems appropriate that LMU—an institution founded to help serve underserved populations— should take action. There is an obvious, unmet need in LMU’s targeted demographic area for quality legal services and well-qualified attorneys to provide these services. DSOL is aimed at meeting the growing unmet demand for legal education in the State of Tennessee and particularly east Tennessee. A few examples of findings from the Feasibility Study are presented below to demonstrate the need for a new law school: According to Legal Aid of East Tennessee’s 2007 Annual Report, more than 300,000 persons in the east Tennessee service area are eligible for legal aid services, but due to limited resources, less than 5% of this population receives service. Between 2005 and 2007, the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee had an aggregate total of 33,652 LSAT takers. Of that number, 5,269