The University of Maine System and its respective campuses has not historically had a systematic process for review and updating of CIP codes associated with courses, degrees and faculty. While some campuses may have updated their CIP codes on a regular basis, we did not, system-wide, have a dependable way of querying data for studies like the Delaware Cost Study, in which UMS participated for academic year 2017-2018.
Why CIP Codes?
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its 2020 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). These updates reflect actual changes in instructional programs as well as emergence of new fields that were not established until after the previous iteration in 2010.
A comprehensive review of these codes across the UMS (including for all academic programs, courses, and faculty) was critical to ensuring that the new codes were in place before IPEDS reporting in October, 2020 (which required the use of the 2020 taxonomy).
Within MaineStreet, all Academic Plans, Sub-Plans (such as concentrations), courses, and faculty are (or should be) assigned CIP codes. CIP codes are not only necessary for IPEDS reporting, they also allow us to compare ourselves to our peers in terms of program availability and outcomes, and are a critical component in various economic/labor market analyses. Human Resources and Institutional Research also conduct regular reporting that includes CIP codes.
This workgroup will helped support the implementation of the 2020 taxonomy, coordinating efforts with leadership at each institution.
An annual reminder is on the DG Audit calendar for mid August for the Director of Institutional Data Management to check in with system IR and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs to ensure that the Provosts included the CIP Code review in their Programs for Examination process.