The academic program development and planning process of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education are examined and contrasted with values and criteria of faculty and institutional leaders. The Indiana Commission is concerned about program structure with regard to student access, student choice, and institutional diversity. It has specific criteria that it uses when reviewing new program requests, including: quality and efficiency, appropriateness, availability of similar programs, personal and social utility, student demand, attention to student access and the enrollment of underrepresented groups, flexibility of program design, market demand, interinstitutional and interdepartmental cooperation, degree of cooperation with employers, and the use of telecommunications and faculty to offer courses at noncampus sites. In considering quality, the state examines purposes or goals, the congruence between program goals and institutional planning processes of goals, the use of resources, the context in which the activities of the program take place, and the degree to which the program attains its goals. Perspectives of individual faculty members often center on the academic standards that would be met by the proposed program. At the departmental level, the quantity of resources allocated is often a major consideration for considering new degree programs. Institutional leaders, trustees, or board members vary in their approach to academic planning. In many cases, however, their attitudes seem to be to offer a new program if it is financially feasible and the faculty favor the program. (SW)