Attendees: School of Dentistry: Judith Buchanan, Edward Combe. Medical School: Susan Berry, Linda Perkowski. School of Nursing: Linda Lindeke, Mary Rowan. College of Pharmacy: Michael Brown. School of Public Health: Judith Garrard, Matthew Simcik. BioMedical Library: James Beattie. Graduate School: Shirley Garner. Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences: Barbara Brandt, Cathy Muchow.
Absent: College of Pharmacy: Kristin Janke. College of Veterinary Medicine: Sandra Godden, Anthony Tobias.
Guest: Dr. William Van Essendelft, Continuing Education Specialist of CCE Degree and Credit Programs and Dr. Judi Linder, Departmental Director of CCE Degree and Credit Programs, from the College of Continuing Education (CCE)
Barbara Brandt welcomed Council members and asked that they review and approve the September 13 minutes. Council members approved the September 13 minutes.
Review Certificate Guidelines
Barbara Brandt called Council members' attention to the Guidelines for Certificate Programs for the Graduate School, College of Continuing Education, and the Provost. Barbara stated that Guidelines for Certificate Programs is an administrative policy not a Board of Regents policy.
For an AHC program/certificate to be a Regents' approved, the proposal has to be reviewed and approved for recommendation by the AHC Academic Council, forwarded to Dr. Cerra for review and recommendation to Provost Sullivan, and then forwarded to the Board of Regents for review and approval. A program/certificate has to be approved by the Board of Regents in order for it to appear on a University transcript. The definition of a “certificate program” becomes complex because residency programs are considered certificate programs and are required to go through the same process.
Presentation of Aging Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program proposal
Prior to the CCE representatives joining the meeting, Council members discussed their observations regarding the program proposal. Barbara Brandt shared that Dean Finnegan has written a letter of support. Dr. Kane recently received a Geriatric Education Center grant and this certificate program is a cornerstone of the grant.
Barbara Brandt welcomed Drs. William Van Essendelft and Judi Linder. Introductions were made.
Dr. Van Essendelft stated that the best overview of the proposal would come from Dr. Robert Kane but he is out of town and unable to attend today's meeting. CCE provides the logistical infrastructure support to make this program accessible to the target audience which is usually non-degree seeking students, ones that will find value in this type of program to help them advance professionally. The CCE will help facilitate and market the program. CCE will also provide the initial advising. CCE provides the courses which will be entirely drawn from the various colleges at the University.
Dr. Linder gave a brief history of this program stating that the idea of the program began in 2005 with Dr. Ann Kane. A discussion/focus group was formed with a variety of people coming from the community, across campus, and University programs such as social work. The proposal was originally submitted to the Graduate School for approval but it was determined the program would be more attractive to the working professional not interested in pursuing a Graduate School degree. Therefore, it was brought back to CCE.
Questions and Answers with Dr. William Van Essendelft and Judi Linder
Barbara Brandt opened the discussion to questions from the Council members:
Questions (Q)/Responses(R):
(Q) Is the expectation that this program become a Regents' approved certificate?
(R) Yes, all CCE certificate programs are Regents' approved.
(Q) What is the difference between Graduate School and CCE certificates?
(R) If the majority of people interested in the certificate do not want to go forward for a Masters Degree, then it is appropriate to house the program in CCE.
(Q) Will the certificate program provide continuing education credits for nursing, pharmacy, etc?
(R) Continuing education credit could be worked out.
Council Comment: This program is very prescribed and could be a disadvantage for a working professional.
(Q) Current Doctor of Pharmacy students may be interested in this certificate. The admission criteria for this certificate requires a previous degree. Doctor of Pharmacy students are not required to have a degree prior to entering the program. Could the admission language include students in a concurrent professional program?
(R) CCE could include language stating that someone could be admitted to the certificate program if already admitted to a degree-granting program.
(Q) Do you have an idea of the demand or employment opportunities for someone with this certificate? Who would want to do this?
(R) Approximately two years ago participants in a discussion/focus group, along with people in the field, felt that students interested in this program are out there. We haven't surveyed any students.
(Q) The program will admit 10 students and they will be coming into courses already being offered. Is this correct?
(Q) Is a significant financial investment needed?
(R) CCE does not have to make a significant financial investment in this program because the courses are already being offered.
(Q) How will you know if this is a successful program? What type of program evaluation will you be doing?
(R) CCE has a continuous evaluation process with faculty and students. Program evaluations are gathered by face-to-face discussion or written evaluation. After a year, the program is re-evaluated and revised if needed. Once students have completed a program, surveys can be obtained from them and also from employers.
(Q) Will student advising be offered?
(R) Dr. Robert Kane will be the primary advisor.
(Q) Is it a reasonable workload for Dr. Kane to advise 20 students?
(R) He has deemed it to be so.
(Q) Has a “sunset” date been determined? The proposal only talks about evaluations and possible revisions.
(R) Typically CCE thinks of a program “sunset” date at the 5-year mark.
(Q) Would you say something about how CCE closes a program and what happens to the enrolled students?
(R) If CCE closes a program, no further students are admitted and students already enrolled are allowed to complete the program.
(Q) Courses already exist; do you have data about space available in those existing graduate courses? Will there be room?
(R) At the time when we originally did this, yes, there was space available. At this point in time, we haven't checked it.
(Q) What happens to a student if they want to proceed with a Graduate School degree and use their graduate level courses for credit?
(R) If they choose to go into a Graduate School program, they would contact that program. It is up to the degree program to determine what credits they would accept.
(R) Within the certificate programs that CCE offers, there are 3 tuition rates: Graduate School rate, professional rate, and two-thirds rate. The rates are determined in consultation with the academic units. We determine tuition for the whole program, not the individual student. It was determined that to complete this specific program, tuition would be approximately $7,000. If they are in a concurrent program, they would pay the rate of the degree program.
(Q) What are the competencies that someone will have once completing the program?
(R) Members were referred to page 8 which describes the learning outcomes defined for the program and methods to be used to assess them.
(Q) In looking at the list of courses, how much is focused on knowledge acquisition versus practical experience and applied learning strategies? Do the courses have application components?
(R) This is something Dr. Kane would need to answer.
(Q) How many courses (prerequisites) would an applicant have to take prior to applying for this program?
(R) We are expecting that they have a bachelor's degree or are enrolled in a concurrent program.
(Q) Has CCE thought about developing a table with course information indicating if there is room for the students (maximum number of seats), what are the pre-requisites, and showing the times the courses are offered?
(R) A table could be developed.
(Q) What portion of the courses will be online?
(R) Online is in the process of development. Possibly offering some flexible scheduling of the courses, maybe a Friday/Saturday course with web-enhanced learning in between or a hybrid course. CCE has a web-design group that works with the faculty. These are the kinds of things we deal with after a program has been approved.
(Q) Does CCE have a Student Services office to provide advising for students who are failing, etc.
Once all questions were answered, Barbara Brandt thanked Dr. Van Essendelft and Judi Linder for coming and stated that she would let them and Dr. Kane know the Council's recommendations as soon as possible.
Discussion of Aging Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program Proposal
The proposal gave only a general sense of the program. It doesn't give enough detail. We can't assume what will be offered; more delineation is needed.
We need to hear the passion, enthusiasm, and answers of the content expert. Dr. Kane should be invited to present this proposal.
Question the route that this proposal has taken. What are the issues?
How is a student protected if he/she wishes to go on for a graduate degree?
Where would these students matriculate? Can these credits be used towards a master's degree?
Who is the target audience? How will they use this certificate? Is it truly meaningful? Is there a demand for this program?
The program is very credit heavy and prescriptive.
The courses being offered were designed for a different purpose.
When was this proposal developed? It appears to be out of date.
Revisit this proposal when Dr. Kane can join the group. The proposal needs to be clearer.
The Council members summarized the issues as follows:
The program proposal needs more detailed information.
Is this an aging “appreciation” certificate or will there be competencies expected of the completers? Where is the capstone, the application, why take this rather costly certificate program?
Why CCE and not the Graduate School or School of Public Health?
There is concern regarding truth in advertising. Students need to understand what the implications are in starting this certificate program.
Develop a table of the courses, pre-requisites, approvals of colleges and instructors, times offered, and availability. Do the colleges offering the courses know about this proposal?
Clarify the financial/tuition information.
Dr. Kane should be invited to the Council to present this proposal.
Review of the School of Nursing's Graduate and Professional Degrees
Barbara Brandt welcomed Dean Connie Delaney from the School of Nursing explaining that Dean Delaney was invited to discuss the School's vision for the relationship between the Doctor of Nursing Practice, as a professional degree, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, as a graduate degree.
Dean Delaney stated that within the School of Nursing there are two separate faculty tracks: clinical and “traditional” (tenure). The goal is to elevate clinical research to the same stature as traditional research and develop a synergy between the two tracks. This is playing out in the PhD and DNP programs - having students interrelated to one another, recognizing the synergy of the programs.
In the future, the Nursing profession expects that students will have at least a bachelor's degree before they come into nursing. Health care is complex, and knowledge of clinical science is essential. Science is imperative for quality nursing care.
In developing the DNP and PhD degrees, there needed to be a distinction of where these would be housed and appropriate oversight. By accreditation, the School needs appropriate faculty oversight of the professional degree program. The Graduate School has oversight of the graduate program.
Write a letter to Drs. Kane, Van Essendelft, and Linder regarding the Council's request for further information.
Invite Dr. Kane to the Council's December meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
