200 Bricker Hall Printer-Friendly Version
November 16, 2005
3:00-5:00pm
MINUTES
Present: Professors: Lora Gingerich Dobos, Kay Halasek, Richard Gunther, Margaret McMahon, Raymond Noe (Chair), Electra Paskett, Nancy Reynolds, W. Randy Smith (Vice Chair), Harald Vaessin, and George Valco.
Student Members: Jane Evans and Scot Pearson (Council of Graduate Students); Kevin Freeman (Inter-Professional Council); and Amanda Ransburgh and Elaine Yeh (Undergraduate Student Government).
Guests: Professor Robert Heneman, and Amy Richards, Director, Graduate Program in Labor and Human Resources, Department of Management and Human Resources; Professor Elliot Slotnick, Associate Dean, Graduate School; Professor Kenneth Hale, Assistant Dean for Student Services, and Professor William Hayton, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research, College of Pharmacy; and Brad Myers, University Registrar.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 2, 2005
Reynolds moved approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of November 2, 2005. Halasek seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.
COMMENTS FROM THE VICE CHAIR – PROFESSOR W. RANDY SMITH
• Three proposals will go to the Board of Trustees for action on December 2, 2005: to establish a Doctorate in Physical Therapy; to Designate Academic Center Status to The University Honors and Scholars Center; and to Rename the College of Medicine and Public Health to the College of Medicine.
• The University community is reviewing the Final Report of the Committee for the University-wide Review of Undergraduate Education. The Provost will provide all comments to this Council during Spring 2006. Copies of the Report were provided to Council at this meeting.
• The proposal to merge the School of Public Policy and Management with the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy will go to the Faculty Council for action on December 1, 2005.
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A COMBINED PROGRAM IN MASTER OF LABOR HUMAN RESOURCES/M.A. EDUCATION WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND STUDENT AFFAIRS – PROFESSORS RAYMOND NOE AND W. RANDY SMITH, SUBCOMMITTEE D
Noe said that the combined program requires 106 credit hours. Applicants must apply to each program separately. Some courses in the two programs are parallel. It is expected that 3-4 students will be admitted per year. Subcommittee D felt the program had merit and recommended approval.
DISCUSSION WITH PROFESSOR ROBERT HENEMAN, AND AMY RICHARDS, DIRECTOR, GRADUATE PROGRAM IN LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES, AND PROFESSOR ELLIOT SLOTNICK, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GRADUATE SCHOOL
Heneman said that they had been working on this initiative for some time and now wanted to make it more formal. Market factors are such that there is a need for business skills in human resources and a need for focus on education. The individual programs would draw on each other’s courses.
• Valco noted that instructions in the Dual Credit section of the table could have been better worded. It asked students to take one class in each of the five categories when only one course was offered in three of the categories. The wording will be clarified.
• Individually, 20-25 students have received dual degrees like this - about six students a year. The combined degree requires fewer credit hours. This is simply a step to formalize this process.
• Are there other combined degree programs on campus? Yes. Council has approved several in recent years and Slotnick indicated that he expected that more would be coming forward.
Subcommittee D moved approval, Vaessin seconded the motion, and it carried with 10 votes in favor and one abstention.
PROPOSAL FOR REVISIONS TO THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, COLLEGE OF PHARMACY – PROFESSORS RAYMOND NOE AND W. RANDY SMITH, SUBCOMMITTEE D
Smith noted that this was an effort to limit enrollment in a degree program that had experienced considerable, unexpected growth, since the College’s move to the Pharm. D. degree in 1998. The College is having trouble accommodating all the students interested in the program - not enough faculty or laboratory space. The College was attempting to limit enrollment by changing the grade point average for students transferring into it, from a 2.7 to a 3.0, and by adding the foreign language requirement to its General Education Curriculum (GEC). The GEC for the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science (BSPS) was simply adopted from the one for the B.S. in Pharmacy program that had been phased out earlier. This step would not affect students who directly enroll in the program – the majority of students.
Technically this proposal should follow the Council’s guidelines for an Enrollment Limitation Plan (ELP). Given that those Guidelines are dated (1988) and the number of students on whom this would have an impact is relatively small, do we want to put the College of Pharmacy through that process?
Brad Myers, University Registrar, said that the College used to award certificates in this program, but the certification program was moved to the professional doctorate level. The College had wanted to maintain the traditional program in Pharmaceutical Science for those students interested in going into the health sciences and out in industry, and to provide an alternate path to the one offered by the College of Biological Sciences.
• Given the current budget model, why is an enrollment limitation process necessary? The program could be self-limiting. Smith noted that some Colleges have made it clear that they want to maintain such plans regardless of the changed budgeting system and this is an issue that will need to be confronted as Council reviews established ELPs this year (see Council Minutes: 11/2/05).
• The Colleges of the Arts and Sciences had been made aware of the request to add the foreign language requirement. How does adding the foreign language requirement help the program? It could result in a large increase in required hours - as many as 20 hours.
• Should Council give the College approval without a more formal justification?
• Enrollment has grown dramatically, from 100 to 350 students. What is the reason for it? Are the students being adequately counseled? It is a rigorous program so that is not the issue.
• Smith commented that major programs do vary and that he is gathering information on what the patterns are for enrollment and what it takes to get in a major. As the doors close to some of these majors, where do students go?
DISCUSSION WITH PROFESSORS KENNETH HALE, ASSISTANT DEAN, AND WILLIAM HAYTON, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH, COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
Hale provided background on the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science. When the PharmD program was established, they envisioned the undergraduate Pharmaceutical Science program as a degree program that would lead in three directions – particularly to professions in the health sciences, and industry. They had envisioned about 20 students a year but the program grew well beyond that estimate. They did not have the faculty or the facilities to accommodate the growth.
In 2004, a faculty committee was formed to review the program and to make recommendations. Central to the plan, was an increase in the grade point average (GPA) for “transfer” students (from other programs) – currently about a third of the students - and to add the foreign language requirement. The GPA used to be 2.0, then it became 2.7, and now they want a 3.0. Hale reiterated that they adopted the General Education Curriculum from the B.S. in Pharmacy program, one that did not require a foreign language. They then learned that some students might be coming to their program to avoid it. The faculty committee wanted to stop that flow by making it a requirement like it is in other colleges.
• Can students test out of the foreign language requirement? Yes. Generally they test out of the first two quarters of a language.
• Do you propose an increase in hours? No. What would be taken away then if
the foreign language requirement were added? The hours could come from electives.
• How many programs are like this around the country? There are six. How does this program compare to those six? Hale commented that they did not know.
• Was the 3.0 GPA chosen because that is where students start to do poorly? How was that determined? Directly enrolled students were doing very well, but our transfers were not doing as well. The 3.0 GPA seemed to be an appropriate level.
• Why did enrollment grow so fast? This is one of the very few health majors offered. Students saw this as a linkage to the Doctorate of Pharmacy. That program has grown too and requires a GPA of 3.536. The demand for pharmacists has grown across the country.
• Were students consulted? Hayton said that one student had served on the committee. Hale said that students had taken part in a survey conducted earlier.
• Has another model, other than the 3.0 GPA, ever been considered? No. Directly enrolled students have this average and the College supports it.
• What timeframe for implementation is envisioned? It was noted that the Guidelines for an Enrollment Limitation Plan indicate that students should be given a one-year notice. Hale said that the College would adhere to that stipulation.
• Does the graph show total enrollments? Yes. It shows the natural progression. The direct enrolled students are not included until 2003, but the 2004 data show freshmen through seniors including both groups. They are bringing in over 100 directly-enrolled students.
• What is the situation in other institutions in Ohio? There are two others, but ours is a significantly stronger program and is very successful. The program was built for graduate school education. Having a GPA below 3.0 would not serve our students well.
• If enrollment is growing could consideration be given to hiring new faculty instead? Space constraints would make that impossible. Moreover expanding this program is not among the College’s priorities at this time.
• Might the PhD students help teach some of the classes? That is an option and they are reviewing it.
It was noted that the College wanted the foreign language requirement to match what other colleges were doing, when, in fact, not all colleges have that requirement. Most do not. There were no data to show how this plan would limit enrollment. Are there any other programs on campus using these parameters? Smith noted that the College of Engineering has grade point average requirements for its various majors and has been to Council several times to change them. Was the foreign language requirement discussed with other colleges? Yes: Smith had met with the leadership of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences.
Subcommittee D moved approval, and Gunther seconded the motion. Council discussion continued. The proposal should be tightened up to:
- Show why an increase in credit hours is warranted.
- Better justify the foreign language requirement.
- Show how the program compares to the six other institutions.
- Give a better rationale for increasing the GPA to 3.0.
- Show the enrollment figures for four years on the graph. They were aiming for 100 students and got 400!
- Present it more in line with Enrollment Limitation Plan guidelines.
A more elaborate proposal will be needed before Council will vote. Smith will meet with Professors Hale and Hayton.
DISCUSSION OF THE COUNCIL ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS’ DRAFT RESPONSE TO THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE EDUCATION: PART I-FINANCIAL AND INTERNAL PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS
Noe had prepared a draft response for Council’s review. Smith had made minor editorial suggestions. Council members had no changes. Noe will send it to the Provost, and Professor Richard Freeman, Chair, of the Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:17pm.
Respectfully submitted,
W. Randy Smith
Joyce Rankin
