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THE
STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF |
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TO: |
Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee |
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier |
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SUBJECT: |
Master Plan Amendment: Mildred Elley, Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree in Game Design and 3D Animation |
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DATE: |
December 16, 2005 |
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goals 2 and 4 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for Decision (Consent
Agenda)
Should the Regents authorize the amendment of
the master plan of Mildred Elley,
Reason for Consideration
Required by State
regulation.
Proposed
Handling
The question will come before the Higher Education and
Professional Practice Committee at its January meeting where it will be voted on
and action taken. It will then come
before the full Board at its January meeting for final action.
Procedural
History
Master plan amendment is
required because this would be the college’s first associate degree program in
the area of applied graphic and fine arts technologies.
Background
Information
Mildred Elley School, Inc. is a proprietary institution offering registered programs leading to the Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) degree conferred by the Board of Regents in the disciplinary areas of Business Management, Advanced Paralegal Studies, Office Technologies, Medical Assistant, and Information Technology.
Recommendation
The Department has determined
that the proposed program, if approved, would meet the standards for
registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of
Education.
It is recommended that the Board
of Regents approve the amendment of the master plan of Mildred Elley,
authorizing the college to offer an Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.)
program in Game Design and 3D Animation.
This amendment will be effective until January 31, 2007, unless the
program is registered by the Department prior to that date, in which case master
plan amendment shall be without term.
Information in Support of
Recommendation
The proposed Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.) program was created to satisfy the demand for professionals in entry-level careers in the fields of computer game design and three-dimensional animation. It provides for focused technological competency-based training in a rapidly growing field. The proposed program will serve the needs of traditional students and currently employed individuals who seek to update their skills while maintaining their current employment.
Students completing the program will demonstrate the technical
skill competencies essential to entry-level positions in the field through intensive, hands-on training using
industry-standard software. The
proposed program includes courses to provide students with a theoretical
foundation, drawing skills, professional practices and entrepreneurship,
portfolio development, and career/employment skills. The 65 credit-hour
program will require four semesters of 16 to 17 credit hours per semester for
completion. Students enrolling in
the proposed program will choose between the Advanced Game Design and the
Advanced 3D Animation concentration. The
institution undertook a rigorous peer review of the proposed program and has
incorporated feedback from the peer reviewers, who were drawn from full-time
faculty teaching at established
The institution employs a
rolling admissions policy and enrolls students six times per year. It projects that the prospective
students for this program will be drawn from recent high school graduates and
persons in their twenties with a strong interest in information technology and
digital graphics. Enrollment is
projected to reach 50 full-time students in the initial year of the program and
grow by 10-15 percent per year, to achieve 80 to 100 full-time students by the
fifth year. A relatively
significant percentage of out-of-state students, ultimately approaching 20-30
percent by the fifth year, is also projected. Additionally, it is expected that 20 to
30 non-matriculated students will take courses in this
program.
Mildred Elley has budgeted
sufficient resources to support the implementation of the new program. Faculty hired to teach in the proposed
program hold appropriate degrees and have significant training and experience in
the field. Four
full-time and four adjunct faculty members will teach the content core of the
program. One full-time faculty member holds a master of fine arts degree; a
second full-time faculty member holds a master of art degree in Art Education
with an emphasis on Computer Animation.
Two additional full-time faculty members hold bachelor of arts degrees in
Computer Art and in Studio Art respectively. The institution will continue to draw upon
professionals from the surrounding game design and multimedia companies to add
to the practical dimension of the student experience. An advisory board has been
established to guide the Digital Media Arts programs. Professionals working in the fields of
game and multimedia design, traditional and new media arts, and faculty from
other higher education institutions comprise the membership of the advisory
board.
Graduates of the proposed program are
expected to have excellent employment prospects in the fields of game design, 3D
animation, and multimedia.
Graduates may be employed in a number of fields, including junior and
entry-level positions in the field of game design and 3D animation (e.g., game
designer, quality assurance and reporting specialist, assistant technical
director, special effects modeler, character modeler, environment/level modeler,
etc.), as well as in junior and entry-level positions in the fields of law
enforcement (forensics modelers); litigation insurance and risk management
(accident reconstruction, production of visual aides for testimony, etc.);
advertising and digital video production; information technology and web design
(web multimedia); medical imaging and many others.
Most persons employed in this field are
employed in motion picture and video industries, advertising and related
services, computer systems design and related services, software publishers, and
radio and television broadcasting.
The Department of Labor estimates the total number of persons employed in this relatively new category at 30,210 nationally, with a mean hourly wage of $27.65 and a mean annual wage of $57,520. The Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area indicates that wages for persons employed as Multi-Media Artists and Animators ranged from $15.77/hour and $32,802/year for entry-level employees to $33.85/hour and $70,408/year for more experienced employees. It is also estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that the percentile wage estimates range from $18.26 to $34.01.
The area of game design and three-dimensional
animation is a rapidly growing area of employment. Sales of game software generated more
that $6 billion in 2004; average game development companies grew by 18 percent
in 1997-1998 (
In keeping with standard practice, the
Department canvassed other institutions of higher education in the region for
their views on the proposal. There was no response to the canvass.