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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: |
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DATE: |
August 24, 2006 |
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goal 2 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for Decision
(Consent Agenda)
Should the
Regents approve an amendment to the master plan of the State University of New
York to authorize the
Reason for Consideration
Required by
State regulation.
Proposed Handling
This question will come before the Higher Education
and Professional Practice Committee at its September 2006 meeting where it will
be voted on and action taken.
It will then come before the full Board at its September meeting for
final action.
Procedural History
Master plan amendment is required because this would
be the College’s first degree program in the discipline of Health
Professions.
Background
Information
The State University Board of Trustees seeks Regents approval for the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville to offer a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion. This action is required because this would be Morrisville’s first baccalaureate degree program in the discipline of “Health Professions” as defined by the guidelines for master plan amendment.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Regents amend the master plan of the State University of New York, effective September 12, 2006, authorizing the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville to offer a Bachelor of Science (B.S) degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion. This approval will be effective until September 12, 2007 unless the Department registers one or more programs leading to the degree indicated for that institution prior to that date, in which case the master plan amendment shall be without term.
Information in Support of the
Recommendation
The State University Board of Trustees, at its November 9, 2005 meeting, adopted a resolution to amend the State University Master Plan to authorize the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville to offer instruction leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion.
The proposed
degree will prepare students for positions implementing exercise programs in
wellness facilities, general fitness facilities and gyms. It will build on the College’s existing
Associate in Science degree in Sports, Nutrition and Fitness
Management.
The 128 credit
hour program will include a strong foundation in math and science, along with
basic fitness-related classes in general fitness and wellness, sport psychology,
strength and conditioning, exercise physiology, and fitness program
administration. Specialized classes
include responding to emergencies, exercise physiology for special populations,
and kinesiology. Students will have
opportunities to gain valuable work experience in the health/fitness field in
their sophomore, junior and senior years.
SUNY Morrisville anticipates a first-year enrollment of 30 full-time
freshmen, increasing to 50 full-time freshmen and 180 full-time students by year
five. It expects more than 90
percent of these students to come from
The College reports that the need for
qualified professionals to design and implement safe and effective exercise
programs is on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, overall
employment of fitness workers is expected to grow faster than average for all
occupations through 2012. The New
York State Department of Labor projects a growth of 11 percent in the field of
fitness trainer between 2002 and 2012 in the
The College’s current facilities contain the
basics for implementation of the proposed program. Resources include a laboratory
containing approximately $90,000 in equipment, two locker rooms, and two
classrooms built specifically for the College’s A.S. program in Sports,
Nutrition and Fitness Management.
The College has budgeted $108,500 for the first year of the program to
cover new equipment purchases for the wellness center, an upgraded human
performance laboratory, building renovations and library resource
improvements. The College has
committed funds to hire a full-time, doctorally-prepared faculty member, a
part-time instructional support assistant to manage the wellness center, and two
adjunct faculty members to cover additional lecture and lab
sections.
The library’s collection holds sufficient books, periodicals, and videos
for the proposed program. The
College is a full participant with SUNY Connect which provides electronic
databases through this service. The
purchase of additional library resources to keep the collection for the program
current will be funded with a budget allocation of $5,000 per year.
Planning Review
Two colleges responded to a canvass of the institutions in the Central
region in support of the proposed program.