Meeting of the Board of Regents | September 2007

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

 

TO:	Full Board
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Master Plan Amendment: Cayuga Community College, Fulton Campus, Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Early Childhood
DATE:	August 29, 2007
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

             

Should the Board of Regents authorize the amendment of the master plan of the State University of New York in order for Cayuga Community College, Fulton Campus, to offer an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program in Early Childhood?

 

Reason for Consideration

 

              Required by State regulation.

 

Proposed Handling

 

              This question will come before the full Board for action at its September 2007 meeting.

 

Procedural History

 

              Master plan amendment is required because this would be the College’s first associate degree program offered at the Fulton Campus in the discipline of education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

At its May 31, 2007 meeting, the State University Board of Trustees adopted a resolution to amend the State University Master Plan to authorize Cayuga Community College, Fulton Campus, to offer instruction leading to the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Early Childhood in the disciplinary area of education.  A master plan amendment is necessary as the proposed program will be the College’s first-degree program in the MPA discipline of education at the Fulton Campus.   

 

              A canvass was conducted of institutions of higher education in the Central region.  There were no responses to the canvass.  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.

 

Recommendation

 

             

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve the amendment to the master plan of the State University of New York authorizing Cayuga Community College, Fulton Campus, to offer an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Early Childhood.  This amendment will be effective until September 11, 2008, unless the program is registered by the Department prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

If the Board of Regents approves the master plan amendment, the Department will forward it to the Governor for approval.  Upon gubernatorial approval, the Department will register the programs.

 

Information in Support of Recommendation

 

The proposed program leading to the A.A.S. degree in Early Childhood will prepare graduates to enter the workforce as professionals in the field of Early Childhood.  The program is not intended to prepare students for transfer to teacher certification programs. Upon successful completion of the Early Childhood program, coursework is applicable toward the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. 

 

The proposed associate degree program is identical to the registered programs at the Auburn campus.  The program requires 62 credit hours to include 27 credit hours in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, 21 credit hours in the major, and 14 credit hours of electives and courses supporting the major.  The major component of the program includes field placements that have been established throughout Oswego County to provide students with real-world experiences and practical application of classroom theory. 

 

Three full-time faculty members holding master’s degrees will teach in the program along with adjunct faculty as needed. The Fulton Campus has budgeted for new equipment that will be necessary for the required physical education courses in the Early Childhood program and has committed to sufficient classroom space for Early Childhood instruction. 

 

The Fulton campus’ library holdings support the curriculum for the Early Childhood A.A.S. degree program with general collection books, reference books, media items, and periodical subscriptions. The library holdings representing the Library of Congress Subject Areas are as follows: BF (Psychology), HQ (Social Sciences), L (Education), and P (Language and Literature). Students have access to the College’s Auburn Campus Library and other SUNY libraries through the Open Access program.

 

The Occupational Employment Statistics Survey highlighted in the Occupational Outlook 2000-2010 includes Child Care Workers in its listing of “Top 25 Occupations with the Most Openings” for the Central New York Region.  The average number of openings for Child Care Workers per year is estimated to be 220.  In addition, the Oswego County Workforce Investment Board identified Child Care Workers as “Occupations in Demand.”  A survey distributed to Oswego County employers validated these findings and supports the establishment of an Early Childhood program.