Meeting of the Board of Regents | June 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

Should the Board of Regents authorize the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York to confer the additional degrees of Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at The City College and the additional degrees of Doctor of Public Health (D.P.H.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at Hunter College?

Reason(s) for Consideration

             

              Required by State Statute

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the Higher Education Committee at its June 2008 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.  It then will come before the full Board at its June 2008 meeting for final action.

Procedural History

At its February 25, 2008 meeting, The City University Board of Trustees adopted resolutions authorizing The City College to offer Ph.D. programs in Engineering, to be transferred from the Graduate School and University Center, and Ph.D. programs in the Biological and Physical Sciences jointly with the Graduate Center.  It also adopted resolutions authorizing Hunter College to offer Ph.D. programs in the Biological and Physical Sciences, and a D.P.H. program in Public Health, jointly with the Graduate Center.  The Department received CUNY’s request on March 17, 2008.

A related master plan amendment appears on the Higher Education Committee’s June agenda.

Background Information

CUNY has proposed that City College offer the Ph.D. programs in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering registered at the Graduate Center and to offer jointly with the Graduate Center existing Ph.D. programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics.  Regents action is required because the CUNY Trustees do not currently award the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees at City College.

CUNY also has proposed that Hunter College offer jointly with the Graduate Center Ph.D. programs in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics, and the existing D.P.H. program in Public Health.  Regents action is required because the CUNY Trustees do not currently award the D.P.H., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees at Hunter College.

The Commissioner’s Regulations provide that the M.Phil. degree “shall require completion of all requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy except the dissertation, and shall require that the student has been admitted to candidacy in a doctor of philosophy curriculum offered by the institution conferring the master of philosophy degree.”  All Ph.D. programs at the Graduate Center also lead to M.Phil. degrees.  The M.Phil. may not be conferred on students in programs leading to doctorates other than the Ph.D. (e.g., Ed.D.).

At City College, the CUNY Trustees are authorized to award the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S. in Ed.), Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.), Master of Engineering (M.E.), Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.), and Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.).  The College offers programs in the discipline areas of the Biological Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, the Fine Arts, the Health Professions, the Humanities, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences.

At Hunter College, the Trustees are authorized to award the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Music (Mus.B.), Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.), Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.), Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), Master of Physical Therapy (M.P.T.), and Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.).  Hunter offers programs in the discipline areas of the Biological Sciences, Business, Education, the Fine Arts, the Health Professions, the Humanities, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences.               

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents authorize the CUNY Board of Trustees to award the degrees of Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at The City College and at Hunter College, and authorize the Board of Trustees to award the degree of Doctor of Public Health (D.P.H.) at Hunter College, effective June 24, 2008.

Timetable for Implementation

If the Regents approve the degree authorization, the Department will revise the registration of the programs once the Regents and the Governor approve the master plan amendment authorizing them.