106heppca3

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

TO:	Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Master Plan Amendment: State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi, Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree in Information Technology: Network Administration
DATE:	December 16, 2005
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

Should the Regents authorize the amendment of the master plan of the State University of New York in order for the State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi to offer a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree program in Information Technology: Network Administration?

Reason for Consideration

Required by State regulation.

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee at its January 2006 meeting, where it will be voted on and action taken. It will then come before the full Board at its January 2006 meeting for final action.

Procedural History

Master plan amendment is required because this would be the College’s first baccalaureate degree program offered independently in the discipline of physical sciences.

Background Information

In August 2000, Governor Pataki approved a master plan amendment (MPA) to the long-range master plan of the State University of New York to authorize the State University Colleges of Technology Alliance (consisting of the University Colleges of Technology at Alfred, Canton, Delhi, and the College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill and Morrisville) to offer a multiple institution program leading to the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Information Technology. The State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi (SUNY Delhi) is now proposing to independently offer instruction leading to the Bachelor of Technology degree in Information Technology: Network Administration. A master plan amendment is necessary as the proposed program will be the College’s first independent degree program in the discipline of physical sciences. The Information Technology program will continue to be offered by the Alliance.

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 authorize the amendment of the master plan of the State University of New York authorizing the State University of New York College of Technology at Delhi to offer a Bachelor of Technology degree program in Information Technology: Network Administration. 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 program leading to the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech.) degree in Information Technology: Network Administration will prepare graduates to enter the workforce as specialists in the area of Network Administration who can meet the challenges associated with information systems distributed networks. IT professionals need to manage the integration of diverse computers, networks, voice, video and data communications systems, and operating systems. They will need to communicate with the personnel who design, program, manage, maintain and support systems.

Students in the proposed program will complete 131 credit hours of undergraduate coursework. The curriculum was developed by the business management and technology faculty with strong support and input from the department’s advisory board and technical managers working in the field. The program requirements include courses in the major, a business core, coursework in the liberal arts and sciences, and electives. The technical electives of the proposed program provide students with the opportunity to obtain knowledge in several areas of management, computer specialization, and general business. The program is designed to complement the technical preparation in computer information systems and related curricula at the associate degree level by the community colleges and technical colleges.

Applicants to the proposed program must have a minimum of four units of high school English, three units of social science, two units of mathematics, and two units of science with an overall high school average of 80 or higher. Applicants should demonstrate a reasonable command of basic computer literacy skills. Applicants transferring into the program with a related associate’s degree must have a minimum of a 2.30 grade point average.

SUNY Delhi anticipates a first-year enrollment of 30 students in the proposed program. The College expects the proposed program to attract students from throughout the State. It is expected that approximately 25 percent of the students will originate from Delaware County. Another 25 percent of the program’s students will originate from the remainder of Regents Central Region. It is anticipated that 40 percent of the students will come from the remainder of the State with a large portion of this enrollment derived from the Regents Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island Regions from which SUNY Delhi usually draws large numbers of students. The remainder of the enrollment is expected to come from out of state.

SUNY Delhi has allocated appropriate resources for the implementation and continuation of the program. Budgeted costs include allocations for equipment expenses to upgrade the network computer laboratory in addition to laboratory upgrades completed in summer 2005; and faculty and staff expenditures. The Resnick Library holds an appropriate print and electronic collection to support the program and the College has committed funds to continue to increase library holdings for the program.

All faculty hired for the proposed program have graduate degrees in their respective fields. Two faculty members teaching in the program hold doctoral degrees, and the remaining hold master's degrees. In keeping with standard practice, a canvass was conducted of institutions of higher education in the Central region. There were two responses to the canvass; the responses supported the program.

There is evidence of strong demand for the proposed program among potential students and the business community. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that computer systems and the related services industry remains one of the ten fastest growing industries in the nation. Within New York State, the DOL lists employment for network and computer systems administrators to increase by 58 percent by 2010 and an increase of 47 percent for network systems and data communications analysts. In the Central New York Region, DOL estimates the increase to be 64.3 percent and 48 percent respectively; and in the Capital Region, an increase of 56.9 percent and 66.7 percent respectively for the same time period.