RECOMMENDATIONS
After a lengthy process of review, outlined in other sections of this report, the Academic Master Planning Steering Committee voted to make the recommendations presented below. The recommendations identified programs as Programs of Nationally Recognized Excellence (PNRE), Programs Targeted for Enhancement (PTE), and Programs of Pride. Committee members are aware that the university has many excellent programs, not identified below, that will continue to receive support and respect, to provide excellent educational services, and to contribute to the continued growth, progress and reputation of Lamar University. Findings and recommendations are based on an assessment of the current situation and predictions for the next five years, and that this or a similar process will need to be repeated after that interval. Committee members have gathered necessary information, deliberated appropriately, and made these difficult recommendations to the best of their individual and collective ability.
On February 21, 2003, the Steering Committee met for the purpose of voting on a program or programs to recommend for the category, Program of Nationally Recognized Excellence. Such programs are defined as “programs that either are nationally recognized for their faculty, students, scholarship and service, or have the immediate potential for being nationally recognized.” Six programs had been nominated for this distinction by the designated AMP review committees, based on the reports from the colleges and non-college-based units. After hearing a final report on each of six programs nominated for this distinction, the committee voted by secret ballot on each of the six. The Deans reported on the programs in their colleges: Dean Brenda Nichols for the Pre-Professional Program, Dean Carl Westerfield for the Center for Executive Leadership, Dean Jack Hopper for the Doctor of Engineering, and Dean Russ Schultz for Deaf Education. Dr. Valentin Andreev, Chair of the AMP Data Team for non-college-based units, spoke for the Center for General Studies programs for at-risk students and the Texas Academy for Leadership in the Humanities. Votes were then taken according to previously established rules. A two-thirds majority was required for a recommendation, and written proxy votes were accepted. Of the six programs voted upon, the committee voted to recommend only one as a Program of Nationally Recognized Excellence: the Deaf Education program. A brief summary of the rationale for selection is given below.
Deaf Education is already a nationally known program which draws students from outside our region. The strength of this program has recently been recognized by external evaluators brought to campus by the Texas Coordinating Board for review of the Doctor of Audiology degree. A unique attribute recognized by these evaluators was the combining of Audiology and Speech Pathology within the same department, a grouping that has contributed to the success of all three programs. Supported by the offerings of the Doctor of Education in Deaf Education, the Deaf Education area has developed into a unique program that is nationally known and respected. Because of the strength of the faculty, students have excellent research opportunities and a nurturing and high quality educational environment. Of particular note is the recent receipt of a competitive, five-year grant of just under a million and a half dollars, Training Hispanic Teachers of the Deaf, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. Few universities in the United States offer training of Hispanic Deaf individuals, as well as the terminal degree in Deaf Education. This department is an important contributing component to both the Texas health care and the educational communities. With Lamar University currently focusing greater attention on graduate studies, it is important to recognize that the Department of Communication Disorders and Deaf Education has been a leader in research and graduate education on our campus. There is every expectation that with enhanced support the leadership of this department in post-graduate studies will continue and grow.
On March 14, 2003, the Steering Committee met for the purpose of voting on a program or programs to recommend for the category, Programs Targeted for Enhancement. These are defined as “strong academic programs in need of resource enhancement due to student demand, but ones that do not command national visibility at this time.” The committee operated under previously established rules. After hearing a final report on each program nominated for this distinction, a vote on each program was taken by secret ballot. The reports were presented by the deans for each college, and by Dr. Valentin Andreev for the non-college-based units. A two-thirds majority of those voting was required for a recommendation, and written proxy votes were accepted. Votes were taken on the following programs: Nursing, Pre-Professional Programs, Teacher Preparation, Master’s in Criminal Justice, Psychology (College of Arts and Sciences); Master of Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Accounting, Finance (College of Business); Ed.D. in Education; Principal, Superintendent and Counseling Programs; Teacher Preparation; Dietetics; New Master and B.S. Degrees (College of Education and Human Development); Doctorate in Engineering, Masters Thesis Programs (M.E.S., M.S., Computer Science, M.S., Mathematics (College of Engineering); Theatre, Communication, Art, Music, (College of Fine Arts and Communication); Programs for “at-risk” students at the Center for General Studies, The College of Graduate Studies, The Community Outreach Program, The Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, the Mary and John Gray Library, the Texas Academy for Leadership in the Humanities, and the Honors Program (Non-College-Based Units).
From among these programs, the following six were chosen by vote of the committee: Nursing, M.B.A., Doctorate in Education, Teacher Preparation, Doctor of Engineering, and the Mary and John Gray Library. They were selected on the basis of their growth and success, and their potential for further progress if enhanced with additional resources. A brief rationale for recommending each of these programs follows.
The Department of Nursing has experienced a 33% increase in nursing majors over the past two years. Because of the critical shortage of nurses in Southeast Texas, it is important to graduate as many nursing students as possible. In addition, to address significant healthcare issues in Southeast Texas, the department needs to develop a Center for Nursing Excellence. Such a center will provide an environment for students to participate in critical analyses of selected health issues from a comprehensive perspective. The center will also promote improvements in healthcare delivery by collaborating with the healthcare industry and community stakeholders. To continue its success and progress, the department needs additional doctorally prepared faculty, faculty salary enhancements, building renovation, and renovation of the counseling and advising area.
The Master of Business Administration program has long provided a quality educational experience for managerial professionals in a diverse, global academy, with instruction in the economic, legal, and ethical environment of public and private sector organizations. The curriculum emphasizes problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership. The M.B.A. program also helps support other graduate programs on campus, including Nursing, Engineering Management, Public Administration, and Industrial Organization Psychology. To continue to improve and grow, the program needs a senior professorship in Entrepreneurship, additional faculty specifically designated for the M.B.A. program, faculty course reductions to develop new courses, curricular changes to update offerings and accommodate certain concentrations and customized programs, and funds for recruitment.
The Doctorate of Education: The College of Education and Human Development has proposed an Ed.D. with a major in Education, with participation from each of its departments. This degree, with concentrations in Effective Schooling and Diversity and Multiculturalism, is designed for individuals who want to be effective educators in the public schools, colleges, and universities where the primary emphasis is on student learning, quality teaching, accountability, and leadership in the classroom and in the school. The proposed degree specifically addresses Goal Two of Closing the Gaps, the Texas Higher Education Plan that targets increasing the number of students completing doctoral programs and increasing the number of Black students involved in higher education. The program is intended for scholar/practitioners who will be involved in field-based action research in partnership with schools and apply new knowledge in the context of schools. This program, which will require five new faculty members, will be a unique program in Texas.
Teacher Preparation includes students majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, Health and Kinesiology, education majors in Family and Consumer Science, secondary education majors across campus, master’s degree programs in elementary, secondary, and special education, and post-baccalaureate preparation for initial teaching certification. On both the graduate and undergraduate levels at Lamar, there is a severe shortage of faculty in this growing and very important area, as well as pressing needs for additional staff, classrooms, offices, and labs. As the number of students in field-based courses continues to grow, additional faculty and a Coordinator of Field Services will soon be needed. There will also a dire need for a Coordinator of Secondary Education to guide secondary education majors across campus through the certification process.
The Doctor of Engineering was the first doctoral program at Lamar University, and its quality is one major reason for Lamar’s solid reputation for excellence in engineering throughout the state and beyond. Since 1951, Lamar has produced engineering graduates who have distinguished themselves in industry and academia, including achieving leadership positions with some of the top corporations and institutions in the country. The faculty has maintained a solid record of research and scholarship, and boasts the largest funded research program in the university. Recently, Lamar University’s graduate school in engineering was listed by U.S. News and World Report in the 2003 issue presenting the best engineering programs in the nation. However, to this point, the achievements of the College of Engineering have been accomplished with meager resources. With needed enhancements of faculty positions and other resources, along with efforts to garner more external funding, Lamar University will carry its leadership, reputation, and tradition in engineering forward to reach greater goals, including setting the stage for the establishment of Ph.D. programs in the college.
The Mary and John Gray Library is and will always be central to the function of our university. Undergraduate and graduate courses and research projects and faculty research all depend heavily on the resources and services offered by the library. However, the library’s ability to meet university needs requires constant updating not only of inventory (books and journals) but also of delivery technology. As delivery technology changes, there is a need for acquisition of the technology, reconfiguring of space to make the technology accessible, and also training (and often re-training) of students and faculty. To continue and build upon its record of success, the library needs additional funding for print journals, electronic resources and books, additional faculty for teaching the library class, technical staff support in Systems, an Instructional Designer in Media Services, and a Coordinator of Access Services. Space needs include additional office space, reconfiguration of space to expand the PC Lab and the Special Collections area, added classroom space and a Cyber Cafe.
