Education
New and enhanced academic programs respond to state workforce needs, spur student interest
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Aug 19, 2010 - 9:29 AM

The Connecticut State University System, with an eye towards the state’s workforce needs and the job prospects of graduates from Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities, has added an innovative array of new academic degree programs, majors and concentrations in recent years, attracting enthusiastic and well-qualified students.

Academic programs in fields including science, nursing, engineering, journalism, and sustainable energy, as well as new initiatives in teaching, professional writing, and financial literacy, have been launched in recent years – including some beginning this fall – highlighting the expertise of faculty and the interest of students. Some of the program highlights include:

Central:

New academic programs that respond to some of Connecticut’s most urgent workforce needs include a new BS in Nursing program and a BS in Civil Engineering. “Our new nursing degree program is in step with the most current research that calls for a more highly educated nursing workforce,” says Linda Wagner, chair of the department. She refers to a Carnegie Foundation Report in January 2010 voicing strong support of high quality baccalaureate degree programs that transform how nurses are prepared for contemporary practice and leadership roles. “In addition to being a primary caregiver, today’s nurse must be educated as a leader who is able to delegate, work on a team, and advocate for the patient.”

The new BSN program was approved by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education and the Connecticut Department of Public Health in June 2008 to supplement and enhance CCSU’s existing RN-to-BSN program, which was established more than two decades ago and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The program is fully accredited by CCNE until 2016.

The Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education licensed Central in June 2009 to begin its first civil engineering program and students were admitted last fall. The civil engineering program provides a solid foundation for graduates to enter a variety of specialized fields. Graduates will be prepared in advanced mathematics and science and will know the fundamental engineering sciences common to most engineering disciplines (statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and mechanics of materials) and a solid undergraduate foundation in general civil engineering principles.

Central’s new BA in Journalism program, which includes coursework on web journalism, was also accredited by the state a year ago and has already attracted faculty with experience in the field as well as the next generation of journalists. Recently, WNPR’s John Dankosky was selected to hold the university’s endowed chair in journalism for the upcoming academic year. In addition, Central modified its BS in Earth Sciences program earlier this year to add specializations in geology and Earth Sciences. Central has also modified its BS degree program in Technology and Engineering Education to recognize its emphasis on engineering, and the university was accredited to begin an MS program in Construction Management.

Eastern:

At Eastern, Fred Loxsom, endowed chair of Sustainable Energy Studies, worked with colleagues in the Environmental Earth Science Department to develop an Energy Science track within the Bachelor of Science Environmental Earth Science (EES) major. The new track was offered for the first time in the spring 2010 semester. Students complete a core course in earth science as well as a sequence of courses that will prepare them to understand energy-related environmental issues and policies, and to design, analyze and monitor fossil fuel and renewable energy systems.

"This is an exciting development in the Environmental Earth Science Department," said department chair Drew Hyatt. "We are very pleased to be able to offer a track grounded in Earth Science that will prepare students to understand the science behind sustainable energy. This program broadens geosciences at Eastern and is already drawing new majors to the program." The department also offers an interdisciplinary minor in the field.

A new interdisciplinary major in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management was started at Eastern in fall 2010, and features core courses offered through the Departments of Economics, Business Administration, and Psychology. Courses in the new major range from organizational behavior to industrial psychology, supervision and employment law.

Eastern also has been hard at work matching new program offerings to the state’s workforce needs, including two new “Green” Certificates in Sustainable Energy Management offered through the School of Continuing Education, courses in robotics and nanotechnology, and a new minor in Game Design.

Southern:

At Southern, a new sixth year diploma program, “educational coach,” will be offered to certified teachers, administrators, counselors and school psychologists – the first of its kind in the state. The program will provide classroom management techniques meeting the needs of students of all abilities and backgrounds.

Southern also modified its MS in Nursing (MSN) program to include a Clinical Nurse Leader Track, and launched the Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) program in nursing. The intensive program, which enables students to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in just 12 months, is designed for individuals who are looking to make a career change into nursing and who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field. The program has produced 56 graduates to date and 40 students are now enrolled in its fourth cohort – twice the size of the inaugural group. A new agreement will also enable students accepted into an associate’s degree program at any of the state’s community colleges to also be accepted into the baccalaureate degree nursing program at Southern.

“Our primary goal for this program is to produce more baccalaureate degree-prepared registered nurses in Connecticut,” said Lisa Rebeschi, nursing department chair.

Another unique program at Southern is the new Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing – Connecticut’s first full-residency program in this discipline. The M.F.A. is essentially the equivalent of the Ph.D. in its field, preparing students to become published writers and to seek jobs as university-level writing instructors. “M.F.A.s prepare people to be flexible thinkers, great written communicators and facilitators in groups, but personal enrichment is really the draw,” said English Professor Tim Parrish, one of the architects of the new program. “Students get to be part of a serious community of writers.”

Increasing interest nationwide in forensic science helped drive the establishment of a minor at Southern, offered for the first time last fall. The program addresses topics such as crime scene documentation and reconstruction, criminalistics and DNA analysis. This interdisciplinary minor helps students prepare themselves for careers in criminal justice, law, government and academia, among other areas.

Western:

Western’s MA in Teaching (MAT) is helping college graduates change careers and become teachers. Well-established for more than a year, the program offers not only a master’s degree, but the required state certification to teach biology, math or Spanish in secondary schools in Connecticut. Due to the high level of interest, the university is seeking state approval for an MAT program for primary school teachers.

Western’s new BA in Musical Theatre, to be offered this fall, will not only offer training and performance experience in New York City and internationally, but will also provide contact with industry professions from musical powerhouses worldwide. The program includes courses in acting, dance training, voice instruction, music theory, voice and diction and theatre history.
“There is no other school in the country that offers the training and performance opportunities that we do — with a very caring and professional faculty at public university prices,” said theater arts department chairman Sal Trapani. Performance opportunities include the annual New York showcase and Edinburgh Festive Fringe, as well as travel to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and the Humana Festival in Louisville, Ky.

Western’s low-residency MFA in Creative and Professional Writing addresses a reality that MFA graduates have known for many years: there are few teaching jobs available in creative writing and they frequently find it necessary to master multiple genres. But writers who have deep interest in genres other than poetry and fiction find few options for study in most MFA programs. The MFA at Western offers the aspiring writer training in both creative and practical writing. Because only two one-week sessions a year are required on campus, with most of the work completed online, the program is perfect for those who are unable to take a year or two off to go to school full time.

At a time of rising indebtedness among college students and heightened economic uncertainty, Western has also created the Financial Literacy Institute at WCSU to help students learn to make informed financial decisions that will benefit them throughout their lives. Topics such as how to create a budget, buy a car, preventing identity theft and how to save enough to pay back college loans are covered by the institute, which operates through the Ancell School of Business.

“Our nation’s economic success rests with the ability of its citizens to understand personal finance and economics, and to put that understanding into practice,” said Dr. Allen Morton, dean of the Ancell School of Business. “Economic education helps students learn to make decisions about their personal and shared resources, their role in the economy, and the need for analytical thinking. In short, informed students will grow up to be informed citizens, workers, voters and taxpayers.”

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