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Signs of Changing Times in the Academia: Local Universities Offering New Programs Reflecting Business Needs

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 July 2005, 09:01 CDT

Colleges and universities throughout the region are offering exciting new programs and courses for the fall, responding to evolving lifestyles, topical interests and business needs.

The University of New Haven, a private college in West Haven with more than 5,000 full- and part-time students, has expanded two ongoing programs. For example, the university just signed an agreement for a new study aboard program with the capital Normal University in Beijing. Students will have the opportunity to spend one semester taking courses in the arts and sciences in language, literature and culture in China, said Katherine Hinds, spokeswoman at the university The college already offers semesters abroad in Ireland and Puerto Rico. The additional option allows students to immerse themselves in Chinese culture and life, while taking college courses for credit.

In addtion, the University of New Haven has added a new site to its master's degree program in its graduate national security degre program at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. It currently runs the national security degree program at two other offcampus sites: in Livermore, Calif, and in Arlington, Va.

This masters degree program provides students with a greater understanding of the fundamental principles of national security: the legal charter, presidential executive orders and the framework, which guides the national security agencies. Tim concentration provides numerous courses in information protection, studies national security programs, information systems, public safety and management, emergency management and computer and intelligence security.

"The courses offered in this master's degree program provide a unique approach to addressing issues of cyber terrorism, bioterrorism and biodefense, safeguards and measures," said Hinds.

Other universities are also studying terrorism and offering courses on the topic. At Southern Connecticut State University, the political science department will offer a Capstone Seminar series on the war on terrorism in the fall, said Joe Musante, a spokesman for the state college.

"The course will examine terrorism and the war, and run the whole gamut from what the war on terrorism entails, to the weapons and devices used so far, to a study of the terrorists, to the potential for terrible threats of nuclear, biochemical and other types of potential terrorism on the Conecticut-New York metropolitan region," Musante said.

Southern Connecticut, which has a competitive nursing degree program, is also adding a new course in the curriculum, called "spirituality in nursing assessment." Musante said other courses reflect topical and current interests. For example, the physical education and exercise sciences department will again teach a course on steroids and sports drugs. This past spring, it was run for the first time and they will continue to keep it in the curriculum because of the heightened interest on steroids and athletes in the news.

Quinnipiac University, a private school in Hamden with 8,000 students, has decided to offer a doctorate in physical therapy. The program, which currently has 350 students enrolled, will eventually replace its five-year master's degree program. Physical therapy students currently enrolled have the option of stopping once they complete their master's degree or continuing their studies by enrolling in the doctoral program. All incoming freshman next fall will have to enroll in the more advanced program.

"The change is being made because of changes in the field," said Joseph Wood, dean of the School of Health Sciences. In 34 states, patients needing physical therapy have direct access to physical therapists via walk-in clinics, rather than through a physician's referral. In Connecticut, they still need a physician's referral to get physical therapy.

Next fall, Housatonic Community College will present three new programs in manufacturing and technology, as a direct result of what metal manufacturers from the region said their employees required.

"These programs will prepare individuals interested in the field at the entry level and also those who are already working in the field and who want to increase their skills for their next promotion," said Anita Gliniecki, dean of programs.

The first is a new associate degree in the industrial technology program, which can help them find a job or get a baccalaureate degree in the field. The second and third are two certificate programs designed to provide people with a certain group of skill sets, Gliniecki said.

The first is a certificate in network administration, specifically designed to train a network administrator for a smaller company or smaller organization. The second certificate program is for a technical Web site designer, which really reflects the number of companies that have Web sites and need managers for the operation of the entire site.

Reflecting a growing interest in the mind and spirit, the University of Bridgeport (UB) will offer a specific bachelor's in martial arts studies, the first in the nation. About a year and half ago, the university hosted a major national martial arts competition and from that strong interest of about 50 different colleges, the university decided to explore creating a curriculum and degree program, said John Daley, director of university relations.

"This program also reflects societys growing interest in all aspects of the discipline - the science, the psychology, the spiritual and the physical aspects - of martial arts," Daley said.

UB is also offering three online programs which permit students to take all of their courses online - a bachelor's in dental hygiene, a master's in computer science and in technology management.

"The advantage to working and busy adults is very big - they can do their school work on their own time, on their own schedule at their own pace," Daley said.

In conjunction with its already successful IDEAL program, which gives working adults some credit for their work experience, the University of Bridgeport just started offering a program for social services and human service workers with Marrakech, a social service agency in the New Haven region. Students working at these agencies will be able to attain credits and attend courses in the human relations field on-site.

Finally, Fairfield University is offering a new major this year in new media, film, television and radio. With this major, students will select a track in one of three distinct, but related media: film, television or radio. The major will be based in the 15,000- square-foot Media Center, which features two fully equipped TV studios, nonlinear editing suites, screening rooms and classrooms, advanced digital imaging and a large inventory of digital cameras, recorders, fights, grips and audio equipment.

In addition, students with a radio preference will be able to use the 1,400-square-foot WVOF radio station at the John A. Barone Campus Center, which has three studios, for production, training as well as onthe-air and Web broadcasts, said Nancy Habetz, university spokeswoman.

Fairfield will also offer a master's in mechanical engineering to provide graduate engineers with a deeper and broader understanding of the subject. The program will incorporate knowledge from several different types of engineering, including electrical and computer engineering, software engineering, and management of technology in the School of Engineering. Students will be able to spe in the design, dynamics and control systems, materials and manufacturing or fluids and thermal sciences.

Copyright Westfair Communications May 16, 2005

Source: Fairfield County Business Journal

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