OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS—ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

TO:Robert Mrtek, Chair

Senate Committee on Educational Policy

FROM:Roger Nelson

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

I am submitting here for review and action by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy attached proposal from the Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS), to establish a new doctoral professional degree, the Doctor of Occupational Therapy.

The proposal was approved by the Department of Occupational Therapy on September 20, 2004, by the AHS Committee on Academic Policy on November 19, 2004, and by the Graduate College Executive Committee on March 11, 2005.

RN:Attachment

Cc:C. Hulse

J. Art

M. Schechtman

A. Levant

S. Kragon

C. Tate

J. Wencel-Drake

J. Livermore

G. Kielhofner

B. Braveman

REQUEST FOR A NEW UNIT OF INSTRUCTION

BACKGROUND

1. Name of Institution: _University of Illinois at Chicago______

2. Title of Proposed Program: ___Doctor of Occupational Therapy______

3. Contact Person Dr. Charles Evans

3.1.Telephone(217) 333-3079

3.2.E-mail

3.3Fax(217) 244-5763

4. Level of Proposed Unit

__ Undergraduate Certificate (1-2 years)__ Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

__ Undergraduate Certificate (2-4 years)__ Post-Master’s Certificate

__ Associate__ First Professional Certificate

__ Baccalaureate

__ Masters

__ First Professional

_X_ Doctorate[1]

5. Requested CIP Code (6-digits) 51.2306

6. Proposed Date for Enrollment of First Class: ____Fall, 2006_

7. Location Offered[2]: On-Campus _x__

Off-Campus ___: Region Number(s)______or Statewide___

MISSION, OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES

8. Mission

8.1 Program Objectives and Contributions

This is a proposal to create a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree program. The primary objectives and measurable contributions of this program relate to the University’s mission elements of teaching and public service “with a special focus on health and medical sciences.” (UIC Focus Statement) The program seeks to graduate students that are ‘leader scholars’ who will be prepared to assume leadership roles in advanced clinical practice, education and/or administration.

The objectives of the program are to:

  • Graduate occupational therapy ‘leader-scholars’ who will be prepared to enter non-traditional settings providing services to urban underserved populations and develop new programs and assume roles as organizational leaders.
  • Provide a route of entrée to academic leadership as non-research faculty members to meet a growing shortage of doctorally prepared faculty in occupational therapy.
  • To meet the needs of employers for clinicians who can function in leadership roles as ‘advanced practitioners’ through the development of advanced professional knowledge via involvement in intensive and focused learning.
  • To increase the number of occupational therapists with advanced professional knowledge and skills that are prepared to assume roles as peer educators and trainers on topics related to the needs of urban, underserved populations.

8.2.Responsiveness of the program to regional and state needs and priorities, and to The

Illinois Commitment.

Based on the goals put forth by The Illinois Commitment, the proposed OTD program will meet regional and state needs and priorities in the following ways. First, the program will support the health care industry in the state of Illinois to sustain strong economic growth by linking its instructional materials, curriculum, and assessment strategies to the interests of potential employers in the public and private health care sectors. Potential employers will be surveyed yearly to ensure that program content meets industry and consumer needs. In addition, one of the three foci of the proposed OTD program involves an opportunity for students to learn administrative and leadership skills geared toward health care administration roles and private practice settings (Goal #1). Second, the OTD program will place students interested in developing advanced clinical skills related to school-based pediatric practice into fieldwork settings in elementary and secondary schools throughout Illinois and in this way teaching and learning will be mutually improved and sustained at all levels (Goal #2). Third, students in the OTD program will be provided financial support through the significant amount of federal and private grant funding held by the faculty. Other graduate research assistantships will also be provided through the department’s endowment funds. This will reduce dependence on financialaid in the form of loans (Goal #3). Fourth, the OTD program will make deliberate and sustained efforts to recruit and retain students from underserved diverse populations so that these students will become professionals that can contribute to the overall diversity of the occupational therapy healthcare force and to the welfare of clients seeking occupational therapy services (Goal #4). Fifth, OTD students will be held to very high standards for learning and the extent to which their learning reflects the program’s learning objectives will be systematically assessed through course exams and a summative, outcomes-based field examination required for graduation. This examination will reflect the highest expectations for knowledge and competence in the field of occupational therapy (Goal #5). Finally, the OTD program will improve productivity, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in education because it answers a growing need in occupational therapy for doctoral level clinicians, educators and administrators (Goal #6).

8.3.Similar programs and sponsoring institutions in the state.

There are currently no programs in the state of Illinois offering the doctor of occupational

therapy. Thus, the proposed OTD program fulfills a statewide priority for UIC to provide a health science program that is “not generally available through other colleges and universities in the state.” (UIC Focus Statement)

8.4. Estimated Future Employment Opportunities:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (2004), the employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2012. Estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the growth of employment opportunities in the field could be as large as 35% between 2004 and 2012. The American Hospital Association has reported workforce shortages in occupational therapy and that the National Association for Health Care Recruitment lists the national vacancy rate for occupational therapists as 11.33% (a rate of 8% is considered to be a crisis level) (Brachtesende, 2005).

Illinois Department of Employment Security projects that the number of positions for occupational therapists in Illinois will grow by 29% between 2004 and 2012, and projects annual job openings for 192 therapists. The nature of occupational therapy practice in Illinois has changed dramatically in recent years. In 2001, major revisions to the Illinois Practice Act were passed to allow occupational therapy personnel to provide consultation, education and monitoring services for clients with non-medical needs without a physician’s referral. This change responded to the practices of occupational therapists in community settings, such as school systems, transitional housing programs, and senior centers where services may not involve “hands on” therapy for medical problems (Fisher, Cooksey, Reed & McClure (2002). Many of the growth areas in occupational therapy identified by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) (i.e. support for aging in place, driver assessments and training, community health and wellness, school therapy, ergonomics consulting, technology and assistive device development and consulting) are consistent with practice changes witnessed in Illinois and a consequence of both the shifts in population demographics and the increasing use of health care technologies that are saving and extending lives at both ends of the age continuum (Malugani, 2004; U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (2004)).

Advances in health technologies are increasing the numbers of people at both ends of the life course who are surviving with complex, disabling health conditions that have a significant impact on their abilities to engage in everyday activities, and participate fully in their communities. The use of technology is increasing the number of infants who are surviving very premature births, which is increasing the demand for early intervention, school therapy, and services directed towards enabling young adults to transition to independent living. Consequently, technology is increasing the number of children who are likely to require therapeutic intervention at some time. At the other end of the life course, the movement of the baby-boom generation into late middle age and the fast growth of the 75+ population is also increasing the demand for occupational therapy services. Late middle age is a time in life when many chronic health conditions begin to have an influence on people’s abilities to maintain involvement in meaningful activities, while older age is associated with a wide variety of disabling conditions that can require extensive and complex therapeutic intervention because of the interaction of many conditions simultaneously on a person’s life. Illinois has one of the largest health care markets in the country (Fisher, Cooksey, Reed & McClure (2002)) and thus these shifts in demographics and medical complexity have increased the demand for highly specialized practitioners in the state who are able to excel in complex, interdisciplinary environments and systems. In addition to providing cost-effective and efficient services, occupational therapy practitioners working in today’s health care environment must be able to make quick and difficult decisions that are based on the best available evidence in order to justify and demonstrate the value of their services. Furthermore, practitioners must have in-depth knowledge of the systems in which they operate, in order to effect change at multiple levels (i.e., individual, family, community, etc).

In recognition of the increasing complexity of practice in occupational therapy, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has mandated that a master’s degree or higher will be the minimum educational requirement in the field beginning in 2007. Mandating a post baccalaureate degree as entry into the profession has important implications for the provision of advanced educational opportunities. In the past, a master’s degree would have been considered an advanced degree, but this is no longer the case. Initial entry into the field must, by its nature, be generalist so that all graduates can practice across a variety of areas. Yet, a generalist education will not provide the opportunity for students to develop advanced clinical competencies and to take on responsibilities of leadership and the role of educators of the future members of the profession. Ultimately, the mandated move to entry level master’s within the field will increase the demand for individuals with doctoral qualifications to fill roles as supervisors, managers, and faculty members.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has recognized that the academic terminal degree for occupational therapists is a doctorate (AOTA Commission on Education, 2003) and has developed a statement of role competencies for a professional-level occupational therapist faculty member in an academic setting (AOTA Commission on Education, 2003). The shortage of doctorally-prepared faculty members in the U.S. has been recognized as a problem by the AOTA. The AOTA has begun to address the problem through their strategic planning process and considerable time has been set aside to discuss the issue at the AOTA-sponsored Program Director’s meeting. The concerns raised by the AOTA are certainly realized in Illinois where the number of doctorally-prepared faculty members is low as shown on the table below.

Number of Doctorally Prepared Faculty Members at Occupational Therapy Educational Programs in Illinois

Occupational Therapy Educational Programs in Illinois / Type of Program / Number of Faculty / Number of Faculty with a Doctorate (nonspecific)
Chicago State University / OT – Professional / 5 / 0
Governors State University / OT – Professional / 5 / 1
Midwestern University / OT – Professional / 4 / 0
Rush University / OT – Professional / 8 (5 full-time, 3 adjunct) / 2 (1 full-time,1 adjunct)
University of Illinois at Chicago / OT – Professional / 17 (10 full-time, 7 adjunct) / 7
College of DuPage
(currently inactive) / COTA – Technical / 1 / 0
Illinois Central College / COTA – Technical / 3 (2 full, 1 adjunct) / 0
Lewis & Clark Community College / COTA – Technical / 7 (2 full-time, 5 part-time) / 0
Lincoln Land Community College / COTA – Technical / 2 / 0
Parkland College / COTA – Technical / 3 / 0
South Suburban College of Cook County / COTA – Technical / 2 / 0
South Illinois Collegiate Common Market / COTA – Technical / 1 / 0
Wright College / COTA – Technical / 3 / 0

It is in the best interest of the state to have an OTD program in Illinois. For occupational therapists seeking faculty positions, leadership positions or advanced clinical expertise (as opposed to research credentials) the OTD is the degree of choice. However, each of the 8 OTD programs that currently exist is located outside of the state. Highly qualified “master clinicians” who leave the state to seek advanced education may never return to Illinois. On the other hand, an OTD program within the state would create an important educational option to licensed occupational therapists in the state which have BS or master’s degrees and future therapists. An OTD program located within the state would have the potential to improve the quality of the occupational therapy services in the state and graduate practitioners capable of responding to the unique needs of the people of Illinois. Finally, given the large number of community-college and university-based occupational therapy educational programs within the state, the potential to enhance the educational quality of those programs through the development of doctorally –prepared faculty members clearly exists.

In summary, a number of factors (e.g. changes in the Practice Act, increased demand for occupational therapy specialists, the need for doctoral-level academic professionals, and the profession’s move to graduate level entry) have converged to create the need for an OTD program within the state. The University of Illinois of Chicago is uniquely positioned to develop an OTD program for several reasons.

UIC’s occupational therapy department has been consistently recognized as a national and local leader. The department has been ranked in the top five programs nationally by U.S. News and World report since occupational therapy programs have been ranked nationally. The UIC's OT program houses one of the two charter centers of research funded by the American Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Foundation a decade ago. The center received the largest grant ever supported by these agencies in the United States. That project involved development of faculty members from 12 other universities in the U.S., Canada and Europe. An endowed chair now provides funding for the director of the center. The department maintains a robust research and development program as evidenced by an average of over $1 ½ million in extramural funding each year. Funded projects focus on better understanding the need for, developing and testing occupational therapy services, especially in the urban context with underserved populations.

The department has also been recognized for excellence in teaching. It was one of two units at UIC recognized with the Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award and five of the faculty members are recipients of the UIC teaching excellence award. The program’s scholarship of practice model, which is the topic of an upcoming book, represents an approach to engaged scholarship that is being emulated by occupational therapy programs worldwide.

Need for Graduates with Estimated Number of Graduates:

As noted elsewhere the need for graduates will be in advanced practice, education and leadership/management. The program is expected to graduate 12 - 14 students per year. Although the number of students focusing in the three program areas will vary from year to year, it is expected that advanced practice will constitute about half of graduates and education and administration/management about one-quarter each.

The number of expected graduates is modest as compared to need and opportunities for such graduates. For instance, there are approximately 60 individuals currently teaching in programs that prepare occupational therapists and certified occupational therapy assistants in Illinois and only 10 of these individuals currently hold doctoral degrees. Occupational therapy faculty members make up a substantial portion of the students in existing OTD programs and if the program graduated 3-4 per year, it would take nearly a decade to upgrade half the current faculty members in Illinois to the doctoral level. As noted elsewhere in this proposal occupational therapists are increasingly taking positions in settings where advanced clinical skills are needed. Given the overall high demand for practitioners in this field, the 6-7 expected graduates will readily find suitable employment. Finally, occupational therapists are increasingly taking on positions of leadership in both traditional and non-traditional settings where doctoral education is considered a necessity or an asset. In Illinois where there are over 4000 licensed occupational therapists, there will be ample opportunity for the 3-4 anticipated graduates each year.

Special Need in Illinois for an OTD program

The most highly qualified students in Illinois who are seeking occupational therapy education routinely chose UIC’s program because of its high national ranking. These students also routinely apply to our out-of-state competitors who are ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top four along with UIC. (i.e., University of Southern California, Washington University, Boston University) Two of these programs already offer the OTD and Boston University is planning to offer it in the near future. Students from Illinois who prefer to earn this advanced professional degree along with their basic professional training elect to leave the state for their education. Moreover, practitioners and educators in Illinois do not have the OTD as an option and must go out of state currently for this degree. We plan to offer the degree as both a full time and part time option to allow practitioners and educators to pursue the program while employed in Illinois health care and educational institutions.

We polled our current entry-level master’s degree students (N= 82) to ascertain their interest in such a program. Our response rate for our poll was 94%. Eighty-six percent of the professional students responding (n=66) indicated that had the OTD been available at the time they applied for the program, they would have chosen to apply to that program as well as their MS program (an option that will be available to students when this proposal is approved.) Moreover, we polled both our present entry-level professional and post-professional students (N= 87) to ask if they would be likely to apply to a UIC OTD program in the future, if UIC offered such a program. Our response rate for that survey was 93%. Sixty –seven percent indicated they would be likely to apply to a UIC OTD program in the future. Clearly our present student body has a high level of interest in this program; therefore, by creating the program we will be able to be responsive to student demands.