DATE: April 2, 2001
TO: Julie Furst-Bowe
Associate Vice Chancellor
FROM: Bob Meyer, Dean
College of Technology, Engineering, and Management
SUBJECT: Program Review Response for B.S. Apparel Design/Manufacturing
The following response regarding the program review of the B.S. Apparel Design/Manufacturing program is based on the PRC’s final report to the dean.
Recommendations for the dean:
1. The committee is unable to recommend continuation of the Apparel Design/ Manufacturing program based on the data gathered for this review. The committee instead recommends that the dean complete a status report this spring (April 2001) responding to the question: Should the Apparel Design/Manufacturing program be continued?
If the dean responds affirmatively, a plan will be needed which addresses the following concerns: the improvement of faculty relations to a level reflecting the professionalism expected of all UW-Stout faculty; the improvement of student/faculty relations such that those relations promote students’ achievement and pride; the adoption of a curriculum which has the support of faculty, students, and advisory board members; the improvement of students’ advisement to the satisfaction of students in the program; immediate and extensive student recruitment, and marketing which reflects the actual purpose of the program.
Response:
The College of Technology, Engineering and Management is committed to the students enrolled in the AD/M program, and to the faculty who serve them. While the PRC could not recommend continuation of AD/M, the college will work with the faculty and students to improve and correct the situations causing the greatest problems in program operation.
The program is currently under continuous assessment with formal feedback conducted at the end of each semester for the next two years.
1) How faculty relations and professionalism will be improved.
a. The goal of the college is to improve the professional behavior among both students and faculty within the AD/M program. A “no tolerance” approach to unprofessional conduct has been communicated to the faculty. Faculty have been instructed that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated. Further, faculty have been directed to cease the practice of involving students in faculty conflicts.
b. To deal with the feelings of ill-will, distrust and unprofessional behavior among faculty, the associate dean of programs for the college has been assigned to work with the AD/M faculty on a weekly basis. Meetings have been scheduled and conducted that address issues outlined in the report and presented by students, key faculty and advisory committee members. Long term, the group will be determining program strategies. This includes long range planning, curriculum revision, advisory committee updates and other program improvements.
c. Conflict resolution strategies have been implemented during these meetings and will continue throughout the remainder of the spring 2001 semester, and into the fall 2001 semester, if necessary.
d. Systematic peer reviews will also be implemented to provide constructive feedback to all AD/M faculty.
e. To deal with the many challenges presented by the PRC, the previous AD/M program director voluntarily resigned from the position. A change in the chemistry of the leadership has been facilitated by the dean appointing a new program director, Dr. Rita Christoffersen.
2) How student/faculty relations and professionalism will be improved to promote student achievement and pride.
The dean’s office utilized spring semester 2001 advisement day to meet with all of the students majoring in AD/M. At that meeting, the dean highlighted many of the strategies of program improvement presented in this response, to all of the students. He also discussed the need for a team effort in planning, researching and implementing change. He encouraged students to communicate program concerns to the dean’s office throughout the process of program improvement.
At the same advisement day meeting, the new program director was introduced, along with all of the AD/M faculty. Many program announcements were presented to the students, including opportunities for leadership and professional development. The annual fashion show, Bobbin Show, and travel programs are immediate opportunities for students to demonstrate their achievements to audiences that include parents, advisory committee members, and potential employers.
To demonstrate dean and department level support to the program, $20,000 has been allocated jointly by the dean’s office and the technology department to purchase computers for the AD/M lab. This was an area of concern presented by the students in the PRC data collection. The new computers will provide better technology to run software specific to AD/M needs.
With the changes presented in this response, the relationships between students and faculty should evolve into positive, professional alliances.
3) How the program curriculum can be changed to gain the support of faculty, students, and the advisory board.
a. A needs assessment will be conducted to determine the need for the program and determine its potential direction. Included in the goals of this activity is the name, addressing the design v. manufacturing focus of the program, which will then direct the marketing and recruitment of new students and faculty.
b. All AD/M courses will be evaluated by students at the end of each semester.
c. Course enrollments will be analyzed, along with a review of all courses within the curriculum, to determine and remove redundancies. In addition, staffing needs will be determined through the analysis, with the goal of interdisciplinary efforts to more efficiently deliver the program.
d. The program advisory committee’s membership and role will be reevaluated. A broader representation of industry will be sought to include both design and manufacturing expertise.
4) How student advisement will be improved to the satisfaction of the students.
Student advisement will be a primary responsibility of the new program director. To assist, each AD/M faculty member has been assigned an equal number of students with the goal of providing quality advisement to all AD/M majors.
5) How immediate and extensive student recruitment efforts will be implemented.
Developing a recruitment plan will be a result of the curriculum review, needs assessment analysis, and strategic planning. Immediate recruitment activities will focus on delivering the program, as its mission currently directs.
6) How the program will be marketed in a manner consistent with the purpose of the program.
Program marketing will be a result of the needs assessment analysis. Determining the direction of the program will be a result of input from industry and program stakeholders. Once the direction of the program is decided as a result of the data, program components, staffing and student recruitment will follow.