Executive Summary

Utah Valley University

BA/BS in University Studies
10/22/2013

Program Description

The proposed BA/BS degree in University Studies is designed to meet the academic and professional objectives of learners whose needs are not addressed through existing degree programs. The degree assists learners in developing essential skills valued by employers and graduate schools (e.g., applied learning, critical thinking, written/oral communication, team work, ethical reasoning, and global understanding) within the framework of a larger discipline. Learners will complete a structured, yet customized, set of upper-division courses under the guidance of an advisor and faculty mentor to ensure that standards for academic rigor at the bachelor level are achieved. Candidates for the degree will focus on intellectual skills and integrative knowledge by enrolling in courses in a general disciplinary area with intentionally-selected, specialized knowledge courses that contribute to an integrated whole. The degree draws on the model of integration outlined in the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) produced by the Lumina Foundation in January 2011. The DQP “emphasizes the integration of ideas, methods, practice, and theory across broad and specialized knowledge realms.”[1] Under the direction of a faculty member, students will propose and complete a capstone course, which will involve reflection and a synthesis of learning that demonstrates achievement of the learning outcomes for the degree.

Role and Mission Fit

Utah Valley University is classified by Regent’s Policy as a Master’s University with associate and bachelor degree programs, including career and technical education options, and selected graduate programs. The proposed degree, with an approved Plan of Study that focuses on achievement of clearly defined personal, career, or professional goals in a specific area of study, provides flexibility for students who desire a customized educational program and serves both traditional and non-traditional students consistent with the mission and role of Utah Valley University.

Faculty

Courses for the proposed degree are in place in various colleges and schools. The faculty members teaching these courses have appropriate credentials. The capstone and internship courses will be under the direction of faculty members in departments related to the degree focus, but will have the UVST prefix for purposes of record-keeping and oversight. Because students will be taking existing courses across all schools/colleges at UVU, no additional faculty will be needed for each of the first five years of the program.

Market Demand

The degree supports Utah’s 2020 Plan for Higher Education to increase the percentage of those in the work force with postsecondary educational credentials. Career counselors at UVU indicate that although some professional areas require a specific degree, increasingly employers are seeking bright and capable employees with critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. They are willing to train graduates for specific job requirements. According to a 2010 employer survey conducted by Institutional Research and Information at UVU, 75% of local employers indicate the view that completion of a bachelor’s degree in any area prepares students to be more specifically trained. Research conducted by the Utah K-16 Alliance Workforce Committee in 2010 also supports the idea that employers are looking for a broad range of skills that prepare graduates for changing markets and a range of career opportunities. The degree is ideal for those who may be returning to higher education to expand employment opportunities, complete a degree previously started, or need a degree for professional advancement. It supports the goals of the Utah Women and Education Project to encourage and enable more Utah women to complete a degree. Currently, according to Research and Policy Brief, January 2010, Utah Women and Education Project[2] Utah females aged 18-24 lag behind the nation in higher education enrollments (49% in Utah are women compared to 57% nationally). The lowest percentage in the state (43%) is at UVU. Deans and coordinators of USHE graduate programs indicate that the degree would be comparable to any other degree for graduate admission except for those requiring specialized knowledge or professional certification (e.g., secondary education, radiology). In some cases, prerequisites or prior work experience may be required. They point out that GPA, standardized test scores, rigor of course work, and institutional reputation are considered along with the degree.

Student Demand

The following data provides some indication of the potential pool for the degree.

1.  A 2006 survey of 1,000 former students who had stopped attending UVU for at least one semester indicated that 38% of respondents were interested in a Bachelor of General Studies type of degree. Based on class standing when they stopped attending UVU, the following percentage of respondents indicated interest in such a degree: freshman - 51%, sophomores - 33%, juniors - 49%, seniors - 23%. In terms of gender, 44% of females and 23% of males who responded expressed interest in this degree. Thus, the degree has much potential to increase degree attainment for females in Utah.

2.  A survey of UVU advisors conducted in April 2012 indicated their view that the degree would benefit many students – particularly non-traditional and older students. Some students have accumulated credits that do not apply to a specific major, have interest in a more customized or integrative degree, or need a degree for work advancement. Advisors regularly receive inquiries about this type of degree.

Statement of Financial Support

Appropriated Fund

Special Legislative Appropriation

Grants and Contracts

Special Fees/Differential Tuition

Other (please describe)

Students selecting the major will be distributed across schools and colleges. Initial demand for the degree will likely be modest, thus enrollments in existing courses and UVST courses can be managed within current resources. If the demand increases, additional resources may be needed.

Similar Programs Already Offered in the USHE

Utah State University – BA/BS in Interdisciplinary Studies; Southern Utah University – BA/BS in General Studies; Integrated Studies; University of Utah – BA/BS in University Studies; Weber State University, Utah Valley University, Dixie State College – BA/BS in Integrated Studies. Degree offerings vary from general degrees with broad, integrative knowledge to those requiring a synthesis of two specific areas of focus.

Cover/Signature Page - Full Template

Institution Submitting Request: Utah Valley University

Proposed Title: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in University Studies (UVST)

School or Division or Location: University College

Department(s) or Area(s) Location: University College

Recommended Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) Code[3] : 24.0102

Proposed Beginning Date: Fall 2014

Institutional Board of Trustees’ Approval Date: 10/18/2012

Proposal Type (check all that apply):

R401-4
Items submitted will be reviewed by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), then forwarded to the Chief Academic Officers (CAO) and Program Review Committee (PRC) before being presented to the Regents. K-12 Personnel Programs are also reviewed by appropriate officials and faculty of the schools and colleges of education. See R401-4.2.2 for all programs requiring specialized reviews.
Section # / Item
4.1.1 / Non-Credit Certificate of Proficiency Eligible for Financial Aid
Credit Certificate of Proficiency Eligible for Financial Aid
4.1.1 / Non-Credit Certificate of Completion
Credit Certificate of Completion
4.1.9 / Fast-Tracked Certificate
4.1.2 / Associate of Applied Science Degree
4.1.3 / Associate of Science Degree
Associate of Arts Degree
4.1.5 / Bachelor’s Degree
4.1.6 / K-12 School Personnel Programs
4.1.7 / Master’s Degree
4.1.8 / Doctoral Degree

Chief Academic Officer (or Designee) Signature:

I certify that all required institutional approvals have been obtained prior to submitting this request to the Office of the Commissioner.

______

Signature Date: MM/DD/YEAR

Printed Name: Ian Wilson

Utah Valley University

BA/BS University Studies

05/17/2012

Section I: The Request

Utah Valley University requests approval to offer Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science in University Studies (UVST) effective Fall 2014. This program has been approved by the institutional Board of Trustees on October 18, 2012.

Section II: Program Description

Complete Program Description

The proposed BA/BS degree in University Studies is designed to meet the academic and professional objectives of learners whose needs are not addressed through existing degree programs. The degree assists learners in developing essential skills valued by employers and graduate schools (e.g., applied learning, critical thinking, written/oral communication, team work, ethical reasoning, and global understanding) within the framework of a larger discipline. Learners will complete a structured, yet customized, set of upper-division courses under the guidance of an advisor and faculty mentor to ensure that standards for academic rigor at the bachelor level are achieved. Candidates for the degree will focus on intellectual skills and integrative knowledge by enrolling in courses in a general disciplinary area with intentionally-selected, specialized knowledge courses that contribute to an integrated whole and by completing a capstone experience that further prepares them for their chosen professions or graduate school admission. Under the direction of a faculty member, students will propose and complete the capstone course, which will involve reflection and a synthesis of learning that demonstrates achievement of the learning outcomes for the degree.

Purpose of Degree

The degree provides flexibility for students who desire an integrative educational program for personal, career, or professional goals. It is suited to traditional and non-traditional students who have a clear sense of their future and how earning such a degree will help them achieve their professional goals. The degree provides the opportunity to connect concepts, theories, and practices from across disciplines to produce new knowledge, insights, and perspectives through an articulated plan of study.

Inherent in the degree is an intentionality of purpose in that the student, under the mentorship of a faculty mentor, identifies needed knowledge, skills, and abilities that are aligned with an articulated career path. The capstone experience in the form of an internship, portfolio, or research project will require students to synthesize and apply their learning. As part of this experience, students will reflect on how they have met the designated outcomes for the degree. In essence, the degree is for self-directed learners who know their interests and can design with faculty support a program of study that will result in the learning and qualifications needed to reach their goals.

The Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) produced by the Lumina Foundation for Education in January 2011[4] identifies five basic cores of learning, including Intellectual Skills, Applied Learning, Civic Learning, Specialized Knowledge, and Broad/Integrative Knowledge that every graduate at each degree level should be able to demonstrate in increasing levels of complexity as the student progresses from the associate to the bachelor to the master’s degree level. The DQP “emphasizes the integration of ideas, methods, practice and theory across broad and specialized knowledge realms.”[5] “Looking to the future, because current and prospective students will face changing workplace demands, new technologies, civic challenges, and expanded parameters of knowledge, the degree profile emphasizes analysis, adaption, and application within both occupational fields and the art and sciences. Many students will change jobs and even fields several times during their lives. Therefore, the degree profile strongly emphasizes the kinds of crosscutting competencies that graduates need for continuous learning in complex and changing environments.”6

This degree supports the model of integration described by the DQP by giving students the opportunity to create with guidance their own plan for educational achievement that crosses specialized knowledge and disciplinary boundaries, but still incorporates the basic cores of learning described by the DQP. These cores are distributed among and included in the Essential Learning Outcomes required of all graduates earning bachelor degrees from UVU. By requiring the standard General Education Requirements as a base and then building on that foundation with an intentional core of required and specialized upper division courses designed to add, strengthen, and integrate institutional learning outcomes in areas of individual interest, the BA or BS in University Studies Degree encourages a customized educational plan that meets or may exceed standards of academic rigor. The requirement of the capstone experience and demonstration of resulting reflection, synthesis, and integration is a key element to evidence successful achievement of academic goals.

To be accepted into the degree program, students will design a plan with the assistance of a faculty mentor and advisor. The plan must logically connect the course work across disciplines, appropriately sequence the courses to build on previous learning, demonstrate a synthesis of divergent theories and practices, and show evidence of how this synthesis will result in new insights and perspectives. The plan will assist learners to reach their professional goals and achieve essential learning outcomes such as critical and creative thinking, oral and written communication, personal and social responsibility, integrated and applied learning, and knowledge foundations, which have been identified within UVU’s Essential Learning Outcomes. The student’s plan will be entered into a curriculum map which will show the courses already completed and the courses planned for each remaining semester. The curriculum map will indicate to what degree each course addresses the Essential Learning Outcomes. It will also require the student to summarize how the course sequence will provide logical building of knowledge, skills, and competencies, and to summarize how the set of chosen courses constitutes a cohesive, integrated program that meets the academic goals of the student.

Students may apply up to 16 credit hours of experiential credit to the degree under the direction of the applicable department in which the courses reside and in keeping with current policy for granting such credit. The degree plan will require approval of the faculty mentor, dean of the college or school in which the focus is situated, and the dean of University College, where the degree will reside.

Institutional Readiness

The proposed degree can be offered immediately as it requires no new faculty or advisors and the curriculum is in place. The degree will be administered through University College where the Associate of Science and the Associate of Arts degrees in University Studies (UVST) reside. These degrees accommodate students who have not yet selected a major in a particular discipline or who desire a general degree. The proposed degree program supports the mission of University College to connect academic and social systems across the institution in a holistic way, draw from areas of expertise across the university, and provide students with needed knowledge foundations and academic support to aid success.