Meeting of the Board of Regents | April 2009

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

Should the Board of Regents approve an amendment to the master plan of the State University of New York authorizing the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT) to offer the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology?

Reason for Consideration

              Required by State regulation.

Proposed Handling

              The question will come before the Higher Education Committee for consideration at its April 2009 meeting, where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its April 2009 meeting for final action.

Procedural History

On April 3, 2007, the Department received from the State University of New York a proposal requesting registration of a program in Biology leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree at the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome. This would be the College’s first program in the discipline of the biological sciences.

A canvass was conducted of all degree-granting institutions of higher education in the Northeast region.  The Department received two responses: no comment and no objection.

Background Information

State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome is authorized to confer Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.), and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degrees on students successfully completing registered programs. It offers programs in the discipline areas of Business, Engineering, Health Professions, Humanities, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences.

SUNYIT intends to offer programs in the area of science, and Biology represents the beginning of this expansion process.  A specific goal of this proposed degree program is to offer educational opportunities in several technical areas of Biology. The proposed program will offer three areas of Biology: Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, and Ecological Husbandry which are undergoing expansion and growth. The proposed program will make available to interested students two technical tracks in Bioinformatics and Biotechnology which are relatively new interdisciplinary areas where biology overlaps with computer science and biochemistry, respectively.

The Department has determined that the proposed program meets the standards of registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve the amendment to the master plan of the State University of New York authorizing the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome to offer the program in Biology leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree.  This amendment will be effective until April 30, 2010, unless the Department registers the program prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

Timetable for Implementation

              If the Board of Regents approves the master plan amendment, the Department will register the program following gubernatorial approval, and the institution will proceed to recruit and enroll students.