Meeting of the Board of Regents | October 2010

To:                                           The Honorable Members of the Board of Regents

From:                                      Joseph P. Frey

Subject:                                  Master Plan Amendment:  Branch Campus in Brooklyn, B.B.A. in General Business; and a B.B.A. in Management

Date:                                       September 28, 2010

Authorizations:                      

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

Should the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment for Berkeley College authorizing the College to open a branch campus in Brooklyn?

Reason(s) for Consideration

Required by State regulation.

           
Proposed Handling

This question will come before the full Board at its October 2010 meeting where it will be voted on and action taken.

Background Information

            Berkeley College seeks approval of a master plan amendment to establish a branch campus at 255 Duffield Street, Brooklyn (Kings County).  A master plan amendment is needed to authorize both the establishment of the branch campus and the degree programs proposed for the campus.  Berkeley proposes two baccalaureate degree programs – a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) program in General Business and one in Management – as the first degree programs at the branch campus in the discipline area of Business.  The proposed programs are registered at Berkeley’s main campus in midtown Manhattan, which is seven miles from the proposed branch in Brooklyn.

            The U.S. Department of Labor projects a 6.5 percent increase by 2016 in employment opportunities in fields for which graduates of these programs will be prepared.  Growth areas include operations management (an estimated 10.4 percent increase) and administrative service management (an estimated 8.3 percent increase). 

            The Department canvassed all degree-granting institutions in New York City.  Six institutions responded.  One institution supported the branch campus and five had no objections. 

            The Department has determined that the proposed branch campus and proposed programs meet the standards for registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.  A follow-up site visit will be conducted once the programs have been established at the branch campus.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment for Berkeley College to authorize the College to establish a branch campus in Brooklyn and to offer B.B.A. programs in General Business and in Management at that campus.  The amendment will be effective until October 31, 2011, unless the Department registers the branch campus and its programs prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

Information in Support of the Recommendation

            Berkeley College seeks the Regents approval of a master plan amendment to establish a branch campus at 255 Duffield Street, Brooklyn (Kings County).  The proposed branch campus is seven miles from the main campus in midtown Manhattan.  The College has had a branch campus in White Plains since 2001 and an extension center in Manhattan’s financial district since 2004.  At both campuses, it is authorized to offer A.A.S. and B.B.A. programs in the discipline areas of business and the health professions, in both on-ground and distance education formats.  Both campuses are authorized to offer B.S. programs in the social sciences.

            Berkeley College’s mission is to “empower students to achieve professional and personal success in dynamic careers and in a diverse global society by providing a comprehensive and supportive educational experience, fostering academic integrity, and encouraging lifelong learning.”  The proposed branch will support the College’s mission by locating a branch campus closer to the homes of its currently enrolled students.

            The College’s decision to establish the Brooklyn branch campus is in response to the needs of its students.  More than 800 students (25 percent of the student body at the main campus) live in Brooklyn.  When surveyed, almost 80 percent of them expressed strong interest in taking some or all of their courses at a location closer to home.  Often single parents and/or employed full-time, the students noted that the opportunity to attend Berkeley in their home borough would allow them to save both time and money on commuting.

            Berkeley proposes to offer two B.B.A. programs, in General Business and in Management, in Brooklyn.  The goals, curricula, and outcomes of these programs will be identical to those of the B.B.A. degrees in Management and General Business offered at its main campus and its White Plains branch campus.  Two full-time faculty members with doctorates in appropriate disciplines will be responsible for these degree programs at the Brooklyn location.  Ten full-time faculty and two experienced adjuncts will also teach at the Brooklyn campus.  The College plans to hire two full-time faculty in the second year of the programs.  Brooklyn faculty will report to Department Chairs who will visit the campus and meet with them and with students on a regular basis.

            The enrollment projections for the branch campus are 60 students in the first year, and 245 by the fifth year.

            The College has leased approximately 15,000 assignable square feet on three floors in a facility located at 255 Duffield Street, Brooklyn.  The lease, which runs through 2019, includes a five year renewal option.  Berkeley is refurbishing the property to house 12 classrooms, two computer labs, mathematics and writing labs in an Academic Success Center, and a library as well as a student lounge and offices for faculty and staff. The campus will be accessible for persons with disabilities, environmentally friendly, and situated close to public transportation.  Brooklyn branch campus students, faculty, and staff will have access to state-of-the-art technology including wireless Internet access throughout the campus.

            The branch campus will be managed by a campus operating officer who will oversee day-to-day operations and develop relationships with local community organizations, institutions and employers.  Branch campus staff will include Directors of Admissions, Career Services, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Facilities and Student Development and Campus Life; a Dean of Advisement; a Librarian; a Computer Support Technician, and appropriate administrative and student assistants.

            The branch campus library will house an on-site collection chosen by the faculty working in collaboration with the librarians. Subscription services will include journals and trade publications related to business and management, as well as publications of general interest. Students enrolled at the branch campus will also have on site and remote access to 63 subscription electronic databases, a 3,384 title eBook collection, 53 streaming media titles and the Berkeley library system’s collection of over 100,000 titles.  They will also have access to local and global resource sharing networks including METRO and OCLC ILL.

            While several colleges near the proposed branch campus in Brooklyn offer baccalaureate degrees in business, only one, CUNY Brooklyn College, a more selective institution, offers the B.B.A. programs that Berkeley proposes.

            In 2009, 82.5 percent of the graduates of the B.B.A. program in General Business and 79.3 percent of the graduates of the B.B.A. in Management program at Berkeley’s main campus obtained employment in professional positions related to their studies.  The Department of Labor projects that there will be a 6.5 percent increase by 2016 in employment opportunities in fields for which graduates of these programs will be prepared.  Growth areas include operations management (an estimated 10.4 percent increase) and administrative service management (an estimated 8.3 percent increase). The State Department of Labor reports employment prospects to 2016 in general and operations management to be favorable.

            Berkeley College representatives met with elected officials and higher education leaders in Brooklyn to discuss the proposed branch campus.  Citing articulation agreements that Berkeley has already established with two-year colleges in the area (ASA and Kingsborough Community College) and the College’s success in educating a diverse student body for professional careers, they found that a Berkeley branch in Brooklyn would meet community needs.

            In July 2010, a site visit to the branch campus was conducted.  Peer reviewers commented that, “in the design and implementation of the proposed branch campus, no stone has been left unturned, no detail overlooked, and no expense spared.” 

            The Department conducted a canvass of all degree-granting institutions in the New York City region.  Six institutions responded.  One institution supported the proposed branch campus, and five institutions had no objections.