THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Elmira College:  Master Plan Amendment to authorize  Elmira College to offer a Master of Science (M.S.) degree program in Health Services Management
DATE:	October 11, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 2 and 4
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

 

Should the Regents approve an amendment to the master plan of Elmira College authorizing the College to offer a Master of Science (M.S.) degree program in Health Services Management? 

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

           
            Required by State regulation.

           
Proposed Handling

 

This question will come before the Board of Regents at its October 2006 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

Elmira College submitted this proposal in April 2006.  In August, the Department determined that the program, if approved, would meet registration standards.  A petition to amend Elmira’s charter to authorize it to award the Master of Science (M.S.) degree appears separately on the Board’s agenda.  

 

Background Information

 

Master plan amendment approval is needed to authorize Elmira College to offer its first master’s degree program in the Health Professions.   The Board of Regents chartered Elmira in 1853.  It awards the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.), Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.), Associate in Occupational Studies (A.O.S.), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.), Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), and Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.) degrees.  It offers programs in Biological Sciences, Business, Education, the Fine Arts, the Health Professions, the Humanities, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences, including master’s degree programs in the Biological Sciences, Education, the Humanities, the Physical Sciences, and the Social Sciences.  In the fall of 2005, it had 1,484 undergraduate and 367 graduate students. 

 

            One of the Statewide Plan’s priorities is “Strong Graduate Programs to Meet the State’s Needs.” This program would prepare its graduates for health services management careers.  Elmira states that employment forecasts justify a need for it.  The U.S. Department of Labor projects nationwide employment of medical and health services managers through 2012 to grow faster than average.  The State Labor Department projects an 18.2 percent statewide growth in medical and health service managers through 2012.  It calls employment prospects in the Southern Tier very favorable, with an annual average of 20 openings through 2012.  Five hospitals, two medical centers, and the Elmira Psychiatric Center are within 40 miles of the College.  Arnot Ogden Medical Center and Robert Packer Hospital have regional networks of clinics.

 

Elmira seeks to attract entry- and middle-level managers as well as individuals seeking career advancement.  It projects accepting 35 part-time students each year.  It believes the proposed program will be distinctive as students will study with students seeking M.S. degrees in General Management, Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Management, and Information Technology Management. All four programs are designed to prepare graduates to observe a paradigm of collaborative management.  These programs were proposed for registration at the same time as the M.S. in Health Services Management.  They are not a part of this Regents Item because they did not require master plan amendment.

 

A review of the College’s finances found it in sound financial condition.  Enough expendable net assets exist to cover 89 percent of its most recent net expenditures.

 

In the Genesee Valley, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the University of Rochester offer master’s degree programs in Hospital and Health Care Administration.  They are all located in Rochester, 125 miles from Elmira.

 

One institution, Saint John Fisher College, responded to a canvass conducted of all colleges and universities in the Genesee Valley region.  It had no objection to the program. 

 

Recommendation

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment to authorize Elmira College to offer a Master of Science (M.S.) program in Health Services Management.  This amendment will be effective until October 31, 2007, 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 approves this master plan amendment, the Department will register the program and the College will proceed to recruit and enroll students.