REPORT TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Transcription

1 Agenda Item #4.6d REPORT TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS SUBJECT MASTER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY / DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES MEETING DATE JUNE 2, 2014 TUITION PROPOSAL FOR NEW DUAL DEGREES PROGRAM OPTION Forwarded to the Board of Governors on the Recommendation of the President APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION Presented By David H. Farrar, Provost and Vice-President Academic Report Date April 29, 2014 DECISION REQUESTED IT IS HEREBY REQUESTED that the UBC Board of Governors approve a tuition installment plan for the new dual degrees program option, Master of Physical Therapy / Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences. NOTE: The new program option itself was approved at the November 2013 Board of Governors meeting. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The proposal is for a would be a dual degrees program option that combines a Master of Physical Therapy with a Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Sciences. The current MPT program is the entry level program of clinical training for physical therapists to be licensed health care professionals in the province of BC. The PhD program in RHSC, however, is a doctoral degree that requires the performance of a major research program consistent with doctoral requirements at The University of British Columbia. There is currently little opportunity in Canada (and none in BC) to train outstanding students interested in the clinical aspects of physical therapy practice as well as expanding the evidence of physical therapy treatment through research. In addition to providing this new program option to students, we anticipate that through their involvement in discussions as part of the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) curriculum, students in the MPT/PhD program will be able to infuse evidence-based knowledge into the MPT curriculum which will improve the learning of all students in the program. Page 1

2 Tuition Fee Proposal for MPT/PhD Rehabilitation Sciences Dual Program Option Place and Promise COMMITMENT(s) Place and Promise ACTION(s) Description & Rationale The MPT/PhD dual degrees program option is fully consistent with the University s core commitments of student learning, research excellence, and community engagement. 1. Student learning: Through integration of clinical and research training, students in the MPT/PhD program will benefit from a unique learning experience that will foster growth for individuals and the profession of physical therapy. This training experience is only available at one other university in Canada; thus the MPT/PhD program will help to fill a gap in the training of research-minded physical therapy students in Canada. 2. Research excellence: The MPT/PhD program will train the next generation of clinician scientists who will advance the field of physical therapy through generation of new ideas and research output. 3. Community engagement: Students in the MPT/PhD program will foster community engagement in both the research and clinical domains. Specifically, it is expected that students will become active members in the dissemination of research findings in medical journals and academic conferences. Further, we anticipate that students in the MPT/PhD program will participate in a number of community outreach programs that involve the general public, and are designed to ensure that research knowledge and clinical findings are translated effectively to the end users. Through clinical training opportunities (placements), students in the MPT/PhD program will also play an active role in the direct treatment of patients and serve as ambassadors of the Physical Therapy program and UBC as a whole. The Faculty is proposing a dual degrees program option that integrates learning components of the clinical Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) professional degree with the Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Rehabilitation Sciences at UBC. Specifically, students in the MPT/PhD dual degrees program will complete both degrees in approximately five years (compared to six years if completed separately) through strategic integration of the PhD research components into already existing research opportunities in the MPT curriculum. Students in the MPT/PhD program will therefore provide educational enrichment opportunities by enabling learning from both clinical and research perspectives. Hence the learning that will take place in the two degrees will inform the other. There is currently little opportunity in Canada (and none in BC) to train outstanding students interested in the clinical aspects of physical therapy practice as well as expanding the evidence of physical therapy treatment through research. Further, we anticipate that through their involvement in discussions as part of the MPT curriculum, students in the MPT/PhD program will infuse evidence-based knowledge into the MPT curriculum which will improve the learning of all students in the program. Page 2

3 Tuition Fee Proposal for MPT/PhD Rehabilitation Sciences Dual Program Option COSTS Capital & Lifecycle Operating This dual degrees program option is designed to be revenue neutral for domestic students with all resources required for the program option to be paid from tuition fees. We are considering the intake of international students as full-cost recovery students, i.e. addition to the Government funded 80 seats in the MPT program. Budget models have been produced that would account for future international student enrolment. FINANCIAL Funding Sources, Impact on Debt Ratios There will be no increase in the Department s deficit by implementing this dual degrees program option. Domestic students will form part of the 80 student Government-funded MPT seats (see tuition fees below). Funding for any international students will be entirely through tuition and will represent a source of revenue for the Department of Physical Therapy. The MPT program option is currently fixed at 26 months (7 terms at UBC). The PhD program in Rehabilitation Sciences has an expectation that students will complete in approximately 4 years. It is anticipated that the dual degrees option will require approximately 5 years to complete, given the time savings from the integration of research components of the PhD and MPT degrees. Accordingly, a blended tuition has been developed based on a five year time-frame (15 terms), and an anticipated 7 terms predominantly in the MPT program and the remainder (8 terms) in the PhD program. The per-term tuition will be calculated based on the following formula: [7 x current per term MPT tuition] + [8 x current per term PhD tuition] 15 For international students, the MPT component of the tuition fee is modelled on the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) fees, currently $12,138/term. All tuition fees are subject to annual increase adjustments. The continuing fees to be charged for both domestic students and international students after the minimum 15 instalments will be according to the Research Doctoral Degree Program schedule. SCHEDULE Implementation Timeline RISKS Financial, Operational & Reputational We anticipate the first intake of students for September She will also undergo an additional interview specifically for the MPT/PhD program. Future intakes of students will undergo a similar application and selection process. There are no financial risks associated with this proposed dual degrees program option, as the option is designed to be revenue neutral and no additional costs are required to run this program. From an operational perspective, all administrative requirements will be met by existing personnel specifically, the Program Assistant for the Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation Sciences and the Student Services Officer and Program Assistant for the MPT program. Page 3

4 Tuition Fee Proposal for MPT/PhD Rehabilitation Sciences Dual Program Option BENEFITS Learning, Research, Financial, Sustainability & Reputational CONSULTATION Relevant Units, Internal & External Constituencies As stated, this program option presents a unique learning opportunity for outstanding students with an interest in receiving integrated clinical and research training relevant to physical therapy. Not only will students in the MPT/PhD cohort benefit from this learning opportunity, but students in the regular MPT cohort will benefit from intimate exposure to the research environment and evidence-based viewpoints from their peer group. As one of only two such programs in Canada (the other one is at Western University), UBC will be able to attract the top physical therapy students across the country, which will enhance the already excellent reputation that exists. In designing the MPT/PhD dual degrees program, we have consulted with the following UBC Departments/programs: Jessica Iverson and Max Read of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and Lindsey Kovacevic of Senate & Curriculum Services, reviewed this proposal and provided extensive feedback Diwen Gu, Financial Analyst UBC Treasury, prepared the Budget and Tuition fee Appendix Lynn Raymond, Director of the MD/PhD program reviewed our proposal, discussed the successes and challenges of their program and made recommendations. Viky Koulouris, Manager of Admissions, Faculty of Dentistry provided information about how their combined programs were offered, and how the timing and logistics of degree completion corresponded to meeting requirements for eligibility for licensure. David Snadden, Chair of the Faculty of Medicine Education Council in 2010, approved our letter of intent and made recommendations, which we addressed. Dean Gavin Stuart, Faculty of Medicine, approved our letter of intent. The Alliance, the national group of Canadian physical therapy provincial licensing bodies, reviewed the proposal from the perspective of licensing requirements of our graduates. Given that licensing health professionals are governed by provincial legislature, the Registrar of the College of Physical Therapists in BC (Brenda Hudson) has provided a letter of support that graduates of the MPT/PhD program are approved to be eligible for licensure as physical therapy practitioners. Within the department, this proposal has been presented to the faculty several times and opportunity for discussion was provided during several faculty meetings. In addition, the Curriculum Committee, which includes student membership, has had the opportunity to provide input. Student consultation was conducted by the Vice-President Students Office in March and April 2014, involving the AMS, GSS and ISA. The feedback received was positive. Page 4

5 Agenda Item #4.6d THE MASTERS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY/PHD IN REHABILITATION THERAPY The Vice-President Students Office, in partnership with the Faculty of Education conducted a student consultation regarding the tuition proposal for the Masters of Physical Therapy in Rehabilitation Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Therapy. This report outlines the consultation process, student questions, summarized student feedback, and verbatim response in Appendix 1. Student Representative Bodies Consulted Alma Mater Society (AMS) Graduate Student Society (GSS) International Students Association (ISA) Mode of Consultation The consultation consisted of an e-consultation. Student representative groups were invited to submit feedback through . Basis of Consultation The consultation was based on a tuition proposal and rationale document created by the Department of Physical Therapy. Please see Appendix 1 for the invitation and tuition rationale document. Timelines The e-consultation was conducted over the period of March 18 to April 15, Summary of Student Feedback A submission was received from the AMS. The verbatim submissions can be found in Appendix 2. Organization AMS Summary The AMS is in support of proposal, as they consider that calculating the costs of the programs based on time in the program is reasonable. No submissions were made from GSS and ISA No individual student submissions were received. Report on Student Consultation re: Tuition Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Page 1

6 APPENDIX 1: INVITATION TO CONSULTATION AND TUITION RATIONALE DOCUMENT INVITATION The University would like to hear your comments on the tuition proposal for the Masters of Physical Therapy in Rehabilitation Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Therapy. In order to inform the Faculty and the Board of Governors with regards to the tuition proposal, the University is undertaking a consultative process to get your comments as student representatives, and provide an opportunity for students to provide individual comments on the tuition proposal if they wish. Please note: the scope of this consultation process is limited to the tuition proposal. The consultation will consist of an e-consultation. Please find attached a document which outlines the tuition e-consultation process, as well as details of the tuition proposal that includes: an overview of the program, the student consultation that has happened to date, the tuition rationale for the program, a comparison of tuition across Canada, and the proposed tuition. As well, if you have questions that you would like directed to the Faculties involved, please let me know, and I will facilitate the discussion. The document also provides instructions on how student representatives and individual students can provide comments. Please share the document as you see appropriate. The consultation process will end April 15 th at noon. Please let me know if you have any questions about the process Thank you Ben Report on Student Consultation re: Tuition Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Page 2

7 MASTER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY / PHD IN REHABILITATION THERAPY TUITION AND FEE CONSULTATION TEMPLATE The University would like to hear your comments on the tuition proposal for the Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Therapy. Below you will find an overview of the program, the student consultation that has happened to date, the tuition rationale for the program, the proposed tuition. Please review the information below, and provide your comments on the tuition proposal to: student.consultation@ubc.ca - Vice President Students Office This tuition consultation process is open until Tuesday, April 15, 2014 If you have any questions about this process, please contact Ben Pollard in the Vice President Students Office at Ben.Pollard@ubc.ca (Director, Vice President Students Office) Confidentiality Comments will be collected by the Vice-President Students Office, and only analysts within that office will know the identity of individual students submitting comments. At no time will anyone outside of the Vice President Students Office know the identity of individual students who submit comments to this consultation. Your comments will only be used for the purposes of the tuition consultation. Comments from individual students will be stripped of any identifying information to ensure confidentiality, but otherwise will be provided to the responsible Faculty and Board of Governors verbatim. Comments received from student organizations will be reported as coming from those organizations, and provided to the responsible faculty and Board of Governors as received. There will also be a summary report of the consultation developed for the Faculty and Board of Governors. PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Therapy dual degrees program is designed to integrate the clinical training of the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) professional degree with the intensive research training of the Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Rehabilitation Sciences degree. Students will be required to complete all aspects of both degrees as if the degrees were completed separately; the primary difference is that students in the MPT/PhD dual degrees program will combine the research components of the MPT with ongoing research studies from their PhD. STUDENT CONSULTATION DURING THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Students have been involved in the development of this program through a representative from the Rehabilitation Sciences (RHSC) graduate program during RHSC program meetings. In addition, current MPT students have been made aware of the proposed dual degrees program and have provided input as to the feasibility of program integration. Report on Student Consultation re: Tuition Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Page 3

8 TUITION AND FEES RATIONALE a) The masters and PhD are awarded conjointly therefore tuition is based on the expected amount of time devoted to the MPT and PhD components b) The dual degree integrate the clinical training with intensive research training PROPOSED TUITION AND FEES The MPT program is currently fixed at 26 months (7 terms at UBC). The PhD program in Rehabilitation Sciences has an expectation that students will complete in approximately 4 years. We anticipate that the dual degrees program will require approximately 5 years to complete, given the time savings from the integration of research components of the PhD and MPT degrees. Accordingly, a blended tuition has been developed based on a five year time-frame (15 terms), and an anticipated 7 terms predominantly in the MPT program and the remainder (8 terms) in the PhD program. The per-term tuition will be calculated based on the following formula: tuition per term = [7 x current per term MPT tuition] + [8 x current per term PhD tuition] 15 For international students, the MPT component of the tuition fee is modelled on the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) fees, currently $12,138/term. All tuition fees are subject to annual increase adjustments. The continuing fees to be charged for both domestic students and international students after the minimum 15 instalments will be according to the Research Doctoral Degree Program schedule. Report on Student Consultation re: Tuition Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Page 4

9 APPENDIX 2: STUDENT SUBMISSIONS UBC Board of Governors c/o UBC Board of Governors Secretariat 6328 Memorial Road, Room 121 Old Administration Building Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 April 9, 2014 AMS Submission to Board of Governors regarding the proposed tuition structure for the Masters of Physical Therapy/PhD in Rehabilitation Therapy Dear UBC Board of Governors, This submission is being made on behalf of the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC Vancouver in response to the request for feedback from the Vice-President Students Office sent to the AMS on March 18, This submission outlines the student response to and concerns with the proposed tuition and the consultation process. Overall, the AMS extend its support to the outlined proposal. We agree that calculating the cost of the program based on the time each student will spend in each portion of the program is a reasonable way to calculate tuition costs, as this will accurately reflects the real costs of the program. The AMS would like to express their gratitude to the University for working on previous recommendations with respect to the student consultation process and providing a longer consultation period. If there had been concerns with the proposed tuition, this would have allowed more time for the AMS to reach out to student groups, and we would reiterate our request for a minimum of 30 days consultation for all programs. The AMS, on behalf of UBC students is grateful to the University for including student input through various points in the process. The AMS strongly encourages the University to continue to act on the above-mentioned recommendations in order to enhance and improve future consultation processes. Sincerely, Anne Anne Kessler Vice-President Academic and University Affairs Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver vpacademic@ams.ubc.ca Report on Student Consultation re: Tuition Master of Physical Therapy / PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences Page 5