SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS. Full Board *******************************************************************************

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1 SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS Full Board AGENDA ITEM: 12 B DATE: August 9, 2012 ******************************************************************************* SUBJECT: New Site Request: USD M.A. in Counseling and Psychology in Education with a Specialization in Human Development and Educational Psychology, Online The University of South Dakota requests authority for online delivery of the Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychology in Education with a Specialization on Human Development and Educational Psychology (HDEP). The new site request notes that recent graduates with the HDEP specialization are employed as a master teacher in a K-12 setting, a museum education director, a college professor, an assessment coordinator, as the CEO of a grant assessment and evaluation corporation, and as the director of a shelter for battered women and children. Offering the degree and specialization online supports the system strategic goals (Board Policy 1:21): Expand graduate education Contribute to workforce development by offering programs online and off-campus. The University does not request new State resources or new or increased student fees to support online delivery. Self-support tuition will provide the resources needed to offer the courses online. The new request notes that only one course remains to be developed for online delivery. The other courses for the degree and specialization are already offered online. ******************************************************************************* RECOMMENDED ACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Authorize the University of South Dakota to deliver the M.A. in Counseling and Psychology in Education with a Specialization in Human Development and Educational Psychology, Online as described in Attachment I.

2 ATTACHMENT I 2 South Dakota Board of Regents New Site: Request to Offer an Existing Degree Program University University of South Dakota Degree(s) and Program Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychology in Education with a Specialization in Human Development and Educational Psychology New Site(s) Online Delivery Proposed Implementation (term) Fall 2012 University Approval To the Board and the Executive Director: I certify that I have read this request, that I believe it to be accurate, and that it has been evaluated and approved as provided by university policy. President of the University July 17, 2012 Date After approval by the President, a signed copy of the proposal should be transmitted to the Executive Director. Only after Executive Director review should the proposal be posted on the university web site and the Board staff and the other universities notified of the URL. 1. What is the need for this program in this site (these sites)? What is the expected demand for graduates in the site(s)? The University of South Dakota seeks approval to offer via the Internet the Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Psychology in Education (CPE) with a specialization in Human Development and Educational Psychology (HDEP). The program prepares students for a variety of careers in which knowledge of child and adolescent development and learning would be valuable. Recent graduates with the HDEP specialization are employed as a master teacher in a K-12 setting, a museum education director, a college professor, an assessment coordinator, the CEO of a grant assessment and evaluation corporation, and as the director of a shelter for battered women and children. Online delivery will allow individuals to complete the degree without relocating or commuting to Vermillion. The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation s Labor Market Information Center released a report 1 of employment projections through Among those with higher-thanaverage projected demand are jobs in child care, in social and human services, and for teachers across K-12 and higher education. An M.A. in Counseling and Psychology in Education with an HDEP specialization addresses all these areas, and the expanded accessibility and convenience of online delivery would allow for greater response to such demand. This degree spans knowledge across two areas of psychology, represented by Division 7 (Developmental Psychology) and Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Association ( According to these 1 South Dakota Employment Projections for Occupations with Higher-than-Average Projected Demand , December USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 2 of 6 Printed: :03 PM

3 The University of South Dakota ATTACHMENT I 3 divisions, degrees in these content areas could prepare students for a multitude of careers. Specifically, this degree will prepare students for careers in research, teaching or practice in educational settings at all levels (Division 15, APA), and educational, child care, policy, and related settings (Division 7, APA). Children and adolescents represent a unique population. Anyone interested in working with this population would be advantaged by specific study of their development. USD anticipates attracting to this program currently employed individuals who wish to advance in their careers and enhance their knowledge of childhood/adolescence and educational psychology. Such individuals could be in business, education, non-profit settings, personnel management, public policy or other fields. The program may be of special interest to current K-12 teachers who already have teaching certificates but wish to advance their knowledge, skills, and ability to teach and work with children. This degree will enhance their knowledge with an emphasis on the students physical, cognitive, motivational, social, and emotional development. The study of educational psychology and human development is an interdisciplinary endeavor. Thus, education is enhanced with study across different content areas. In addition, students can tailor their program through electives to emphasize a particular area of study. The HDEP program provides grounding in theory and research in child/adolescent development, especially in educational settings. HDEP students can then tailor their elective coursework to apply this knowledge in a variety of settings and career paths. This approach is in line with a liberal arts education that approaches learning from a variety of perspectives. Because until now the HDEP specialization has been available only on the Vermillion campus, it has not been a viable alternative for child/human development professionals and practicing teachers who wish to earn this unique graduate degree. A search for online master s degree programs in Educational Psychology turned up only a very few at non-profit colleges. Master s Degrees in Educational Psychology Available Online, Non-Profit Institutions University Degree Major Teacher's College MA Psychology in Education University of Northern Colorado MA Educational Psychology University of Alabama MA Educational Psychology More schools offer online degrees in child development, but frequently focus on family science or administration. In addition, these programs do not address educational psychology, only development. 2. Is any regental university authorized to offer a similar program at the new site(s)? Is any non-system institution offering a similar program at the new site(s)? If either answer is yes, identify the institution(s) and program(s) and explain why authorization is requested. USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 3 of 6 Printed: :03 PM

4 The University of South Dakota ATTACHMENT I 4 No other Regental university is authorized to offer degrees in Human Development and Educational Psychology (HDEP). Students who earn this degree could also continue with either a specialist s or a doctoral degree in HDEP, which are offered only at USD (on-campus). 3. Are students expected to be new to the university or redirected from other programs or both? Complete the table and explain how the estimates were developed. How will the new site(s) affect enrollments in other campus and off-campus programs in the regental system? The students in the MA HDEP program are expected to be new to the university. Credits Fiscal Years Taken 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Estimated per Yr. FY13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 Redirected from other programs New Students (1 st year) Continuing Students (2 nd year) Continuing Students (3 rd year) Fall enrollment Graduates New to the university (1 st year) Continuing Students (2 nd year) Continuing Students (3 rd year) Site/program credit hours* *Hours generated by majors in program courses at the site The HDEP program conducted a survey of employed teacher leaders from across the state. This survey indicated that 73 of the 116 respondents were likely to enroll in such a program. With current program faculty, USD anticipates the ability to maintain a quality program with 20 new students every year. As awareness of the program grows, the number of entering students is expected to increase from 13 in FY13 to 20 in FY15. Total program enrollment is expected to reach 54 by FY16. The University expects 11 graduates in FY15 and 15 in FY16. Impact on Existing Programs The current HDEP MA program is offered face-to-face on the Vermillion campus. It is possible that some of these students may migrate to the online program. However, the on-campus program has been redesigned so that students may be admitted directly to the PhD program with an earned bachelor s. With this change, most of the on-campus students have opted for the PhD program rather than the MA program. The online program is expected to attract new students from a different population than current students. USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 4 of 6 Printed: :03 PM

5 The University of South Dakota ATTACHMENT I 5 4. Complete the table and explain any special circumstances. Attach a copy of the program as it appears in the current catalog. If any program modifications are requested, attach that form. Explain how the new courses will be delivered. Attach the new course request forms. The curriculum provided in Appendix A reflects a minor program modification approved by the USD Graduate Council in March It is an update from the one listed in the current Graduate Catalog and will be the curriculum in effect with the publication of the catalog this summer. No courses are new to the university, and only one course remains to be authored for online delivery. MA in Counseling and Psychology in Education with a Specialization in Human Development and Educational Psychology Plan B currently available from USD currently available from USD via distance (online) currently available from other universities via distance new to USD Credit hours HDEP specialization core none none Graduate Project none none Electives (9 in area, 6 free) 15 many many many none Total for the Degree How will you provide student services comparable to those available for students on the main campus? Student services will be provided by the Division of Continuing and Distance Education (CDE) and the Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education in keeping with the model used in delivering existing online degrees. Because the School of Education has been offering graduate education online for over a decade, it is very experienced in serving online and off-campus students. The University of South Dakota I.D. Weeks Library has long served graduate education students engaged in coursework away from the main campus in Vermillion. This includes students who are enrolled in online courses. Finally, technical support will be provided by USD s Information Technology Services department. Help Desk services are available to online learners during the traditional work day, in the evenings, and on the weekends. CDE employs an Online Advocate who is instrumental in tracking the log-on status of all enrolled students. USD s goal is to ensure all online students successfully log into their respective courses within the first day of the course. Moreover, CDE has systems in place to USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 5 of 6 Printed: :03 PM

6 The University of South Dakota ATTACHMENT I 6 provide additional student support for online learners including services such as approving proctored testing arrangements, re-enrollment services, and trouble shooting a variety of issues. 6. Is this program accredited by a specialized accrediting body? If so, address any program accreditation issues and costs related to offering the program at the new site(s). There is no specialized accrediting body. 7. Does the University request any exceptions to Board policy for delivery at the new site(s)? Explain requests for exceptions to Board policy. None 8. Costs, Budget & Resources Related to New at the Site: Explain the amount and source(s) of any one-time and continuing investments in personnel, professional development, release time, instructional technology and software, other O&M, facilities, student services, etc. needed to implement the program at the new site(s). The University of South Dakota does not request additional resources to deliver the MA/HDEP program online. A budget is not provided because the program will be offered on self-support tuition and will be managed through the University s established self-support infrastructure. Extending the MA in HDEP to online delivery will involve the development of only one additional course EPSY 527: Child Growth and Development. All other courses are available via online and already offered on a permanent rotation schedule. In FY13, the Division of Continuing Education will cost flow start-up costs of $3,000 for the authorship of EPSY 527 for online delivery as well as $10,000 for initial and continued marketing per year. These investments will be covered by future revenue once the program is fully implemented. USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 6 of 6 Printed: :03 PM

7 The University of South Dakota ATTACHMENT I 7 Appendix A Master of Arts in Counseling and Psychology in Education Human Development and Educational Psychology Specialization Plan B (non-thesis) The curriculum was approved as a minor program modification by the USD Graduate Council in March Therefore, this is an update from the one listed in the Graduate Catalog Degree Total: 33 Credit Hours Core Requirements: 15 Credit Hours EDER 761 Research Methods in Education (3 cr.) EDER 762 Foundations of Educational Statistics (3 cr.) EPSY 527 Child Growth and Development (3 cr.) EPSY 735 Child and Adolescent Development (3 cr.) EPSY 741 Cognitive Approaches to Educational Psychology (3 cr.) Research Requirement: 3 Credit Hours EDER 788 Master s Research Problems/Project (3 cr.) Electives: 15 Credit Hours (9 in area; 6 out of area) Students are carefully advised in the selection of electives so they can develop expertise in an area relevant to their professional goals. Students are then encouraged to draw connections between their elective area and HDEP in their master s research project, which is completed their final semester. In-area courses may be selected from a number of School of Education prefix areas relevant to educational psychology and educational research. These include but are not limited to: Adult and Higher Education (AHED) Counseling (COUN) Educational Foundations (EDFN) Educational Psychology (EPSY) Educational Research (EDER) The most relevant in-area electives currently offered online through USD are: AHED 701 Adult Education AHED 710 Sociology and History of Adult Education AHED 711 Planning and Assessment in Adult Education COUN 738 Childhood through Adulthood Psychopathology for Mental Health Professionals COUN 740 Psychopharmacology for the Nonmedical Mental Health Professional EDER 860 Advanced Statistics I EDFN 710 History of Education EDFN 720 Philosophies of Education Many courses that would be appropriate as electives are also available online from other South Dakota universities, providing even more flexibility for students. USD Site MA CPEd Online June 21 Page 7 of 6 Printed: :03 PM