State University Memorandum of New York to Presidents Date: June 30, 2000 Vo. 00 No. I From: Office of the Provost and Vice Chanceor for Academic Affairs SLbject: Guideines for the Consideration o New Undergraduate Degree Programs in Environmenta Science/Studies To: Presidents, State-operated Campuscs President, Fashion Institute of Technoogy The purpose of this memorandum is to promugate a new poicy document on the dcveoprnent of programs at State University campuses: Guideines for the Consideration o IJndergraduate Degree Programs in Environmenta Science/Studies. These guideines are intended to assist campuses in the panning of such programs and to make expicit operative criteria in the system eve review of these program proposas. This poicy is a natura cjutgrowth 01 the State University Mission Review initiative. As part o that process, System Administration has been paying particuar attention o issues of competition and unwarraicd dupication of programs, ;rs we as the synergies and quaity enhancements rrirtc possibe by appropriate review and utimate coahoraion. We are we into an era when the magnitude of the impact of humanity on the natura environment. and the resuting effects on the Kuturc of our society. are not ony widey understood, but aso recognized as being an essentia cement of our governance unc panning. It is without doubt one of the foremost duties of the academic community o bc in a Icadcrship position in this irreti. and it is the position of the State University o New York thirt our System is, and wi continue to he. a mode for universities wordwide. By adopting rhcsc guideines. WC: ;II C strcngthcning the resources and effcctivcness o a our component parts, and better serving I he peope of New York - and of a society. In December. this of icc circuated ir drai poicy to carnpuscs i)r rcvicw irnd comment. Responses wcrc received from I3 campuses. There was overa support for the draf. As ip dctuis, ar~~ong hc principa t e;s addressed by the rcspontents wcrc tiic/definitiora issucs, hc status o1- existing programs, and the roe o any one campus in the overa SIJNY program approva process. A rcsponscs were consitercc very seriousy, irrrt key suggcsions IILIVC Hart acoptcd cihcr whoy or in pii. We arc gratc u i)r this I ccdhack, the resut 01 which is ;I poicy ihat bcttcr reccts the historica roe o cnvironrrrcnr~r education and rescirrch a the Siac Inivcrsiy, irr~d the spcci:r roe of the Coege 01 Erivirorir~~cr~a Scicncc and Forcsry within hc Systcrn. whie :ri thrding its institutions the fexibiity they riced IO tourish in the current higher &cation environment.
-2- Questions regarding this poicy may be directed to Kathryn E. Van Arnam, Assistant Provost for Academic Programs (518-443-5496, vanarnke@sysadm.suny.edu). Attachment Peter D. Sains Provost and Vice Chanceor for Academic Affairs Copy: Chief Academic Officers, State University of New York This memorandum addressed to: Presidents, State-operated Campuses Deans, Statutory Coeges Copies for information ony to: Presidents, Community Coeges President Co11 President Rawings
State University of New York Guideines for the Consideration of New Undergraduate Degree Programs in Environmenta ScienceLStudies These guideines appy to the deveopment of undergraduate degree programs in Environmenta Science or Environmenta Studies and to reated curricua in these speciaized interdiscipinary fieds. Poicy Direction The mission of the State University System is to provide a compete range of academic, professiona and vocationa postsecondary programs... through a geographicay distributed comprehensive system of diverse campuses which sha have differentiated and designated missions and in fufiing this mission, the state university sha exercise care to deveop and maintain a baance of its human and physica resources... (Chapter 5.52, Laws of 1985) In December 1995, the State University Board of Trustees in Rethinking SUNY reaffirmed its commitment to the 1985 egisativey articuated mission of the University and endorsed severa propositions for its future, incuding a fundamenta principe which supports poicy guidance on mission and academic speciaization: Increased differentiation of campuses is fundamenta to reaizing the synergies achievabe as a system. In articuating poicy guideines on undergraduate degree programs in environmenta science or environmenta studies, the forma mission of the Coege of Environmenta Science and Forestry, and the University s significant investment in that institution s resources and expertise, must be acknowedged. According to its statutory mission, the State University of New York Coege of Environmenta Science and Forestry, in addition to research and pubic service responsibiities, sha direct its efforts toward Teaching in the science and practice of environmenta science and forestry... incuding andscape architecture; environmenta design; environmenta and resource engineering; environmenta and resource management; widife studies; bioogy, chemistry, ecoogy; the manufacture and marketing of forest products; and the technoogies appropriate to these branches of environmenta science and forestry... (NYS Education Law, $6002 [1972]) Poicy Guideines for Environmenta Science/Studies Programs These guideines are intended to assist State University campuses in the panning and deveopment of undergraduate degree programs in Environmenta Science or Environmenta Studies and reated curricua in these speciaized fieds. The guideines aso constitute criteria for the System Administration review of such new programs.
In genera terms, the course of study for undergraduate interdiscipinary work invoving study of the environment may take the form of either a professiona or career program in the sciences (Environmenta Science) or a ibera arts-based program with a specific or generaized focus (Environmenta Studies). Environmenta Science sha be the term to designate programs with a professiona orientation, that is, having as a specific focus the preparation of graduates for immediate empoyment in a career fied, or advanced study in a reated area. It is a aboratory-oriented, science-based course of study. According to The American Institute of Bioogica Sciences:...certain subject materia shoud be incuded for the major to effectivey prepare its students to be competent environmenta scientists: ecoogy/environmenta bioogy; environmenta chemistry; earth science/physica geography; environmenta poicy, panning and aw; and, environmenta ethics. In most circumstances such programs wi ead utimatey to the Bacheor of Science degree. Environmenta Studies sha be the term to designate programs based in the ibera arts and sciences and which have a more generaized focus and are designed to produce environmentay iterate graduates for work in a range of activities or advanced study in a core area. Such programs woud have minima aboratory requirements taken as components of required science courses within the program structure. Instead they woud integrate principes from the socia sciences, the natura sciences and the humanities. In most circumstances such programs wi ead utimatey to a Bacheor of Arts degree. Environmenta Studies and reated programs wi be ceary described in proposa documentation as we as cataog and promotiona materias as interdiscipinary programs based in the ibera arts and sciences and not having a professiona focus or eading to a particuar technica or professiona career. Consideration wi be given to proposas for new Environmenta Science and Environmenta Studies programs documenting: 1. effective use of quaified externa reviewers in the deveopment of the program, or incusion of at east one externa evauation by an impartia expert, arranged at the initiative of the proposing campus, in the proposa; 2. meeting reevant professiona and/or state accreditation standards and/or estabishing a timetabe for competing the accreditation process (or providing a convincing expanation for not seeking specia accreditation); 3. incusion in a periodic campus undergraduate program review process that incudes indicators of performance and success; 4. ack of unnecessary dupication between the proposed program and other programs within the State University System;. Guideinesfor the Considerufion ojnew Undergraduafc Degree Programs in Environmenta ScienceBtudies
5. demonstrabe need for the program, as shown by, for exampe, empoyment potentia for graduates or oca appicabiity of program resources and activities; and 6. in the case of transfer programs in Environmenta Science or Environmenta Studies or a reated curricuum, eading to the Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science degree, incusion of cear demonstration of articuation with the specific course of study eading to a baccaaureate and appropriate titing to refect the content of the Associate degree. As a function of its egisativey mandated mission, the State University Coege of Environmenta Science and Forestry sha have primacy in the deveopment of new Environmenta Science/Studies programs. Such primacy invoves: The option to review (for quaity, dupication, and/or articuation) in a timey manner new Environmenta Science/Studies programs deveoped by other State University campuses. This review sha not constitute veto authority. To faciitate such review, System Administration sha provide the Coege with copies of reevant program materias. Foowing any desired input or comments from the Coege, System Administration sha retain the responsibiity to make fina determinations about program approvas. Leadership in the deveopment of coaborative arrangements with other State University campuses, which are encouraged to expore with the Coege coaborative undertakings invoving instruction at a eves, as we as cooperative research and pubic service.... These guideines are effective immediatey and appy to a State University of New York campuses. Guideines for the Consideration of New Undergraduate Degree Programs in Environmenta Science/studies