Professional Science Master s Degree Programs: A Systems Approach Dr. David King Director, SUNY PSM Consortium Dean of Graduate Studies and Research SUNY Oswego NPSMA National Conference Georgia Tech Conference Center Atlanta, GA November 14, 2014 11/14/2014 1
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Value of the SUNY PSM Degree Best and Brightest : Helps retain some of the best and brightest graduates Cross-Trained: PSM graduates are cross-trained in interdisciplinary programs Partnerships: PSM programs build partnerships between universities, business and industry Business Advisory Committees: PSM degrees developed in collaboration with Business Advisory Committees Bridges: PSM programs build bridges between STEM students, faculty and employees Experiential Learning: PSM internships, co-ops and research projects provide experiential opportunities for all students 11/14/2014 3
Value of the SUNY PSM Degree (cont d.) Workforce Development: PSM- contributes to economic and workforce development 21 st Century MBA: The 21 st century MBA - Sheila Tobias 11/14/2014 4
Added Benefits of the SUNY PSM Degree Supports SUNY s strategic plan- The Power of SUNY Promotes university/business partnerships in 10 Economic Development Regions of New York State Enhances economic and workforce development Encourages regional partnerships among campuses Stimulates technology transfer Facilitates collaboration among disciplines. 11/14/2014 5
The PSM Initiative: Purpose/Goals Strengthen master s level education across SUNY system Help to solve the national shortage of domestic students in graduate programs in STEM disciplines Refocus or repurpose the mission of master s degrees in STEM fields Develop new professional career options for students who do not wish to pursue the doctorate Produce PSM degrees = a professional STEM career pathway (not a consolation prize) 11/14/2014 6
Major Benefits of System-Wide PSM Initiatives Economies of scale Shared Resources More in-kind services Strength in numbers Reduce redundancy Greater impact from supportive system leaders Facilitate intra and inter campus collaboration Use state legislative leaderships to partner with campuses Advantages branding and name recognition Reduces risk from go-if-alone efforts PSM infrastructure more pervasive and sustainable Produce greater visibility for PSM graduates with employers Facilitates recruitment 11/14/2014 7
SUNY Professional Science Master s Program Original Organizational Chart National Professional Science Masters Association (NPSMA) National Governors Association (NGA) National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) State, Regional & Local Economic & Work Force Dev. Groups SUNY Chancellor Regional Economic Development Councils SUNY Provost SUNY PSM Director SUNY PSM Executive Committee Governor s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils Sloan Foundation Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Eastern Regional Cluster Downstate Regional Cluster Central Regional Cluster Western Regional Cluster University at Albany Empire State College SUNY IT SUNY Potsdam SUNY Plattsburgh PSM Programs PSM Advisory Committees Stony Brook Univ. SUNY New Paltz SUNY Old Westbury PSM Programs PSM Advisory Committees Binghamton University Cornell University SUNY Cortland SUNY ESF SUNY IT SUNY Oneonta SUNY Oswego PSM Programs PSM Advisory Committees The College at Brockport University at Buffalo Buffalo State College SUNY Fredonia PSM Programs PSM Advisory Committees
SUNY PSM Brochure & Website 11/14/2014 9
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SUNY PSM Consortium Campuses University at Albany Forensic Biology- enrolling students Biodiversity, Conservation & Policy- enrolling students Computer Science- enrolling students Binghamton University Geographic Information Systems- enrolling students Material Science & Engineering- enrolling students Biomedical Anthropology- enrolling students Integrated Watershed Studies- in development The College at Brockport Biology- enrolling students University at Buffalo Biophysics- enrolling students Natural & Biomedical Sciences- enrolling students Computational Chemistry- enrolling students Molecular Chemical Biology- enrolling students Environmental Geographic Information Systemsenrolling students Buffalo State College Professional Applied and Computational Mathematics- enrolling students Great Lakes Ecosystems Science- in development Cornell University Graduate School Applied Statistics- enrolling students Food Science and Technology- in development SUNY Cortland Sustainable Energy Systems- enrolling students Biomedical Sciences- in development Advanced Materials- in development Environmental Biology- in development Empire State College Plus Certification in Technology Transfer- in development * Plus coursework online including Certificates in Project Management and Healthcare Management 11/14/2014 11
SUNY PSM Consortium Campuses SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry Sustainable Engineering Management- in development Bioprocess Engineering (track)- enrolling students Paper Engineering (track)- enrolling students SUNY Oswego Professional Chemistry- enrolling students Human Computer Interaction- enrolling students Health Information Technology- in development Technology Management- in development SUNY Fredonia Green Business- in development SUNY Institute of Technology Applied Mathematics- in development Health Information Systems- in development SUNY New Paltz Computer Science/ Data Analytics- in development SUNY Plattsburgh Environmental Policy- enrolling students SUNY Potsdam Programs to be identified Stony Brook University Instrumentation- enrolling students Chemistry- in development SUNY Old Westbury Programs to be identified SUNY Oneonta Lake Management- in development 11/14/2014 12
PSM Program Development Best Practices Market Study: Do a market study regarding workforce needs and encourage faculty to listen to business partners. Business Advisory Board: Organize a Business Advisory Board to collaborate with your PSM program faculty in designing the PSM curriculum, particularly the PLUS component. Adaptation: Early PSM development should focus on adapting existing MS degree programs. PSM Affiliation: Encourage campuses to build PSM affiliation into program development process. Timeline: Establish a timeline for PSM development and create metrics to benchmark progress. 11/14/2014 13
PSM Program Development Best Practices (cont d.) Sustainable Infrastructure: Build a sustainable infrastructure to maintain PSM programs for the long term. Assessment: Develop an assessment regime to monitor program outcomes. Internship: Solicit internship placements from employers. 11/14/2014 14
System-Wide PSM Summary Vertical Integration: need support from top down and bottom up Communication: lateral and vertical communication is essential Infrastructure: needs to be sustainable Scaling Up: advantage of system wide initiatives Buy-In: essential from faculty, business leaders and administrators Pioneers: focus on engaging a few receptive faculty, administrators and employers who are enthusiastic about a PSM start-up 11/14/2014 15
Impediments to System-Wide Collaboration Bureaucratic Challenges: Complex bureaucratic structures and poor communication lines may result in loss of stakeholder support. Resource Constraints: The scarcity of institutional resources and competition among various initiatives can place the PSM on the backburner. Procedural Delays: Even small delays on the system-level can result in severe delays on the campus level. Pushback from Traditionalists: Potential for pushback from traditional research oriented science and MBA faculty. Resistance: Risk taking vs. risk averse. 11/14/2014 16
PSM Internships Are Vital to Sustaining PSM Programs Internships provide benefits to each of the parties involved. First, COMPANIES get to test drive some of the highest caliber students available for possible future employment. Second, STUDENTS get to receive real world, hands-on experience in a career field related to their specific program to get an idea of what types of responsibilities and duties will be expected of them upon graduation. Third, the INSTITUTION and PROGRAM have a great opportunity to highlight the best and brightest of their students and create collaboration opportunities. Fourth, the STATE/REGION is provided an boost to economic and workforce development. 11/14/2014 17
Conclusions: State-wide and Regional PSM initiatives can have unique benefits Facilitates: Interdisciplinary collaboration Intra-campus collaboration Inter-campus collaboration University/business partnerships Necessitates top-down, bottom-up and lateral cooperation and communication Established system infrastructure enables faster scale up Early adopters serve as internal nodes for rest of the system 11/14/2014 18
Conclusions: State-wide and Regional PSM initiatives can have unique benefits cont d. Creates a community of purpose System provides opportunities for shared assets and services Builds a stronger brand and name recognition Benefits from economics of scale Potential for broader impact on regional and state-wide economic + workforce development. Appeals to STEM related businesses 11/14/2014 19
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Major PSM References Main PSM Site http://www.sciencemasters.com National PSM Association http://www.npsma.org/ SUNY PSM http://www.psm.suny.edu Council of Graduate Schools http://cgsnet.org 11/14/2014 21
Contact Information Dr. David King Director, SUNY PSM Consortium Dean of Graduate Studies and Research SUNY Oswego Oswego, NY 13126 David.King@oswego.edu (315) 312-3152 http://www.psm.suny.edu 11/14/2014 22