State-owned universities to offer more new degree programs
Leadership of Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities has announced a second wave of degree programs under an expedited approval process, bringing to 21 the number of new degrees unveiled since January as the schools try to match more campus offerings to high-demand careers.
The system also said 15 other programs have been placed in moratorium under a review procedure aimed at ensuring that classroom instruction remains relevant.
Of the 12 introduced Monday, 10 are on campuses in Western Pennsylvania, including California University of Pennsylvania, which is offering seven new bachelor of science degrees within business administration starting this fall.
The seven, formerly concentrations within undergraduate majors at Cal U, are accounting, economics, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, and interdisciplinary studies in business and commerce, officials at the system and Cal U said.
Rounding out the 12 new degree programs are:
• Associate in Applied Science in culinary arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania;
• Bachelor of Science in public relations at Kutztown University;
• Master of Science in information technology at Bloomsburg University;
• Master of Science in hospitality and tourism management at Slippery Rock University;
• Educational Specialist in school psychology at IUP.
Earlier this month, the first nine expedited approvals were announced, all authorized by interim State System of Higher Education chancellor Karen Whitneyafter a review by her staff.
Previously, each new program required approval by the
system’s board of governors, which meets four times a year.
“This latest round of program approvals further demonstrates the strides we have made as we move forward in redesigning the State System to be more agile and more responsive to the needs of our students and their future employers,” she said. “People ask me how our system redesign efforts are helping students, and all I have to do is point to this growing list of high-demand programs.”
The 14 universities of the State System of Higher Education are working to redesign offerings to reverse enrollment losses of roughly 17,000 students since enrollment at those schools collectively peaked at nearly 120,000 in 2010.
The other schools that make up the 14 state-owned universities are Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg and West Chester.