The UH System Board of Regents will consider the approval of three degree plans today – in biotechnology, American Sign Language and public service leadership.
Provost Donald Foss recommended the proposed degree plans at the board’s Nov. 1 meeting. He said the approval of the degrees would further educational options and opportunities in different fields and programs.
Degree plans for consideration are a bachelor of arts in American Sign Language and bachelors of science in biotechnology and public service leadership, which will only be offered at UH-Clear Lake.
If approved by the board, the degrees will be forwarded to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for review and possible approval, David Bell, assistant vice president of Academic and Faculty Affairs, said in an e-mail.
The THECB can’t respond any later than nine months after receiving a proposal, but a response does not usually take the full time, he said. Bell expects the board to receive a response from the THECB within three to six months, if the board approves them.
The requirements for the degree plans have been discussed and established and most already have curriculum in place, Bell said.
"The biotech degree is a four-year degree that builds upon science and provides a new career destination for those who are majoring in life science," William Fitzgibbon, dean of the College of Technology, said at the Nov. 1 meeting. "A lot of people have nowhere to go, and this is a rewarding career option."
He noted several area medical centers have programs in the field.
The biotechnology degree would fill a hole in the Texas Medical Center, UH Interim President John Rudley said at the Nov. 1 meeting.
Graduates could find job opportunities in biotechnology firms, medicinal manufacturers and in the field of bio-processing he said. Although it’s "difficult to figure out what they do," students could be manufacturing medicines or using biological materials to produce new medical solutions, Fitzgibbon said.
Biotechnology uses technology to create medicinal, agricultural or food products, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site.
"This degree should be the model for biotechnology," he said at the Nov. 1 meeting.
The Texas Workforce Commission awarded $1 million to the College of Technology in August 2006
The grant was to help the college create a degree program and implement training programs, according to a press release.
Another program that has seen growth has been American Sign Language, and such a degree would be the first in the state, Foss said.
"The degree is interesting; it’s its own language. This program can help individuals get jobs," he said at the Nov. 1 meeting.
John Antel, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said the degree will be the first of its kind in Texas. He added that ASL can be useful for students wishing to enter medical or legal professions.
"It’s really demand driven," he said. "We have to think about the students long-term interest and think about what the market demand is."
The last degree up for approval is in public service leadership, which will be solely available at UH-Clear Lake because of the area’s demographics, UH-Clear Lake President William Staples said at the Nov. 1 meeting.
The degree would allow those who are already in the field with an associate’s degree to easily finish the curriculum for a bachelor’s degree, he said. The degree is aimed for those in public administration who want to learn more about management, Staples said.
"This degree is to move up in the ranks for public sector officials," he said. "For instance, people in non-profit organizations. This came about because employees at the (Clear Lake) police and fire department only had associate’s degrees. This is more for someone to move into mid-level management."
Four degree plans were passed by the board at its Aug. 16 meeting. The degrees passed were a master of technology in future studies in commerce at UH, a bachelor of arts in health care services at UH-Clear Lake, a bachelor of applied arts and sciences in criminal justice at UH-Downtown and a bachelor of social work at UH-Downtown. All are pending approval by the THECB.
