For an institution of its size UMass Dartmouth offers an especially wide array of academic programs leading to the baccalaureate degree as well as selected masters and doctoral programs. While it is responsive to the educational, economic and cultural needs of its region, its distinctive combination of programs in an intimate setting are an important part of its appeal to students across the state and beyond. The combination of its size and diverse offerings has facilitated student access to tenured faculty and created a tradition of small class size and individual attention. A critical challenge for the university in the years ahead will be to maintain its distinctive emphasis on excellence in undergraduate education while it seeks to further develop graduate programs and increase the size of its student body.

Overview

All academic programs at UMass Dartmouth have been reviewed and approved by the Board of Higher Education. Each program must demonstrate its relevance to the university mission and goals. Each program has stated goals and academic objectives for its students. The curriculum of each program reflects these goals and the course of study is designed to assist students in achieving the stated objectives. Assessment of these objectives is included in the newly instituted Academic Quality Assessment and Development (AQAD) process, described below.

Programs and instruction at UMass Dartmouth have been affected by several important changes and initiatives since the last full accreditation review. The most significant curricular change, the adoption of a General Education Program by the Faculty Senate and other governance bodies in 1997, will have its major impact in the next review cycle. Other changes have already had a significant impact and are more readily assessable in the current self-study. These include: the incorporation of the former Southeastern Massachusetts University into the University of Massachusetts along with a mandate to reallocate resources and programs internally and conform to system-wide requirements; administrative growth and reorganization (see Standard Three); the development of a separately-administered advising center and an increased emphasis on student service and retention; a growth in funded research and graduate programs, including the university's first independent Ph.D. program; the commitment of funds to gain AACSB accreditation for the College of Business; the growth of continuing education credit offerings and off-campus sites, and their closer integration into the university structure and its state-assisted programs; and, the growth and regulation of academic centers and institutes, notably, the Center for Marine Science and Technology, and the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture.

The university is experiencing a growth in enrollment, reversing a ten-year slide, which bottomed out in 1997. While the new growth trend is partly attributable to demographic factors in the Commonwealth, the increase in both numbers and quality of students accepted denotes a better position for the university in attracting (and retaining) students. Our top-tier ranking in national publications and central position as the only university in the fastest-growing region of the State combine with our programmatic strengths to produce a campus that is apparently more attractive to a larger number of prospective students than in the recent past. An emphasis on retention of students through a variety of academic, advising, and student service initiatives appears to have been effective in raising the overall student retention rate from 71% to 78% over the last five years.

I. Undergraduate Programs

Description

Top of Page

The university's twenty-nine academic departments offer a total of thirty seven major undergraduate degree programs, including two multidisciplinary majors, plus almost thirty options within the majors. An additional two engineering degree programs (Electrical Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology) are now offered only through the Division of Continuing Education at the upper-division in a two-plus-two program with Bristol Community College. In addition to these degree programs, there are twenty disciplinary minors and five interdisciplinary minors offered, along with a variety of special programs and certificates, including pre-law, pre-med, and a three-plus-three law degree program in cooperation with the Southern New England School of Law. The Education Department does not offer a degree program and has no majors, but provides elementary and secondary certification programs for students wishing to achieve Tier 1 certification as teachers along with their disciplinary degree.

Undergraduate Degrees and Majors

Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA)	Bachelor of Science Degree (BS)	Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Economics English French History Humanities and Social Sciences Mathematics Multidisciplinary Studies Philosophy Political Science Portuguese Psychology Sociology Spanish Art History Music	Biology Chemistry Mathematics Medical Laboratory Science Multidisciplinary Studies Accounting Business Information Systems Finance Management Marketing Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Computer Science Physics Textile Chemistry Textile Science Nursing	Art Education Painting/2DStudies Sculpture/3DStudies Textile Design/ Fiber Arts Visual Design

Many of these degrees have multiple options, for instance the BS in Chemistry can be earned with a focus on a chemistry, biochemistry, or pre-medical option. Other majors with multiple options include Sociology and Visual Design. In addition, a student can elect to minor in one of twenty fields or five interdisciplinary fields. A full listing of all programs offered at UMD can be found in the General Catalogue.

Program Changes and Reviews

The decade of the 90s began with one of the most severe fiscal crises the university has faced in its thirty-year history. One reaction to that crisis was a cost reduction and reallocation plan announced in 1991, just before SMU became UMass Dartmouth. The plan involved a hurried process of program review to help in identifying areas and programs where cuts might be most likely. As a result, some low-enrollment majors were eliminated and other majors reconfigured or merged. In FY93 the new University system announced its Year 2000 plan by which each campus was again to reallocate a specified percentage of its operating budget over several years. A new series of program reviews was carried out in 1995-96 to comply with this mandate. Significant reallocation of resources has resulted from the process but no major programs were completely eliminated. Engineering discontinued its day-division offerings of engineering technology in electrical and mechanical engineering, and the Music major was changed from a Bachelor of Music degree to a Bachelor of Arts degree with emphasis on music education. Programs which were classified as receiving increased allocations were mainly supportive of the Marine Sciences. The College of Business has also been supported in its effort to gain AACSB accreditation. In 1994 the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering received approval from the Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education to offer the university's first free-standing Ph.D. program. A university-wide General Education plan was approved in 1997.

Oversight and Evaluation

The curriculum emanates from the faculty which exercises general control and authority over its design, content, and delivery. The process is focused at the departmental level where either an entire curriculum design for a major and/or individual courses are presented to the Departmental Curriculum Committee. The proposal then proceeds to the College Curriculum Committee and then to the Dean of the College. If the proposal affects more than one college or may be seen as duplicative of other offerings it is reviewed by the University Curriculum Committee. It is then forwarded to the Provost for final approval. A proposal requesting a new degree program must receive approval from the University's central office and the Board of Higher Education where it receives a rigorous review for appropriateness and resource availability. Procedures for course and curricula approval are clearly outlined in the negotiated Agreement between the faculty, represented by the Faculty Federation, and the Board of Trustees, represented by the local administration and the President's office.

Quality evaluation of all programs is accomplished in two ways. A number of programs are subject to external accreditation standards and review. In the College of Arts and Sciences, the programs in Chemistry and Medical Laboratory Sciences are subject to external review. In the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Art Education, Art History, and the Design and Fine Arts curricula (graduate and undergraduate) are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design. The College of Engineering undergraduate engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (1999), and Computer Science is accredited by the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board. The College of Nursing undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) (1999). The College of Business is in active candidacy status for accreditation by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business.

All academic programs, including those externally accredited, are reviewed in accordance with the University's system-wide Academic Quality Assessment and Development program (AQAD). This program has defined standards and a time-table. It is more fully described in Standard Two.

Special Programs

In addition to its undergraduate majors and minors, the university offers several certificate, pre-professional and honors programs.

A certificate program provides advanced education in a specialized field. Students enrolled in these programs receive a transcript of courses taken and the designation of completion of certificate requirements. A degree is not granted. Certificate programs exist in Artisanry, Fine Arts, Gerontology, Labor Studies, and International Marketing/French. A post-baccalaureate certificate option is available through various departments and programs.

The university also offers pre-medical, pre-law, and pre-MBA advising and programs. An interested student will complete degree requirements in his or her chosen field and supplement that program with courses that are required for medical, law, or business school admission. Each of these programs has an identified advisor who works with the student to best prepare for these disciplines. In addition the university has developed a 3+3 program with the nearby Southern New England School of Law. This program allows qualified university undergraduates to substitute the first year at the Law School for the senior year at the university, thus earning the Bachelor's Degree and the Juris Doctor Degree in six years instead of the normal seven.

A university-wide Honors program is available to qualified entering freshmen and to other full-time undergraduate students as a recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Students admitted into the Honors program or having earned a GPA of 3.2 or higher are permitted to enroll in designated Honors sections of courses in a variety of disciplines. Students must complete 15 credits of 100 and 200 level honors courses outside of their major including HON 201 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Scholarly Research and Writing, six credits of junior level honors courses in their major, and a senior year honors thesis or project. A minimum 3.2 GPA must be maintained. Those who complete the full university Honors program are designated as Commonwealth Scholars.

In addition to these special programs there are several options by which currently-enrolled students, students in community colleges, and students in the New England region can take advantage of course offerings at UMass Dartmouth. The University of Massachusetts Interchange Agreement allows students in the system to take courses at another UMass campus and transfer both course and grade to the home institution. Regionally, students enrolled in institutions belonging to the Southeastern Association for Cooperation in Higher Education in Massachusetts (SACHEM)* may cross-register at another member institution on a space-available, prior-approval basis. Tuition and fees of the "other" institution are suspended for matriculated students carrying a full-time course load at the home institution.

Community college students who graduate in specified programs of major are automatically admitted to the University under the Joint Admission program. In addition, the university has a newly-developed two-plus-two program with Cape Cod Community College whereby UMD courses for the major in Humanities/Social Sciences are offered on the Cape. Finally, the cooperative New England Regional Student Program allows New England residents to attend specified programs in institutions outside their states for reduced tuition. UMass Dartmouth programs available to residents of most New England states under the regional agreement are Textile Chemistry, Textile Science, Portuguese, Textile Design, Visual Design, and Art Education.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Although most programmatic activity is based in individual departments, there are a number of interdisciplinary programs and centers that participate in the development and delivery of academic programs. Interdisciplinary minors are offered in African and African-American Studies, Gerontology, Honors, Judaic Studies, Labor Studies, and Women's Studies. All of these programs, administered by faculty committees from various disciplines, cross-list courses with academic departments but also offer one or more courses under their own rubric. Interdisciplinary majors are offered in the College of Arts and Sciences through the Humanities/Social Sciences and Multidisciplinary Studies programs.

Centers

Centers engage in a broad range of programmatic activities, scholarly research, and grant-funded activities. They promote particular parts of the university's mission, especially involving outreach and research activities. The Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST), and the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture are both well-funded, and recognized by the Commonwealth as centers of excellence for this university. The university also hosts the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center (one of five regional aquaculture centers established by the US Congress and funded by the US Department of Agriculture), and is one of the five members of the National Textile Center. The Center for Policy Analysis works on regional economic issues. Other centers include the Dubin Labor Education Center, Small Business Development Center, the Gerontology Center, the School Management Center, the Center for Jewish Culture, the Boivin Center for French Language and Culture, the Advanced Technology Center, Family Business Center, and the Center for Rehabilitation Engineering. The most recent center, the Center for Teaching and Learning, supports "a wide range of K-16 development and outreach activities" from faculty development at the university to formal programs and relationships with regional school districts.

Continuing Education

All courses and programs offered outside of the Fall and Spring semester schedules, and most evening courses, are offered through the university's Division of Continuing Education (DCE). Although the former sharp distinction between Continuing Education and the state-assisted programs has been somewhat blurred in recent years by coordination and consolidation of some functions, and innovations in course scheduling, Continuing Education still operates, under law, "at no expense to the Commonwealth." It remains the principal arm of academic outreach for the university, operating both on campus and in several off-campus sites. A wide-range of credit courses is offered under the direct supervision of academic departments and are taught either by full-time departmental faculty or part-time faculty who have been approved by the department. Credit courses in DCE have the same course objectives as day courses. In any semester during the academic year, full-time students may take one DCE-sponsored course as part of their regular course load, for a $25 fee. DCE also offers a number of non-credit courses, workshops, special programs, and conferences. The Division of Continuing Education continues to serve as the main link between the university and the adult population wishing to return for a degree or to take courses for personal enrichment or professional development.

General Education

While each college of the university has individual guidelines for its majors to achieve a general education in addition to education and training in a particular discipline, the newly-implemented General Education Program provides a uniform and explicit university standard for all graduates.

The new General Education program was approved by the Faculty Senate and adopted in 1997 as a curriculum for all undergraduate students. The purpose of the General Education Program is to assure that students have breadth as well as depth in their undergraduate education. This is especially important at UMD where more than one-half of the students are enrolled in professional programs. All freshman students entering Fall 1998 and thereafter are subject to General Education requirements as part of their total curriculum.

The General Education requirements fall into six categories:

The General Education Committee, with input from the general faculty, have defined each area as well as set curriculum standards. Standards I and W have two tiers of content requirements: basic and advanced, with upper tier requirements set by the student's department of major. These tiers roughly correspond to lower division and upper division (major) curricula.

All approved courses that are proposed to meet General Education requirements are reviewed and must be approved by the General Education Committee. Procedures for submission and approval of courses for approval have been circulated to all faculty. Once a course has been approved it is included in Graduation Requirements for Students and is designated in the General Catalogue as a General Education course and coded in the semester course booklets with the letter for the area requirement it fulfills.

The General Education committee continues to evaluate courses and monitor the implementation of this major curriculum activity. Members work closely with the Registrar's Office and departmental faculty advisors to facilitate the documentation of student achievement of these requirements. Each department will develop guides for the students to illustrate the inclusion of these requirements as part of their academic program.

Appraisal

Top of Page

UMass Dartmouth continues to be enriched and challenged by its wide diversity of programs and its relatively small size. In this accreditation cycle the challenges posed by fluctuating resources and system-wide mandates for reallocation and program review have placed renewed emphasis on the need to continually re-examine the program mix and the balance between undergraduate and graduate education. In this regard, we have begun to reallocate into professional and technical program areas and to increase our involvement with graduate programs. At the same time, we recognize that our major strength, underscored by Trustee mission statements, is the excellence of undergraduate teaching in a university setting centered on the liberal arts. As in many areas of university life during the 1990s, there has been much program review but little programmatic long-range planning. This will constitute one of our major challenges in the coming years.

Procedures for the initiation of new courses and programs are well developed and clearly defined. The faculty play a central role in curricular development and are closely involved in decisions regarding the creation, approval, and evaluation of curricular proposals. The current process for cyclical reviews of all programs is the Trustee-mandated Academic Quality Assessment and Development review (AQAD), part of its Performance Measurement System. This program was initiated in 1998. All programs will be reviewed on a staggered five-year cycle. In AY1998-99, the undergraduate Engineering and undergraduate and graduate Nursing programs were reviewed, as an extension of their external accreditation process. Both programs were fully re-accredited and both submitted AQAD action reports to the Provost. The Provost has met with the Dean of each College and reviewed their action plans based on the reviewers comments and their own self-appraisal. In AY99-00 the College of Business programs will be reviewed, and in each subsequent year an additional three or four programs will be reviewed until all programs are reviewed and the cycle starts again. The AQAD criteria, process, schedule, and reports from the first two reviews will be available for the visiting team.

The university has continued to develop the Honors Program. The number of students designated as Honors students has grown from 9 in 1992 to 47 at present. The university recognizes these students, and all students with a GPA of 3.2 or above, in an annual Honors Convocation. Students receive special academic recognition for scholarship, academic achievement, and creative work. Further, the Honors Program encourages its students to enter the all-campus University Undergraduate Research Competition. This University-wide event invites the best undergraduate students from all campuses to present their research and creative work in a variety of formats (presented papers, posters, performance). Students are judged in disciplinary groupings. Students from UMass Dartmouth have achieved first place in several categories.

UMD has seen an increase in enrollment in its continuing education offerings, which include several new cooperative agreements created with community colleges. At the same time the effort to better integrate continuing education offerings and services into the larger university operation has gained strength, both through administrative efficiencies and student services and enrollment policies which permit full-time UMD students to enroll in one continuing education course per semester. All continuing education offerings remain under the control and oversight of the departmental faculty, to help insure the same quality of instruction when and wherever the course is taught.

The General Education program was instituted in 1998 with the class of 2002. The new Program contains a clear, stated rationale. This clarity and openness will make it possible for the academic departments and colleges to specify general education outcomes for their students and to more readily devise means of assessment to measure progress in achieving them. Outcome evaluation of achievement in the six categories is under development. To date the implementation of this program has gone fairly smoothly and students have ample courses to select from as well as a variety of ways to demonstrate learning.

The university's teacher certification program has continued in a state of dynamic tension during the 1990s, both because of changing state requirements at the undergraduate and graduate level and a re-evaluation of the role of our Department of Education and its relationship to the disciplines in which certification students major. The Provost appointed a Task Force on Teacher Certification in January 1999 to consider the complex dynamics of teacher certification and the university's broad responsibilities and opportunities in educating future teachers.

Projection

Top of Page

The university will continue to seek balance among its various program emphases:
liberal arts/professional, undergraduate/graduate, and research and teaching. Its most comprehensive curricular innovation, the new General Education program will define the quality of the educational experience for all undergraduates and, at its best, lend greater coherence and commonality to the curriculum in general.

Programmatic richness is one of the positive assets of UMass Dartmouth. Its outreach efforts to the community are related to its programs and include cultural, economic, technological, as well as educational service to the region and the state. We are clearly in a phase of growth in regard to undergraduate education and outreach related to programmatic strengths.

As is clear from the discussion of assessment in Standard Two, UMD has just begun to build the structures that will allow us to identify our educational objectives and develop methods to assess their outcomes. Through the AQAD process each academic program will engage in both self-assessment as well as external assessment of achievement and effectiveness of their programmatic goals and objectives. Outcomes assessment procedures are currently being developed for General Education. The results obtained from both of these processes will help the university to continuously monitor its achievement and set directions for future improvement.

In its June 1999 report, Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers, the Provost's Task Force on Teacher Certification re-dedicates the university to its role in the preparation of teachers, especially in our region. The report contains positive recommendations for a steady allocation of resources to properly support the university's commitment to teacher training, the continued building of links with local school systems, and the close cooperation of faculty in disciplinary majors in the advising and supervision of student teachers.

Next Page