THE
APPENDIX C: REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW DEGREE PROGRAM
|
|
Date: |
10-20-08 |
|
Constituent
Institution: |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
School/College: |
|
Department: |
|
||||
|
Program
Identification: |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
CIP Discipline Specialty Title: |
Biomedical Sciences, General |
|||||||||||||
|
CIP Discipline Specialty Code: |
26.0102.123.000 |
Level (B, M, I, Prof, D): |
M |
|
||||||||||
|
Exact Title of the Proposed Degree: |
Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences |
|||||||||||||
|
Exact Degree Abbreviation (e.g., BA, BS, MA, MS, EdD, PhD): |
MS |
|
||||||||||||
|
Does the proposed program
constitute a substantive change as defined by SACS? |
Yes |
|
No |
X |
|
|||||||||
|
a)
Is it at a more advanced level than those previously authorized? |
Yes |
|
No |
X |
|
|||||||||
|
b)
Is the proposed program in a new discipline division? |
Yes |
|
No |
X |
|
|||||||||
|
Proposed
date to establish degree program (allow at least 3-6 months for proposal
review): |
Month: August |
|
Year: 2009 |
||||
|
Do you
plan to offer the proposed program away from campus during the first year
of operation? |
Yes |
|
No |
X |
|||
|
If yes,
complete the form to be used to request establishment of a distance education
program and submit it along with this request. |
|||||||
I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM
A. Describe
the proposed degree program (i.e., its nature, scope, and intended audience).
The
Brody School of Medicine at
This
program will target three groups of potential students: i.) traditional
graduate students; ii.) select medical students; iii.) residents or fellows in
clinical training. In addition, some
clinical faculty at the Brody School of Medicine may choose to participate in
this program to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain a more in-depth
research experience that would ultimately culminate in an academic degree.
i.)
Traditional graduate students.
This majority of enrollees will be from this group and will consist of
students who wish to obtain this advanced degree to provide them with academic
credentials that will enable them to: a. enter the work force in the
pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry at higher levels of involvement; b.
increase their qualifications for acceptance into advanced graduate programs such
as the MD or PhD programs; c. teach in the basic medical science curriculum at
the community college level.
ii.)
Select medical students. In the
2006 report of the Association of American Medical College's Task Force II on
Clinical Research titled “Promoting Translational and Clinical Science: The
Critical Role of Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals”, the shortage of
clinical scientists was reported and a strong case for increased research
training of physicians was documented.
The proposed degree program is intended to help address this decline in
the production of physician scientists. In addition, the degree program will
develop and reinforce the interest in an academic career in medicine expressed
by several of our medical students. Recruitment of a small number of medical
students into biomedical research does not conflict with the mission of the Brody
School of Medicine to produce physicians dedicated to the delivery of primary
health care. The vast majority of our graduates do just that. There is,
however, an implicit responsibility of every school of medicine to seek new
knowledge and to encourage those students who wish to do so. Indeed, the need to provide physician
scientists for careers in academic medicine is necessary to ensure the appropriate
education of future physicians oriented toward primary care.
iii.)
Residents or fellows in clinical training. This degree
program will also be offered to postgraduate physicians to provide an avenue
that will interest a few physicians-in-training to choose academic careers.
Many clinical specialty and subspecialty boards require research experience for
eligibility and accreditation of their programs. The research that accompanies
this experience can be less than satisfying and often is casual or superficial. Through the opportunity to participate in a
rigorous degree-granting program, we propose to set a standard that culminates
in a high-quality research experience and meaningful credentials. This degree program would also be available
to junior faculty at the Brody School of Medicine who desire to achieve higher
levels of scholarly contribution. Thus,
this program will provide an additional level of credentialing for these
individuals, as well as those in ii. above, who will help to form the nucleus
of the next generation of academic physicians.
B. List
the educational objectives of the program.
The MS in Biomedical Sciences degree program will
·
provide recent graduates from undergraduate programs at both ECU and
across
·
provide individuals who are currently employed an opportunity for higher
level positions;
·
provide master’s-prepared students who will become leaders in the field
of biomedical sciences;
·
meet the current and future need for research-trained biomedical
scientists;
·
provide qualified employees for emerging biotechnology and related
industry;
·
stimulate collaboration with basic science and clinical faculty in both teaching
and research endeavors;
·
enhance the doctoral programs at the Brody School of Medicine.
The graduates of the MS in Biomedical Sciences degree program will be able to
· explain and integrate concepts of the basic medical sciences (learners in groups ii. and iii., above, will enter the program with this ability);
·
critically analyze and evaluate research published
in scientific journals;
·
design experimental protocols and conduct experiments in biomedical
research;
·
critically analyze and evaluate experimental data;
·
present and defend research findings at local and national scientific
meetings.
C. Describe
the relationship of the program to other programs currently offered at the
proposing institution, including the common use of: 1) courses, 2) faculty, 3)
facilities, and 4) other resources.
This program is closely related to the PhD programs in the basic medical sciences and will utilize the same faculty as teachers and mentors. The basic science chairs have indicated that they have adequate capacity in both their existing didactic courses and research laboratories’ to accommodate the anticipated number of students in this new degree program. See Appendix A. It is anticipated that funds from external grants will be used to support these students as well as the current PhD students.
II. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAM (Narrative Statement)
A. Describe the proposed program as it relates to
the following:
1. Institutional
The
mission of
The following are points from the UNCT
report that are congruent with the proposed master’s degree program.
A
research oriented program requires by its very nature critical thinking,
problem solving, and creative reasoning skills to define problems, propose a
testable hypothesis and finally design experiments to test the hypothesis. The soft skill of writing will be honed by
writing a research proposal, a thesis, and finally the manuscripts resulting
from the research findings. In addition
the soft skill of oral presentation will be developed by the seminar program as
well as the oral defense of the thesis.
In addition to the usual teamwork required by the research team in the
laboratory in which the student will conduct his/her research, the
interdisciplinary nature of the program will require interaction and teamwork
with others in the program.
The
students in this program will be working in modern biomedical science
laboratories and will be exposed to the newest scientific methods and
techniques such as analysis of gene expression at the molecular level through
chromatin immunoprecipitation, selective tissue or organelle isolation using
laser capture microscopy, kinetic analysis of molecular events through
fluorescent spectroscopy using rapid quench and stopped flow techniques,
etc., thus ensuring they will gain
proficiency in 21st century knowledge. .
These
are constant goals of the faculty mentors involved in this program and are
required in order to secure external funding needed to support this program.
This
program will expand the basic research activities in the biomedical sciences at
Some
of the graduates of this program will be immediately employed in the biomedical
industry while others will enroll in doctoral programs and eventually also be
employed in the biomedical industry at a higher level. Note also,
in their publication “Science Professional: Master’s Education for a
Competitive World” (July 2008) The Committee on Enhancing the Master’s Degree
in the Natural Sciences of the Board on Higher Education and Workforce of The
National Research Council of the National Academies noted the need for more
master’s level students in the sciences in the workforce.
Some
of the graduates of this program will be interested in pursuing a MD degree and
this will increase the applicant pool for admission to medical school. This becomes particularly important with the
planned expansion of the medical school class at ECU and UNC Chapel Hill.
The following are points from ECU’s
Phase 1 response to the UNCT report that are congruent with the proposed
master’s degree program.
One
of the goals to this program is to identify and accept students with the
potential for success but who for one reason or another do not have the
credentials for acceptance into a PhD or MD program. The rigor of this program will not only
provide the graduates with the necessary credentials for acceptance into more
advanced degree programs, but will also provide them with the skills for
success in these programs as well as in their subsequent professional careers.
The
graduates of this program will be in a STEM field. Some of these graduates will become part of
the workforce and become leaders in industry/university/community
college/government clusters in the bioscience and biotechnology industry.
The research conducted by these MS students help provide the basis for future grant applications from the faculty which will help propagate the program resources.
2.
Student
Demand.
It is expected that 8-10 students will enroll the
first year and 10-15 will be enrolled in subsequent years. A stable population of about 25 students
anticipated. This is based on current
capacity of research space, research faculty, and research funding. At present 10-15 master’s students from other
programs particularly biology conduct their thesis research under the direction
of the
The quality of the students in this program will be
closely monitored. The students who are
already enrolled in medical school will typically be from the top one-quarter
of the class. On the other hand, the
students who are trying to improve their credentials for acceptance into
medical school or another advanced degree program will have to be carefully
screened to select ones who have the potential but were underachievers in their
first years in college.
3. Societal Need. (Note: For graduate,
first-professional, and baccalaureate-professional programs, cite manpower
needs in
The Brody School of
Medicine at
4. Impact on existing undergraduate and/or
graduate academic programs at ECU. (e.g., Will the proposed program strengthen
other programs? Will it stretch existing resources? How many of your programs
at this level currently fail to meet Board of Governors’ productivity criteria?
Is there a danger of proliferation of low-productivity degree programs at the
institution?)
As
noted above, this program is closely related to the PhD programs in the basic
medical sciences and will utilize the same faculty as teachers and
mentors. This program will increase both
the size and more importantly the quality of the pool of applicants, and thus
it is anticipated that some of the graduates of this program will be accepted
into the PhD or MD degree programs at ECU or elsewhere. This will result in an increase in the
quality of our MD and PhD students. Thus
it is expected that this program will strengthen the existing PhD programs at
the Brody School of Medicine without significantly stretching existing
resources. This program is also similar
to the MD/PhD program with the main difference being a shorter time devoted to
the research component. This is expected
to be more acceptable to medical students.
Efforts will be made to identify and accept a few MD students with an
interest in biomedical research. The 2008 UNC-GA productivity study identified
three master’s degree programs for low productivity review. Enrollment in
this proposed program should far exceed productivity standards. This is due to the interdisciplinary nature
of the program, its overwhelming support by the departments involved, the
number of faculty participating, and student demand.
B. Discuss potential program duplication and
program competitiveness.
1. Identify
similar programs offered elsewhere in
A search of the UNC web site and
gradschools.com showed no similar interdisciplinary programs. (See 2., below.)
2.
Indicate
how the proposed program differs from other programs like it in the University.
If the program duplicates other UNC programs, explain a) why it is necessary or
justified and b) why demand (if limited) might not be met through a
collaborative arrangement (perhaps using distance education) with another UNC
institution. If the program is a first professional or doctoral degree, compare
it with other similar programs in public and private universities in
While many universities list master’s degree
programs in biomedical sciences, a close examination shows most are in fact
programs in one of the biomedical disciplines and are not the interdisciplinary
program we are proposing. It is interesting that several schools which have an
integrated doctoral program have retained their master’s programs at the
discipline level. A search of
gradschools.com shows that there are only nine interdisciplinary master’s degree programs
in biomedical sciences in the southeast, mid-south, and mid-Atlantic
C. Enrollment (baccalaureate programs should include only upper division program majors, juniors, and seniors):
Headcount
Enrollment
Show a five-year history of enrollments and degrees
awarded in similar programs offered at other UNC institutions (using the format
below for each institution with a similar program); indicate which of these
institutions you consulted regarding their experience with student demand and
(in the case of professional programs) job placement. Indicate how their
experiences influenced your enrollment projections.
No
similar programs could be found at other UNC institutions.
|
Institution: |
|
|
Program Title: |
|
|
|
(Year) |
(Year) |
(Year) |
(Year) |
(Year) |
|
Enrollment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Degrees-Awarded |
|
|
|
|
|
Use the format in the chart below to project your
enrollment in the proposed program for four years and explain the basis for the
projections:
|
|
(2009) |
(2010) |
(2011) |
(2012) |
|
Full-time |
8 |
18 |
22 |
26 |
|
Part-time |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
8 |
18 |
22 |
26 |
Please indicate the anticipated steady-state headcount
enrollment after four years:
|
Full-time |
25-30 |
Part-time |
|
Total |
25-30 |
SCH
production (upper-division program majors, juniors, and
seniors only for baccalaureate programs)
Use
the format in the chart below to project the SCH production for four years.
Explain how SCH projections were derived from enrollment projections. (See UNC
website for a list of the disciplines comprising each of the four categories.)
|
Year 1 |
Student Credit
Hours |
||
|
Program Category |
UG |
Masters |
Doctoral |
|
Category I |
|
|
|
|
Category II |
|
|
|
|
Category III |
|
160 |
|
|
Category IV |
|
|
|
|
Year 2 |
Student
Credit Hours |
||
|
Program Category |
UG |
Masters |
Doctoral |
|
Category I |
|
|
|
|
Category II |
|
|
|
|
Category III |
|
360 |
|
|
Category IV |
|
|
|
|
Year 3 |
Student
Credit Hours |
||
|
Program Category |
UG |
Masters |
Doctoral |
|
Category I |
|
|
|
|
Category II |
|
|
|
|
Category III |
|
440 |
|
|
Category IV |
|
|
|
|
Year 4 |
Student
Credit Hours |
||
|
Program Category |
UG |
Masters |
Doctoral |
|
Category I |
|
|
|
|
Category II |
|
|
|
|
Category III |
|
520 |
|
|
Category IV |
|
|
|
III. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM
A. Program Planning.
1. List
the names of institutions with similar offerings regarded as high quality
programs by the developers of the proposed programs.
The
The
2.
List
other institutions visited or consulted in developing this proposal. Also
discuss or append any consultants’ reports, committee findings, and simulations
(cost, enrollment shift, induced course load matrix, etc.) generated in
planning the proposed program.
As noted in II.B.2.,
there are not many interdisciplinary biomedical programs at the master’s degree
level. This is likely due to the fact
that interdisciplinary biomedical programs were developed much later than the
discipline based programs and only at the doctoral level. This left the master’s degree programs at the
departmental level. Thus we have consulted
with doctoral as well as master’s degree level interdisciplinary biomedical
programs. This program has been
discussed by our faculty with outside seminar speakers when they come from
schools with similar programs. A few of
the programs examined are listed below.
The
B. Admission.
List the following:
1. Admissions
requirements for proposed program (indicate minimum requirements and general
requirements).
All students must meet the standards set forth in the
a. Bachelor’s degree in science
or MD degree or enrollment in medical school
b. GPA of 2.5 or greater and GRE
(Verbal + Quantitative) of 1000 or greater, or demonstrated potential to
complete the program.
2. Documents to be submitted for admission
(listing or sample).
a.
Transcripts for those with a bachelor’s or MD degree
b.
Letter from the dean of the Brody School of Medicine for those enrolled in
medical school
c.
GRE scores for those entering with a bachelor’s degree
d.
Three letters of recommendation for those entering with a bachelor’s degree
e.
Statement of purpose from applicant
f.
Completed application to the
C. Degree Requirements. List the following:
1. Total
hours required. Major. Minor.
a. A minimum of 38 semester hours
for those entering with a bachelor’s degree
b. A minimum of 24 semester hours
for those entering with a MD degree
2. Proportion of courses open only to graduate
students to be required in program (graduate programs only).
All
required and elective course must be at the graduate level.
3. Grades required.
a.
A GPA of 3.00 must be maintained.
b.
A grade of F will constitute grounds for dismissal.
4. Amount of transfer credit accepted.
A
maximum of 20% will be allowed which is in compliance with the
5. Other
requirements (e.g. residence, comprehensive exams, thesis, dissertation, clinical
or field experience, second major, etc.).
a.
A minimum of
three research rotations
b.
Research-based
thesis
c. Comprehensive defense of thesis
d. Public presentation of thesis research
6. Language and/or research requirements.
See
5 above
7.
Any time limits
for completion.
The
D. List existing courses by prefix, number, and title (include s.h.) and indicate (*) those that are required. Include an explanation of numbering system. List (under a heading marked “new”) and describe new courses proposed.
With regards to course numbers, the first number is the level with 6 and 7 being graduate level. The second number is specific to the program for example 1 is used for the new courses in this program and 3 is used by the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
For students who enter the program with a bachelor’s degree the following courses are required:
Existing courses
ANAT 7202 Molecular Cell Biology (4 s.h.) or MCBI 7410. Molecular Cell Biology (4 s.h.) *
BIOC 7301. Biochemistry 1 (4 s.h.) *
PHAR 7777. Practical Problems in Biometry or BIOS 7021. Biostatistics for Health Professionals (3 s.h.)*
HUMS 7002 Ethics and Research: Humanities and Basic Medical Sciences (2 s.h.)*
Other existing graduate-level courses as electives approved by the program director
New Courses
BMSC 6113. Introduction to
Biomedical Research (3 s.h.) P: Admission to the MS in Biomedical Science
program or consent of program director. Mentored research in several different
laboratories.*
BMSC 6121. Seminar in
Biomedical Science (1 s.h.) Repeat fall and spring. P: Admission to the MS in
Biomedical Science program or consent of program director. Presentation and
critique of current literature.*
BMSC 6133, 6136. Biomedical
Research (3,6 s,h.) May be repeated. P: Admission to the MS in Biomedical
Science program or consent of program director.
Design of experimental protocols and participation in preceptor’s
research program.*
BMSC 6141, 6142, 6143. Directed Study (1,2,3 s.h.)
May be repeated for a maximum o f 3 s.h. P: Admission to the MS in
Biomedical Science program or consent of program director. Investigates current
research and methodology in biomedical science.
BMSC 7000. Thesis (3 s.h.)
May be repeated. May count a maximum of 6 s.h.*
For students entering with an MD or enrolled in medical school
Existing Course
ANAT 7202 or MCBI 7410 Molecular Cell Biology (4 s.h.) *
New Courses
BMSC 6113. Introduction to
Biomedical Research (3 s.h.) P: Admission to the MS in Biomedical Science
program or consent of program director. Mentored research in several different
laboratories.*
BMSC 6121. Seminar in
Biomedical Science (1s.h.) Repeat fall and spring. P: Admission to the MS in
Biomedical Science program or consent of program director. Presentation and
critique of current literature.*
BMSC 6133, 6136. Biomedical
Research (3,6 s,h.) May be repeated. P: Admission to the MS in Biomedical
Science program or consent of program director.
Design of experimental protocols and participation in preceptor’s
research program.*
BMSC 6141, 6142, 6143. Directed Study (1,2,3 s.h.)
May be repeated for a maximum o f 3 s.h. P: Admission to the MS in
Biomedical Science program or consent of program director. Investigates current
research and methodology in biomedical science.
BMSC 7000. Thesis (3 s.h.)
May be repeated. May count a maximum of 6 s.h.*
IV. FACULTY
A.
List the names of
persons now on the faculty who will be directly involved in the proposed
program. Provide complete information on
each faculty member's education, teaching experience, research experience,
publications, and experience in directing student research, including the
number of thesis and dissertations directed for graduate programs. The official roster forms approved by
SACS can be submitted rather than actual faculty vita.
The proposed program will involve
twenty five professors, twelve associate professors, and twelve assistant
professors. Their faculty information sheets can be found in appendix B. It is anticipated that other faculty will
join the program once it is established.
The establishment of a Dental School and the anticipated expansion of
the medical school class will require new faculty which are expected to
participate in this program. The current
faculty members involved in this program have considerable experience both in
teaching at the graduate level as well as mentoring graduate student
research. In the last five years over
two hundred peer reviewed journal articles with students as coauthors have been
published by the faculty planning to participate in this new program.
B.
Estimate the need
for new faculty for the proposed program for the first four years. If the teaching responsibilities for the
proposed program will be absorbed in part or in whole by the
present faculty, explain how this will be done without weakening existing
programs.
This program will need 0.5 FTE of new faculty to serve
as the program director, teach the introduction to research course and
coordinate the seminar program.
Initially the funding for this position will be provided by the Dean of
the Brody School of Medicine. Once the
program is established, funding for the program will be generated by student
enrollment. There is capacity in
didactic courses as well as the research laboratories to accommodate the
students in this program, thus no additional faculty other than director will
be required.
C.
If the employment
of new faculty requires additional funds, please explain the source of funding.
See B. above.
D. Explain
how the program will affect faculty activity, including course load, public
service activity, and scholarly research.
One of the strong positives for this program is that
it will only marginally affect the teaching load and service activity of the
faculty involved. A few more students
will be enrolled in some classes which will result in a few more examinations
to grade but this will be a minimal increase in the total effort of putting on
a class. The big benefit will be the
increase in the faculty mentors’ research productivity from the student’s
involvement in the ongoing research. In
addition the interdisciplinary nature of the program will help bring faculty
from different areas together resulting in collaborations that will further
increase the scholarly research.
V. LIBRARY
A. Provide a statement as to the adequacy of
present library holdings for the proposed program.
The holdings in the library currently used for the
doctoral programs at the Brody School of Medicine are adequate to support the
proposed master’s program.
B. State
how the library will be improved to meet new program requirements for the next
five years. The explanation should
discuss the needs for books, periodicals, reference material, primary source
material, etc. What additional library
support must be added to areas supporting the proposed program?
The
William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library continues to poll the faculty for
suggestions on what new books to add to its collection. The virtual library @
C. Discuss any contemplated use of other
institutional libraries.
Both the doctoral and this
new master’s program will benefit from greater access to on line journals now
possible because of the cooperation and sharing of resources between the
VI. FACILITIES
AND EQUIPMENT
A. Describe the facilities available for the
proposed program.
Each department participating in this program has
faculty involved in research with the space and equipment to conduct this
research. The research space and
equipment needed for this program is already in place and utilized by active
researchers to conduct their research and mentor doctoral students. Since this program will involve several
departments, the research facilities in each of the basic science departments
as well as the core facilities are described below.
The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
currently has seven full-time faculty members who have research laboratories
that are equipped for cell biology research, including fluorescent ELISA plate
readers, absorbance ELISA plate readers, spin-vac DNA concentrator, Amaxa
nucleofection device, research microscopes, fluorimager systems, thermocyclers,
spectrophotometers, luminometer, microfuges, heating blocks, pH meters,
sonicator, fume hoods, electrophoresis power supplies and gel systems,
electroblotting systems, waterbaths, incubators, balances, refrigerators, and freezers. The other members of the faculty have
responsibilities primarily in teaching, without an active research program, but
serve as resource faculty for graduate students. Typically each faculty member has an office
within the laboratory space on the 7th floor of the
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology currently has nine full-time faculty with research laboratories
equipped with the normal compliment of small equipment. This includes the
requisite equipment for nucleic acid and protein isolation, purification, and
characterization, including microfuges, power supplies, western blot apparatus,
UV-visible spectrophotometers, and standard thermocyclers. In addition a Bio-Rad i-cycler Real Time PCR
machine is maintained by the department.
High speed centrifuges are located in a common departmental area. Available centrifuges include six untracentrifuges and three Sorval
RC-2B centrifuges. There are three
departmental scintillation counters, two gamma counters and an Olympus IM 50
phase contrast/fluorescence microscope with digital camera. Within the
department, several independent facilities for cell culture containing, laminar
flow hoods, inverted phase-contrast microscopes and liquid nitrogen Dewars for
cell storage are also maintained. -80o
storage is abundant with eight freezers maintained within the department. The department houses the Phosphor-Imaging/Fluorescence
Imaging (PhIFI) core facility.
Each faculty member has at least 900 sq ft of
research laboratory space with a private office of 200 sq. ft. in addition to
departmental support space. Each faculty
member has at least one office computer as well as internet access to
university computing facilities.
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology has
thirteen tenured or tenure track, full-time faculty members with research
laboratories. Faculty research interests
include cell biology, immunology, cancer biology, virology, and microbial
pathogenesis. The laboratories are
housed in one half of the 5th floor of the
Common facilities available in the department include
standard ELISA plate readers and fluorescent ELISA plate readers, darkroom,
computer room with several PC computers connected to the university network and
a Unix workstation, cold room, warm room (37C), conference room, three ultracentrifuges
and appropriate rotors, biological safety hoods, autoclaves, CCD camera and
transilluminator, X-ray developer, HPLC and gas chromatographic equipment,
liquid scintillation counter, thermal cyclers, and a BioRad iCycler Real-Time
PCR system. Also available are -80 °C
freezers, scintillation counter, lyophilzer, French press, imaging
instrumentation; and photo-microscope room.
The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
currently has eight full-time faculty members with active research
programs. The laboratories are equipped
to conduct research projects ranging in scope from the use of whole animals to
cell and molecular biology. Three
laboratories are equipped for conducting electrophysiological research
including analysis of single ion channel activity. Major items of equipment available for these
purposes include recording chambers, vibrating tissue slicers, microscope
equipped with water immersion lenses, CCD cameras and monitors, amplifiers and
computer interfaces for real time data acquisition and analysis. Four laboratories are conducting systems and
integrative research studies using freely moving animals for behavioral and
cardiovascular research projects.
Virtually all laboratories are conducting research at the cellular and
molecular level using a variety of molecular biological techniques. Three laboratories are using cell culture
facilities and two laboratories are conducting immunohistochemical research
projects. Items of equipment available
in these laboratories include research microscopes, spectrophotometers,
centrifuges, scintillation counting, microfuges, electrophoresis units and
associated equipment for gel electrophoresis, transfer apparatus,
thermocyclers, and general laboratory equipment (e.g. pH meters, balances,
refrigerators, etc). The department has
an equipment room that contains several -80˚ freezers and other
specialized equipment such as ultracentrifuges that are available to all
faculty as well as a BioRad supply center that maintains stocks of reagents for
use by researchers at
Each faculty member has an office of approximately
100 sq. ft. located near or within the laboratory space. Additionally, the faculty offices, central
offices and laboratories are well equipped with state of the art information
technology equipment that is maintained by the information technology
staff. All of the faculty members are on
the graduate faculty.
The Department of Physiology currently has ten
full-time faculty members all of whom have experience directing
thesis/dissertations. The Department of
Physiology occupies approximately 18,000 square feet of the Brody Medical
Sciences building on the West Campus of East Carolina University. This space
includes office space, research and teaching laboratories, common equipment
facilities, and mechanical and electrical shops. The department has a walk-in
refrigerator/freezer, three tissue culture facilities, and shares an equipped
dark room and near infrared imaging core facilities with the Department of
Pharmacology. In spring of 1998, the
Warren Life Sciences Building opened adding 62,000 square feet of research
space, of which the department occupies 1150 square feet. In 2002, when Dr. Dohm’s position transferred
to physiology, an additional 1700 square feet of space on the 3rd
floor of the
The Core Facilities are described below:
The Flow Cytometry-Confocal Microscopy Core
Facility is a research support resource which is part of the
The Department of Comparative Medicine is chaired
by Dr. Dorcas O’Rourke, has two full-time veterinarians and comprises approximately
70,000 sq ft of animal housing and support space in the Brody Medical Science
and Warren Life Science buildings. The Warren Life Science Building is attached
to the Brody Medical Science building and thus convenient to researchers. The animal care program and facilities are
fully accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for
Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALAC, Intl).
The Electron Microscope Core Facility is equipped
with a JEOL 1200EX transmission microscope equipped with a MegaView III CCD
camera. A separate sample preparation
room is equipped with a Leica UC-6rt ultramicrotome and associated specialized
equipment for sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy.
The Invitrogen Freezer Program, located in the
Biotechnology Building, has in-stock inventory of a variety of Invitrogen
catalog items and offers rapid delivery of other items including DNA and RNA
primers and tissue culture media (typically within two days). Most items are discounted substantially from
Invitrogen catalog prices.
The Phosphor-Imaging/Fluorescence Imaging (PhIFI)
core facility at the Brody School of Medicine/ECU houses a fully equipped Amersham/
GE Healthcare Typhoon 9410 Imager for 2D imaging of phosphorescent,
chemiliumscent and fluorescent gel and array data. This core facility (Brody
5S-21) is available for use by all research laboratories at ECU.
B.
Describe the
effect of this new program on existing facilities and indicate whether they will be
adequate, both at the commencement of the program and during the next decade.
The impact should be small as most doctoral
programs are small (8-15 students), thus, additional students could be added to
most didactic classes. In some
laboratories that are especially productive, additional research space from the
flex space pool will have to be assigned to accommodate the increased students
in the laboratory. The relocation of the
cardiovascular group to their new facilities will free up some research space
in the Brody Medical Sciences Building.
C.
Indicate any
computer services needed and/or available
Each
research laboratory is equipped with computers needed to analyze data.
D.
Indicate sources
of financial support for any new facilities and equipment.
No new facilities or equipment specifically for this
program is needed. The new research
equipment used by students in this program will come from departmental and
external grant funds.
VII. ADMINISTRATION
Describe how the proposed
program will be administered, giving the responsibilities of each department,
division, school, or college. Explain
any inter-departmental or inter-unit administrative plans. Include an organizational chart showing the
"location" of the proposed new program.
The proposed program will
be housed in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at the Brody School of
Medicine in the Division of Health Sciences.
The program will be administered by a director who will report to the
associate dean for research and graduate studies of the Brody School of
Medicine and will hold a faculty position in one of the participating departments. This director will work closely with an
oversight committee that will include representatives from all of the
participating departments.
VIII. ACCREDITATION
Indicate the names of all
accrediting agencies normally concerned with programs similar to the one
proposed. Describe plans to request professional accreditation. If the proposed new degree program is at a
more advanced level than those previously authorized or if it is a new
discipline division, was SACS notified of a potential "substantive
change" during the planning process?
If so, describe the response from SACS and the steps that have been
taken to date with reference to the applicable procedure.
There is
no specific
accrediting agency for this program.
IX. SUPPORTING FIELDS
Are there other subject
matter fields at the proposing institution necessary or valuable in support of
the proposed program? Is there needed
improvement or expansion of these fields?
To what extent will such improvement or expansion be necessary for the
proposed program?
NA
X. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Include any additional
information deemed pertinent to the review of this new program proposal.
XI. BUDGET
Provide estimates (using
the attached form) of the additional costs required to implement the program and
identify the proposed sources of the additional funds required. Use SCH projections (section II.C) to
estimate new state appropriations through enrollment increase funds. Prepare a
budget schedule for each of the first three years of the program, indicating the
account number and name for all additional amounts required. Identify EPA and SPA positions immediately
below the account listing. New SPA
positions should be listed at the first step in the salary range using the SPA
classification rates currently in effect. Identify any larger or specialized equipment
and any unusual supplies requirements.
For the purposes of the
second and third year estimates, project faculty and SPA position rates and
fringe benefits rates at first-year levels.
Include the continuation of previous year(s) costs in second and
third-year estimates.
Additional state-appropriated funds
for new programs may be limited. Except in exceptional circumstances,
institutions should request such funds for no more than three years (e.g., for
start-up equipment, new faculty positions, etc.), at which time enrollment
increase funds should be adequate to support the new program. Therefore, it
will be assumed that requests (in the “new Allocations” column of the following
worksheet) are for one, two, or three years unless the institution indicates a
continuing need and attaches a compelling justification. However, funds for new
programs are more likely to be allocated for limited periods of time.
No additional funds are requested and
the funds generated by sch production will be used to support the program. The formula for the calculation is: (sch x $77983)/186.23 = dollars generated
XII. EVALUATION
PLANS
All new degree program
proposals must include an evaluation plan which includes (a) the criteria to be
used to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the program, (b) measures to
be used to evaluate the program, (c) expected levels of productivity of the
proposed program for the first four years of the program (numbers of
graduates), (d) the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers
of at least three persons (six reviewers are needed for graduate programs)
qualified to review this proposal and to evaluate the program once operational,
and (e) the plan and schedule to evaluate the proposed new degree program prior
to the completion of its fifth year of operation once fully established.
Program
Evaluation Format
A. Criteria to be used to evaluate the proposed
program.
1.
students GPA.
2.
student retention
3.
successful completion of thesis proposal
4.
successful completion of thesis
5.
successful defense of thesis
6.
graduation rate
7.
student evaluation of courses
8.
placement of graduates
9.
publications and presentations by students
B. Measures to be used to evaluate the program.
The data generated by the criteria in A. will be collected and analyzed by the program director.
C. Projected productivity level (number of graduates):
|
Level |
Year 1 (2009-2010 ) |
|
Year 2 (2010-2011 ) |
|
Year 3 (2011-2012 ) |
|
Year 4 (2012-2013) |
|
Totals |
|
B |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M |
0 |
|
6 |
|
8 |
|
10 |
|
24 |
|
I/P |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Key: B-Bachelor’s, M-Master’s,
I/P-Intermediate or Professional, D-Doctoral)
E.
Recommended
consultants/reviewers: Names, titles,
addresses, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers. May not be employees of The University of
North Carolina.
Dr. Jan F.
Chlebowski
Associate Dean for
1101 E. Marshall St.
Richmond, VA 23298-0565
804-828-1023 FAX 804-827-1469
jfchlebo@vcu.edu
Dr. Gary Rankin, Professor and Chair
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology
Voice: (304) 696-7313
Fax: (304) 696-7391
David A Bernlohr
Professor and Head
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and
Biophysics
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
612-624-2712
Lena Al-Harthi, Ph.D.
Director of the Graduate Program in Immunology/Microbiology
and Associate Professor, Rush Medical College
Address: 1735 West Harrison St. Rm. 614 Cohn Bldg
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: 312-563-3220
Fax: 312-942-2808
Guy A. Cabral, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Program Chair
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine
1101 E. Marshall Street
Richmond, VA 23298-0678
E-Mail: gacabral@vcu.edu
Telephone: (804) 828-2306
Fax: (804) 828-8220
Dr. Thomas Murray, Professor and Chair
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
2500
Voice: (402) 280-2319
Fax: (402) 280-2142
F. Plan
for evaluation prior to the fifth operational year.
East Carolina
University has reinstituted its degree program review and this new program will
undergo an external comprehensive review in its fourth year. This review not only looks at criteria like
in A above but also evaluates the productivity of the associated faculty and
generation and utilization of internal and external resources.
XIII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Institutions will be expected to report on program
productivity after one year and three years of operation. This information will be solicited as a part
of the biennial long-range planning revision.
|
Proposed date of initiation of
proposed degree program: |
|
|
|
This proposal to establish a new
degree program has been reviewed and approved by the appropriate campus
committees and authorities.
|
Chancellor: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date: |
|
|
|
|
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR PROPOSED PROGRAM
|
INSTITUTION: |
|
DATE: |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Program (CIP#, Name, Level): |
26.0102.123.000, Master of Science in Biomedical Science |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Degree(s) to be Granted: |
MS |
Program Year: |
2009-2010 |
||||
|
ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUIRED - BY SOURCE |
|||||
|
|
Reallocation of Present
Institutional Resources |
Enrollment Increase Funds |
Federal or Other (Identify) |
New Allocations |
Total |
|
101 Regular Term Instruction |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1210 SPA Regular Salaries |
$27,536 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$27,536 |
|
(Identify Positions) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1310 EPA Academic Salaries |
$46,782 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$46,782 |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Graduate Assistantships |
$75,000 |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
$75,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1810 Social Security |
$5,686 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$5,686 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1820 State Retirement |
$5,797 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$5,797 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1830 Medical Insurance |
$6,131 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$6,131 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 Supplies and Materials |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3000 Current Services |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4000 Fixed Charges |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5000 Capital Outlay
(Equipment) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL Reg. Term Instruction |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
151 Libraries |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify Accounts) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
TOTAL Libraries |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ADDITIONAL COSTS |
$166,932 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$166,932 |
Note: Accounts may be added or deleted as
required. Currently benefits are figured
at 10.10% retirement, 7.65% social security, and $1,735 for health insurance. These percentages/amounts should be verified
in the benefits office of Human Resources at the time this form is completed.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR PROPOSED PROGRAM
|
INSTITUTION: |
|
DATE: |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Program (CIP#, Name, Level): |
26.0102.123.000, Master of Science in Biomedical Science |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Degree(s) to be Granted: |
MS |
Program Year: |
2010-2011 |
||||
|
ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUIRED - BY SOURCE |
|||||
|
|
Reallocation of Present
Institutional Resources |
Enrollment Increase Funds |
Federal or Other (Identify) |
New Allocations |
Total |
|
101 Regular Term Instruction |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1210 SPA Regular Salaries |
$ |
$27,536 |
$ |
$ |
$27,536 |
|
(Identify Positions) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1310 EPA Academic Salaries |
$7,319 |
$39,463 |
$ |
$ |
$46,782 |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
Graduate Assistantships |
$75,000 |
( ) |
$75,000 (Grants) |
( ) |
$150,,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1810 Social Security |
$5,686 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$5,686 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1820 State Retirement |
$5,797 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$5,797 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1830 Medical Insurance |
$6,131 |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$6,131 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000 Supplies and Materials |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
(Identify) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
( ) |
|
|
|||||