CORRESPONDENCE/MEMORANDUM
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
College of Human Development
From the Office of the Dean, John S. Wesolek
DATE:
April 10, 2007
TO:
Linda Borofka
SUBJECT:
Responses to PRC Recommendations for the
M.S. Vocational Rehabilitation Program
Program Directors response to the Program Review Committee recommendations for the
masters’ degree Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
Thank you for the opportunity to describe our program, past accomplishments and future
directions. The activity, while demanding and time-consuming, is a useful review of the positive
attributes of our program and opportunities for improvement.
Submitted by Bob Peters, Online Vocational Rehabilitation Master’s Degree Program and
Michelle Hamilton, On-Campus Vocational Rehabilitation Master’s Degree Program.
Please allow me to address the recommendations for the Program Directors.
1.
Work with the Department Chair and Dean to address staff needs by CORE
accreditation recommendations of FTE-student to FTE-faculty ratio and student-advisee to
adviser ratio.
The Program Directors are working with the Department Chair and Dean of the College of
Human Development to address staffing needs identified by CORE accreditation
recommendations of FTE-student to FTE-faculty and FTE faculty advising to advisee ratios.
The department, as evidenced in the Department Chairs response, has hired an instructional staff
that will begin in the fall of 2007. He will provide needed relief for faculty teaching in the
graduate programs by teaching undergraduate courses previously taught by faculty. This new
staff member will help reduce the faculty to student ratio to more manageable levels. The
Program Directors, in the past, have always maintained advising responsibilities for all students
in each program. The Program Directors will consider other options and alternatives to the
advising model that has been used in the past. This will be done with a focus on reducing the
advisor to student ratio and incorporating other faculty for advising when possible.
2.
Work with PRC, D2L staff, and others as deemed appropriate to develop an
independent evaluation for the online program to address specific online issues.
The online Program Director has begun to consult D2L staff and others to develop an evaluation
tool. Additionally, the Program Director will consult Program Advisory Committee members
and faculty in the development of an evaluation tool specific to the online format and program.
Discussions will begin this semester with faculty, PRC committee members and D2L staff.
3.
The Program Directors will review low-enrolled concentrations with lowenrollments
and evaluate viability. The School-to-Work concentration could provide a collaborative
partnership with the School of Education.
A) Set up meeting with Mary Hopkins-Best and School of Education staff to determine: 1) if
existing School-to-Work concentration could be revised to meet Department of Public
Instruction (DPI) requirements and/or; B) discuss collaborative partnership between MS VR and
School of Education to design a viable new concentration; C) Review on-campus Rehabilitation
Leadership Concentration to determine feasibility of offering the concentration as an online
option. Traditional on campus students seldom meet the Rehabilitation Leadership concentration
requirement of two years of paid work experience in rehabilitation services or in a
leadership/management position. Online MS VR students must have a minimum of two years of
work experience. Consideration of this online option could be particularly timely given
the current training climate within the Federal/State Rehabilitation system that is much more
favorable toward the advanced preparation of qualified rehabilitation professionals for
administration/leadership roles. Discussion has begun with department faculty regarding the
addition of an online option for the Rehabilitation Leadership concentration.
4.
Investigate the possibility of including more field experiences and counseling
coursework in both the on-line and on-campus program.
The Program Directors are open to the addition of counseling coursework in both the online and
on-campus programs. However, recent changes to the CORE curriculum standards will
necessitate a consideration of the impact of those standards on the current curriculum prior to
adding new courses. Field experiences and counseling coursework are incorporated into at least
seven different standards and will require program directors and faculty to reconsider the
program and set of courses used to meet accreditation. This will begin no later than fall 2007.
Since the fall of 2004, there has been a significant increase in the number of service learning
opportunities within many core courses of the Vocational Rehabilitation program. To avoid
duplicating efforts and to be most effective, changes to the MS VR curriculum should be put on
temporary hold until larger professional accreditation decisions have been rendered. The
potential CORE-CACREP merger and recent (2004-05) expansions to CORE curricular
standards (2004-05) areas all have significant potential to direct required changes to the MS VR
curriculum.
Recommendations for the Chair
1.
Work with Program Director and Dean to address staffing needs addressed by
CORE accreditation recommendations of FTE student to FTE faculty ratio and studentadvisor ratio.
The Rehabilitation & Counseling department will be adding a new full-time rehabilitation
lecturer in the fall, 2007. While this new staff person will assist in filling behind faculty who
teach in both the online and on-campus rehabilitation program, FTE student to faculty and FTE
student to advisor ratios remain out of compliance with CORE recommendations. Both matters
have been reported to the Dean of the College of Human Development.
2.
Work with the Dean to support resources for on-line technology and on-campus
labs.
A lab modification proposal for the VE/Psych Testing lab was submitted and approved this fiscal
year. Standards for minimum computer and internet capacity are now included with the online
program application. The online program contracts with Stout Outreach Services for online
marketing services for the Rehabilitation Counseling online graduate concentration. Efforts may
be expanded to include the on-campus program as well.”
Recommendations for the Dean
1.
Work with Program Director and Department Chair to address staffing needs
addressed by CORE accreditation recommendations of FTE student to FTE faculty ratio
and student-advisor ratio.
We have received approval from the Provost to search for an academic instructional position
using funds generated by the online customized graduate program in Vocational Rehabilitation.
The Dean will further pursue a faculty-track position for the growing Vocational Rehabilitation
and Mental Health Counseling programs. It is vital that the Mental Health Counseling program,
which includes curriculum provided through several Rehabilitation courses, attain CACREP
certification. It is anticipated that these concomitant needs can be met with these positions. The
Dean’s office will continue to search for funding for an additional faculty position to help meet
CORE and CACREP standards for faculty/student ratios.
2.
Continue support for resources needed for on-campus labs and on-line technology.
We have recently been awarded lab mod funds to support this program. Recent funding also
improved the quality of the evaluation lab. Online technology investments will be made to assist
the online students. A specific example is purchasing cameras to improve online
communications. Future investments will include a lab modernization to move to digital
cameras in the Clinical Services Center.
JSW/dml