Academic Planning Committee Proposal
Doctorate of Education (Ed. D.) in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
Department of Student Affairs Administration
College of Liberal Studies
Spring 2014
A. Notice of Intent (See Appendix A)
B. Abstract
The Department of Student Affairs Administration in the College of Liberal Studies seeks
to create an online doctorate degree in Student Affairs Administration & Leadership
(SAAL) at UW-La Crosse. This Ed. D. (Doctorate in Education) would prepare people
for student service administrative positions at the director level and above in institutions
of higher education.
C. Program Identification
1) Institution Name: UW-La Crosse
2) Title of Proposed Program: Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and
Leadership
3) Degree/major designation: Ed. D./Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
4) Mode of delivery: D2L (Distance Education)
5) Single institution or collaboration: Single institution (UW-L)
6) Projected enrollment by year five: 40 students
7) Tuition Structure: Will adhere to UW System “Principles for Pricing Distance
Education Credit Courses, Degree and Certificate Programs” policy
8) Department: Student Affairs Administration
9) College: College of Liberal Studies
10) Proposed Date of Implementation: Summer 2015
D. Introduction
1) Why is program being proposed? What is its relation to the institution’s
mission?
The Student Affairs Administration Department in the College of Liberal Studies
is UW-La Crosse’s only all-graduate department. We do not offer any programs
at the undergraduate level. The department houses the master’s degree program in
Student Affairs Administration, which is one of the largest graduate programs at
UW-L with a student population of over 90 students. The master’s degree
program has been offered for 45 years. Graduates of the master’s degree program
enjoy extremely high placement rates (95-100% consistently for the last 5 years)
following graduation from the program. The master’s degree is offered both oncampus and online.
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The demand for student affairs professionals with terminal degrees is growing for
student affairs positions at the Director level and above. Many of our graduates
have inquired about the possibility of the department offering a terminal degree in
the field. Our department is uniquely positioned to meet this demand with an
online applied Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership because
of our expertise in online teaching and learning and because of our success with
the on-line master’s degree.
The proposed applied doctorate degree in Student Affairs Administration and
Leadership aligns with the UW-La Crosse institutional mission in three important
ways: it contributes to supporting student success, it is grounded in the liberal
arts, and it fosters curiosity and life-long learning through collaboration and
innovation. Students admitted to the Ed. D. program will be student affairs
professionals already working in higher education in student affairs areas charged
with supporting student success. The program requires students to apply theory to
practice in their current profession and provides the leadership skills necessary to
advance to more responsible positions in student affairs. Grounded in the liberal
arts (education, history, psychology, sociology, and communication), the program
models collaboration and innovation among higher education professionals and
their institutions.
2) How does it fit into the institution’s overall strategic plan?
The UW-L Strategic Plan calls for academic programs that “. . .foster and
produce: critical thinkers, lifelong learners, skilled and collaborative practitioners
and global citizens who use knowledge and technology with wisdom and ethics”.
The Ed. D. was purposefully designed as an applied doctorate with a focus on
developing skilled and collaborative practitioners who are familiar and
comfortable with administrative, teaching, and learning technologies being used
in higher education today. The UW-L Strategic Plan also focuses on growing
graduate programs and on raising the visibility of graduate studies at UW-L. This
degree would do both.
3) Do current students need or want the program?
In December 2012, UW-La Crosse hired a market research firm (Hanover
Research) to assess the student and labor market demand for an online Ed. D.
degree in student affairs administration. Hanover Research conducted a survey of
prospective students. Results of the survey were extremely supportive of
development of an online Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration. Fifty-six
percent of respondents indicated such a degree would be extremely or very
valuable in furthering their career aspirations and 60% indicated they would apply
within the next two to five years if the program is offered by UW-La Crosse. The
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most common reasons given by prospective students for their interest in the online
Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership from UW-La Crosse was
career advancement/promotional potential, anticipated program cost, and
reputation of the Student Affairs Administration department at UW-La Crosse.
4) Does market research indicate demand?
Hanover Research also conducted market research on the feasibility of an on-line
Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration. This research confirmed a growing
demand for doctorate level prepared administrators in Student Affairs. It also
revealed a lack of online Ed. D. programs in Student Affairs nationwide. In fact,
the report from Hanover Research discovered that there are only seven full
doctoral programs in student affairs administration nationally and none of them
are offered in a fully online format. In addition, none of them are offered by
institutions located in Wisconsin.
5) How does the program represent emerging knowledge, or new directions in
professions and disciplines?
While the need for people to assist college students has been in existence for over
375 years, the profession and discipline of student affairs is relatively new, having
emerged during the 1960’s in response to unprecedented growth in higher
education. The diversification of the college student population and the
emergence at that time of major national issues that impacted college students like
the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement all contributed to the growth of
student personnel professionals. The profession began to establish national
professional associations and a body of research to inform the profession. Most
student affairs administrative positions did not require doctorate degrees and most
administrators came either from the faculty or from people working in direct
student services areas. Today, however, there is emerging increased demand for
student affairs administrators at the Director level and above who hold a doctorate
degree in student affairs or related disciplines. The proposed Ed. D. in Student
Affairs Administration and Leadership seeks to address this new direction in the
student affairs profession.
E. Description of Program
1) Describe general structure of program, including:
i. Ways in which program fits into institutional program array and
academic plan, including positive and negative impacts of program on
existing programs
The program enhances graduate education at UW-La Crosse and follows
the pattern of professional degree development at the terminal level started
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by the Department of Health Professions with the Doctorate in Physical
Therapy. Development of the Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration
and Leadership (SAAL) will not have a negative impact on any of the
existing programs at UW-La Crosse because it will follow the model
established by the existing Master’s degree in Student Affairs
Administration (SAA), which includes the self-supported on-line Master’s
degree program in the department. Positive impacts of the new Ed. D.
include increased visibility of graduate programs at UW-La Crosse, both
locally and nationally since this program would be the only Ed. D. in
Student Affairs Administration and Leadership offered on-line in the
nation. In addition, once fully functional, the program will provide
additional financial resources to both the department and the institution.
ii. Extent to which program is duplicative of existing programs in UW
System
There are no other applied doctorate degrees in student affairs
administration in the UW System. In fact, UW-La Crosse has the only
Master’s degree in student affairs available in the UW-System. UWSystem does have doctorate degrees in higher education administration
and in educational leadership (many primarily focused on K-12
education), but it does not offer a doctorate degree that focuses exclusively
on the administration of student services in higher education within the
existing program array.
iii. Collaborative nature of program, if appropriate, including community
partners and specific institutional responsibilities
The program will not have established partners but it will have students
enrolled who are working at other higher educational institutions. While
those institutions will not have any specific responsibility for any area in
our program, we do expect students to apply what they are learning in the
Ed. D. to their current institutions. In addition, students will be
encouraged to research areas of value to their current institutions and are
likely to have faculty from their institutions serving on dissertation
committees. These faculty will be vetted through a process developed by
the Department of Student Affairs Administration at UW-La Crosse and
will be required to achieve ad hoc graduate faculty status here prior to
serving on a dissertation committee.
2) Brief overview of program outcomes and curriculum – See Appendix B
The program outcomes and curriculum are attached in appendix B. This program
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is designed to serve people who are already employed as professionals in higher
education student services areas. The program is designed as a cohort group and
the students take classes year-round. The learning outcomes and curriculum are
both based on best practices from similar programs across the country and from
our professional organization’s professional practice standards.
3) Discussion of any need for external accreditation for program viability
UW-La Crosse will seek accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission
(HCL), a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and
Universities. The program will utilize the Council for the Advancement of
Standards in Higher Education (CAS) to conduct a self-study which will provide
valuable documentation for accreditation processes and will adhere to the
standards set forth by CAS for graduate programs in Student Affairs.
4) Additional projected resource needs and sources for these resources
The Dean of the College of Liberal Studies is planning to commit two 102
positions over the next three years that will allow the department to reallocate
program revenue to cover the start-up costs of the Ed. D. program. This includes
expenditures for personnel, marketing, recruitment, travel, supplies and expenses.
A UW-La Crosse CATL online education grant will cover the curriculum
development cost for the first year of the program. The SAA Department will
seek additional UW-La Crosse support to cover the anticipated amount of $48,000
for the remaining two years of curriculum development. Once the program is
established, on-going costs of the Ed. D. will be covered by program revenue.
5) Letter of support from Dean of CLS – See Appendix C
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Appendix A: Notice of Intent
Doctorate of Education in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
February 2013
A. Proposed Degree
1. Doctorate of Education (Ed. D.) in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
2. Institutional Setting: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L)
3. Mode of Delivery: Online/Distance Education (D2L)
4. Institutional Contact: Chris Bakkum, Ph.D., 117 Main Hall, 1725 State St., La Crosse, WI 54601;
cbakkum@uwlax.edu; 608-785-8953
5. Other required approvals: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
B. Alignment with Institutional Mission, Strategic Plan, and Existing Program Array
The proposed applied doctorate degree in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership aligns with
the UW-La Crosse institutional mission in three important ways: it contributes to supporting student
success, it is grounded in the liberal arts, and it fosters curiosity and life-long learning through
collaboration and innovation. Students admitted to the Ed. D. program will be working in higher
education in student affairs areas charged with supporting student success. The program requires
students to apply theory to practice in their current profession and provides the leadership skills
necessary to advance to more responsible positions in student affairs. Grounded in the liberal arts
(history, psychology, sociology, and communication), the program models collaboration and
innovation among higher education professionals and their institutions.
The UW-L Strategic Plan calls for academic programs that “. . .foster and produce: critical thinkers,
lifelong learners, skilled and collaborative practitioners and global citizens who use knowledge and
technology with wisdom and ethics”. The Ed. D. was purposefully designed as an applied doctorate
with a focus on developing skilled and collaborative practitioners who are familiar and comfortable
with administrative, teaching, and learning technologies being used in higher education today. The
UW-L Strategic Plan also focuses on growing graduate programs and on raising the visibility of
graduate studies at UW-L. This degree would do both.
UW-La Crosse has offered the Master of Science in Education – Student Affairs Administration
degree for 45 years. In 2006, we expanded access to the degree by developing an online option for
students who were already employed in higher education. This allowed working adults the
opportunity to earn the master’s degree without relocating to La Crosse. A scan of the UW System
program array reveals that although the UW System has doctorate degrees in higher education
administration and in educational leadership (primarily focused on K-12 education), it does not offer
a doctorate degree that focuses exclusively on the administration of student services in higher
education within the existing program array. UW-La Crosse is the only public institution in the state
of Wisconsin that offers a degree in Student Affairs and would be the only public institution in the
state to offer the Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership in higher education. The
Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership would clearly fill a void in the UW System
program array.
C. Program description
The degree will prepare student affairs professionals for increasingly responsible positions of
leadership in increasingly diverse small and mid-sized institutions of higher education. The program
is designed to provide students with the knowledge needed to develop competent and expert student
affairs professionals and with the management and leadership skills needed to develop innovative
student affairs managers and leaders. In addition, the program seeks to develop scholar practitioners
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who utilize research-informed decision making and who are ambassadors of diversity, social justice,
and globalization. Graduates of the program will also be skilled in interpersonal relationship
development and will be ethical and people-focused leaders.
UW-La Crosse will seek accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HCL), a commission of
the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. The program will utilize the Council for
the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) to conduct a self-study which will provide
valuable documentation for accreditation processes.
Utilizing the same financial model as the current SAA master’s degree program, this proposed online
doctorate degree is designed to be a self-supporting program. Thus, after initial investment by UW-La
Crosse and UW-System in the development of the doctoral program, the program should generate
enough tuition revenue to cover the cost of instruction and administration. A master’s degree would
be required for admission to the doctoral program.
D. Need for Program
According to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), institutions of
higher education are increasingly requiring doctoral degrees for director and senior student affairs
level positions. A scan of recent student affairs job listings (Higher Education Recruitment
Consortium, NASPA, American College Personnel Association, and Chronicle of Higher Education)
revealed that more than 20% of the student affairs-related job listings require or prefer candidates
with the doctorate degree. Given the challenges facing higher education and the call for greater
accountability, it is not surprising that the demand for highly skilled administrators with terminal
degrees in student affairs remains strong.
In December 2012, UW-La Crosse hired a market research firm (Hanover Research) to assess the
student and labor market demand for an online Ed. D. degree in student affairs administration. This
research confirmed a growing demand for doctorate level prepared administrators in Student Affairs.
It also revealed a lack of online Ed. D. programs in student affairs nationwide. In fact, the report from
Hanover Research discovered that there are only seven full doctoral programs in student affairs
administration nationally and none of them are offered in a fully online format. In addition, none of
them are offered by institutions located in Wisconsin.
Hanover Research also conducted a survey of prospective students. Results of the survey were
extremely supportive of development of an online Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and
Leadership. Fifty-six percent of respondents indicated such a degree would be extremely or very
valuable in furthering their career aspirations and 60% indicated they would apply within the next two
to five years if the program is offered by UW-La Crosse. The most common reasons given by
prospective students for their interest in the online Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and
Leadership from UW-La Crosse was career advancement/promotional potential, anticipated program
cost, and reputation of the Student Affairs Administration department at UW-La Crosse.
UW-La Crosse is uniquely positioned to offer an online applied Ed. D. in Student Affairs
Administration and Leadership because of the expertise that is currently available in the Department
of Student Affairs Administration in the College of Liberal Studies. Many of the alumni of this
master’s degree program are located in Wisconsin and throughout the country. They and other
potential applicants are mid-career individuals who would benefit greatly by earning a doctorate
degree in student affairs administration. In 2006, the department launched an online master’s degree
in Student Affairs Administration which has been extremely successful, with record applications to
the program occurring every year. The proposed Ed. D. would build on that success.
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Appendix B: Overview of Program Outcomes and Curriculum
Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
MISSION
To prepare student affairs professionals for increasingly responsible positions of leadership in
increasingly diverse small and mid-sized institutions of higher education
VISION
Discover. Inspire. Transform.
GOALS
1. Knowledge: To develop competent and expert SA professionals
2. Management and Leadership: To develop innovative SA managers and leaders
3. Assessment, Evaluation and Research: To develop scholar practitioners who advance
research-informed decision making
4. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: To develop ambassadors of diversity, social justice, and
globalization
5. Interpersonal Relationships: To develop ethical and people-focused leaders
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Through knowledge acquired in this program, graduates will be able to:
a. Demonstrate mastery of student affairs and higher education content
b. Synthesize information from a range of sources to analyze issues and apply
solutions to professional practice
2. Through management and leadership skills acquired in this program, graduates will be
able to:
a. Develop a vision for a division, considering complexities of institutional culture
and resources
b. Effectively justify decisions, judgments and recommendations, weighing
competing evidence and making connections to the values and beliefs of the
institution
3. Through assessment, evaluation and research skills acquired in this program, graduates
will be able to :
a. Use assessment, evaluation and research methods to inform practice
b. Defend data informed decision making in professional practice
4. Through an understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion skills acquired in this
program, graduates will be able to :
a. Challenge the manifestations of privilege and assess implications for practice
b. Examine the diversity of students and colleagues within social and cultural
context in which they live
5. Through the development of exceptional interpersonal relationship skills acquired in this
program, graduates will be able to:
a. Demonstrate respectful collaboration while seeking alternate points of view
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b. Defend practices that promote the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of
each person
CURRICULUM ---- Total 57 Credits
All courses equal 3 credits except for Current Topic which equals 1 credit
Foundation (12)
21st Century Learners
Organization and Governance in Higher Education
Finance and Budgeting in Higher Education
Politics of Higher Education
Administration (24)
Enrollment Management
Legal Issues, Risk and Crisis Management
Interpersonal Communication
Leadership Development and Ethical Practices in Higher Ed Administration
Supervision and Human Resource Management in Higher Education
Higher Education Public Relations and Marketing
Strategic Planning and Change Management
Current Topics (1 credit course taken each summer = 3 credits total)
Research and Assessment (21)
Quantitative Research Methods
Qualitative Research Methods
Dissertation Development
Assessment & Program Evaluation in Student Affairs
Dissertation Seminar
Dissertation (6)
Cohort Academic Schedule
Foundation
Year I – Summer I
SAA 802 - 21st Century Learners
SAA 805 – Organization and Governance
SAA 820 – Special Topic
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
1
7
Year I – Fall I
SAA 845 – Finance and Budgeting
SAA 855 – Politics of Higher Education
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
6
9
Administration
Year I – Spring I
SAA 850 – Enrollment Management
SAA 830 – Risk and Crisis Management
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
6
Year II – Summer II
SAA 860 – Interpersonal Communication
SAA 865 – Leadership Development and Ethical Practices
SAA 820 – Special Topic
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
1
7
Year II – Fall II
SAA 870 – Supervision and HR Management
SAA 875 – Strategic Planning and Change Management
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
6
Year II – Spring II
SAA 879 – Public Relations and Marketing
SAA 880 – Quantitative Research Methods
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
6
Research and Assessment
Year III – Summer III
SAA 885 – Qualitative Research Methods
SAA 920 – Dissertation Development
SAA 820 – Special Topic
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
1
7
Year III – Fall III
SAA 887 – Program Assessment and Evaluation
SAA 920 – Dissertation Seminar
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
6
Year III – Spring III
SAA 999 – Dissertation
Total Credits:
Credits
3
3
Final Summer
SAA 999 – Dissertation
3
Total Credits for Ed. D.
57
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Appendix C: Letter of Support from Dean
Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
21 January 2014
To:
CLS Academic Oversight Committee
UW-L Academic Planning Committee
UW-L Faculty Senate
From:
Ruthann Benson, Dean
College of Liberal Studies
Re:
New Doctorate in Education in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership
On February 14, 2011, I wrote a letter of support to the Faculty Senate for the
creation of a new academic department: Student Affairs Administration, in the
College of Liberal Studies. Previously, as either a graduate program in the Department of
Psychology or a graduate program independent of any college affiliation, the Student Affairs
Administration program had offered a master’s degree at UW-L or the last 45 years.
The Department of Student Affairs Administration has been very successful in terms of the
quality of education being provided, the organization and management of the department, and
the number of students who have graduated from the program and gone on to find careers in
higher education. The Department of Student Affairs Administration has been an exceptional
addition to the College of Liberal Studies!
Now, three years later, I write to you again to express my full support for the proposed Doctorate
of Education (Ed. D.) in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership being proposed by this
very successful department. The Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration is currently
being successfully offered in both the on-campus face-to-face format and the online format. The
progression to offering the Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership is a natural
next step for this graduate only department.
Members of the department have thoroughly researched the student and market demand for an
online Add. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership and have worked with an external
market research firm to confirm that such a degree would attract more students than the program
would be able to admit. The demand for student affairs professionals with terminal degrees that
prepare them to lead diverse and complex student affairs divisions is growing. UW-L will be
well positioned to meet this demand once the new Ed. D. program is up and running.
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Nothing shows strong support quite as well as a commitment of resources. I am prepared to
commit a 102 funded tenure-track position to the department to fill in 2015 and will commit to
funding a second 102 tenure-track position for the department, hopefully in 2016 or 2017. The
addition of these positions to the department will provide not only for the addition of the Ed. D.
degree, but will also strengthen the master’s degree. The department was successful in attracting
a fairly large grant from CATL that has supported the development of the Ed. D. program and
will continue to support much of the development of the online courses needed for the Ed. D.
The Ed. D. is designed to be a self-supporting program once start-up costs have been covered.
The Department of Student Affairs Administration has a lot of experience with creating and
maintaining this kind of fiscal model as they have offered an online master’s degree in Student
Affairs Administration under a revenue-generation model for the last 7 years. The online
program is not only self-supporting, but has also supported the on-campus program. The new
Ed. D. program will follow this very successful fiscal model.
The addition of an Ed. D. in the department will enhance the sustainability of the department
through the addition of two 102 tenure-track faculty positions. The department will be able to
add a third full-time faculty member, funded through program revenue from the Ed. D. program,
in 2017 and will also add a full-time administrative assistant to ensure effective marketing and
student and faculty support.
The creation of an Ed. D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership here at UW-L
provides the university with unprecedented opportunity in this area. There is no other such
degree in the UW-System program array and UW-L would be one of the first in the nation to
develop this degree online. The Department of Student Affairs Administration is very well
positioned for this and has the expertise, the motivation, and the experience to provide this
degree in this format at this time.
I am extremely excited and supportive of this new initiative and I hope you will be too. UW-L is
already a leader in the UW-System in the education of student affairs professionals. This is our
chance to become national leaders in preparing future student affairs administrators. I trust you
will agree!
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