Program Development Plan
DRAFT
Program:
Recreational Therapy
Department: Health Sciences
DRAFT
Date: 05/06/2010
Strengths:
The Program …
 is well managed by a team of highly qualified and dedicated faculty
 is student centered and provides for a nurturing and caring learning environment
 has made significant progress in recent years toward increasing enrollment and expanding its curriculum offerings
 has a system for assessment and a commitment to service learning that is impressive
 is well-respected and highly regarded by the University community at all levels including administration, faculty, alumni, and
students
Recommendations
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
Strategic Action
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
Faculty and Staff Resources
1. Increase faculty lines within the RT
Program through allocation of high
priority hires within the College or
through reallocation of School faculty
lines, including –
a. 1 tenure-track faculty hire to
concentrate on clinical
specialization and applied
research;
a.b. 1 fixed-term faculty hire to
coordinate clinical placements
and upper-division advising
Review in staffing
plans on annual basis
2. Develop a centralized advising unit
within the School of Health Sciences
to provide advising support to
 Take under-utilized
faculty to assist with
advising
Recreational Therapy
N
Program Director
(PD) &
Department Head
(DH)
Spring 2011
& Annually
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
R
1
DH
Spring 2011
Health and Human Sciences
DRAFT
Recommendations
multiple programs and, in particular,
relieve the RT faculty from managing
admissions and advising pre-majors
3. (1) Hire adjunct faculty to serve as
sole instructors of specialty courses
(geriatrics, etc.) or, alternatively, (2)
allocate a part-time instructional fund
to provide stipends to practicing
recreational therapists to present
clinical cases and other on-campus
technical workshops
Program Development Plan
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
Strategic Action
DRAFT
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
 Establish guidelines
for pre-RTH advising
 Coordinate with
Advising Center
PD
Fall 2010
(1) Identify specialty
courses and areas;
Identify resources
(1)(2) Identify areas
of need with budget
and potential
personnel; Identify
resources to pay
guest lecturers
PD; DH, Dean
Fall 2011
&
Annually
N
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
PD; DH, Dean
Curriculum Development and Program “Niche”
4. Continue to establish new and diverse
community engagement opportunities
for service learning, field practicum
and internships through myriad
outreach efforts (i.e., workshops,
clinics, awareness events)
 Establish junior
practicum
requirement to be
done in summer or
consider hiring
Clinical- RTH to
contract with local
units
Fall 2011
(Plan)
Fall 2010
2012
(Implement)
Commented [MC1]: What is meant by “C- RTH”? Please
clarify.
N
PD
 Start planning for
RTH Clinic to start
in new building
Recreational Therapy
2
Health and Human Sciences
Program Development Plan
DRAFT
Recommendations
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
Strategic Action
 Look at
incorporating
Clinical- RTH from
above
DRAFT
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
Commented [MC2]: Please clarify.
PD
 Look at establishing
cohort (need cost
benefit analysis)
5. Capitalize on the Program’s location
and mountain ecology to create a
unique programmatic niche within the
RT discipline.
a. Seek internal start-up funding
to support expansion of
adventure-based therapy
training, research and service.
In addition to constructing a
multi-use ropes course,
acquire adaptive equipment
for accessible outdoor
recreation experiences.
N – Seek external
Plan for adventurefunding
based model as
Certificate (in
conjunction with Parks
and Recreation,
Counseling, Social
Work, Psychology,
Engineering
Technology, and
Construction
Management)
PD & Jennifer
Hinton
Spring
20122013
Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
a.b. Design revenue-generating
activities such as an inresidence summer intensive
training program for students
Recreational Therapy
3
Health and Human Sciences
Program Development Plan
DRAFT
Recommendations
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
Strategic Action
DRAFT
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
and practicing therapists to
earn continuing education
credits and specialty
certificates
College Initiative –
establish workgroup or
taskforce with reps
from each unit
Dean
Spring 2011
7. Continue to monitor program quality
with established assessment systems
and metrics; convert internal reports
into refereed journal publications
within the discipline to illustrate
methods and outcomes
Develop at least article
Maintain annually
PD
Annual
Review
8. Examine factors related to “rightsizing” program enrollment based on
emerging accreditation standards
(CARTE) and the employment
market within the state and region
(i.e., sustaining a high quality
program and graduate placement
Seek CARTE
accreditation
PD
Spring 2011
for
application
Fall 2011 for
on-site
6. Conduct a regional needs assessment
to determine a “best fit” between the
RT Program’s community
engagement and service learning
goals and select local and regional
service needs (e.g., geriatrics,
behavioral health)
Program Management
Recreational Therapy
Refer to #2
4
Health and Human Sciences
DRAFT
Recommendations
Program Development Plan
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
Strategic Action
DRAFT
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
without contributing to “saturation”
of marketplace)
9. Establish student-faculty ratios that
reflect accreditation standards and
program resources, and develop a
contingency plan to cap enrollment,
especially if additional faculty lines
are not secured
Identify 100/200 level
course to feed students
into program and cap
enrollment in 300/400
courses
Fall 2012 (?)
PD
Refer back to #s 2 and
8
10. Complete the creation of a Program
Advisory Committee (PAC) and
conduct annual meetings
In process – establish
communication and
plan objectives
11. Establish a network of studenttherapist mentors using alumni
- No -
12. Develop a mechanism to “reward”
clinical intern supervisors (e.g.,
continuing education at no-cost to
intern supervisors)
Develop plan to
explore options at
program and college
level
Fall 2010
C
PD, Dean
Spring 2013
Applied Research & Scholarship
Recreational Therapy
5
Health and Human Sciences
DRAFT
Recommendations
Program Development Plan
Strategic Action
13. Develop plan for applied RT research
that harnesses the current crossdisciplinary collaboration and
provides a pathway for establishing
and utilizing multidisciplinary use of
the “Common clinic” at the College’s
new building
Links to #s 4 and 5
14. Prioritize applied research
concentration (e.g., geriatrics,
behavioral health/ substance use) and
then provide course release for
designated faculty to work with
University supports for identifying
potential funding mechanisms
including federal (e.g., DOD, NIDA),
state and foundation (e.g.,
Christopher Reeves; Alzheimer’s
Association) funding sources and
drafting relevant funding proposals
Develop plan
15. Identify and pursue scholarship
(presentations and manuscripts)
associated with the teaching-learning
process that is integral to the RT
program’s quality and effectiveness
- No -
Recreational Therapy
Resources needed
C = current
R = reallocation
N = new
DRAFT
Person(s)
Responsible
Costs
Date of
Review
Fall 2012 (?)
PD
Explore funding
options
6
Fall
20102012
(?)
Health and Human Sciences