Proposal #
(Academic Affairs use only)
AY16-607R Proposal #
(College use only)
REQUEST FOR A NEW MAJOR
University of Central Oklahoma
Proposed Name of Major (limited to 30 spaces*)
*Remember when abbreviating names, this is how they will appear on student’s transcripts.
Urban Management
Name of Major: (full name of major if longer than 30 characters)
To which program is this new major connected:
Public Administration
Degree Designation (ex. B.S., M.A.)
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
CIP Code:
45.1201
For information regarding CIP codes contact your department chair or visit:
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/ir/program_inventory.asp.
Does this new major affect other programs or departments?
X
Yes
No
If yes, provide name(s) of department chair(s) contacted, date(s), and results of discussion(s).
Inclusion of the course GEO 5113: Geographical Information Systems to the “Guided
Electives” affects the History and Geography Department. On February 26, 2016, Dr. Brett
Sharp sent an email to Dr. Brad Watkins, the current instructor of this course, and inquired
about the feasibility and acceptability of including this course among the guided electives in
the MPA program. Dr. Watkins agreed to reserve 5 spaces for graduate students when this
course is offered. Dr. Sharp then forwarded this email exchange that same day to Dr. Patti
Loughlin, the chair of the History and Geography Department and she gave her blessing to
go forward with this proposed change.
Date submitted to Provost Cabinet:
Interim Dean Luxenburg will present the request for a
new major to the Provost Cabinet in Spring 2016.
All proposals for new programs and majors must be presented by the College Dean to the Provost Cabinet for prioritization, planning
and approval to proceed.
Political Science
Department submitting the proposal
Dr. Brett S. Sharp
Person to contact with questions
bsharp@uco.edu
5526
email address
Ext. number
Approved by:
Department Chair
Date
College Curriculum Committee Chair
Date
(Please notify department chair when proposal is forwarded to dean.)
College Dean
Date
Academic Affairs Curriculum or Graduate Council
Date
(Please notify department chair when proposal is forwarded to AA.)
Office of Academic Affairs
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Date
Effective term for this program change
(Assigned by Academic Affairs)
Functional review _________
(undergraduate proposals only)
1.
Proposed curriculum as it will appear in the catalog: (Please place asterisk(s) beside new courses and submit
a “Request for a New Course” form for each new course.)
(Proposed Major Requirements)
Required Courses………..……..21 Hours
POL 5XX3 Public Administration Dynamics
POL 5033 Research Methods
POL 5193 Public Finance and Budgeting
POL 5413 Public Policy Analysis
POL 5423 Public Executive Leadership
POL 5473 Public Sector Human Resources
POL 5983 Capstone Paper
Guided Electives………...………..15 Hours
GEO 5113: Geographical Information Systems
POL 5013 Urban History of Policy/Admin
POL 5043 Municipal Management
POL 5123 Budgeting for Cities & States
POL 5133 Problems-State & Urban Government
POL 5163 Intergovernmental Relations
POL 5173 Urban Planning and Politics
POL 5363 Urban Sustainability
POL 5433 Minority Politics & Policy
POL 5443 Environmental Politics
POL 5523 Urban Housing Policy
POL 5563 Economic Development
POL 5XX3 Managing Public Sector Crises
NOTE: The Oklahoma State Regents require all majors under a program share approximately 50 percent of the
major course requirements.
2.
Have you checked to ensure there are no hidden requirements with each of the proposed
courses in the curriculum?
X Yes
No
3.
Demand for this new major. Provide evidence to support employment opportunities available for
graduates of this major using state and national market surveys, employment projections, trend
analysis, etc.
At our request, Claudia Deakins, the Executive Director of the City Management Association of
Oklahoma, surveyed her membership and found that of the 35 respondents, 31.4% were 60-69
years old, 25.7% were 50-59 years old, 22.8% were 40-49 years old, and 17.1% were 30-39 years
old. In her response to us, Ms. Deakins emphasized the need for meeting employer demand in the
field of City Management: “Several of our members will be interested in this program if it is
convenient for working professionals. I post available positions for city managers and assistant city
managers on our website. Even small cities usually want applicants with at least 5 years of experience
in city government. That means we need some students in the pipeline - getting their MPA, going to
work for a city and getting the expected experience so they can apply for the openings when our 60+
managers are retiring….Please know we are eager to assist you now and when your program is
available” (Claudia Deakins, Executive Director, City Management Association of Oklahoma;
correspondence received 6/20/2011).
Currently (as of 3/1/2016), the City Management Association of Oklahoma has 18 jobs open in the
state and immediate region for City Managers and Assistant City Managers. This does not include
the many sub-level professional positions in city government.
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review _________
(undergraduate proposals only)
4.
Projected number of students expected to select this major over the first three years.
Semester
Fall
Spring
Summer
5.
2017
6
12
0
2018
12
12
6
2019
12
12
6
Projected new cost of the major over the first three years based on the projected number of
students expected to select this major for:
a. Faculty or staff (new or re-allocated faculty/staff and specify whether full-time or part-time)
b.
2017
Current full-time faculty are already teaching all required courses and guided electives.
2018
Current full-time faculty are already teaching all required courses and guided electives.
2019
Current full-time faculty are already teaching all required courses and guided electives.
Resources, technology, supplies or equipment that must be acquired for this new major:
List items which must be purchased and estimated cost. (Be specific.)
2017
2018_
2019
6.
None
None
None
Does the UCO Library have the required library resources available for this new major?
Yes
No If yes, provide names of Librarian/Faculty Liaisons contacted, dates, and results of discussion.
The UCO Library lists over 57,000 different resource materials for urban management.
If no, what additional library resources must be acquired for this new major?
List items which must be
purchased and estimated cost. (Be specific, e.g., books, magazines, journals, etc.)
7.
Will the majority of this major be available via electronic media? (If so, explain: online, SPOC, etc.)
Yes
8.
X No
If yes,
explain
Unnecessary duplication: How does the proposed major complement and strengthen existing
programs at UCO? List similar majors, if any, and discuss the degree of similarity.
None
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review _________
(undergraduate proposals only)
9.
Please provide a concise, yet comprehensive, statement that explains the purpose and need for
this new major. Include documentation or assessment information supporting this request (if
possible).
The newly created MPA (2012) is the latest incarnation of the original Master of Arts in Public
Affairs that UCO initially began offering in 1982. In the “Request for a New Program” for the MPA
submitted to the Oklahoma State Regents in 2011, the unique niche in public administration that
would be served by a UCO MPA was identified as urban management. Already the UCO MPA in
its current form is servicing numerous students who are seeking or considering careers in city
management. UCO has a “strategic partnership” with the City Management Association of
Oklahoma (CMAO) which has demonstrated a keen interest in developing students with interests
in urban management careers. We have already entered into numerous collaborative
relationships with other urban-management-related organizations in Oklahoma including serving
as the host campus for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) student
chapter. The UCO MPA Advisory Board has representatives from the Association of Central
Oklahoma Governments (an urban/regional planning association), the Oklahoma Municipal
League (a city advocacy organization). The most compelling need for this major is to allow our
students to market themselves effectively within the career field of urban management.
Moreover, our anticipated accreditation by the Network of Schools of Public Policy Affairs and
Administration (NASPAA) along with an Urban Management concentration in the MPA should be
a major draw for new students both here in this state, nationally, and internationally. It fits with
our core UCO MPA mission to serve communities and with the university’s new mission to serve
the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review _________
(undergraduate proposals only)