DATE:
February 28, 2001
TO:
Julie Furst-Bowe
Associate Vice Chancellor
FROM:
John Wesolek, Dean
College of Human Development
SUBJECT:
Dean’s Response to PRC Recommendations for M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy
The following response was developed in consultation with the department chair, Tom Franklin, and
program director, Chuck Barnard:
1. The department chair and program staff should develop a plan to hire more female staff, preferably
as tenure track faculty. The dean should oversee this process and provide necessary resources for
this process.
Response: One female faculty-tract position that teaches courses for the program, Dr. Terri Karis,
was hired last year. The department chair will include in the department’s staffing plan a focus to
increase gender balance with new hires for the program. No new allocations are anticipated for the
program in the immediate future.
2. The program director and key instructors should review curriculum and course content for diversity
concepts; analyzing and determining where best to infuse these concepts; look at hiring a consultant
(external to program) for outside point of view.
Response: In the course of developing the MFT program revision – currently going through the
curriculum approval process – this recommendation has been addressed. We did address where best
to add and bolster the infusion of diversity-related instruction into our already existing curriculum. In
addition to this we have added a new course to our curriculum titled, “Cultural Competence in Family
Therapy.” These changes were aided through consultation with Dr. Kenneth Hardy who visited our
program for two days in November of 1999. Dr. Hardy is a distinguished African American MFT
educator from Syracuse University.
3. The program director and key instructors should review curriculum of the “cultural anthropology”
and “cultural competency” course to analyze if both are needed in the program to achieve the goals
they are set out to accomplish. The program director should review the principles and concepts of
each course to ensure clarity and non duplication, working with the instructors of each of these
courses.
Response: The program director and key instructors (Drs. Bigony, Karis, Kuehl, and Williams) have
met to address this specific issue. At this time we are in agreement that both courses are valued
components of our overall curriculum and serve to promote a synergistic impact for our students.
4. The program director and clinical staff should examine how students are being initiated into the
therapy (hands on) sessions and determine ways to assist students in the transition from theory into
practice.
Response: The clinical staff have been addressing how our students are transitioned into the clinical
practicum component of their training in both their on and off campus clinical experience. We
believe we have refined our practices in a fashion that is an improvement for both our students and
the clients they serve. These practices will be described for our students in the fall, 2001 revised
edition of our MFT Program Handbook, and implemented from that point forward.
5. Now that the space has been secured for the clinical staffing (344 VR), adequate furniture needs to be
obtained. The department chair, dean, and program director should work together to develop and
implement a plan for purchase.
Response: The current year (2000-01) budget for CHD does not include sufficient funds to purchase
furniture for the clinical staffing room (VR 344). A request from the program director is on a list of
furnishing requests for the college. An inspection of the room by the dean and associate dean was
made and it was agreed that the furnishings are in need of replacement. In the meantime, room 225 in
the Vocational Rehabilitation building was identified as an area where the clinical staffing needs of
the Marriage and Family program could be met. This room was recently refurnished with new chairs
and adjustable tables as a general seminar room for the college.