Academic Plan 2011-2015 (PDF 524kB) - SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College: Academic Plan 2011 - 2015 51• Degree programs offered to prepare individuals for careers in the clinical realm, include a B.S. inNursing, a proposed MSN, and supplemental educational activities for radiology technicians.• Undergraduate programs leading to a B.S. in Community and Human Services or a B.S. inBusiness, Management and Economics offer concentrations in health services and health caremanagement and administration.• Undergraduate and graduate courses in health policy, economics and management, which areexpanding in number and scope, prepare students to play a more informed and skilled role inleading their organizations and influencing the direction of health care policy.• A proposed Masters of Public Health (MPH) adds a public health focus to the college’s offerings.• An MBA in health care leadership, designed to prepare individuals for directing health careorganizations, is in proposal development stage.• An Advanced Graduate Certificate in health care management has been recently introduced.The college is demonstrating its flexibility to address and satisfy the growing array of educationalneeds of health care professionals by offering multiple program options and structures (B.A./B.S.,M.A./M.S./MBA, and advanced graduate certificates). In keeping with the notion of “initiatives,” it isrecommended that the college engage in a continuous examination of how students’ needs may bemet as they seek professional development in health care. Accelerated programs which allow for fluidtransitions from undergraduate to graduate education, more focused and specialized certificates, andensuring that students benefit from a community-oriented, interdisciplinary approach to health careeducation constitute a few ways in which the spirit of this initiative may be fulfilled.Technology, Information and SocietyDescriptionThis academic theme encompasses the technological as well as social, cultural, historic and economiccontexts of computing and information. Computer science generally focuses on computer organization,software, and mathematics. Information systems and information technology focuses on the useof computers to solve problems. Informatics deals with the intersection of computing and anotherdomain (such as business, the fine arts or health care) and often includes a focus on social andbehavioral aspects of information and technology. Information science is an interdisciplinary field thatexamines information systems in their social, cultural, economic, historical, legal and political contexts.ScopeConcentrations would include computer science, information systems, information technology,informatics, and information science, but obviously can go well outside of these to include moreindividualized and creative concentrations such as human-computer interaction and the informationsociety. This theme also would cover studies that address the relationships between relevanttechnological change and society, such as those associated with the explosive Internet-drivenavailability of information in today’s world.RationaleFirst of all, technological literacy and information management abilities are essential skills requiredto successfully navigate the 21st century world, and, thus, information management is an infusedcompetency in the SUNY general education requirements. Second, there is ever-increasing workplacedemand for professionals in the computing and information fields, and the number of students doing