UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

ACADEMIC PLANNING COUNCIL

 

Bulletin #69

 

                  

 

February 18, 2005

 

 


I.                     Introductions

II.                   Health Sciences Planning

III.                  Stem Cell Research Initiative

IV.               Presidential Long-Range Guidance Team

V.                 Planning for New Doctorates

VI.               International Doctoral Student Enrollment

 

 

I.                     Introductions

 

Provost MRC Greenwood introduced two members of the APC attending for the first time:  Ellen Wartella, Executive Vice Chancellor (Riverside) and Mary Ann Mason, Graduate Dean (Berkeley). 

 

II.                   Health Sciences Planning

Vice President Michael Drake continued his presentation from the previous APC meeting describing California’s workforce needs in each of the health professions taught by UC and UC’s role in meeting those needs.  He will make a similar report to The Regents’ Committee on Educational Policy in March 2005.

Vice President Drake cited the Health Sciences Committee summary report, which documents how changes in the population, such as aging, increased cultural diversity and population growth in inland regions of California are creating serious mismatches and shortages in health care providers.  Some of the key findings include the need for up to 17,000 more physicians by 2015, as detailed at the previous APC meeting, and serious deficiencies in nursing (especially nursing faculty), public health, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.  The Health Sciences Committee recommends increases in enrollment in these four areas and initiation of planning for one or more new comprehensive programs in medicine and nursing.

As it becomes more difficult to import professionals from other states, which has been the practice in California for decades, there is a greater need to produce them in California.  An added benefit to educating professionals in California is that programs can provide experiences necessary for working effectively with culturally diverse populations, meeting one of California’s greatest needs in health care.  

APC members made several suggestions on ways to tie the needs for more health sciences practitioners to other areas of effort underway at UC in the context of helping keep California competitive.  For example, they noted the potential links to the science and math initiative, encouraging undergraduate students to pursue fields such as health economics and bioinformatics, in addition to the more traditional health sciences professions.    They also pointed out the opportunity the recommendations provide to work more proactively with CSU, and suggested that the President invite CSU to join in planning for ways to address the nursing faculty shortage.

APC members also agreed that the types of studies underlying the health sciences recommendations were useful guides to planning for other professions, and even for analyzing the needs of industry for Ph.D. graduates.  It was pointed out that with the growth in high school graduates ending in a few years, with consequences for undergraduate growth, it is an appropriate time to consider the breadth of graduate programs offered by UC and how they might change or grow in the coming decade and beyond to meet California’s needs.

See also: December 3, 2004 APC discussion:  (http://www.ucop.edu/planning/apcfiles/apcwelcome.html)

Copies of the report will be available on the Division of Health Affairs website: http://www.ucop.edu/healthaffairs/

Item for The Regents’ March 16-17, 2005 meeting: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/regmeet/mar05/303.pdf

 

III.                  Stem Cell Research Initiative

 

Office of Research Executive Director of Legislation and Research Policy Ellen Auriti and Provost Greenwood described the current status of the implementation of Proposition 71, the Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.  As of January 2005 there had been three meetings of the governing group, the 29-member Independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee (ICOC), which includes several UC members.  Many issues, such as how best to handle intellectual property that may result from Proposition 71-funded research, have not yet been discussed by the ICOC in depth.  UC has been consulting with other academic and research institutions regarding providing the Institute with input on the academic perspective and on how intellectual property is handled under the federal Bayh-Dole Act, which allows universities to retain ownership of intellectual property developed under federal awards.  It was pointed out that the Academic Council is working on a proposal to suggest a mechanism (such as the Digital Library) for facilitating open access to research findings.  

 

It was noted that it is important for campuses to ensure that they follow federal rules in OMB Circular A-21 regarding cost allocation, so that no federal funds are used to support human embryonic stem cell research conducted on non-federally approved cell lines.  Practically, campuses may choose to do this by keeping Proposition 71-funded research physically separate from other research that uses federally funded equipment and facilities. Proposition 71 provides for facilities awards, which could be used to support segregated facilities, which may prove necessary from a practical standpoint.   There was a suggestion for workshops on how A-21 requirements relate to work done under Proposition 71, particularly since there is an expectation that there could be an increase in federal audits given this more complex environment.  Although this is a new area of law without much interpretation, the penalties for violating federal guidelines are severe, including loss of federal funding.  

 

The best source of current information regarding Proposition 71 implementation is the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s website: www.cirm.ca.gov.

 

IV.               Presidential Long-Range Guidance Team

 

Provost Greenwood described the President’s newly appointed group formed to address long-range strategic issues facing the University, which she will co-chair with Bruce Darling.  The Long-Range Guidance Team comprises seven Regents (including student and alumni Regents), three Chancellors, Academic Chair and Vice-Chair and two vice presidents.   Over the next six to eight months the Guidance Team will commission studies and engage in discussions of the priorities that have emerged from SWOT exercises (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) conducted with a variety of academic and administrative constituencies, as well as The Regents.  They will produce a strategic framework to guide specific decisions that will be made in the coming years.   Some of the key areas of focus include the future of graduate education, development of international strategies, University business practices, and the financing of the University.

 

The APC advised on the formation of work groups that will provide substantial input to the Guidance Team.  They urged more comprehensive and diverse membership and widespread communication so the efforts of the work groups and the Guidance Team are not misunderstood.  Potential work groups they discussed might include graduate education (including doctoral education, professional schools, and intersegmental degrees), the research environment, the undergraduate experience, business practices, human resources, financing the University, and international engagement.  The themes of technology and diversity might be addressed as components of each group’s charge.  The APC will continue to be consulted about the charge and composition of the work groups.

 

V.                 Planning for New Doctorates

 

Senior Vice Provost Julius Zelmanowitz led a discussion of how UC should respond to CSU’s recent initiative to alter the Master Plan in a way that would allow them to provide independent doctorates, other than those designed for research or teaching careers.   He described the five-year history of the joint Ed.D. degree, now offered at seven UC campuses and multiple CSU campuses.  These collaborations were developed in response to CSU’s attempt to offer the Ed.D. independently and are viewed by the University as being very successful, with strong support from the Education Deans.  UC would like to have five years of experience with these programs before assessing whether they should be expanded or offered under a different organizational framework. 

 

Senior Vice Provost Zelmanowitz described more recent attempts by CSU to make their case for offering doctorate degrees (variously labeled “applied,” “professional,” or “practitioner doctorates”).  For example, CSU has cited changes in accreditation requirements of audiologist training programs from the master’s degree (as currently offered by six CSU campuses) to the doctorate, as reason for CSU to be able to offer a doctorate independent of UC.  Currently UC San Diego, through the School of Medicine, and San Diego State University offer a joint doctorate in audiology.   A UC task force formed to address the real needs concurred that the accreditation requirements are such that it is academically appropriate to invite additional collaborations between other UC Schools of Medicine and the six CSU campuses currently offering master’s degrees in audiology.

 

The example of audiology raises the issue of other future requirements for “practitioner doctorates” and the role UC should play given the Master Plan’s charge giving UC responsibility for doctoral education.  Provost Greenwood will convene a task force to identify potential licensure and accreditation changes, as well as market demand, that will require new doctorates, starting with allied health fields.  The task force will also consider various mechanisms for delivering these programs.    In addition to the traditional joint degree, new mechanisms that might be explored are joint ventures (a variation on the joint degree, with less UC involvement), virtual programs, UNEX-based programs, and a school of allied health. 

 

APC members agreed that a proactive approach, conducting robust and objective studies to determine real needs in California, was the appropriate role for UC. 

 

VI.               International Doctoral Student Enrollment

 

Graduate Dean Mary Ann Mason shared data with APC members showing the decline in new international doctoral student enrollment at all campuses for the past several years.  The decline for the system has been 27 percent since 2000, although it has been as high as 60 percent at one campus.  Data indicate that enrollments increased during 1994-2001 when fee increases averaged 3.6 percent, but have declined as fees have increased substantially.

 

At future meetings the APC will discuss international strategies for UC, including fee structures and other issues affecting enrollment of international students.