UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

 

Academic Program Approval

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Proposing department should complete this form.  For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

 

 

Submitted by: Robin Morgan              phone number: 831-2501

                               

Department:   CANR Dean’s Office     email address:  morgan@udel.edu

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Date:   September 20, 2011

 

Action:  Permanently disestablish the Department of Bioresources Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

 

Effective term:  Approval to permanently disestablish the BREG Department by no later than September 1, 2016 is sought during 11F. The Department will not admit any additional undergraduate or graduate students after 11F.  Current students have been notified that they have until September 1, 2016 to complete their degree.

                                                (use format 04F, 05W)

 

Current degrees: BS in Engineering Technology and MS in Bioresources Engineering

                                    (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

Proposed change leads to the degree of:  N/A

                                                                                             (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

Proposed name:  N/A

                                            Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

                                                                                (if applicable)

Revising or Deleting: 

 

Undergraduate major / Concentration:  A separate recommendation to disestablish the following majors and concentrations has been submitted to the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Faculty Senate for action in 11F

1) Engineering Technology BS

2) Engineering Technology with a concentration in Natural Resources Engineering   Technology BS

3) Engineering Technology with a concentration in Construction Technology and Technical Management BS

 

Undergraduate minor:  Recommendation to disestablish Engineering Technology minor has been submitted to the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Faculty Senate for action in 11F

                                   (Example:  African Studies,  Business Administration,  English, Leadership, etc.)            

Graduate Program Policy statement change: N/A

 

Graduate Program of Study:  A separate recommendation to disestablish the MS degree in Bioresources Engineering has been submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Faculty Senate for action in 11F

                                

 

Graduate minor / concentration: N/A

Note: all graduate studies proposals must include an electronic copy of the Graduate Program Policy Document, highlighting the changes made to the original policy document.

 

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum. How do they support the overall program objectives of the major/minor/concentrations)?  N/A

 (Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

Explain, when appropriate, how this new/revised curriculum supports the 10 goals of undergraduate education: http://www.ugs.udel.edu/gened/:  N/A

Identify other units affected by the proposed changes:

(Attach permission from the affected units.  If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)   N/A

Describe the rationale for the proposed program change(s):

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

Undergraduate enrollments in the Bioresources Engineering department have declined to the point that they do not constitute a critical mass for academic programs (average = 6 new freshmen students/year for 2007-2011) and student quality has become an issue as well (Average SAT for 2007-2011 = 1093).  At the same time, faculty research and teaching interests have become more closely linked with other CANR departments, especially Animal & Food Sciences, and Plant & Soil Sciences, and the M.S. degree program has been unsuccessful at recruiting graduate students (1 student enrolled since the program began).  Consequently, after careful review and consideration of the undergraduate academic program in Engineering Technology, their research and teaching interests and future plans, and the mission of UD and the CANR, the faculty in the Bioresources Engineering Department (BREG) have recommended that the BREG department be disbanded and the Engineering Technology majors be discontinued. Current students would have the option of transferring to another department or finishing their degree in BREG.  Thus, the BREG undergraduate program would end in approximately 4-5 years but no later than September 1, 2016. The BREG MS program would end in approximately one year (12F), when the current student has completed her thesis.

On March 18, 2011, the faculty of the BREG Department met and voted 7-1, with one abstention, in favor of disbanding the department and therefore the majors. (see attachment #1)

On April 13, 2011, the CANR Courses and Curriculum Committee unanimously approved the motions to discontinue the majors (see attachment #2)

On April 18, 2011, the voting membership of the CANR recommended that the BREG department be disbanded by a vote of 30 Yes, 7 No, and 5 abstentions. (see attachment #3a and #3b)

Program Requirements: 

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog.  If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the current curriculum and include a side-by-side comparison of the credit distribution before and after the proposed change.)   N/A

 

ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION:        (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                                        Date                                       

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies                                                                   Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                 Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                      Date to be Effective               

 

Registrar                                                                  Program Code                                         Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & International Programs                                               Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                                Date