Northwest Missouri State University, BS, English

New Program - Form NP

NEW PROGRAM PROPOSAL FORM

Sponsoring Institution(s): Northwest Missouri State University
Program Title: English
Degree/Certificate: BS
Options: N/A
Delivery Site(s): Northwest Missouri State University
CIP Classification: 23.1101 (Please provide a CIP code)
Implementation Date: Fall 2008
Cooperative Partners: N/A
Expected Date of First Graduation: Spring 2012

AUTHORIZATION

Dr. Kichoon Yang/Provost
Dr. Douglas Dunham/Assistant to the Provost 660-562-1147

Need
Form SE

STUDENT ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

A. Student Demand

i. Estimated enrollment each year for the first five years for full-time and part-time students

Year	1	2	3	4	5
Full-Time	5	10	15	20	25
Part-Time
TOTAL	5	10	15	20	2

ii. Will enrollment be capped in the future? No

B. Market Demand:

i. National, state, regional, or local assessment of labor need for citizens with these skills

The new B.S. degree in English will add a professional component to the English major’s degree for those who wish to enter the work force in editing, technical writing, web writing, or publishing in general instead of continuing on into graduate school to study literature.

C. Societal Need:

i. General needs which are not directly related to employment

While the demand for a traditional, literature-based B.A. degree has not diminished, the proliferation of desktop and small publishing companies, technical writing centers, and in-house magazines or journals, which usually require one or two individuals to research, write, edit, lay out, and publish weekly or monthly publications with limited resources, have generated job opportunities requiring a unique set of writing, editing, and research skills. In order to be competitive for these positions, our graduates require (1) additional knowledge, theory, and practice in these skills, and (2) a degree that documents these qualifications.

D. Methodology used to determine "B" and "C" above.

Information gathered from peer institutions and other departments, from professional publications in the discipline such as the Modern Language Association’s ADE Bulletin (for example, English degrees in technical and business have increased almost fourfold since the late 1980s according to the article “Undergraduate Degrees in English and the Jobs That Follow” in the Spring 2007 edition of the ADE Bulletin), and anecdotal evidence gathered from colleagues and alumni.

3. Duplication and Collaboration: If similar programs currently exist in Missouri, what makes the proposed program necessary and/or distinct from the others at public institutions, area vocational technical schools, and private career schools?

Truman State University has a B.S. in Linguistics but this is really quite different from our proposed B.S. which focuses not on Linguistics but instead on Technical Writing, Editing, and Web-based Writing.

Does delivery of the program involve a collaborative effort with any external institution or organization? No

4. Program Structure - FORM PS

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

A. Total credits required for graduation: 124 hours

B. Residency requirements, if any: Usual University residency requirement applies

C. General education: Total credits: 42 hours

Courses (specific courses OR distribution area and credits):

Directed general education courses (within Northwest’s 42 hour general education block): N/A

D. Major requirements: Total credits: 36 hours

Core Requirements (21 hours)	One course from the following (3 cr):
American Lit: Beginnings to 1865 3 cr.	Rhetorical Writing 3 cr.
American Lit: 1865 to the Present 3 cr.	Advanced Composition 3 cr.
English Lit: Beowulf through the 18th Century 3 cr.	Internship in Writing & Research 3 cr.
English Lit: Romantics to the Present 3 cr.	Publication Skills 3 cr.
Professional Portfolio Preparation 3 cr.	Writing for the Online Age 3 cr.
Introduction to Shakespeare 3 cr.
Technical Writing 3 cr.	Approved Electives 12 cr.

E. Free elective credits: 46 hours (a minor is required with this major) (Sum of C, D, and E should equal A.)

F. Requirements for thesis, internship or other capstone experience: The Professional Portfolio

Preparation course is the capstone course for this major; students may select to complete the Internship in

Writing and Research Course

G. Any unique features such as interdepartmental cooperation: None

5. Financial Projections Form FP (Deleted)

6. Program Characteristics and Performance Goals - Form PG

PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE GOALS

Institution Name Northwest Missouri State University
Program Name B.S. English
Date Fall 2008

(Although all of the following guidelines may not be applicable to the proposed program, please carefully consider the elements in each area and respond as completely as possible in the format below. Quantification of performance goals should be included wherever possible.)

Student Preparation

• Any special admissions procedures or student qualifications required for this program which exceed regular university admissions, standards, e.g., ACT score, completion of core curriculum, portfolio, personal interview, etc. Please note if no special preparation will be required.
  
  No special preparation required.

• Characteristics of a specific population to be served, if applicable N/A

Faculty Characteristics

• Any special requirements (degree status, training, etc.) for assignment of teaching for this degree/certificate.
  
  Expertise in the teaching of technical writing, editing, and computer-based writing.

• Estimated percentage of credit hours that will be assigned to full-time faculty. Please use the term "full-time faculty" (and not FTE) in your descriptions here.
  
  100% to full time faculty.

• Expectations for professional activities, special student contact, teaching/learning innovation.
  
  Nothing beyond the normal expectations for tenure-track faculty in English

Enrollment Projections

• Student FTE majoring in program by the end of five years.
  
  30 Student FTE

• Percent of full-time and part-time enrollment by the end of five years. 30%

Student and Program Outcomes

• Number of graduates per annum at three and five years after implementation.
  
  At 3 years, 3 to 4 per year and at 5 years 5 to 6 per year.

• Special skills specific to the program.
  
  Technical Writing, Editing, Web Writing.

• Proportion of students who will achieve licensing, certification, or registration. N/A
• Performance on national and/or local assessments, e.g., percent of students scoring above the 50th percentile on normed tests; percent of students achieving minimal cut-scores on criterion-referenced tests. Include expected results on assessments of general education and on exit assessments in a particular discipline as well as the name of any nationally recognized assessments used.
  
  65 to 70% above the 50th percentile on the MAPP test

• Placement rates in related fields, in other fields, unemployed.
  
  100% placement rate in related or other fields

• Transfer rates, continuous study

Program Accreditation

• Institutional plans for accreditation, if applicable, including accrediting agency and timeline. If there are no plans to seek specialized accreditation, please provide reasons. N/A

Alumni and Employer Survey

• Expected satisfaction rates for alumni, including timing and method of surveys. N/A
• Expected satisfaction rates for employers, including timing and method of surveys. N/A

7. Accreditation: If accreditation is not a goal for this program, provide a brief rationale for your decision. If the institution is seeking program accreditation, provide any additional information that supports your program.

There are no accreditation processes in place for English at this time at Northwest.

8. Institutional Characteristics: Please describe succinctly why your institution is particularly well equipped or well suited to support the proposed program.

The English Department at Northwest has 11 graduate faculty teaching our majors and graduate students. All of those faculty are strongly qualified to teach the literature components of the BS in English program. Four of those faculty and two additional non-graduate-level faculty are well qualified to teach the writing components of the program.

9. Any Other Relevant Information: