|
|
College of Graduate Studies set to explore new program possibilities |
| By
Vicki L. Kroll |
|
|
Jul 6, 2006 |
|
Medical ethics. Law and medicine. Business and medicine. The merger means more interdisciplinary program possibilities for students.
“The real opportunity will be in the development of new interdisciplinary programs that take advantage of the strengths of both campuses,” said Dr. Martin Abraham, who has been recommended to be dean of the College of Graduate Studies. “Some of these are already in the works.
“For example, we are currently working on a PhD in bioengineering that will be jointly offered by the colleges of Engineering and Medicine,” he said. “And there is a certificate program in proteomics/genomics that will be offered jointly now.”
That’s great news for the more than 3,000 graduate students from the former UT Graduate School and MUO College of Graduate Studies.
“UT had more than 100 programs, and the merger adds about 20 more,” Abraham said. “But it really depends on how you count programs and degrees.”
He convened the Graduate Colleges Work Group to focus on merger issues and works closely with Dr. Michael Bisesi, who likely will become senior associate dean of health science graduate programs.
“My responsibilities include overseeing the health science graduate programs relative to admissions, curricular development and modification, and graduation,” Bisesi said. “The health science programs include the graduate programs that are on the UT Health Science Campus and the graduate health science programs from the current UT College of Health and Human Services and the College of Pharmacy.”
Bisesi also touted the creative possibilities in the classroom.
“The merger may help to identify and more readily establish combined degree programs. This may include dual graduate degrees, graduate degrees combined with medicine, and/or hybrid undergraduate-graduate programs,” Bisesi said.
Abraham added, “The merger also gives us an opportunity to re-examine our processes and to become more effective in assisting our graduate students to be successful with their programs. And because of the increase in the number of programs and opportunities for students, we have new markets for recruiting and more ways to reach out to prospective students.”
Students and employees probably will not notice most changes, according to Abraham. “We’re working very hard to try to make the transition as smooth as possible for everyone so there is no disruption in services,” he said. “Eventually, as the merger fully works its way through our systems, some of our functions will become streamlined or be re-assigned and, of course, UT people will observe the changes. But we think these changes will provide greater service or new opportunities, so the changes will be seen as good for students, faculty and staff. All of this will take some time, so the benefits of the merger may not be fully realized for a year or so.”
Abraham, former dean of the UT Graduate School, will report to Provosts Jeffrey Gold and Alan Goodridge; Bisesi, chair and professor of public health and pharmacology, will report to Abraham and coordinate Health Science Campus activities with Gold. Both of their appointments are subject to approval by the UT Board of Trustees.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
