College of Health Sciences

Minutes for CAC Meeting

February 3, 2010

 

Presiding: Dean Ryman

Recording: Dr. Fellows

 

The College Administrative Council (CAC) met in the Dean’s conference room.  Dr. Ryman called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

 

Members Present:  Dean Ryman, Dr. Oliver, Dr. Fellows, Dr. Gibson, Ms. Calk, Dr. Dolecheck, Dr. Doughty, Ms. Jarrell, Ms. Wisenor, Mr. Bennett, Dr. Boult.

 

I.          COHS Newsletter

            A.        Dr. Ryman distributed a hard copy of the new College of Health Sciences Newsletter to the Department Heads.  He announced that it had been sent electronically to all alumni from the Alumni Center’s data base.  He said that if Department Heads want some hard copies they should contact him.  He said that he was very pleased with it and that he expects it to be well received by the alumni, college, and community.  He commended Dr. Fellows for creating it.

 

II.        Update from Dean’s meeting

A.                At the Dean’s meeting, Dr. Richters commended Speech-Language Pathology and used them as an example for their retention efforts and that they should be used an example for other departments outside of the College of Health Sciences.

B.                 Dr. Richters also praised the Nursing program during the Dean’s meeting.  He reported that he was speaking to an on-line RN to BSN student at an event.  When he asked the student how he liked the program and its organization, interaction, and ability to contact the faculty, the student had high praise for the program.

 

III.       Retention

A.                Other parts of ULM may model their plans after the COHS.

B.                 Dr. Ryman reminded the CAC that at the last meeting he had mentioned the need for a referral process targeting students who do not get into one of the professional programs.  Following that meeting, Dr. Dolecheck began meeting with all of the department heads to discuss what happens to their students who are not accepted into the professional program.  She has developed a parallel 2 + 2 program wherein students who do not get into a professional program can continue in a positive direction toward degree completion.  Students would have the option of re-applying to the program the next year after they had, for example, improved their GPA.  This plan will keep students moving in a positive direction toward completion.  By including this plan with letters of non-acceptance (rejection), it becomes a viable option to obtain a Health Studies degree with course by course substitutions and a website link.

 

Discussion was also held regarding a University College concept wherein all students would initially declare a Health Studies major and then move into their specific area of interest at the sophomore or junior level.  As a part of this concept, a potential one credit course, “Introduction to Health Sciences” would be developed that would take the place of the FRYS course.  All department heads, or their designee, would teach a module in the course to let students know what the different professional areas involve.  Students would still need to take the pre-requisites for a specific program, but this course might provide them with better focus to solidify their interest area.  For example, students could be Health Studies/Pre-Nursing, or Health Studies/Pre-CLS, and change their major without hurting the retention rate in the COHS.  Mr. Bennett reported that one university committee is examining the concept of everyone declaring “undeclared” with specific tracks and then have to earn the opportunity through minimum GPA’s to declare a major.  Dr. Ryman responded that he would prefer for the COHS to continue with Dr. Dolecheck’s plan since health sciences is a unique entity and most students who start in the college want to be in some form of health care.  Dr. Dolecheck’s plan would allow students to be in the COHS from the beginning to graduation.

 

III.       Other course updates

A.                Nutrition course:  Will be available by this summer.

B.                 General microbiology:  on-line students are required to have a 3 hour course and lab.  Dr. Griswold in Health Studies can provide the lecture portion.  If a more clinical slant is put on the course it will be useful to more students.  Dr. Ryman will purchase the lab software to enhance the course.  This would require a curriculum change and could potentially accommodate 255-300 people.  Any pre-nursing or dental hygiene student would be required to take it.  This course needs to be offered no later than fall 2010.  Only the on-line students could take the on-line course.  On campus students would be required to take the course on campus.

C.                 Ms. Wisenor mentioned the on-line course at Weber State.  Dr. Ryman said that he had helped develop the course.  It is an on-line intro microbiology lab course but it involves more experiences than in-house lab courses.  In the course, students are able to see actual results of cultures, develop and isolate colonies, draw blood cultures.  Students can see that if they do not do a procedure properly (e.g., contaminate a blood culture) the patient will end up in the hospital for more days.  This type of software is available for purchase.

 

IV.       Funding

A.                Potential for some substantial funding from the City of Monroe.

B.                 Dr. Ryman and Dr. Fellows are constantly seeing potential donors in the office.  Will be seeing the President of BancorpSouth next week.

C.                 Donors are being told about all of the activities in the COHS, naming opportunities, and the need to develop scholarships for different departments.

 

V.        Nursing building

            A.        Would like to take the CLS site visitors on a tour of the renovated facility.

B.        Working with Office of Development on a packet for potential donors – cost of                            naming an office, etc. 

C.        All stops are being pulled out to get people to contribute to the building.

D.        At the next CAC, Dr. Ryman will update regarding active participation from                                 Nursing, CLS, and RT.

E.         Moving will happen in early summer with a one day move and the entire college will participate.  Volunteers throughout the college will be assigned to every individual that has to move.  It will be a college event rather than a department exodus. 

VI.       Adjunct on-line funds

A.                Dr. Ryman has funds available for department heads to use as they wish.

 

VII.     Announcements

A.                Thursday, Dr. Ryman and Dr. Dolecheck will accompany President Cofer to Bossier Parish Community College to sign the 2+2 articulation agreement.

B.                 Speech-Language Pathology has received notification of continued accreditation from the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

C.                 CLS students receive training.   On April 15th, CLS faculty, Dean Ryman, a ULM Media Relations representative and photographer will tour LifeShare Blood Center’s Laboratory in Shreveport.  LifeShare is a clinical site for CLS students and offers the students advanced Immunohematology training.

 

The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.