Chapter 5
Academic Programs
Resources for Program Development
The identification of needed resources is a critical element in the program
development process. Monies may be budgeted in the university’s General
Fund, or departments may share the costs of specific programs
in which they have an interest, demonstrating the importance
of consensus-building in developing new program proposals.
The frequency with which
courses are
offered is also an issue. Resource allocation, e.g., faculty
load, becomes an important consideration, if to make a new
program viable, important
existing courses cannot be offered as frequently as needed.
These issues are negotiated among departments, deans, and the
VPAA to determine whether
new faculty lines may be needed or the schedule rearranged in some
way.
The SVSU Foundation has also played a significant role in
procuring funding for new programs, ranging from off-campus
graduate education programs to the Endowed Chairs to the Roberts
Fellowship program for exceptional undergraduate students.
The Office of Sponsored Programs has also become an increasingly
vital
element
in securing support for programs. The award of several million
federal Title II and Title III dollars over the past five years
has made it possible for SVSU to substantially upgrade its
technology infrastructure as well as provide technological
training to faculty and students. This infusion of technology
has had significant impact on the curriculum through the use
of course management systems such as Blackboard, and in partnerships
between faculty in the traditional content areas and those
in the College of Education.
