Transcript SUNY Learning Network (SLN)

Developing PSM Internships,
“Plus” Courses and Online curriculum
NPSMA Math Conference
October 13-15, 2011
By: David King, Ph.D.
Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
SUNY – Oswego
Director, SUNY PSM Consortium
PSM Internships are Vital
to Sustaining PSM Programs
•Internships provide benefits to each of the parties involved.
•First, companies get to “test drive” some of the highest caliber
students available for possible future employment.
•Second, students get to receive real world, hands-on experience
in a field that will be related to their specific program to get an idea
of what types of responsibilities and duties will be expected of
them upon graduation
•Third, the institution and the PSM program have a great
opportunity to highlight the best and brightest of their students.
•Fourth, the development of university/business collaborations yield
benefits to both organizations.
Benefits for Companies
•Internships have long been viewed as a trial “employment” period
for companies to recruit talented students before they enter the job
market.
•Internships in PSM programs are helpful in that they serve
multiple functions for both the university and the employer
•Internships can be a less expensive way for companies to staff
their departments than hiring untested employees, especially if
those employees don’t have the unique hybrid skill sets that PSM
students possess
•PSM partnerships with businesses also afford opportunities for
individuals within these companies to serve on PSM advisory
boards to help ensure that the skills sets that they need in their
field are being addressed in the PSM curriculum.
Benefits for Students
•Students are given a better opportunity to explore their chosen
career field. The students receive hands-on experience and a
“reality check” before completing their degree.
•Students get the opportunity to put what they’ve learned into
action.
•PSMs are hybrid degrees that may provide various opportunities
within a single company to utilize a broad range of skill sets. This
enables students to maximize the full potential of their degree.
•Paid internships may also benefit the students by helping them
defray the cost of their education.
Benefits for PSM Programs and Campuses
•PSM degrees demonstrate a university’s commitment to
addressing the educational needs of companies and agencies that
depend on these unique skill sets.
•PSM programs extend the institutions outreach not only by placing
interns within these companies, but also by demonstrating their
commitment to economic and workforce development.
•Internships, Co-ops, and other collaborative partnerships help to
build bridges between businesses and educational institutions
which can provide long-term advantages for both.
Steps in Developing Internships
• Planning the internship
process
• Selecting appropriate
placements
• Determining Eligibility and
Preparation
• Negotiating Pay and/or
Financial Aid
• Developing Learning
Agreements
• Implementing the
agreements
• Supervising placements
• Facilitating reciprocal
communication
• Drafting internship reports
• Grading procedures
• Assessing the program
• Ensuring continuous
improvement
Internship Planning
•Site Selection- Select sites that will provide students with
practical experience in their field of concentration. The
employer should have personnel who will provide mentoring
and instruction throughout the internship experience.
•Student Eligibility and Preparation- Determine the
qualifying criteria for the internship. Students need to
prepare materials such as a resumé and cover letter.
Students should be advised about the credit hours and
evaluation methods associated with the particular internship
experience.
Internship Planning (cont.)
•Financial Aid- Students should check with their financial aid
advisors to determine if they are eligible to receive
assistance towards tuition and other expenses. Students
should also confirm that their health insurance won’t be
affected by the internship.
•Learning Agreement- An agreement should be negotiated
between the college and the field site to identify the specific
learning objectives to be attained through the internship.
Internship Implementation
• Supervision- Appropriate full-time faculty should be provided
to ensure that learning objectives are met and grading
policies are followed.
• Communication- Throughout the internship, the student and
his/her supervisor should maintain regular contact to ensure
learning objectives are being met.
• Reports- Reports should be submitted to the university from
both the site supervisor and the student. This ensures that
expectations are addressed between all related parties.
• Grading- Grading should be based on satisfactory completion
of requirements and assignments and the degree to which the
learning objectives have been achieved.
Internship Assessment
•The PSM program coordinator should engage in regular
periodic assessment to determine the effectiveness of the
placements in meeting learning objectives and to address
ways to ensure continuous improvement.
•Upon completion, the student and the supervisor should
submit a comprehensive evaluation of the internship
experience.
“Plus” Courses Make the Difference
• The “Plus” component of the PSM degree creates a unique hybrid
degree.
•“Plus” Courses integrate selected business and communication
skills with basic STEM disciplines at the master’s degree level.
•The “Plus” skills incorporated in PSM degrees are selected from a
variety of fields appropriate to the particular degree.
•These courses are developed by the PSM faculty in consultation
with the PSM program’s Business Advisory Board.
Utilizing “Plus” Courses
• Design a “plus” course survey with employers that identifies
relevant skill sets that might be incorporated in the curriculum of
each PSM program.
•Consider utilizing flexible instructional modes, including online and
hybrid “plus” courses. These “plus” courses have value to other PSM
programs and online delivery promotes collaboration among
universities to ensure enrollments are optimized and costs are
stabilized.
•Seek guidance from external consultants and those with
established PSM programs. The results of these meetings may be
useful in identifying skills sets that should be addressed within
”plus” courses
SUNY “PLUS” Courses Skill Sets
• Negotiation/Consensus Building
• Health Care Administration
• Financial Management
• Running Clinical Trials
• Marketing Management
• Web Design
• Managerial Accounting
• Graphics/Publications
• Organizational Communication Skills
• Regulatory Issues
• Writing and Public Speaking
• Entrepreneurship
• Principles of Micro and Macro Economics
• Leadership Training
• Legal Environment of Business
• Statistics
• Project Management
• Ethics
• Team Management
• Technology Transfer
• Presentation Skills
• Global Understanding
• Intellectual Property Law
• Critical Thinking / Decision Making
• Copyright Law
• Other Possible Plus Courses
SUNY Learning Network (SLN)
• SLN currently offers over 100 degree and certificate programs to
students.
• Each year, SLN has approximately 100,000 students enrolled
worldwide.
• On average, SLN offers approximately 4,300 courses annually.
• SLN offers a higher level of “interactivity” than other online
course delivery systems. Courses, for example, can range from
online discussion groups to complex simulations.
SUNY Learning Network (continued)
• Online courses offer flexible scheduling for working adults
•All online courses are taught by SUNY faculty for academic credit
•Many online courses can be transferred from one SUNY institution
to another
•See SUNY ACT’s webpage for more information about
transferability of courses from one campus/program to another
•SLN currently uses Angel Learning Management Software to
support online courses
•SLN offers professional development and technical support to all
participating faculty
•SLN supports a Help Desk to serve all users
Developing Online “Plus” / PSM Courses
• Help to create critical mass of enrollment for very specialized “Plus”
courses
•Online courses expand access to “Plus” courses and PSM degree
programs
•Maximize the economies of scale within the SUNY PSM Consortium by
pooling “plus” course expertise for other programs to access
•Contribute to the growing national network of PSM online programs
•Provide access to the services of trained instructional designers to assist
in online course development
•Build an inventory of “best practices” and shared expertise
•Provide access to PSM degrees for military personnel and other transient
potential students
SUNY PSM: Contact Information
Dr. David King
Director of the SUNY PSM Program
Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
SUNY Oswego
Oswego, NY 13126
[email protected]
(315) 312-3152
Visit: http://www.psm.suny.edu