Ferris State University’s Board of Trustees granted approval for five new academic
programs at a meeting on Wednesday, March 28 held in the College of Business on the
Big Rapids campus.
Trustees approved Bachelor of Science degrees in Healthcare Marketing, Insurance and
Risk Management, and Graphic Media Management; an Associate of Applied Science in
Graphic Communications; and a Master of Science in Information Security and Intelligence.
The five new degrees are consistent with the university’s expressed goals to develop
and maintain academic programs that fit with the career goals of students and the
needs of communities in Michigan and beyond, according to Fritz Erickson, provost
and vice president for Academic Affairs.
“At Ferris, our programs are under constant review,” Erickson said. “Our faculty do
a terrific job of reviewing our programs and recommending changes, additions, or closures
so that we can continue to offer modern and useful degrees for our students.”
The bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Marketing is designed to prepare graduates for
marketing careers in healthcare, including hospitals, hospital systems, physician
practices, specialized clinics and more. The bachelor’s degree in Insurance and Risk
Management was recommended by faculty with support from alumni and executives. Currently,
Olivet College offers the only other insurance degree program in the state of Michigan.
The new Graphic Media Management degree is designed to help graduates move from largely
mechanical-based processes to develop the required electronic and digital skills necessary
for entering careers in graphic communications. The AAS in Graphic Communications,
which will be based in the College of Business, will provide a name that is consistent
with National Classification of Instructional Program codes and the industry-recognized
name of “Graphic Communications.” The master’s degree in ISM has been designed to
align with the successful undergraduate Information Security and Intelligence program.
All of the programs approved by the trustees begin in the Fall 2012 Semester.
David Pilgrim, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion, presented Diversity at
Ferris 2011, the fourth annual assessment of the university’s progress toward implementing
Ferris’ first diversity plan, approved by trustees in 2008. The report’s general assessment
is that Ferris has made great progress to infuse diversity into its culture and that
this will be an “ongoing effort.” The report cited a number of areas of progress.
From Fall 2007 to Fall 2011, the number of Tuition Incentive Program students increased
from 477 to 886. For the eighth consecutive year, the number of Hispanic/Latino students
at the university increased. In Fall 2011, there were 423 Hispanic/Latino students,
representing 2.91 percent of the student population. The Office of International Education
has facilitated visits by faculty/staff from international universities and has increased
the number of international students attending Ferris. The university has grown its
international student population from 157 enrolled in Fall 2007 to 226 in Fall 2011.
In other action, trustees approved:
- The award of an Honorary Doctorate of Business and Industry for Rick DeVos, a social
entrepreneur from Grand Rapids best known for launching ArtPrize; an Honorary Doctorate
of Public Service for Brent Knight, a Ferris alumnus and the president of Lansing
Community College; and an Honorary Doctorate of Business and Industry to JoLaine R.
Draugalis, a Ferris alumnae and dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University
of Oklahoma, at commencement ceremonies in May 2012;
- The closure of Bachelor of Science degrees in Printing Management and New Media Printing
and Publishing, the Associate of Applied Science in Printing and Digital Graphic Imaging,
and the Master of Science in Information Systems Management;
- Two new appointments and 26 reappointments to the boards of directors of Ferris-authorized
charter school academies;
- Nine sabbatical leave requests including John Scott Gray, Dennis Ruzicka and Kent
Sun from the College of Arts, Sciences and Education; Julie Doyle and Kathleen Vandemark
from the College of Business; Amy Kavanaugh from the College of Education and Human
Services; Warren Kloppe from the College of Engineering Technology; Lucy Ngoh from
the College of Pharmacy; and Yuri Konovalov from the Ferris Library for Information
Technology and Education;
- A resolution supporting the creation of a faculty and staff wellness program in partnership
with Asset Health for 2012-13; A request for proposals, and bid solicitation for pre-construction
design, consulting and construction management services for the renovation of the
University Center;
- The naming of Dr. Ronald Mahoney, of Houston, Texas, to The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors.