Tag: academics

2018-2019, Anonymous, Answered

Admissions Standards for MBA

Questioner: Anonymous

Posted to: Mark C. Dawkins, Dean of Coggin College of Business

The College of Business has again voted to lower admission standards for UNF’s largest graduate program — the MBA. Previously, at the behest of the new Dean, faculty agreed to do away with requirements that applicants submit minimum admission test scores (i.e., GRE and GMAT). This time requirements for certain applicants with a GPA below 3.0 were altered. This occurred despite anecdotal reports of declining student performance and increasing questions about student retention and graduation rates – the same metrics that have challenged UNF in the Board of Governors (undergraduate) Performance Funding Model. Questions (for the current/incoming administration): What is the strategy? What are the costs? How does lowering standards fit with UNF’s mission, vision, and strategic plan? It’s one thing to increase enrollments while maintaining standards, its altogether another thing to increase enrollments while lowering standards.

Response by Dean Dawkins:

I disagree that CCB has lowered admission standards, and note that admission standards in the MBA program (and changes therein) are approved by CCB faculty. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 may be interviewed and must submit a 1) statement of purpose and 2) letters of recommendation. The interview and additional documents allow for a holistic review of each applicant whose GPA is below 3.0 so an admission decision can be made.

2018-2019, Anonymous, Answered

Accreditation Standards

Questioner: Anonymous

Posted to: David S. Szymanski, UNF President

Over the recent past statements (including responses here) by the current President and senior members of the UNF administration have conveyed the view that accreditation and accreditation standards are exceptional rewards and crowning achievements to be aspired to and sought after. This contrasts with the view that accreditation and accreditation standards are baseline credentials and minimum standards to be expected, consistently maintained, and always surpassed as a matter of course. Can the new president describe his view of accreditation and accreditation standards.

Response from the Floor by President Szymanski

We have gone through a big process in regards to accreditation. Accreditation standards allow us to determine if we are meeting the targets of where we are supposed to be, and we respect that process. I agree with the statement that we should be exceeding those standards.

2017-2018, Anonymous, Answered

Coggin College of Business MBA Standards

Questioner: Anonymous

Posted to: Pamela S. Chally, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

The College of Business has again voted to lower admission standards for UNF’s largest graduate program — the MBA. Previously faculty agreed to do away with requirements of minimum admission test scores (i.e., GRE and GMAT); this time requirements for certain applicants with a GPA below 3.0 were altered. This occurred despite anecdotal reports of declining student performance and increasing questions about student retention and graduation rates. Questions (for the current/incoming administration): What is the strategy? What are the costs? How does lowering standards fit with UNF’s mission, vision, and strategic plan?

 

Response by Pamela S. Chally, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

From: Chally, Pamela
Sent:    Tuesday, May 08, 2018 6:44 AM
To:       Pyati, Radha
Cc:       Dawkins, Mark ; Lai-Chin, Fong Chuen ; Richard, Dan ; Fenner, David
Subject: Re: question from FA

All programs at UNF strive for high quality students.  The Coggin graduate admission policies are approved by the Coggin College of Business faculty.

The  administration and deans believe it is inappropriate to ask them questions regarding decisions of other deans.

 

Reference Response by Dean Dawkins:

Admissions Standards for MBA

 

2017-2018, Anonymous, Answered

Coggin College of Business Accreditation Concerns

Questioner: Anonymous

Posted to: President John Delaney, Interim Provost Pam Chally, and Deans:
Do the President, Provost (Interim) and the other Deans share the view recently expressed by Coggin College of Business Dean Mark Dawkins that meeting university and college accreditation standards on an ongoing basis is “not relevant until the next measurement year?” Dean Dawkins’ views were made public in a March 16, 2018 email response to a faculty vote expressing concerns for a Department’s ability to meet AACSB and SACS Accreditation Standards given data showing (1) that more than 80% of their students were currently being taught by non-tenure track faculty and (2) that Administrative Affairs’ and Dean Dawkins’ decision to convert all visiting Assistant Professor and Instructor positions to permanent Instructor positions (versus hiring tenure-track faculty) would exacerbate these concerns. According to Dean Mark Dawkins: “CCB is being reaccredited in business for 5 years, so the impact of either hiring option [tenure versus non-tenure track] on CCB’s faculty ratios is not relevant until the next measurement year in 2021-22 (i.e., 4 years from this year)”. Would the President, Provost and the other Deans please state their policy and intention as to meeting Accreditation Standards in years other than only the year of accreditation (i.e., the measurement year)?

Answer from the Floor by Provost Chally

I strongly believe that asking Deans to comment on the behavior or decisions of other Deans is not an appropriate question. The focus of the question was regarding the faculty ratios for accreditation. The numbers have been re-run by Coggin, College of Business, and regardless of the status of those faculty teaching, whether they be instructors, adjuncts, or tenure-track faculty, the criteria for AACSB (i.e., Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation are clearly met.

2017-2018, Anonymous, Answered

Theatre Department at UNF

February 8, 2018

Questioner: Anonymous

Posed to: Radha Pyati, President Faculty Association

“What needs to happen to create a Theatre department at UNF? Most universities over 15,000 have thriving theatre departments – not just a program in another department such as English. Can anyone provide the history of theatre at UNF?”

 

Response by: George Rainbolt, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Dear Friend Who Asked the Anonymous Question,

As I have been at UNF for less than year, I am not well placed to speak to the history of theater at UNF. The UNF library holds a collection on the history of UNF. There might be information there.

The study of drama currently occurs in various courses across several departments at UNF. These departments include (at least) English, Music, and Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. This appears to have been the case for many years in the past. I think (and hope) that it will be the case for many years in the future. However, the question is not about the study of drama but rather about the creation of a new Department of Theater. I assume that what is envisioned is a department that offers the standard theater majors (playwriting, acting, direction, stage design and production, costume design and production, stage management, etc.) and produces plays.

In the spring of 2017, when I signed my contract to become Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, UNF had a concentration in Theater/Drama within the English major. It also had a minor in Theater/Drama. Dr. Brian Striar (Chair of the Department of English) indicates that this concentration and minor date to the 1980s. Dr. Pam Monteleone ran this program for many years. Dr. Striar indicates that Dr. Monteleone taught all the courses on production of theater and directed all the plays offered as part of this program.

In the summer of 2017, it became apparent that Dr. Monteleone would no longer be teaching theater production. This occasioned a review of UNF’s theater program. I appointed a committee consisting of the chairs of English, Art, Music, and Languages, Literatures and Cultures. I asked them to look at theater programs at other institutions similar to UNF and make a recommendation as to whether COAS should (a) reallocate resources to make UNF’s theater program into an interdisciplinary program that was competitive with the programs offered at other SUS institutions or (b) close the theater program. (The idea of a distinct Department of Theater was never really on the table.) I asked Albert Colom (Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services) about the demand for theater and he indicated that, in the last three years, the recruitment database showed that only one student expressed an interest in theater. I passed this information on to the committee. The committee recommended closing the theater program. The faculty of the Department of English subsequently agreed with the committee and voted to close down the theater concentration and minor. The concentration and minor are currently accepting no more students as the students with that concentration and that minor finish out their degrees.

The question asks what would be required to have a Department of Theater at UNF. We would need a new building to house a theater. The building would need a scene shop located back stage. The scene shop would need appropriate height, ventilation, power, etc. We would need to equip this scene shop with the equipment and materials to build sets. We would need to buy a wardrobe of basic costumes and buy the equipment and materials to design and produce costumes. We would need to equip the theater with appropriate lights and rigging for those lights. We would need to hire several new faculty with the expertise needed to cover the standard theater majors. In sum, having a theater department that was competitive with the programs offered at other SUS institutions would be an expensive proposition. Class sizes in theater departments must be small. Therefore, theater departments do not generate much tuition revenue.

I think that UNF should do something well or not do it at all. If the committee of department chairs had indicated that they wished to make theater a priority and reallocate resources for theater, I would have been happy to take that recommendation to the faculty of the relevant departments for their input. If the relevant departments had decided that they wanted to make theater a priority, I would have been happy to undertake that (multi-year) task. However, the chairs of the relevant departments and the Department of English did not take that view. I concurred with the committee’s recommendation and the Department of English’s view that the resources necessary to start an interdisciplinary theater program that was competitive with the programs offered at other SUS institutions would be better used to strengthen existing programs.

I hope that this answers the question that was posed. I am happy to answer further questions either in person or through the Faculty Association process.

 

Yours in peace,

George Rainbolt, Dean
College of Arts and Sciences
University of North Florida.

2016-2017, Anonymous, Answered

Freshman Admission Profile

October 13, 2016

Questioner: Anonymous

Posed to: Albert Colom, Associate Vice President, Enrollment Services

President Delaney recently sent out a notice about the admission profile of our freshman student class. Would you kindly provide the Faculty Association with the admission profile of students admitted for Spring 2017 as well as for Summer 2016?

Response: 

The anonymous questioner asked for the academic profiles for UNF’s student admitted in summer 2016 and spring 2017. Because the University of North Florida spring 2017 freshman class has not yet enrolled, it is impossible to provide numbers on that cohort.

For summer 2016, the academic performance averages were 1085 SAT, 22 ACT and a 3.55 high school GPA. When we compare this profile we find that it quite similar to the summer profiles with those schools with whom we most directly compete: USF, UCG and FSU.

The data on the range for scores falling between the 25th and 75th percentile ranks are as follows.

  • UNF’s GPA was 3.33-3.84, USF’s was 3.38-3.85 and FSU’s was a 3.5-4.1
  • UNF’s SAT math sub-score was 500-570, which was the same as USF’s, while FSU range went from 550-630
  • UNF’s SAT reading sub-score was 510-580, which was the same as UCF’s, FSU scores ranged from550-630.

As we all know, summer has typically been an entry point for students who are falling somewhat below fall admissions profiles; although that is changing for some institutions with low acceptance rates. Some of these schools, such as UF, are delaying admissions for student who are not meeting fall standards until spring ter