The Chancellor's Annual Report, University of Massachusetts Boston, 1993-1994

24 Pages·1993·1.5 MB·English

by  University of Massachusetts Boston

Sherry H. Penney, Chancellor
THE chancellor’s ANNUAL REPORT
INSPIRITING MISSION FOR THE THIRTY ti
YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE AS AN
URBAN UNIVERSITY. TO BRING THE
BEST, THE FIRST QUALITY AND RIGOR,
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO OFTEN
ASKED TO SETTLE FOR SECOND
—
BEST SUCH HAS BEEN THE SUSTAIN-
ING IMPULSE OF THIS PLACE.’
JACK BEATTY, ALUMNUS
AND SENIOR EDITOR
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY
1993-1994 Facts in Brief
Toted numberofstudents (fallsemester) 12,136
Undergraduate 9.808
Graduate 2,328
Theirmedianage 26
Percentagesofstudentsofcolor
Asian 7.0%
Black 11.6%
CapeVerdean 0.8%
Hispanic 4.4%
NativeAmerican 0.3%
Percentageoffemalestudents 55.1%
PercentageofMassachusettsresidents 94.9%
Numbersofdegreesawarded
Bachelor’sdegrees 1,579
Master’sdegrees 533
Doctoral degrees 4
Numberofalumni
(includingBostonState College) 51,691
Full-timefaculty 473
Percentageholdingdoctorates 86.5%
State-fundedpositions 1,183
Non-state-funded positions 205
Operatingbudget $117.9million
Stateappropriation $56.9million
994- 995Tuition and Fees
1 1
1994-1995 tuitionand mandatoryfees
forMassachusettsresidents:
Full-timeundei^raduatestudents $2,154persemester
Full-timegraduatestudents $2,434persemester
w
^ ^
hen legislation establishing the University of Massachusetts Boston was passed in
June 1964, there was neither campus nor faculty, staff, and students. There was, of
course, the need for our institution, and there were many plans and ideas, along with a
certain amount ofanguish about where the campus should be located. In 1965, the
first classes were held in downtown Boston. Ten years after its founding, in January
1974, UMass Boston began another stage in its life at the new Harbor Campus in
Dorchester. During the next twenty years, the University flourished, merged with
Boston State College, and in the process ol growing up and growing better, greatly
expanded its academic programs while reaching out to the community in significant
and innovative ways.
After thirty years ofexistence, UMass Boston today stands as a major doctorate-grant-
ing public urban university which, despite financial vicissitudes, has achieved nation-
al recognition and local respect for what it has accomplished in the areas ofgraduate
and undergraduate education, research, and public seiwice. Though we grew and cer-
tainly changed to meet new challenges, we have remained true to our original objec-
tives. As this annual report demonstrates, during the 1993-94 academic year the Uni-
versity community maintained an accessible campus; supported diversity; offered a
cuniculum that met student needs; pursued research useful to city, state and nation;
and helped to improve the Commonwealth’s economy.
The 1993-94 academic year was one offinancial stability and notable accomplish-
ments, not the least ofwhich was the Pulitzer Prize award for criticism given to Pro-
fessor Lloyd Schwartz of the English Department. Another achievement that will
greatly influence learning at the University in the future is our new statement ofgen-
eral education principles and goals. Developing this statement involved the active
and thoughtful participation of many faculty on the campus. They came together to
reexamine and restructure the undergraduate curriculum with the best interests of
students at heart.
Looking ahead, UMass Boston faces many challenges. We must remain in the van-
guard of understanding and ser\dng the metropolitan region’s growing multicultural
society. \^e must make sure that all ofour students are properly educated. We must
cultivate the broadest possible global perspective among our students. They should
understand other cultures and societies if they are to successfully make their way in
the highly competitive, complex world marketplace. And we must offer them, as well
as faculty and staff, the exciting advances in information technology so that the
entire educational process is expanded and made more excellent. I also believe the
University has to play a more vigorous role in preserving and improving the urban
landscape. We can do this by helping to strengthen K-12 education, the delivery of
health care, and our community and economic development ventures.
UMass Boston is optimistic about the future. The University’s progress will be built
on a formidable base and the growing support ofthe community our faculty, staff,
and administrators take pride in serving.
Sherry H. Penney
Chancellor
—
NEW APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING
he intellectual curiosity of our faculty and Each UMass Boston college is now reexamin-
students sustains a healthy spirit of[)rogress ing and develo[)ing its curriculum with these
and innovation that permeates the campus. goals in mind. For exam|)le, the College of
We are constantly exploring new and better Arts and Sciences has [)roposed a model call-
ways to enhance teaching and learning. ing for four distinct general education require-
ments: courses stressing verbal and quantita-
Last year, with the ap{)roval ofour Faculty tive reasoning and expression; core seminars
Council, we reviewed, refined, and estab- develo[)ing analytical and research skills; dis-
lished University-wide general education tribution courses introducing the major
principles to strengthen our capacity for approaches to intellectual inquiry; and cours-
preparing each undergraduate not only for a es engaging the dimensions ofhuman diversi-
satisfying career hut also fora lifetime of ty. The diversity recjuirement is already in
intellectual inquiry and continued learning. place throughout the University.
— —
“To meet and relish the challenges ofa
complex and changing wo—rld,” says the gen-
eral education statement “students must
develop habits ofcritical analysis and logical
thought, masterverbal and quantitative rea-
soning, understand human diversity, and
leani about the principal approaches to
knowledge.”
Our leadership in the teachingofdiversitywas rec-
ognized by ourselection as one of 10 resource insti-
tutions to help 40 campuses across the country
develop curricula exploringdiversity issues.With
Ford Foundation funding,the institutions formed a
collaborative networkto address diversity as afun-
damental dimension ofeducation.
The College ofArts and Sciences
and the Division ofContinuing
Education launched asemester-
long pre-admission program
calledACT (Adults in College
—
Transition) which strengthens
math and verbal skills to prepare
adults to enterthe College.
Everyone inACT’s first class
completed the program and reg-
istered as afreshman forfall‘94.
—
Linda Kime, an assoriale professor in llie The College of Management has hecome on<*
Departmenl of Mathematies and Coin[)iiter ol a small numlxT ofbusiness schools in the
Seienee, and Judy Clark, an assistant profes- country to establish a concentration in envi-
sor in tlie (daduate College of Kdueation, were ronmental management for MBA students. In
awarded S2()(),()00 hy the National Seienee the spring, the College offered an intensive
Foundation to furtherdevelop their experimen- certificate program in the management of
tal method for improving the teaehing ofalge- environmental issues for middle- and u|)per-
bra. The new strategy ealls upoti students to level executives from the (Greater Boston area.
learn algebra by using eomputers and [)lug- These steps led the Management Institute for
ging into equations and “real life” numbers Knvironment and Business iti Viashington,
such as census data. The goal is to make the 1)(L to select the College as otie of25 busi-
experience oflearning algebra challenging, ness schools to participate in its new Business
interesting, and fun. The innovative strategy of Knvironment Learning and Leadership Pro-
Kime and Clark has been replicated at gram.
Bridgewater State College and the Massachu-
setts College ofArt. Other institutions that are The College of Nursing’s year was highlighted
exploring the adoption ofthis approach by the successful completion ofthe National
include the University of Pittsburgh and the League for Nursing reaccreditation ofunder-
University ofSouthern Mississippi. graduate and graduate programs for the full
eight years. Another highlight: Change maga-
zine recognized CN’s program as one ofthe
top 25 in the nation. In addition, U.S. News
and World Report rated the master’s degree
program in nursing superior to all others
offered by public institutions in New England.
The Graduate College ofEducation accepted
its first class into a new doctoral program with
two tracks. One track prepares leaders forele-
mentary and secondary urban schools, and
the other track prepares leaders for higher
education. The program is committed to
expanding the number ofwomen and people
ofcolor in leadership positions at all levels of
education.
The National Science Foundation renewed athree-yeargrantthat enables undergrad'
uates from around the countryto come to UMass Boston in the summerto pursue
various research topics related to ecology and the environment.Each undergraduate
researcher was supervised by a memberofthe biologyfaculty.
I
The Colleges ofNursing and Management introduced ajoint
MS/MBA Program to prepare students to manage patient
care and health programs at the executive level.The program
will train students for such positions in the health care field as
unit manager,clinical director,nursing director,policy and
management specialist,quality assurance specialist,and cor-
porate nursing specialist.
Ourfaculty participated in
workshops at the campus
designed to help high school
teachers involved with Project
Tech Prep,a national effort that
is preparing 200 high school stu- J
dents in nine southeastern
Massachusetts school districts
and vocational schools for
careers in emerging technical The College ofPuhlie and Community Service
fields. instituted a new eornmunity-oriented [)roject,
the Buchanan Community-University l^artner-
ship in the new Office ofUrl)an Programs, to
help those on the campus who wish to estab-
lish connections with community agencies. A
CPCS team also began work on a project to
encourage community organizations to collab-
a/ a
orate with the College’s faculty and staffunder
an 18-month, $16,600 grant from the Poverty
j T^.'r>/\J 4 >a citCAM(fK /> and Race Research Action Council in Wash-
ington, DC.
i .
The University continued to build mecha-
nisms for linking Boston residents tojobs in
T burgeoning technological fields. Our new
Di"
articulation agreement with the Franklin Insti-
«
I / tute of Boston, which offers career-oriented
associate’s degree and certificate programs in
engineering and industrial technologies, facil-
itates the transfer ofFranklin Institute stu-
dents to such UMass Boston programs as man-
agement and computerscience. The agree-
ment also sets the stage for the development of
technology education initiatives throughjoint
grant applications and the sharing ofexper-
tise. It furthercalls for UMass Boston to sup-
port the Institute’s new “2+2” baccalaureate
programs in automotive and manufacturing
technology by sharing courses, faculty, and
facilities with the Institute.
With supportfrom the U.S.Department ofEducation,ourAdaptive Computing Labora-
tory produced a 7-minute videotape demonstrating how colleges and universities can
1
make their computerfacilities more accessible to faculty members and students who
are physically challenged or learning-disabled.
aa
A DIVERSE AND MOTIVATED STUDENT BODY
nring llu* afiultMiiif y«*ar, w«*
(Miroll(‘(i 12,1.'U) traditional and nontraditional
students in onr undergraduate and graduate
programs. Another enrolled in various
programs (eliiefly summer sessions) ofthe
Division ofContituiing Kdueation.
Most ofour students combined their studies at
UMass Boston with work and fatnily responsi-
bilities. Their median age was 26. Those seek-
ing an undergraduate education could avail
themselves ofmore than .50 majors, and more
than 00 minors, concentrations, and other pro-
grams ofstudy. Since 1984, when 92% of
UMass Boston’s students were undergraduates,
graduate student enrollment has grown by
135% to account for almost 20% ofour stu-
dents in 1993-1994. In 1993-94, 1,9.58
degree-seeking students were enrolled in
graduate programs; almost two-thirds ofthem
were women.
The composition ofour graduate student popu-
lation reflected pluralism on a global scale.
They came from more than .35 countries, and
their bachelor’s degrees had been conferred by
more than 220 institutions around the world.
The University awarded 502 master’s degrees,
31 certificates ofadvanced graduate study,
and 4 doctorates. The University granted more
than 400 assistantships to graduate students,
with total stipends exceeding $1.5 million.
Morethan 300 UMass Boston students gained valuable professiO^I
experiencethrough the University’s cooperative education and
internship program.The majority ofthese students served six* '•
month-longassignments and earned an average about $10 an hour.
Approximately 20 studentswere awarded permanentfull-time posi
tions by theirco-op or internship employer.
More than 25 master’s level programs were offered
in business,education,the humanities,human ser-
vices,nursing,public affairs,and the sciences.Doc-
toral programs included those in clinical psycholo-
gy,environmental sciences,gerontology,education,
and public policy.The percentage ofminorities
enrolled in graduate programs in the natural sci-
ences,math,and applied physics was well above the
national average.
%
In the fall of 1993, almost 95 o—fnew stu- The total financial aid received by UMass
dents came from within the state the great Boston students during the 1993-1994 acad-
majority from the Boston metropolitan area. emic year was $35.4 million, the largest
Most ofthem were the first in theirfamilies amount ever. Seventy undergraduates
to go to college. More than 60% ofentering received scholarships, and the University
undergraduates were transfer students from contributed approximately $500,000 ofits
two-yearand four-year institutions; about own resources to support these awards. The
halfhad transferred from two-yearcommuni- scholarships were also underwritten by
ty colleges. Undergraduate recmiting efforts $150,000 in gifts. Overall, $650,000 in
again attracted a student population reflect- undergraduate scholarship awards was dis-
ing the extraordinarily wide diversity ofthe tributed, in addition to the $2.1 million in
Boston metropolitan region. cuniculum fee waivers we extended to stu-
dents during 1993-94.
About one-fourth ofall new undergraduate
students w—ere defined as nontraditional During the fall of 1993 the proportion ofstu-
freshmen older students, those with learn- dents ofcolor attending the University was
ing disabilities, GED students, international higherthan the year previous. African-
students, and those admitted into the Direc- American, Asian-American, Latino, and
tions for Student Potential Program, a tuition- Native American students made up 27.5%
free, intensive six-week summer program for ofdegree-seeking undergraduates, as com-
applicants demonstrating potential for acade- pared with 25.1% in the fall of 1992.
mic success. Among degree-seeking graduate students,
%
12.2 were minorities; in 1992 the compa-
As always, financial aid was especially criti- rable figure had been 11.4%. Overall, stu-
cal to our8,972 degree-seeking undergradu- dents ofcolor accounted for24.1% ofthe
ates; 8,850 applied forfinancial aid, and total enrollment of 12,136, as compared with A book listingthe 100 best col-
67% ofthese applicants received some form 22.2% in 1992. leges in the nation forAfrican-
Americans named UMass
ofassistance. Sixty-five percent were classi-
Boston as one ofthree institu-
fied underfederal guidelines as having inde- tions in Massachusetts that met
pendent status; their average income was the author’s criteria.The others
only $14,834. The av^age financial aid v/ere Boston University and
award was $5,934. 1 College.
Among incomingfreshmen and transfers,53%werewomen.Forty-four percent were
women and men ofcolor. Among all degree-seeking uadn||raduates,27.5% represent-
ed various miMrihfBMlps,afigure more than double the pircentage ofundergraduate
O
students in all Massac||usetts public and private institutions. fthe minority students,
43% wereAfrican-Americans,29%Asians,and 8% Latinos;the remainder were native
1
American or CapeVerdean.
SCHOLARSHIP, RESEARCH, AND PUBLIC SERVICE
his |)asl year iiuMnlu*rs ofllit* UMass Moston
comiminity wer<* tMif'agod in a widt* variety of
seholarship, research, and puhlie ser\ice
activities. (Consistent with our view ofthe cam-
pus community as part ofthe lai^erone, their
projects display a range ofconcerns and a
hreadtii offocus from Boston to the Black Sea
to leadership training throughout the state for
recent immigrants. Here are some examples:
Knvironrnental sciences professorTracy Vil-
lareal and a University ofCalifornia researcher
received a S420,()()() National Science Foun-
dation grant to study a type ofphytoplankton
in the Pacific Ocean whose biological process-
es are little known. Their research may help to
explain more about the carbon dioxide cycle
on our planet, ultimately enabling scientists
and policy makers to better understand the
greenhouse effect.
'he Corporation for National
iervice.President Clinton’s initia-
ive that supports public service
ctivities,awarded a$25,000 plan-
ning grant to the Gerontology
Institute for a program which will
assign adultvolunteers to help
elderly persons who live at home
and as a result are without access
to various assistance programs.