Ferris State University (FSU), the ninth-largest university in the state of Michigan, will be offering a new master’s program beginning this coming Fall Semester.
Approved by the University’s Board of Trustees on December 18, the FSU College of Health Professions’ upcoming new “Master in Healthcare Administration” program has been designed to prepare students for management positions in an expanding and diverse career field. The program’s focus is on healthcare management and leadership with an emphasis on quality improvement, resource efficiency and inter-professional collaboration. Enrollment in the new course offering is expected to start at approximately 15 students with an anticipated increase to 45 students by the end of year three of the program.
The curriculum for the new Master in Healthcare Administration program was reviewed and recommended to the Board of Trustees for approval by the university-wide Curriculum Committee, the Academic Senate, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Blake and by President David Eisler.
Regarding the new course offering, Blake told the Board: “The master’s degree in Healthcare Administration is a welcome addition to the College of Health Professions’ curriculum. It will provide online course delivery, content concentration options, and will prepare students for healthcare management positions.”
During the December 18 board meeting, the trustees also approved a three-year agreement to offer on-site delivery of the Doctorate in Community College Leadership (DCCL) program at FSU’s Harper College of Palatine, Ill. beginning in January. The Ferris doctoral degree was selected through a competitive process from programs across the country and has also received approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The program is designed to empower graduates to advance community colleges toward excellence and community responsiveness through exemplary leadership. “Offering the DCCL program at Harper College is a significant opportunity for Ferris State University as well as a significant validation both of the quality of the program and the recognition of that quality on a national level,” Blake told the board.
A public university founded in 1884, FSU’s main campus is located at Big Rapids, Michigan. It has 19 off-campus extensions across the state and it also offers courses online. As a public university, FSU is comprised of 8 academic colleges – Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, Pharmacy, the Michigan College of Optometry, and the Kendall College of Art and Design. FSU’s program offerings lead to bachelor’s and associate degrees and certificates in more than 170 educational courses. It also grants Master’s degrees in Information Security and Intelligence, Career and Technical Education, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, Nursing, Fine Arts, and very soon, Healthcare Administration. It also offers doctoral degrees in Optometry, Pharmacy, and Community College Leadership.
During the December 18 board meeting, the trustees additionally gave final approval for the expansion of the West Campus Apartments of the Finch Court neighborhood, with construction designed to accommodate single students. They also authorized the University to proceed with the retention of pre-construction services for the new north campus residence hall project to add modern housing options on the northern end of campus near the FLITE library and University Center. The plan is for a building that would be consistent with the architecture of that area of campus with approximately 350 to 400 semi-suite beds. The University’s master plan calls for major investment in housing upgrades over the next several years as the last traditional residence halls were built on the Ferris campus way back in the late 1960s. With the trustees’ action, students cann begin living in the new housing facilities in August of 2017. The University’s Spring 2015 overall enrollment stands at 14,146 students – including 9,618 on its main campus in Big Rapids.
The Board also issued citations of merit to the Ferris volleyball and football teams, and to NCAA record-setting senior quarterback Jason Vander Laan. Both the volleyball and football teams won Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) titles for the past two years, with the volleyball team also winning the GLIAC conference tournament for the past two seasons. The University’s athletic teams are collectively known as the FSU Bulldogs. The school’s banner colors are Crimson and Gold. The FSU mascot is Brutus the Bulldog.