Arkansas Tech University has completed the internal process necessary to create its first doctoral degree.
The Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved a program proposal that outlines a Doctor of Education degree in executive leadership and a proposal to change the role and scope of the university to allow doctoral degrees during its regular monthly meeting on Thursday.
Both measures now go before the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) Coordinating Board for its consideration.
Members of the coordinating board will first conduct a site visit to consider the change in role and scope for Arkansas Tech University.
If that is approved, the final step in the process would be approval of the Doctor of Education in executive leadership program proposal by the ADHE Coordinating Board.
If the coordinating board gives that final approval, Arkansas Tech plans to begin offering the doctoral degree in fall 2011.
Thursday marked the third time that the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees has addressed the proposed degree.
The matter first came before trustees in July when they approved a letter of intent notifying ADHE of Arkansas Tech’s plans to create a Doctor of Education degree.
In August, the Tech Board of Trustees approved a letter of intent concerning the change in role and scope of the university. That letter was also forwarded to ADHE.
Those currently serving as or wishing to become superintendents, deputy superintendents, central office leaders, principals, educational consultants and related education positions would be the target audience for the new degree. The new Arkansas Tech Doctor of Education degree would require 63 hours beyond a master’s degree. Students who have already earned the Educational Specialist degree at Arkansas Tech would be eligible to immediately enroll in the new doctoral degree program with 30 of the 63 hours already completed. In other business on Thursday, the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved: *a letter of notification that expresses plans for Arkansas Tech to consolidate its Department of English and it is Department of Foreign Languages and International Studies into one administrative unit named the Department of English and World Languages effective July 1, 2011; *a letter of notification that outlines a new mechanical engineering option within the Master of Engineering degree at Arkansas Tech; *an assessment of $65,000 in liquidated damages from Dayco Construction due to a 65-day delay in the completion of an addition to McEver Hall; *hiring AMR Architects, Inc., of Little Rock to serve as the architectural firm for proposed renovations to Tucker Hall and a proposed new residence hall; *a proposal for Arkansas Tech to explore refinancing options for its student housing revenue bonds issued in 1997 and 2003.
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