October 23, 2008

Board of Governors approves new programs in organizational leadership, allied health technologies

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

The Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has approved a new master’s degree program in organizational leadership to be offered at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and a new bachelor’s degree program in allied health technologies at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

The new Master of Arts in organizational leadership degree program will be offered online by Mansfield University, making it accessible to students virtually anywhere. Students who enroll in the program will be able to enhance their knowledge about leadership and apply their leadership skills across a variety of settings.

The curriculum will support emerging workforce needs in both the public and private sectors and is in line with PASSHE’s efforts to serve regional economic and community development needs. The need for the program was determined through a variety of meetings with business leaders and focus groups. Students will need to complete 33 credit hours to earn the degree.

The new Bachelor of Science in allied health technologies at Millersville University will help prepare much needed healthcare workers in four areas of concentration: clinical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, pre-athletic training and respiratory therapy. The allied health care fields are among the most high-need professions in the Commonwealth. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, fewer than half the number of new laboratory professionals that are needed are being trained each year.

The program will meet all of the requirements needed to obtain certification in the health care professions, and will provide a sharper focus on health care than does the current course of study. Millersville has had affiliated programs in medical technology with Lancaster General Hospital and York Hospital for more than 20 years and in nuclear medicine and respiratory therapy for more than a decade.

For more information on either of the new programs, please contact the individual university.

Now in its 25th year, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth with more than 112,500 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.