The university is the first in the state to receive permission from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to begin developing a proposal for a reduced-credit bachelor degree program.
Middle Tennessee State University has received permission from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to begin developing a proposal for a reduced-credit bachelor degree program in Youth Protection and Prevention Services. The Focused Baccalaureate Degree approval process was recently approved by the THEC, and Middle Tennessee State University is the first public university in the state to receive permission to move forward with a proposal for its own Focused Baccalaureate Degree program.
According to an article on Middle Tennessee State University’s website, university president Sidney A. McPhee is quoted as saying, “This milestone places MTSU at the forefront of Tennessee’s new effort to create shorter, workforce-focused bachelor’s degree pathways. This particular degree in Youth Protection and Prevention Services responds to a documented workforce need in Tennessee. We will continue to pursue other focused bachelor’s degrees that could have similar impacts for our state’s economy.”
The approval allows the university to begin developing a proposal for its Focused Baccalaureate Degree in Youth Protection and Prevention Services, which would help address the issues found in the recent Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury audit of the Department of Children’s Services. That audit showed issues with child safety, investigations, housing, healthcare, and facility oversight, and high job turnover and vacancy rates.
Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said, “Our audit identified significant staffing challenges within Tennessee’s Child Protective Services program, and I am encouraged to see MTSU exploring innovative ways to help address this need. I commend MTSU for taking this important step toward developing a program that could make a real difference for Tennessee’s children and families.”
The proposed degree will help bridge the gap between education and employment. The interdisciplinary program will bring together social work, criminal justice, psychology, and public health. The FBD would require students to take the Child Advocacy Studies Training program, which has been designed to help present and future professionals prevent, identify, investigate, and respond to child maltreatment.
The FBD is unique in that it offers flexibility and allows students to pause their education should they need to focus on work instead. They will be able to utilize whatever certificates they have earned in their studies in their work, allowing them to stay employed in the industry while still working toward their degree.
Peter Grandjean, who serves as the dean of MTSU’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, said, “This fulfills a huge need. We are not only shaping the state with this degree pathway, but we are shaping the nation. This is a brand-new, unique program. It is not a reduction in credit hours from an existing program.”
University Provost Mark Byrnes said, “We have a great opportunity to serve new student populations with Focused Baccalaureate Degrees in Tennessee. I’m excited to see our faculty in conversations with workforce partners, interested nonprofits, and state agencies to move forward with degree proposals.”
Department of Social Work professors Vickie Harden and Carmelita Dotson have been instrumental in developing the proposal for the program. They have built the framework and have developed relationships with state agencies and industry partners.
Harden said, “We are so excited to offer this innovative program that aligns with a career path so important to our children and families in Tennessee.”
The FBD could require as few as 90 credit hours if approved by the THEC.
For more information about Middle Tennessee State University, visit the school’s website.