Regents Approve
Five New Degrees

Bobby K. Marks, Sam Houston president, was also authorized to continue negotiations with the city of Huntsville toward an agreement to build a golf course on university property.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved the new degrees in a regular quarterly meeting. Approval for each must also be sought from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Marks, a former dean of the College of Business Administration, told regents that the college needs the Master of Science Degree in Finance to offer a more topic-specific program to appeal to a rapidly developing and changing market.

"There is an increasing need," he said, "for people who are technically competent in financial risk management, financial instrument design, evaluation of derivative instruments, financial institution management, and corporate treasurer functions."

Marks told the regents that the Master of Science in Forensic Science would be the only such degree in Texas, and would produce graduate level forensic scientists trained in the collection, preservation, analysis, and presentation of forensic evidence.

Both the forensic science degree and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Victim Studies would be housed in the College of Criminal Justice. The victim studies degree is needed because the increase in the number and types of agencies offering services to victims has created a demand for professionals prepared to serve as victim advocates and victim-witness program coordinators.

The Bachelor of Arts Degree and Bachelor of Science Degree in Multimedia Authoring and Communication would be offered by the Department of Public Communication, and prepare students for vocations in web page management, on-line writing and editing and multimedia production.

In other business, the regents awarded a contract to Spaw Glass Construction of Houston for the $10 million renovation of the Lowman Student Center, a project that is expected to begin this fall and be completed in about two years.

In other action, the board:

• Authorized SHSU to offer courses during summer 2001 in Italy, England and France;
  
• Approved changing the name of the Department of Music to School of Music;
  
• Approved $511,000 in air conditioning and heating improvements to the Drain Building, Teacher Education Center and Thomason Room of Gresham Library;
  
• Approved issuing purchase orders for $400,000 in computer work stations;
  
• Approved $300,000 in electrical improvements to the Estill Residence Hall and Thomason Building;
  
• Approved purchase of 9.62 acres of land at Bowers Blvd. and Sycamore; and
• Granted tenure to 10 faculty members.

- END -

SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
August 31, 2000
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu