ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 13, 1996 TAG: 9611130090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: PHILIP WALZER LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Old Dominion University won approval from the state Tuesday to offer two new degrees: a master's in public health, offered jointly with Eastern Virginia Medical School, and a bachelor's in environmental engineering.
Both programs will begin next year. Neither will require state funding, ODU officials say.
The master's program is ``a real model of cooperation between a public and private institution,'' said Donna Brodd, senior academic affairs coordinator of the State Council of Higher Education, which approved both programs Tuesday.
The health program is expected to attract health professionals who want to expand their skills, said ODU Health Sciences Dean Lindsay L. Rettie. Most of the courses will be given at night or on the weekends. Graduates will be able to design disease-prevention and health-promotion programs and conduct public health research, according to an ODU description of the program.
Old Dominion already offers environmental engineering courses in its civil engineering department. ``Our program is adequate, but it isn't the best we can do,'' said David Hagger, associate vice president for academic affairs.
ODU officials say the demand for environmental engineers is growing faster than the supply.
``The field has grown dramatically in the last 20 years, from the traditional element of sanitation engineering into addressing all sorts of air pollution and groundwater problems,'' said Gary Schafran, associate professor of civil engineering.
Fifty students are expected to be enrolled in the public health program and 100 in the engineering program by 2000. The environmental degree would be the first of its kind in Virginia, the Council said.
The State Council, which met at the University of Virginia Rotunda, also:
*Failed to endorse a request by Tidewater Community College for an additional $3 million next year for its Norfolk Campus. The campus is expected to open in January. The State Board for Community Colleges endorsed the request last week. TCC has said the money is needed for faculty salaries and supplies. But the State Council said the community college system can reallocate money from other campuses with low enrollment.
*Praised ODU ``as one of the leaders in restructuring'' in Virginia. Since 1994, colleges have had to submit annual reports listing their efforts to cut costs and improve education. The Council's review highlighted ODU's Career Advantage Program, which gives every student a chance for a one-semester internship, and its new Weekend College, which offers nine degree programs on weekends.
Other schools that received strong praise included UVa, VCU, James Madison University and Virginia Tech.
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