Pre-Authorization:NoticeofIntent
UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
CollegeofEducationProfessionalStudies
BACHELOROFSCIENCEinHUMANPERFORMANCE
ProposedProgram:HumanPerformance(B.S.)
InstitutionalSetting:UniversityofWisconsin–Whitewater
ModeofDelivery:Mostcourseswillbeofferedviatraditionalweeklyin-classmeetingsduringthefallandspringsemesters,andmanywillbeofferedashybridcoursesoronlineduringwinterimand summersemesters.
InstitutionalContact:Dr.GregCook,AssociateViceChancellorforAcademicAffairs,UniversityofWisconsin-Whitewater,,(262)472-1077.
Programdescriptionandlearningoutcomes:
TheDepartmentofHealth,PhysicalEducation,RecreationandCoaching(HPERC)attheUniversity ofWisconsin-Whitewater(UW-W)proposesanewmajorinHumanPerformance.ThedepartmentcurrentlyoffersaPhysicalEducationmajorwithanemphasisinHealth,HumanPerformanceand Recreation(HHPR)thathasbeenverysuccessfulandnowenrolls300students.Thisemphasisis similartotheHumanPerformancemajorthatwewouldliketoplan.ThecurrentHHPRemphasisis datedandshouldbemodernizedandimprovedtobetterservetheneedsofprofessionalandgraduateschooldemands.Duetoitsgrowingpopularityandsizeitwouldbebetterpositionedasitsown standalonemajorratherthenbeingsubsumedunderamajorinPhysicalEducation.
ThenewHumanPerformancemajorwouldincludeasequenceofexercisesciencecoursesthatprogressesfromanatomyandphysiologytoappliedbiomechanicsandexerciseprescriptioncourses,as wellassocialsciencecontext(exercisepsychology,healthbehaviordevelopment)andothernecessary skillsandperspectives(statistics,researchmethods,adaptiveexerciseconcepts).Ifapproved,thenew majorwillprepareUW-Wstudentsforrewardingcareersinfieldsbasedonkinesiologyand performancesciences.Graduateswillpursueopportunitiesinexercisescience,cardiacrehabilitation, exercisephysiology,fitness/strengthconditioning,healthcoaching,andgraduatestudiesinexercisescience,athletictrainingandphysicaltherapy.Theproposedmajorwillrequireaminor,andmany studentswillcompleteoneofthedepartment’sfiveminors(healthpromotion,recreation,strengthand conditioning,sportmanagement,orathleticcoachingeducation)tobroadentheirprofessionalqualifications.
Studentlearningoutcomesforthenewmajorinclude:
1)Demonstrationofskills,integrationofconcepts,andsynthesisofknowledgerelatedtoexercisescience;
2)Culturalcompetenceandanappreciationforbigquestions,bothcontemporaryandenduring, relatedtohealthandhumanperformanceintheglobalsociety;
3)Respectfordiversity,ability/disability,anddiseaseacrossthelifespanintoprogramsandpractices relatedtohumanperformancescience;
4)Inquiryandanalysisofprogressivelymorechallengingproblems,bothindividuallyandinteams, anddemonstrationofquantitativeandinformationliteracybycontributingtothehuman performanceresearchcommunity;and
5)Effectivecommunicationabouthumanperformance,bothorallyandinwriting.
Theselearningoutcomeswillguidethecurriculumandensurethatstudents’knowledgeandskillsarecurrentandalignwithworkforceneeds.Further,thisprogramwillbedesignedtoaccomplishthe
requirementsforaccreditationinExerciseSciencethroughtheCommissiononAccreditationofAllied HealthEducationPrograms—recognizingthequalityoftheprogramandprovidinganexceptionalcredentialforgraduates.
Existingoranticipatedresourcesrequiredtodelivertheprogram:
Fewadditionalresourceswillbeneededforprogramdelivery.Thenewprogramwillreplacetheexistingemphasis.CurrentfacultyintheHPERCdepartmentarequalifiedtoteachallofthenew coursesintheproposedmajor.Sincemultiplesectionsofcoursesarealreadyofferedfortheexisting emphasis,thetotalnumberofcoursesectionsofferedeachsemestertoaccommodatetheproposed majorwillremainrelativelyunchanged.Acommitmenttocurrentandadvancedlaboratorytechnology willberequiredtomaintaintheprogram’shighqualitycurriculumandcompetitiveedge,andtheCollegeofEducationandProfessionalStudieshasalreadycommittedtomakingmodificationstothephysiologylaboratoriesapriorityinthenearfuture.
Otherrequiredapprovals:
Oncethenewprogramisestablished,thedepartmentwillseekaccreditationinExerciseSciencethroughtheCommissiononAccreditationofAlliedHealthEducationPrograms.Therearenoother requiredapprovalsbeyondtheBoardofRegents.
Alignmentwithinstitutionalmission,strategicplan,andexistingacademicdegreeprogramarray:
InsupportofUW-W’scorevalues,thenewprogramwillaidstudents’masteryoffoundationalsciences,willsupportstudentsindevelopingpersonallyandprofessionally,andwillhelpinstillin studentsasenseofcommunity,respectfordiversity,globalperspectives,andacommitmenttoserve. Studentswillengageinservice-basedexperientiallearningandappliedresearch,andbothfacultyand studentswillfosterenvironmentsandprogramsforallabilitiesandbackgrounds.
Thenewmajorwillsupportthecampusmissionbyprovidingarobustprogramthatrequiresintensivestudy,research,andscholarlyactivityinthesciencesofhumanperformanceandthatservesthecommunitywhilepreparingadvancedprofessionals.ThenewmajorfurtheralignswiththeAcademicStrategicPlan(seedraftplanat theLEAPessentiallearningoutcomesandhigh-impactpracticesemphasizedinthecampusacademicplan,andthenewprogramgrowsfromcurrentcampusstrengthsineducation,science,andhealth.
Practicalapplicationactivitieswillbeintegratedincoursesacrossthecurriculumthroughservicelearning,fieldexperiences,andinternshipsthatengagestudentswithclientsofdiversebackgrounds andneeds.
Rationaledefiningneedandmarketandstudentdemand:
TheproposedmajorreplacesanemphasisthatalreadyexistsatUW-W.Programsintheperformancesciencesareofferedatgreaterthan50%ofUWSystemcampuses;however,theemphases(and, therefore,titles)oftheprogramsatthecampusesrangeacrossthreeprimaryfocusareas:1.ExerciseScience(LaCrosse,Parkside,Platteville,RiverFalls,andSuperior);2.Health,WellnessandFitness (Stout,Whitewater);and,3.Kinesiology(EauClaire,Milwaukee,Madison,andOshkosh).DespitethenumbersofexistingsuccessfulprogramswithintheUWSystem,demandcurrentlyexistsatUW-W. StudentenrollmentintheHHPRemphasisin2013,2014,2015,and2016was303,309,285,and334 students,respectively.Further,inadepartment-widesurveyconductedin2014-2015,73.8%of
studentscommunicatedadesireforaprofessionthatwouldrequireamorerigorousexercisescience- basedprogram.Also,42%ofstudentsindicatedthattheyhadplansforgraduateschool,andan additional31%wereconsideringit.
Themarketdemandforgraduatesintheperformancescienceswillcontinuetogrow(seeTable1). AlthoughexercisephysiologistswillonlyrealizeamodestincreaseinWisconsin,thejoboutlookisgrowing11%nationally,whichisfasterthanmostindustries.Communityhealthworkerpositions (e.g.,publichealthprofessionals,healtheducators,healthprogramcoordinators,disease/injury preventionspecialists,andhealthpolicyandadvocacyprofessionals)areprojectedtogrowmorethan theaverageforalloccupationsinWisconsinandnationally.Thegrowthforbothexercisephysiologists andcommunityhealthworkersisdrivenbytheever-increasinglevelsofactivityamongindividuals andespeciallytheolderadultpopulation,relatedinjuryrisksandpreventionmeasures,increasing demandstoreducediseaserisksandhealthcarecosts,andtheproactiveuseofhealthservicesandthedemandforimprovedhealthoutcomes.Recreationworkers’positionsarealsoprojectedtogrow morethanstateandnationalaverages.Astheimportanceofphysicalactivityincreases,moreprograms willbeneededbylocal,state,andnationalparks,recreationdepartments,andcamps.Similarly,theemphasisplacedonfitnessandactivityhasledtotheincreasedinterestinhighschoolandcollegesports,increasingthedemandforcoachesandscouts.
Table1.Stateandnationalemploymentprojections.
CareerPath / ProjectedIncreasesinProfessionalPositions:Wisconsin(ProjectionsCentral,2016;Wisconsin’sWORKnet,2012) / ProjectedIncreasesin ProfessionalPositions:U.S. (BureauofLaborStatistics,2015)
Exercisephysiologists / 0.5%in 2017, 2.7%by 2022 / 11% by 2024
(fasterthanaveragegrowth)
Communityhealth workers / 3.4% by 2017, 11.3%by 2022 / 13% by 2024
(fasterthanaveragegrowth)
Recreationworkers / 1.9% by 2017, 7.8%by 2022 / 10% by 2024
(fasterthanaveragegrowth)
Coachesandscouts / 2.3%in 2017, 10.6%by 2022 / 6% by 2024
(asfastasaveragegrowth)
Uponapprovalofthenewmajor,theHHPRemphasiswouldbephasedout.CurrentHHPRstudentswouldhavetheoptiontoremainintheHHPRemphasisorchangetothenewHumanPerformancemajor.
AnewHumanPerformancemajorwouldprovideamoremodern,scientificallyrigorousandcareer- orientedprogramthatwouldbetterservethe330studentscurrentlyenrolledinasimilarprogramatUW-W.Theprogramwouldseekprofessionalaccreditation,andifthenewprogramissuccessful,itcouldexpandtoservemorestudentsinourregion.