HMSC Academic Needs Assessment FINAL
HMSC Academic Needs Assessment FINAL
HMSC Academic Needs Assessment FINAL
Robert Suryan
Janet Webster
Maryann Bozza
Itchung Cheung
HMSC academic programs should focus on experiential learning that bridge all aspects of natural
and social sciences. These programs will build on existing strengths in marine science. Through a
lens of ocean literacy, students will study current and emerging issues ranging from science in the
arts to climate change impacts. The unique educational setting at HMSC provides a fluid integration
of research with teaching and community engagement, thereby stimulating new avenues of
investigation and learning. Applied learning would be organized about real-world problems and
issues so students are engaged with research in a variety of venues including field, laboratories, and
the community.
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Ideally, any programs at HMSC should complement rather than compete with those on the Corvallis
campus. Likewise, programs developed should utilize OSU’s full potential, providing students with
an unparalleled experience capitalizing on synergies between the Corvallis campus, HMSC and the
coastal/marine setting.
A phased approach is recommended for achieving expanded academic programs at HMSC. In Phase
I, the focus is on enhancing and expanding HMSC’s current capabilities and signature strengths,
while Phase 2 introduces new opportunities building on existing partnerships.
• Phase I (1-5 years) focuses on enhancing and expanding upper division undergraduate and
graduate education. The student population will grow to 50-80 graduates and 150-200
resident undergraduates. A full suite of undergraduate and graduate courses (> 32 credits)
will be offered during all four academic terms. Courses that cross the many disciplines of
marine studies and ocean literacy while fulfilling core program requirements will be
developed. The foundation will be laid for partnering with the Oregon Coast Community
College beginning with articulation agreements and shared teaching facilities. Infrastructure
investment includes student housing and services, faculty offices, classrooms, laboratories,
and field services such as a small boat program.
• Phase II (6-10 years) builds on the momentum of Phase I with greater recognition of new
and expanding opportunities. Student population will grow to 80-110 graduate students,
200-300 resident undergraduate students, and 100-150 people involved with professional
workshops and certifications. A full suite of undergraduate and graduate courses (> 64
credits) will be offered during all four academic terms including hybrid and shared courses
between the Corvallis and HMSC campuses. Graduate students will be able to meet their
course requirements without needing to commute to or be in residence in Corvallis. HMSC
will have solidified and expanded its signature courses and unique niche in contributing to
the marine enterprise at OSU. With increased interest and enrollment in marine sciences at
OSU, some course duplication between the Corvallis campus and HMSC will begin to occur
without being detrimental to either interest. Expanded undergraduate courses will
contribute to the OSU baccalaureate core. The partnership with OCCC and other coastal
community colleges will build on a solid foundation focused on a smoother transfer process,
skills based training for marine technology and professional certifications. Infrastructure
investments will include additional housing, appropriate student services, classrooms, food
service, lecture hall, and meeting space.
There may be a limited number of students with sufficient passion to study marine science, however,
there is an unlimited number whose lives and careers can be enriched through ocean literacy.
Indeed, as stated by the HMSC external review panel, “[Our] goal should be to increase marine
science literacy and exposure in all disciplines at OSU, and make HMSC the face of marine science
and marine policy on the coast.” Elevating education to be in balance with research at HMSC will
diversify the current funding model. Sustained investment in these efforts will help establish OSU
as a preeminent University for marine education, research, and engagement. Furthermore, expanded
academic programs at HMSC will help OSU fulfill its unique role as Oregon's land and sea grant
institution and contribute to OSU’s three signature areas of distinction: (1) advancing the science of
sustainable earth ecosystems; (2) improving human health and wellness; and (3) promoting
economic growth and social progress.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
....................................................................................................................................
5
Signature
Educational
Programs
....................................................................................................
6
Suggested
Courses
..........................................................................................................................
7
Recommendations
for
course
offerings
at
HMSC
...................................................................................
7
Student
Opportunities
and
Challenges
...........................................................................................
8
Recommendations
..................................................................................................................................
9
International
Student
Opportunities
and
Challenges
...................................................................
10
Recommendations
................................................................................................................................
11
Professional
and
Noncredit
Education
Opportunities
and
Audiences
.........................................
11
Community
College
Partnerships,
Possibilities,
and
Needs
..........................................................
12
Recommendations
................................................................................................................................
13
Infrastructure
Issues
and
Recommendations
...............................................................................
13
Housing
..................................................................................................................................................
14
Classrooms
............................................................................................................................................
14
Research
Teaching
Space
......................................................................................................................
15
Student
Study
and
Office
Space
............................................................................................................
15
Information
Technology
........................................................................................................................
15
Recommendations
................................................................................................................................
16
Teaching
Faculty
(FTE)
Needs
and
Recommendations
.................................................................
16
Recommendations
................................................................................................................................
17
Funding
Education
and
Tuition
Model
.........................................................................................
17
Recommendations
................................................................................................................................
18
Scaling
Up
Educational
Opportunities
..........................................................................................
19
References
....................................................................................................................................
20
Appendix
1:
Interviewees
and
Respondents
................................................................................
21
Appendix
3:
Tuition
Schemes
and
Proposed
Models
...................................................................
23
Appendix
4:
Relevant
Development
Opportunities
From
HMSC
Strategic
Plan
...........................
24
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Introduction
Background
The HMSC Implementation Task Team (Task Team) reviewed the output of the 2010 External
Review of HMSC. The Task Team report, released in March 2012, details priorities for changes at
HMSC arising from the External Review. The Task Team recommended a “needs assessment” for
education programs at HMSC, with an eye to growth as the capacity of the main OSU campus is
saturated. The Task Team noted that “…there should be a cohesive marine science based
curriculum developed and delivered using infrastructure and personnel that reside at HMSC and at
the Corvallis campus. The academic programs should be well integrated with complementary
programs delivered in Corvallis, and build upon the breadth and experience of all marine faculty at
OSU.” The Task Team further recommended the need to “Conduct an opportunity/needs
assessment to determine the demand for and related costs for marine based academic programs if
they were offered at HMSC.”
In the fall of 2012, President Ray suggested that HMSC can help OSU address Governor
Kitzhaber’s 40/40/20 Plan (Oregon Revised Statutes) through growth of the educational program.
The Plan’s goal is by 2025 for 100% of Oregon students to obtain a high school diploma or
equivalent, and 80% of these to students to obtain post-secondary education, including half with 4
year degrees and half with 2 year degrees or professional certifications. OSU, in collaboration with
community colleges, can increase educational capacity on the Oregon coast thus helping to obtain
this goal and promote economic development for coastal communities. HMSC has a history of
providing excellent experiential education for OSU’s students as well as opportunities to be
mentored by potential employers in natural resource agencies. Exploring future options for
expanded academic opportunities is timely. Consequently, a Working Group was established under
the auspices of the HMSC Director’s Office.
Scope
The Working Group addressed all matters associated with undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate
coursework, undergraduate and graduate research, and academic policy at HMSC. While we
acknowledge the value and leadership that HMSC provides on informal education, this report is
intentionally directed towards formal education. We considered the needs and opportunities for
growth in HMSC academic programs across disciplines and OSU colleges. Discussions included the
potential for collaboration with the other universities, community colleges, and state and federal
agencies. Between March and June 2013, we reached out to over 200 individuals from throughout
OSU, HMSC, the Newport community, and other academic institutions including community
colleges through 36 interviews, 5 focal groups, and an online survey (Appendix 1). During these
interactions, we discussed:
1. Need, opportunity, demand, and challenges for expanded course opportunities;
2. Professional certification needs for coursework and/or training;
3. Opportunities for areas of integration and cross-disciplinary teaching and learning including:
o Human Dimensions
o Fisheries Economics
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o Ocean Engineering
o Ecological Modeling
o Marine Policy
o Environmental Humanities
o Renewable energy
o Free Choice Learning
4. Capacity at HMSC for expanding the offering of undergraduate awards/programs/majors,
postgraduate coursework awards/programs;
5. Community college pathways and articulation agreements with a focus on Oregon Coast
Community College (OCCC), and ultimately all five coastal community colleges;
6. Emerging educational and training issues and trends impacting marine labs and field stations.
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• Marine aquatic veterinary medicine
• Ocean literacy and the arts
• Aquaculture and food science
• Ecosystem science-based regional ocean modeling
Suggested Courses
HMSC has begun to expand course offerings working toward a full complement of 16-32 credits
each term (Appendix 2). Currently the most complete and consistent curriculum is offered in the
spring as BI 450, a 16 credit course required for students pursuing an undergraduate Marine Biology
option in the Biology Program. Fall courses are provided through the Department of Fisheries and
Wildlife. Revised summer offerings being piloted during 2013 are offered from a variety of
departments/colleges and have the potential to collectively provide students a full complement of
course options (16+ credits). Winter term courses are currently limited and target graduate
students, first year undergraduate and non-majors. Expansion of winter term course offerings will
likely include skills-based courses such as GIS, statistics, programming, and data visualization.
Overall, a transition to consistently offering a full complement of core courses each term is
progressing.
Recommendations for course offerings at HMSC
Overall:
• Implement a full complement of courses offered consistently each term;
• Avoid teaching classes alternate years;
• Work with academic units to ensure more HMSC courses fulfill degree and baccalaureate
core requirements;
• Minimize use of temporary course #s (e.g., 499, 599) or courses listed without instructor
names. This makes courses difficult for students to find;
• Consider labeling courses taught at HMSC as MS### in listings to readily distinguish as
taught at HMSC, regardless of which college/department the course is through;
• Offer zero week (weeks before fall or after spring quarter) and spring break course offerings,
including intensive field courses and online hybrid courses with field component following
each term;
• Enable marine courses taught on campus to have a field and/or experiential component if
they do not already;
• Offer courses that may absorb overflow from high demand courses taught on campus;
• Develop cornerstone courses for a marine option available through all departments/colleges;
• Provide training in large and small vessel operations and scientific diving.
Undergraduate Students:
• 1-2 courses that fulfill Science Technology & Society and other baccalaureate core course
requirements;
• Experiential courses (e.g., BI/FW 111 series) that satisfy students’ desire for 1-2 unit
introductory courses;
• Courses that integrate scientific writing, illustration and photography;
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• Marine courses that contribute to the Education double degree.
Graduate Students:
• Courses that address science skills such as GIS, statistics, science writing, data management,
programming, website design, and software use;
• Salmon ocean ecology course;
• Marine food web dynamics;
• Marine spatial ecology;
• Marine field techniques course;
• Free choice learning in marine studies as part of teacher training and link to the online
Master's degree;
• Marine courses that contribute to the high school biology teaching certification.
Professionals:
• Courses and workshops for science educators nationally and internationally (e.g., community
college, high school, aquariums, museums) for career development or to maintain
certification;
• Advanced training in marine aquaculture and aquatic species health;
• Marine technical skills based courses.
Degree requirements dictate program plans and schedules. This poses a significant issue for HMSC
students as there are not enough courses at HMSC or offered via polycom from the Corvallis
campus to satisfy requirements or interests. One reason for the latter is that Corvallis instructors
have no incentives to ‘polycom’ courses to HMSC. The overall result is a lack of consistency in
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courses offerings (i.e. not annually) which makes planning difficult and often necessitates
commuting between HMSC and Corvallis to meet program/course needs. One possible solution to
this problem is access to E-campus courses. However, E-campus courses have an additional per
credit fee and are only partially covered by tuition remission plans for graduate students. In general,
there are more incentives to be a Corvallis student than there is for a student to be resident at
HMSC full time. Another approach would be student exchanges among marine labs with
transferability of credits. This would be very useful for those students seeking specialized training
provided by specific institutions.
Meeting student needs goes beyond providing engaging and well-recognized academic programs.
This includes offering attractive social and recreational opportunities (especially for undergraduate
students). Newport and the central Oregon coast have much to offer through organizations such the
Surfrider Foundation, Aquarium Dive Team, and Yaquina Bay Yacht Club, and facilities including
the Newport Recreation Center and the Performing Arts Center. However, there must be a
concerted effort by the University and the community to support opportunities targeted at students
including expanded services for health and wellness.
Currently, there is not a critical mass of students in residence at HMSC to justify the provision of all
the services and courses necessary to fulfill student needs. Consequently, most students have to
juggle difficult logistics between Newport and the Corvallis main campus. Increasing the student
population will create a positive feedback loop to attract more students to HMSC as well as justify
the expanded course offerings and university supported services. At present, there are
approximately 20-30 graduate students in residence during any a given term, up to 25 undergraduate
students in fall and spring, and 35-40 undergraduate students and interns in the summer. The only
consistent student population is the graduate students. Establishing “a critical mass” of students is
needed to support and sustain the appropriate student services and academic programs
Recommendations
General
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Undergraduate Students
• Target opportunities specifically to major vs. non-major and upper division vs. lower
division that align with requirements;
• Improve outreach to students from various academic units including working at the student
level with the Marine Team and the administrative level of the Marine Council;
• Provide more upper division course sequences like the spring marine biology courses;
• Create a marine science minor requiring residence at HMSC for 1-4 quarters;
• Provide online hybrid courses so that students that are place bound have access to HMSC
courses;
• Develop additional courses that fulfill the biology requirement with a marine emphasis.
• Increase opportunities for undergraduate students to obtain Research or Arts Fellow
transcript notations in marine experiential education via HMSC;
• Include one day of undergraduate orientation at HMSC.
Graduate Students
• Entice students with the research support facilities that are unparalleled compared to many
other marine labs;
• Develop student exchange programs with other marine labs;
• Expand current connection between Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and
OSU doctoral program in free choice learning given OMSI’s planned environmental
education center in Newport;
• Use community resources in teaching (e.g., Visitors Center, Oregon Coast Aquarium, OMSI)
to interest students in becoming STEM teachers;
• Work with the Graduate School to identify a graduate student advocate that can work across
academic units to resolve issues with course programs and fees.
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International students will be interested in a wide variety of courses offered at HMSC. Specific fields
of study include:
• Quantitative marine science, including fisheries stock assessment and ecosystem based
management
• Aquarium and aquaculture sciences
At this point, OSU is limited in offering certificates and non-degree education to international
students. F-1 and J-1 students need to enroll full-time (12 credits) each term. These students,
however, can pursue a certificate while enrolled as a full-time student. For certificate programs, it is
best to work with international students who are already enrolled at OSU. HMSC is designated as a
separate campus through the Department of Homeland Security, therefore, international students
spending extended periods at HMSC may be required to formally transfer to the HMSC campus.
Recommendations
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• Zoo and aquarium educators
• Aquaculture
• Professional naturalists
• Marine and coastal engineers
• Marine technical professionals
Currently, limited basic, life, and physical science courses are offered at OCCC. Expanding these
courses would provide HMSC graduate students teaching opportunities while enhancing the OCCC
basic curriculum. Community college students express interest in marine science but cannot
currently pursue this subject. Offering several marine-based courses that fulfill the science elective
for AA/OT students could be very popular. OSU participation in OCCC open houses and other
recruiting venues would expose more students to the educational options offered by both
institutions.
A 2+2 program with OCCC could be mutually beneficial for both parties, as evidenced by success
between OSU Cascades and Central Oregon Community College, and the fact that many successful
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community colleges exist within towns with equally robust universities. At the outset, it is important
for programs at OCCC and OSU to be complimentary, as is the case between HMSC and the
Corvallis campus. Ideally, students could seamlessly transition between OCCC and OSU courses,
allowing students to make full use of dual enrollment. Articulation support services with student
advisors will be critical in preparing students for transitioning to a 4-yr degree whenever they decide
to chart that course. Realistically, many community college students will not transfer because they
are place bound or need specific skills training. Some estimates are < 25% of community college
students will be interested in transferring to a 4-yr program. At Southwestern Oregon Community
College, however, ~ 60% of students are enrolled in the AA/OT program. When presented with
guidance and alternative pathways with clear benefits from the onset, students will take advantage of
newly recognized opportunities to further their education or technical training.
Administrative steps in establishing the 2+2 relationship with a community college include strong
relationships among key leaders, primarily the Presidents, the Academic Deans, Enrollment
Services/Student Affairs Deans, and local government. Also, a strong relationship between HMSC
and the Corvallis campus is critical at both the administrative and faculty level. Financial support for
services such as library and student affairs is critical. As noted by several interviewees “the State
cannot support an 8th university.” Rather, a robust 2+2 program would truly enhance educational
opportunities for coastal residents.
Recommendations
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Housing
Existing student apartments at HMSC can functionally accommodate 52 students and have 50%
occupancy in fall, 50% in winter, 80% in spring, and 98% in summer. Short-term (1-3 nights)
bunkhouses can accommodate 32 students and range from 10% occupancy in January to 70%
occupancy in May. Two manufactured home units on site can accommodate a total of 10 people
full-term or longer (generally visiting faculty or staff). The local rental market is challenging as there
is seasonal pressure for vacation rentals and limited reasonably priced short and long term options.
Additional student housing is unquestionably needed to better accommodate current demands and
expand to full-term programs.
OSU students face difficult challenges when relocating from Corvallis to Newport, or vice versa.
Students often have to forfeit hard sought accommodations to move either direction or face paying
two rents. The difficulty is reduced for spring and summer term students as many have moved out
of Corvallis housing. It is worse in the fall or winter terms when students often have to commit to a
full year lease to secure housing for the academic year. In this situation, it would make sense to stay
in Newport for a full year, rather than a term, if sufficient curricula were offered. Alternatively,
arranging opportunities for shared leases between housing in Newport and Corvallis through
University or private property managers will ease the burden of one term transitions.
In designing new student housing, it is important to consider the different needs of undergraduate
and graduate students. Some may be more willing to share space and want more social and
recreational amenities but others may need more separation or permanent living spaces, especially
those with families that require additional space. When attracting students from outside the area to a
2+2 program, housing for freshman students is a must. Funding student housing construction
would require creative solutions involving donor funds, state bonding, and public-private
partnerships.
Classrooms
HMSC’s largest classroom can accommodate 30 students. This is the main teaching classroom and
heavily booked during spring, summer, and fall terms. The second largest is the distance education
classroom that can accommodate 19 students with full remote conferencing with campus. Two
additional classrooms accommodate 15-20 students. The classrooms are also in demand for training
sessions frequently offered by HMSC residents. The four teaching wet labs with running seawater
accommodate 20-25 students each. Two are committed to youth education instruction and the
other two to college level courses and student projects. The Guin Library renovation projects will
provide an additional two meeting/classroom spaces when completed in 2014 and we anticipate
high demand from HMSC residents.
The current HMSC classrooms can only accommodate a small to modest expansion in academic
programs. Significant expansion of any academic program at HMSC would necessitate expanded
classroom facilities. Additional classroom space could also be used by agencies. For example,
NOAA’s groundfish observer program now conducts multiple 4-week training sessions for 100%
observer coverage of west coast trawl fisheries. The new OCCC campus has classroom and science
lab facilities. However, similar to HMSC, they are relatively low capacity (maximum of 24 students),
and are also in high use Monday through Thursday.
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Research Teaching Space
There is shared state and federal lab space at HMSC that is excellent for collaborative research but
problematic for teaching. The size of rooms (unusable for teaching a class of over 8 students) and
the difficulty of gaining short-term access permission are challenges. Classes requiring more in-depth
research are limited to the two wet labs. Most graduate students are housed in the lab spaces of
their major professors. Construction of additional classrooms and research space would free up
existing spaces for conversion to teaching labs.
Student Study and Office Space
Currently, the only common student study space is in the Guin Library. Originally built for 100 full
time students and 300 staff in 1990, it is being renovated to address changing needs in 2013/14.
The Library has adequate study space for small groups and individuals, but would be challenged if
the student population increased beyond 200. Additional student space would be needed to retain
the library as a quieter place to study.
Graduate student office space is also limited to two common areas with cubicles, one in a NOAA
building (20-25 desks) and one in an OSU building (5 desks), and limited carrel space (18 desks) in
the Guin Library. The graduate student space in the NOAA building is currently adequate in terms
of size, but problematic because students have limited or no access after hours or on weekends.
Additionally, students are required to have a government ID to access the building, which can be
particularly time consuming or prohibitive for non-US citizens. Additional graduate student and
post-doctoral fellow space for 20 is planned in the Guin Library renovation.
Information Technology
Relatively recent upgrades to HMSC information technology infrastructure have been extremely
beneficial. Currently the fiber optic connection is not fully taxed and could support expanded use
for educational programs. In the future, with expansion of data transmission from genome
sequencers and ocean observing systems through HMSC, greater bandwidth may be needed.
OCCC has sufficient fiber optic connectivity within its new campus. OCCC’s current bridge can
support all possible endpoints. Therefore, IT requirements are manageable in moving toward a
greater integration with the community college and can be addressed using models developed for
OSU Cascades.
Video conferencing systems are readily available for HMSC students and staff to connect with
Corvallis campus and elsewhere. The College of Agricultural Sciences has expanded video
conferencing capabilities and enjoys easy connectivity with HMSC. This is not the case for other
colleges, which limits HMSC students from remote connection to classes on campus (beyond
Fisheries and Wildlife), as well as for seminars and thesis defenses. It is currently easier for Corvallis
students to attend HMSC courses remotely than HMSC students to connect remotely to courses in
Corvallis. Corvallis faculty often decline to use video conferencing due to limited availability of
equipment, unfamiliarity with use of equipment, need to move classes to rooms equipped for video
conferencing, or lack of incentive if the additional effort is only for a few students on the coast.
Increasing the number of students in resident on the coast and applying their IT fees to remote
videoconferencing support for on campus course instructors could help resolve this problem.
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HMSC classrooms and meeting rooms have been updated with adequate media equipment for
teaching and presenting. Judicious use of Technology Resource Fees have allowed all rooms to have
similar equipment making operations and training smoother and simpler. Ongoing support for
equipment and IT staff is provided by the HMSC Director’s Office. As educational demands and
the resident student population increase, IT staff levels, expectations, and funding will need to be
addressed.
Recommendations
Housing
• Additional housing scholarships and subsidies;
• Exploration of shared housing agreement between HMSC and University Housing and
Dining;
• New housing in Newport to accommodate increased student population;
Classroom
• Additional teaching classrooms, with at least one capable of holding larger groups;
• Computer/Electronics teaching lab (e.g., statistics, computer modeling, GIS);
Research Teaching
• Additional multi-purpose wet/dry labs;
• Small boat and dive facility for classes and student projects/research;
Information Technology
• Funding for videoconferencing support on the Corvallis campus;
• Expansion of teaching technology in Corvallis academic units to promote videoconferencing
for teaching at HMSC;
• Funding model for IT support of students and teaching
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leadership to develop and promote undergraduate academic programs and curricula at HMSC”.
Expanded teaching FTEs can be achieved through new faculty and instructor hires. Current faculty
with research appointments are interested in contributing to OSU’s educational mission. This
requires revision of position descriptions and funding for that effort. An additional key teaching
resource is OSU courtesy faculty residing in agencies who contribute to courses at HMSC and
greatly enhance the student’s marine lab experience, as well as exposure to careers post graduation.
Tapping into this willing pool of educators is invaluable for OSU. Although, since graduate or
undergraduate instruction is not within the position description of agency scientists, tactical
incorporation of their expertise into teaching faculty designed courses is the most cooperative
approach (FW426/526, Coastal Ecology and Resource Management is a good example). That said,
numerous courtesy faculty do teach graduate level courses or informal research skills-based courses.
Faculty from several colleges expressed the need for OSU to provide equitable support for teaching
classes. Currently the two primary models in use for HMSC courses are credit based and FTE
based. In general, FTE based compensation was considered most equitable and should be
standardized among academic units. The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science,
College of Science, and College of Agricultural Science have similar FTE commitments for teaching
in a 9 month, tenure track position: 45-50% teaching and advising, 40-45% research and 10%
service. The teaching commitment equates to 3 classes per year (~ 9 credits - University expectation
is 0.1 FTE per course) plus student advising. For the following recommendations, 1 FTE is defined
as one 9 month appointment that includes 50% FTE for teaching and advising of 3-5 graduate
students.
Recommendations
• By 2020, add 10-14 FTE to HMSC through revised position descriptions for existing HMSC
faculty and new hires. New hires should complement current faculty expertise while also
teaching classes and conducting research that utilizes HMSC facilities (e.g., sea water system,
Visitor Center) and field laboratories (e.g., estuaries, coastal communities). This would allow
> 32 course credits per term.
• By 2025, add an additional 10-14 FTE. HMSC will have solidified and expanded its
signature courses and unique niche in contributing to the marine enterprise at OSU. With
greater recognition and enrollment in marine studies at OSU, some course duplication
between the main campus and HMSC will begin to occur without being detrimental to either
interest, thereby allowing additional teaching FTE to exist at HMSC. This would allow >
64 course credits per term.
Growing the HMSC faculty is a key step toward creating a critical mass of graduate and
undergraduate students required to establish a robust, sustainable program and needed student
services.
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occasional instructors. Teaching lab equipment and classroom upgrades rely on Technology
Resource fees, and a variety of other sources including private donors and other departments. Most
teaching FTE is provided through departments and colleges with the Fisheries and Wildlife
Department committing consistent effort. The External Review Team commented that these are
“inappropriate sources [for academic funding] (i.e., the Research Office) or highly unpredictable
sources such as the departments and colleges on campus.”
The HMSC Strategic Plan noted that incentives are not available to encourage faculty to develop
new course or curriculum offerings, especially multidisciplinary courses that cross traditional
department or college lines. Targeted fees for non-Corvallis courses increase the burden on students
and are not an appropriate solution. The net result is that colleges and departments have no
incentive to invest in developing and offering classes beyond the Corvallis campus. Therefore, a
new, uniform funding model is needed that is equitable to HMSC, academic units, and the
University that support academic program coordination, development and delivery.
Currently, there are three tuition schemes for OSU classes: Academic Year (AY), Summer Session
(SS) and Ecampus. The AY and SS models do not address the cost to a facility other than the
Corvallis campus; this inhibits course offerings beyond OSU main campus. The Ecampus model
assumes no facility cost but substantial administrative and course development costs; these are
covered by the $75 per credit fee. The AY model has the bulk of the fees added to the first credit
with incremental additional fees up to 12 credits and then plateauing. The SS model adds fees to the
first credit taken; additional credits do not result in additional fees.
The net result is that Ecampus tuition is lowest for students taking < 4 credits, SS tuition is lowest
for students taking 5-12 (undergraduate) or 5-9 (graduate) credits, and AY tuition is lowest for
students taking > 13 (undergraduate) or > 10 (graduate) credits. Differences in costs among the
three models can be substantial, up to $1,400 per term for undergraduate and $3,700 per term for
graduate students taking a full 16 credits (Appendix 3).
Tuition should be shared equitably among all units investing in course delivery. These may include
the department who covers the cost of instruction, the facility for use of space and coordinating
staff, Central Administration for registration and business affairs and Central Enterprise for
marketing. Additional course fees could be charged for courses requiring specialized facilities such
as labs. Regular fees applicable to the Corvallis campus would need to be adjusted so that student
services (e.g. medical services, recreation, information technology) can be provided off campus.
Creating an equitable tuition model for non-Corvallis courses has been a work in progress for
several years without finalization. Several models for tuition allocation are currently being discussed
(Appendix 3). The expansion of academic programs at HMSC provides the opportunity to create a
model that would work for other OSU facilities beyond the Corvallis main campus.
Recommendations
• Adopt a tuition scheme for non-Corvallis campus courses that returns 70% of tuition to the
unit providing the instruction, 20% to the facility hosting the instruction, and 10% to Central
Administration.
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Scaling Up Educational Opportunities
Throughout our conversations, we sensed enthusiasm for expanded educational opportunities on
the coast and better use of HMSC as a teaching facility embedded in the research environment. One
participant said: “I enjoy having the vitality students bring with them and the energy and passion
they have. Our community has always embraced our students and learning about what they do. I can
see this as being a new dynamic within the community we live in.” There was also recognition of
the challenges of geography, funding and policies. There is potential for increasing HMSC’s capacity
to address the educational desires of students and the community needs. While this assessment
focuses on students, infrastructure and faculty, many we spoke with see an expansion of educational
opportunities as a means to boost the coastal economy with a better educated workforce. As one
person stated: “more living wage jobs would only help the coast to grow and would attract great
people to the coast to study and live”. There is interest in improving sustainable business
opportunities related to science and the marine environment.
Expanding HMSC academic programs would increase our interactions with the Lincoln County
schools, and OCCC enhancing opportunities for all students. People see this as “positive for the
community” and “good for coastal youth to know what academic opportunities are available should
they want a local college option.” Keeping local students on the coast and recruiting students from
elsewhere are positives.
There may be a limited number of students with sufficient passion to study marine biology.
However, there is an unlimited number whose lives and careers can be enriched through ocean
literacy. A current HMSC student commented: “I love the coastal life and treasure the sense of
being a part of a healthy ecosystem. I want to help maintain it and improve it. I want others to have
access to it and to learn about it”. We concur with the HMSC External Review Panel, “[Our] goal
should be to increase marine science literacy and exposure in all disciplines at OSU, and make
HMSC the face of marine science and marine policy on the coast.” Elevating education to be in
balance with research at HMSC will diversify the current funding model. Sustained investment in
these efforts will help establish OSU as a preeminent University for ocean science education,
research, and engagement.
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References
External Review Team for Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center. 2010.
Report of an external review Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center,
September 16-17, 2010. Corvallis: The University. 22 pp. Available:
http://hdl.handle.net/1957/41540
Hodder, Jan. 2009. What Are Undergraduates Doing at Biological Field Stations and Marine
Laboratories? BioScience. 59 (8): 666-672.
Implementation Task Team. Recommendations on Implementation of External Review of Hatfield
Marine Science Center: Report to Provost Sabah Randhawa and Vice President for Research Rick
Spinrad. 2012. Corvallis: Oregon State University. 11 pp.
Oregon Revised Statutes. 2011. § 351.009 Available: http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/351.009
Oregon State University. 2006. Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center Strategic Plan.
Newport: The University. 35 pp. Available: http://hdl.handle.net/1957/5036
Oregon University System. 2012a. OUS Achievement Compact 2012-2013. Eugene: OSU. 42 pp.
Available:
http://www.ous.edu/sites/default/files/factreport/mp/files/AchievementCompact2012.pdf
Oregon University System, Office of Institutional Research. 2012b. Oregon University System Facts and
Figures 2011. Eugene: OUS. 116 pp. Available: http://ous.edu/factreport/factbook/2011
External Review of the Hatfield Marine Science Center.
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Appendix 1: Interviewees and Respondents
Number and background of over 200 interviewees and respondents from in-person and online
surveys while seeking input for this report during April – June 2013.
Interviews:
Focal Groups:
• HMSC faculty, Hatfield Student Organization, HMSC agencies, Newport community leaders
(4 focal groups including 25 people).
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Appendix 2: Current HMSC Courses
Listing of courses offered at HMSC during four terms of the 2012-2013 academic year.
FALL 2012 - Oregon State University Courses
Course Title Course # Credits
HMSC seminar FW 407/507 1
Coastal Ecology & Resource Mgmt (CERM) WEEK FW 426/526 5
Natural History of Whales and Whaling FW 419 3
Fishery Biology FW 454/554 5
Dynamics of Marine Biological Resources FW431/531 4
Marine Conservation Biology FW/Z 464/564 3
Early Life History of Fishes FW 474/574 4
Aquatic Biological Invasions FW 421/521 4
Math on the Beach OC 599 3
Total 32
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Appendix 3: Tuition Schemes and Proposed Models
Comparison of costs for one term among the three tuition schemes used at OSU (AY = Academic
Year)
Possible models for allocating tuition among academic units and facilities (recommended model in
bold)
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Appendix 4: Relevant Development Opportunities From HMSC Strategic Plan
Leading national and international programs in informal education for youth and lifelong
learners and extension-based outreach in coastal and marine science.
1. Continue development as a national site for free-choice learning, based on coastal and
marine themes for audiences that choose how and when to learn.
2. Increase physical capacity and staffing for youth education and life-long learning at HMSC.
3. Increase involvement and participation by agencies and academic units with Visitor Center,
youth, and life-long learning educational (outreach) programming that improves science
literacy.
4. Improve library resources for informal education
5. Increase extension-based educational programming around coastal, aquatic, and marine
issues and opportunities, including coastal community development.
6. Expand youth and lifelong learning opportunities for diverse, under-represented, and
underserved audiences.
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7. Consider developing “SEATAUQUA” or elder hostel-like program featuring integration of
the arts and sciences
8. Partner with OCCC and Oregon Coast Aquarium in training activities, e.g., for volunteers.
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