The Auburn University Board of Trustees and Academic Affairs Committee approved two new graduate certificates and closed a graduate certificate at the Nov. 15 meeting. The two approved graduate certificates are in Neuroscience and Veterinary Social Work, while the committee members elected to close the graduate certificate in Movement Analysis Skills from the School of Kinesiology.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Vini Nathan proposed the academic changes to the Academic Affairs Committee and Chairperson Elizabeth Huntley.
The trustees approved the first item, a graduate certificate in Neuroscience from the Department of Drug Discovery and Development in the Harrison College of Pharmacy.
The Harrison College of Pharmacy will offer this certificate, exposing students to fundamental neuroscience concepts, interdisciplinary research, presentation skills and critical thinking for advanced careers and research in neuroscience.
The Neuroscience graduate certificate will consist of four classes or twelve hours of coursework. Auburn faculty in the Harrison College of Pharmacy already teaches the classes necessary for the certificate.
Nathan said this certificate will package four pre-existing classes and give Auburn students a competitive edge in the marketplace.
The second approved item was creating a Veterinary Social Work graduate certificate from the Departments of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work proposed a new social work program specifically for graduate students.
According to the Board of Trustees agenda on Nov. 15, the program will address four actions: managing compassion fatigue and conflicts, navigating animal-related grief and bereavement, understanding the connection between violence against humans and animals and exploring therapeutic animal-assisted interventions.
In the new graduate program, social work graduate students will work alongside students in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The certificate will require nine hours or three classes, two of which already exist on Auburn’s campus. Nathan commented that a new class would be created to complete this certificate.
Nathan said veterinary students must deal with animal-related grief and fatigue, so graduate students attaining the veterinary social work certificate can gain more experience and help veterinary students.
To be eligible for certificate application, students must already be in the Master of Social Work Program.
Nathan mentioned the new certificate unique to Auburn University will be the first of its kind in Alabama and meet the high demand for workers who can support veterinary experts in their field.
The final approved item was the closure of the graduate certificate in Movement Skills Analysis from the School of Kinesiology in the College of Education.
According to the Auburn University website, the graduate course prepares individuals to use Dartfish software and analyze physical movement and skills.
The School of Kinesiology recommended the closure of the certificate after not achieving enrollment goals for the past five years.
As of November 2024, the Movement Skills Analysis graduate certificate is exclusively online and has zero students and zero professors.
The agenda also says the certificate is “not an economically feasible option” for graduate student assistantships on financial aid. Graduate student assistantships, who receive financial aid through working for the university, “cannot cover the additional fees required for online courses.”
The Board of Trustees approved the closure of the certificate.
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