UMW AWARDS THREE UNIVERSITY GRANTS TO FACULTY

The University of Mary Washington recently awarded grants to three faculty groups on campus that have proposed new certificate programs and courses at the institution that will bridge studies between the university’s two campuses. The programs are in geographic information systems (GIS), education for children with autism and teacher training in secondary mathematics.

The new University Grants initiative is designed to generate innovative and collaborative programs at the university using faculty resources from both the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses. Total funding for the grants is $120,000, with several new courses scheduled to begin in fall 2007.

The Professional Certificate Program in Geographic Information Systems is intended to meet the educational needs of the Fredericksburg region’s GIS professionals and others seeking to enter the fast-growing field. GIS courses will initially be taught at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS) and will augment existing Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) concentrations, including computer information systems, as well as Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Management Information Systems degree programs. The proposed courses also will provide undergraduates at the Fredericksburg campus with the opportunity to attain GIS certification. The program is being developed by Grant R. Woodwell, chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Geology; Stephen P. Hanna, chair of the Department of Geography; and Gail D. Brooks, co-director of the BPS program.

The Teaching Students with Autism Certificate Program will include a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA) option and will feature an internationally accessible databank of autism information and resources. This joint project among the graduate education program and undergraduate education and psychology programs aims to develop courses devoted to autism as part of the education offerings at CGPS. Specific new courses will be integrated into the existing graduate education electives, and undergraduate psychology students will have the option of graduating with BCABA coursework completion. H. Nicole Myers, assistant professor of education, is serving as grant coordinator, and grant program directors include Norah S. Hooper, associate professor of education; Miriam N. Liss, assistant professor of psychology; Sharon L. Teabo, assistant professor of education; and Jennifer J. Jakubecy, assistant professor of education.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) Program in Secondary Mathematics will extend coursework in the existing program, which is the first to be offered jointly by faculty at both campuses. Grant funding will be used to refine three existing courses and design seven new courses for the M.Ed. degree. Marie P. Sheckels, professor of mathematics and education, and Teresa L. Coffman, assistant professor of education, will direct the project.