Senate Bill 0910-14
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
GAC, UPPC
Date:
May 10, 2010
Proposal to Resume Admissions to Doctoral Program in Organizational Studies
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
1. That admissions resume to the doctoral program in Organizational Studies.
2. That this takes effect as soon as permission is obtained.
3. That this proposal be forwarded to President George M. Philip for approval.
Request to Resume Admissions to the Organizational Studies Doctoral Program
The School of Business requests permission to resume admissions to the doctoral program in
Organizational Studies. This proposal explains why admissions were suspended a few years ago
and why reactivating the program would be beneficial for the School of Business, UAlbany, and
the state of New York.
Program History
The Organizational Studies (OS) Doctoral Program is an interdisciplinary program that was
initiated in the mid-1980s and has graduated more than 50 students. It is housed in the School of
Business but the program faculty includes members from other schools and colleges at UAlbany
who have common interests in organizational behavior, leadership, and human resource
management. At various times the departmental affiliation of program faculty members has
included management, information systems, marketing, public administration, psychology,
sociology, educational administration, and public health policy.
It is a small program, and until admissions were suspended it had 20-25 students. Currently 15
remaining students are working on their dissertations, and most will graduate by the end of 2010.
Students usually enter the program with a master’s degree in the social sciences or business. The
composition of students in the last decade was approximately 40% from the upstate region, 50%
percent from other parts of the USA, and 10% from other countries. Most students (82%)
complete the program and graduate in 3 to 5 years. Most graduates pursue an academic career,
but a few have been employed by government agencies or consulting companies. The graduates
with strong ties to the region usually pursue careers in regional colleges or universities. Most
international students return to their home countries. All past graduates of the program who
desired an academic position outside of the region were able to quickly find one in a business
school or college with a leadership degree program.
Students who come from the region are usually self-funded (by their teaching position in a local
college, by their job in a local company, or by a working spouse). About half of the international
students have been funded primarily by fellowships from institutions in their home country.
Most students from outside the region (and a few international students) received graduate
assistantships from UAlbany. Initially the program had its own budget for graduate
assistantships, but in the 1990s this budget was merged into the budget for the School of
Business and the dean gained more authority to determine how it would be allocated. The
proportion of funds allocated to doctoral assistantships was increased by a former dean several
years ago. However, after that dean left UAlbany, the associate dean who became the interim
dean reduced the budget allocation for doctoral assistantships. Then, after two years of reduced
allocations he abruptly decided to end funding of assistantships for new doctoral students. It was
a time of reduced budgets in SUNY, and he favored using the limited resources to support
students in the fulltime MBA program. Unlike the 5 previous deans of the School of Business
(and 4 provosts), he did not recognize the benefits of a doctoral program. In the absence of
resources to attract qualified applicants from outside the region, the program faculty decided to
request the suspension of new admissions. We knew that the Dean had a limited term and
anticipated that his successor would be someone who recognized the value of the program.
Fortunately, our new Dean (Don Siegel) understands the value of a cost-effective doctoral
program and can get financial resources for it from sources outside UAlbany.
New Admissions
We are requesting permission to begin admitting new students as soon as feasible after approval
is obtained. As in earlier years, 4 to 5 students would be admitted each year, and the target size
of the program after several years would be around 20 students. Graduate assistantships or
fellowships would be provided (for a three-year term) to 2-3 new students each year, and most of
this funding would be obtained by the School of Business from outside sources. Other new
students would be self-funded in their initial year, but some of them may be able to obtain
financial support at a later time from research grants or by teaching as adjuncts.
Program Benefits
1. Strengthen Research in School of Business. The faculty, the new Dean, and donors want to
strengthen the research culture of the SOB. Doctoral students facilitate the research of faculty
and in the past ten years they have doubled the amount of publications by members of the faculty
who were very involved in the program, and several graduates of the program continue to
collaborate with faculty in conducting research. Recruitment of new faculty and grant
applications are hindered by the lack of a doctoral program. The plans for the new SOB building
have space dedicated to research involving doctoral students.
2. Help Fill Staffing Needs in School of Business. Staffing undergraduate courses in business
and accounting is becoming more difficult with budget cuts and the high expense for new
business faculty. The School of Business does not have a sufficient number of regular faculty to
teach all the undergraduate courses we need to offer, and there are few qualified adjuncts
available who can be used without risking accreditation. When ABD doctoral students are used
to teach undergraduate courses, they meet accreditation requirements for the AACSB. Without
these doctoral students the Management Department would need to hire two new faculty
members or eliminate most of the undergraduate electives that are required to sustain our double
concentration. Other departments in the School of Business face similar staffing problems and
can also use doctoral students to teach some of their courses if we add more specialization tracks.
3. Help Fill Regional and National Need for Business Faculty. A growing shortage of
business school faculty in the USA has increased the need for qualified graduates with a doctoral
degree who want to pursue an academic career. The career opportunities for graduates of our
doctoral program will be very favorable in the next decade. In past years our program has
enabled many faculty teaching in upstate New York colleges with only a master’s degree to get a
relevant doctoral degree at a reasonable cost. Many of our graduates have faculty positions in
small New York colleges, including Siena, Skidmore, Oneonta, Cobleskill, Hartwick, Iona,
Marist, New Paltz, Potsdam, St. Rose, Wagner, and Mount Saint Mary’s College. In the 1990s,
universities that hired our graduates include RPI, Cornell University, New Mexico State
University, Bowling Green University, Illinois State University, Seattle University, University of
Minnesota-Duluth, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Farleigh Dickenson, Rider University, and
the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In more recent years, our graduates who desired an
academic position outside New York were hired as faculty at Seattle University, University of
Houston, Fudan University, Towson University, California State University at Fresno, Moravian
College, and York College of Pennsylvania.
4. High Program Quality. The retention rate for our doctoral students, how long it takes them
to complete the program, the job placement for graduates, their research publications at
UAlbany, and other indicators of career success are comparable to the indicators for other
UAlbany doctoral programs with similar content (e.g., industrial-organizational psychology,
public administration, educational administration) and programs in business at SUNY
Binghamton and Buffalo. A comparative analysis conducted a few years ago found that the
publication rate for our students was equivalent to that for the nationally-recognized doctoral
program in business at the University of Connecticut. Our students have won research awards,
published in top-tier journals, served as deans, and been awarded tenure at good colleges and
universities in the USA and other countries.
5. Low Program Expense. The cost of the OS doctoral program in terms of faculty workload
requirements is very low. It is likely that the OS doctoral program is one of the most cost-
effective graduate programs at UAlbany or another university. One reason is that most of the
students who are admitted already have a relevant master’s level degree, which reduces the
number of additional courses they need to take. A second reason is that many of the necessary
courses already exist in other doctoral programs at UAlbany, and our students are allowed to
enroll in these courses. The time required to assess student learning and supervise their research
is provided by program faculty on a voluntary basis without any formal workload credit. Only a
few additional doctoral seminars are needed each year for the program, and the workload cost for
them can be offset by savings from a few undergraduate courses taught by doctoral students paid
with funds from outside sources.
6. Outside Funding for Students. Much of the funds for graduate assistantships or
fellowships would be provided by funds obtained from sources outside UAlbany. The potential
sources include faculty grants, field projects, weekend program revenues, and donations or
scholarships from faculty, alumni, companies, and professional associations (e.g., SHRM,
AICPA, and NYSSCPA).
7. Strengthen Related Programs. The courses and research opportunities provided by the
program can also strengthen related doctoral programs at UAlbany and RPI. The SOB has
faculty with expertise and doctoral degrees in subjects such as psychology, sociology, and
economics, and information science, and these faculty can offer courses that would appeal to
students in other UAlbany doctoral programs as well as to doctoral students in Organizational
Studies. Some of these faculty have unique expertise, and without the doctoral program in
Organizational Studies it would not be feasible for them to offer courses that are otherwise not
available.
8. Qualified and Enthusiastic Faculty. An effective doctoral program requires program
faculty who have the expertise to supervise the training and development of doctoral students,
supervise their teaching and research, and facilitate their successful placement. Many of these
activities involve voluntary extra work by the faculty. Many qualified faculty have indicated that
they are willing to invest the necessary time and effort to make the program even more
successful in the future than it was in past years. Other potential members that have not yet been
contacted could be recruited after we receive permission to renew admissions.
Program Faculty
Mitchell Abolafia, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy
Ph.D. in sociology, State University of New York at Stony Brook
Dennis Caplan, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Ph.D. in accounting, UC Berkeley
Shoba Chengalur-Smith, Associate Professor of Information Technology Management
Ph.D. in information technology, Virginia Tech University
Sue Faerman, Vice Provost & Undergraduate Dean
Ph.D. in public administration, State University of New York at Albany
Cecilia Falbe, Associate Professor of Management
Ph.D. in sociology, Columbia University
Sanjay Goel, Associate Professor of Information Technology Management
Ph.D. in information technology, RPI University
Hal Gueutal, Associate Professor of Management
Ph.D. in management, Purdue University
Timothy Hoff, Associate Professor of Public Admin. and Health Organization Management
Ph.D. in public administration & policy, UAlbany
Richard Johnson, Assistant Professor of Management
Ph.D. in business, University of Maryland
Michael Kavanagh, Emeritus Professor of Management
Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology, Iowa State University
Janet Marler, Associate Professor of Management
Ph.D. in industrial and labor relations, Cornell University
David McCaffrey, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Public Administration
Ph.D. in sociology, SUNY at Stony Brook
Paul Miesing, Associate Professor of Management
D.B.A. (business), University of Colorado
Sanjay Putrevu, Associate Professor of Marketing
Ph.D. in marketing, SUNY Buffalo
Sylvia Roch, Associate Professor of Psychology
Ph.D. in industrial-organizational Psychology, Texas A&M University
Hany Shawky, Professor of Finance
Ph.D. in finance, Ohio State University
Don Siegel, Dean of the School of Business
Ph.D. in business economics, Columbia University
Tom Taber, Professor of Management
Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology, University of Illinois
Giri Tayi, Professor of Information Technology Management
Ph.D. in information technology, Carnegie Mellon University
Raymond Van Ness, Assistant Professor of Management
Ph.D. in management, Union University
Kevin Williams, Professor of Psychology
Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology, University of South Carolina
Gary Yukl, Professor of Management and Program Director
Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology, UC Berkeley
April 27, 2010
Dear Professor Range,
I am writing to express my support for allowing Ph.D. Students in the Organization Studies
Doctoral Program to take relevant courses in the Sociology Department. I understand that in the
past OS students have taken courses in Sociology both to satisfy some of their requirements and
as electives. I want you to know that OS students will continue to be welcome in our graduate
courses, assuming there is space available and with the permission of the instructor. Our faculty
have found that past OS students have contributed to their courses at a high level.
In sum, we support allowing doctoral students in the OS Doctoral Program to take graduate
courses in our department. Please let me know if you require any additional information.
Sincerely,
Richard Lachmann
Professor and Chair
Department of Sociology
University at Albany
Albany, NY 12222
[518] 442-4666
May 5, 2010
Re: Opening Courses in the Department of Public Administration & Policy to PhD Students in the
Organization Studies Doctoral Program
To the Senate Executive Committee:
The purpose of this note is to inform you that the Department of Public Administration & Policy is
willing to allow doctoral students in the Organizational Studies Doctoral Program to take advanced
graduate courses in our Department.
In past years, students in the Organizational Studies Program took advanced graduate courses in Public
Administration and Policy to satisfy some of their requirements and electives. In any given semester, a
few students (usually two or three) would register for one or two of our 600 and 700 level courses
involving a relevant content or methods topic. The students only enrolled in a course if there was
available space and they were granted permission from the instructor. After consulting with faculty in our
Department, the Organizational Studies program director advised our students regarding relevant courses
for the next semester, the required prior knowledge for each course, and procedures for enrolling in a
course. The faculty who teach these courses reported that they appreciated the Organizational Studies
students and found their participation to be worthwhile.
In sum, we support allowing doctoral students in the Organizational Studies Doctoral Program to take
advanced graduate courses in our Department.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (518) 442-5283 or via e-mail at kretheme@albany.edu.
Sincerely,
R. Karl Rethemeyer
Associate Professor & Chair
Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
April 27, 2010
Re: Support for Allowing Ph.D. Students in the Organization Studies Doctoral Program to Take Relevant
Courses in the Psychology Department
To the Senate Executive Committee:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Department of Psychology is willing to allow
doctoral students in the Organizational Studies (henceforth, OS) Doctoral Program to take advanced
graduate courses in our department. In past years, students in the OS Program took advanced graduate
courses in our department to satisfy some of their requirements and electives. In any given semester, a
few students (usually two or three) would register for one or two of our 600 and 700 level courses
involving a relevant content or methods topic. The students only enrolled in a course if there was
available space and they were granted permission from the instructor. After consulting with faculty in our
department, the OS program director advised our students regarding relevant courses for the next
semester, the required prior knowledge for each course, and procedures for enrolling in a course. The
faculty who teach these courses reported that they appreciated the OS students and found their
participation to be worthwhile.
Faculty in our doctoral program in industrial-organizational psychology have worked closely with
the OS faculty and students in the past and look forward to continuing this relationship. More generally,
members of our faculty collaborate with faculty in the School Business on various research projects and
we look forward to future collaborations.
In sum, we support allowing doctoral students in the OS Doctoral Program to take advanced
graduate courses in our department. Please let me know if you require any additional information. I will
phone you if you want to chat about this.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin Williams
Professor and Chair,
Department of Psychology
kevinw@albany.edu
