WA
UNIVERSITY
ATALBANY
State University of New York
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
UPDATED PROPOSAL — MAY 1, 2017
March 17, 2017
Dr. Alexander Cartwright
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
State University of New York
System Administration
State University Plaza
Albany, New York 12246
Dear Dr. Cartwright:
On behalf of the faculty at the University at Albany, I am pleased to transmit the attached
proposal for establishment and registration of a Master of Science program in Geographic
Information Science. This proposal has been fully considered and approved through our
campus governance system.
We are appreciative for anticipated efforts by staff in your Office of Program Review for
the consideration of the proposal. Should there be any technical questions or the need for
additional materials, please have inquiries directed to Jonathan Bartow, Vice Dean for
Graduate Education (jbartow@albany.edu) at our campus. As always, we thank you for
your on-going support.
Sincerely,
: i 4
i) CALL (lu bac L
Darrell P. Wheeler, PHD, MPH
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Enclosure
c. Dean Kevin Williams, Graduate Education
Dean Edelgard Wulfert, College of Arts & Sciences
Vice Dean Jon Bartow, Graduate Education
University Hall, 308
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222
Pu: 518-956-8030 Fx: 518-956-8043
wwwalbany.edu
The State University
ote ork New Program Proposal:
Graduate Degree Program
Form 2B
This form should be used to seek SUNY’s approval and the State Education Department’s (SED) registration of a proposed
new academic program leading to a graduate degree. Approval and registration are both required before a proposed program
can be promoted or advertised, or can enroll students. The campus Chief Executive or Chief Academic Officer should send a
signed cover letter and this completed form (unless a different form applies'), which should include appended items that
may be required for Sections 1 through 10 and MPA-1 of this form, to the SUNY Provost at program.review@suny.edu. The
completed form and appended items should be sent as a single, continuously paginated document.? Guidance on academic
program planning is available at http:/Awww.suny.edu/provost/academic_affairs/app/main.cfm.
Table of Contents
NOTE: Please update this Table of Contents automatically after the form has been completed. To do this, put the cursor
anywhere over the Table of Contents, right click, and, on the pop-up menus, select “Update Field” and then “Update Page
Numbers Only.” The last item in the Table of Contents is the List of Appended and/or Accompanying Items, but the actual
appended items should continue the pagination.
Section 1. General Information ....
Section 2. Program Information
2.1. Program Format...
2.2. Diploma Program
2.3. Program Description, Purposes and Planning
2.4. Admissions....
2.5. Academic and Other Support Services
2.6. Prior Learning Assessment.............
2.7. Program Assessment and Improvement
Section 3. Sample Program Schedule and Curriculum
Section 4. Faculty
Section 5. Financial Resources and Instructional Facilities
Section 6. Library Resources.
Section 7. External Evaluation
Section 8. Institutional Response to External Evaluator Reports
Section 9. SUNY Undergraduate Transfer
Section 10. Application for Distance Education
Section MPA-1. Need for Master Plan Amendment and/or Degree Authorization
List of Appended and/or Accompanying Items.
‘Use a different form if the proposed new program will lead to an undergraduate degree or any credit-bearing certificate; be a
combination of existing registered programs (i.e. for a multi-award or multi-institution program); be a breakout of a registered track or
option in an existing registered program; or lead to certification as a classroom teacher, school or district leader, or pupil personnel
services professional (e.g., school counselor).
?This email address limits attachments to 25 MB. Ifa file with the proposal and appended materials exceeds that limit, it should be
emailed in parts.
UPDATED PROPOSAL - MAY 1, 2017
Section 1. General Information
Item Response (type in the requested information)
a) Date of Proposal: | 12/17/2015
Institutional Epa liccs i 7
Tafocmation Institution’s 6-digit SED Code: | 210500
Institution’s Name: | University At Albany
Address: | 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222
Dept of Labor/Regent’s Region:
b) List each campus where the entire program will be offered (with each institutional or branch campus
[Program 6-digit SED Code):
[Locations Li " . — "
ist the name and address of off-campus locations (i.e., extension sites or extension centers) where
courses will offered, or check here [ _] if not applicable:
c) Program Title: | Geographic Information Science
Proposed
Program Award(s) (e.g., M.S., Ph.D.):| M.S.
| Information Number of Required Credits: | Minimum [36 ] If tracks or options, largest minimum [ _ ]
Proposed HEGIS Code: | 2206
Proposed 6-digit CIP 2010 Code: | 45.0702
If the program will be accredited, list the accrediting agency and expected date of accreditation:
If applicable, list the SED professional licensure title(s) to which the program leads:
d) Name and title: Jonathan Bartow, Vice Dean for Graduate Education
Contact Person | Telephone: 518-437-5062 E-mail: joartow@albany.edu
for This
Proposal
Signature affirms that the proposal has met all applicable campus administrative and shared governance
°) i ._ | procedures for consultation, and the institution’s commitment to support the proposed program.
Chief Executive | F- signatures are acceptable.
Chief ro é ‘ ,
agence Name and title: Darrell P. Wheeler, Apterim Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic A ffairs
Officer
Approval Signature and ais B wrnrtt \ wh (FM ove Dott
If the program will be registered jointly’ with one or more other institutions, provide the following
information for each institution:
Partner institution’s name and 6-digit SED Code:
Name and title of partner institution’s CEO:
Signature of partner institution’s CEO (or append a signed letter indicating approval of this proposal):
Version 2013-10-15
UPDATED PROPOSAL — MAY 1, 2017
3 If the proposed program leads to a professional license, a specialized form for the specific profession may need to accompany this proposal.
4 If the partner institution is non-degree-granting, see SED’s CEO Memo 94-04.
[Section 2, Program Information |
[ 2.4. Program Format ]
Check all SED-defined format, mode and other program features that apply to the entire program.
a) Format(s): [X]Day [ ]Evening [ ]Weekend [ ]Evening/Weekend [ ]Not Full-Time
b) Modes: [X]Standard [ ]Independent Study [ JExternal [ ]Accelerated [ ]Distance Education
NOTE: If the program is designed to enable students to complete 50% or more of the course requirements through
distance education, check Distance Education, see Section 10, and append a Distance Education Format Proposal.
c) Other: [ ] Bilingual [ ] Language Other Than English [ ] Upper Division [ ] Cooperative [ ] 4.5 year [ ] 5 year
[ 2.2. Diploma Program ]
NOTE: This section is not applicable to a program leading to a graduate degree.
2.3 Program Description, Purposes and Planning
a) What is the description of the program as it will appear in the institution’s catalog?
The Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGIS) prepares students for careers in a wide range of social
and environmental application areas that make use of the technologies and methodologies of spatial analysis and mapping.
Program of Study
1. Core courses (21 credits) including Gog 529 Spatial Statistics, Gog 584 Remote Sensing |, Gog 585 Remote Sensing II, Gog
590 Advanced Cartography, Gog 597 Advanced GIS, Gog 692 Seminar in GIS, Gog 592 GIS Project Development (capstone).
2. Elective courses (15 credits) chosen from Gog 501 Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Gog 518 Ecological
Modeling, Gog522 GIS for Social Sciences, Gog 524 Landscape Ecology, Gog 579 Fundamentals of Applied Global
Positioning Systems, Gog 594 Landscape Rendering, Gog 685 Seminar in Remote Sensing, Gog 695 Graduate Internship in
Geography, Gog 697 Independent Study, Ehs 612 Geographic Information Systems and Public Health.
b) What are the program’s educational and, if appropriate, career objectives, and the program’s primary student learning
outcomes (SLOs)? NOTE: SLOs are defined by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the Characteristics
of Excellence in Higher Education as “clearly articulated written statements, expressed in observable terms, of key learning
outcomes: the knowledge, skills and competencies that students are expected to exhibit upon completion of the program.”
Graduates of the program will have attained the following educational and career objectives:
They will understand the fundamental theories of spatial analysis and their environmental and social applications. This
competency will be assessed through the successful completion of the program’s core course Gog 597 Advanced GIS.
They will have achieved facility in the fundamental methodologies, and tools necessary for the analysis of spatially-related
data and the communication of their results. These skills arise from continual practice in classroom, lab, and internship
environments using state of the art software systems for performing analyses in GIS, Remote Sensing, and GPS
applications. Success in these skills translates into the ability to solve real-life problems through the promotion of critical
thinking and self-learning. This competency will be assessed by satisfactory completion of the sum of our core courses and,
for a student choosing to do an internship at one of our partnering agencies, these competencies can be further verified
through the written evaluation of the student’s internship mentor.
Students will be prepared for employment at a governmental agency requiring a completed graduate degree in GIS. New
York State Civil Service job title sequences such as Information Technology (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/46284.html)
now ask for degrees in computer information systems. Recent experiences of our MA in Geography graduates suggests
that the path to jobs with Civil Service titles in this area are becoming difficult, if not impossible, to acquire without a
degree title related specifically to GIS.
Graduating students will have demonstrated the following skills and competencies:
Facility with standard techniques of spatial analysis. Facility will be judged with respect to successful completion of the core
course Gog 529, Spatial Statistics.
Understanding of the operation and application of standard software and hardware tools for data acquisition and analysis.
Understanding will be assessed through the successful completion of coursework for the core courses, most notably Gog
597, Advanced GIS and Gog 585, Remote Sensing II.
c) How does the program relate to the institution’s and SUNY’s mission and strategic goals and priorities? What is the
program’s importance to the institution, and its relationship to existing and/or projected programs and its expected impact on
them? As applicable, how does the program reflect diversity and/or international perspectives? For doctoral programs, what
is this program’s potential to achieve national and/or international prominence and distinction?
In his Fall 2013 Report to the Faculty (http://www.albany.edu/administration/president-2013-fall-faculty-speech.php),
President Robert Jones established 4 key priorities for the continuing growth of the University at Albany:
“Expand degree-granting and research programs to meet demands in high-growth, high-needs areas, such as engineering,
big data analytics, and allied health sciences;
Recruit and enroll more out-of-state and international students to ensure the diversity of perspectives that equips students
to succeed in today’s global society;
Deepen the University’s engagement with the Capital Region, New York State and the world, forging partnerships that
leverage our academic expertise to solve society’s most pressing issues; and to sustain the excellence that currently exists,
And grow our financial resources to enable us to realize our ambitions.”
The addition of a Master of Science in GIS (MSGIS) will satisfy all 4 of these priorities. First, GIS is both a high-growth and
high-needs discipline. A 2012 report from the US Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov/em ables) projects GIS-
related job growth (including areas more specifically related to Cartography and Remote Sensing) between 23% and 35%
over the period 2010 to 2020.
Second, our location in the New York State Capital Region and our long standing GIS Internship Program relationships at
many of those agencies will undoubtedly help to attract a broad range of in-state and out-of-state students. Beyond the
attraction of the academic merits of our program, the practical training that internships at our partnering agencies supply
will be an equally compelling incentive for applications and enrollments.
Third, internships are not one-sided student opportunities. Our interns and alumni have and will continue to serve in
disaster preparedness, relief, and mitigation efforts in New York State Agencies such as the Department of Homeland
Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Health, and many
others. On a regional scale, our interns serve in very diverse not-for-profit and governmental agencies ranging from the
Early Care and Learning Council to the Hudson River Estuary Project and more. In smaller agencies, our students are often
the only GIS experts in their office; their work is often essential to fulfilling the agency’s mission of service to its community.
Fourth and last, as a self-paying graduate program (without assistantship offers), the MSGIS will be a lasting benefit to the
University’s financial well-being. As GIS employment opportunities continue to grow, our program will be a very important
source of training for experts in the performance and communication of spatial analytical data products.
On a SUNY-wide level, the implementation of our proposal will also satisfy the criteria for 3 of the 6 strategic initiatives
described in the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Executive Summary (September 2012:
http://www.albany.edu/news images/nysuny2020etecfinal.pdf):
Emerging Technologies. The Department is currently taking a leading role in the development of augmented reality and
location-based systems for environmental visualization. One of our faculty members (Mower) holds fundamental patent
claims for performing static and mobile augmented reality applications (US Patent 6,930,715). Another faculty member is
working with the University’s Office of Technology Development exploring the licensing of technology for efficient and
effective use of transportation data in intelligent transportation systems and location-based services (Lawson). Through a
National Science Foundation grant, a third (Lapenas) has developed a new technology, “nanaphids,” that remotely sample
tree carbohydrate levels. And a fourth (Buyantuev) has been recently awarded an NSF Major Research Instrumentation
grant for studying the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as remote sensing platforms for a range of problems in
environmental resource evaluation.
Environmental and Economic Sustainability. GIS is a universal tool that geographers, economists, and planners apply to the
study of spatial patterns and interrelations among natural and human-control processes. Graduates holding our GISSA
Certificate find jobs in federal, state and private institutions and participate in projects related to environmental and
economic sustainability. During the last few years, the Department has seen a growing demand for graduates with rigorous
knowledge of statistics, database management, and the innovative application of Remote Sensing (RS) technologies to the
discovery and exploitation of alternate energy sources. We expect that the new MSGIS will also help to support the
emerging SUNY Sustainability Initiative.
Public Service and Policy. A new Master of Science in GIS will provide unparalleled opportunities for University at Albany
students to study social, economic, and political circumstances of decision making at various levels. As GIS technology
becomes ever more pervasive in the public sector, new challenges to and opportunities for democratic decision making will
ensue. Through the MSGIS program, existing faculty will be free to offer new courses that demonstrate the use of GIS for
democratic policy development and implementation.
d) How were faculty involved in the program’s design?
Work on the proposed MSGIS began in Fall 2011 as a response to the Governor’s and Chancellor’s NY SUNY 2020 Initiative.
Although initial work on that proposal began with a core of faculty primarily responsible for teaching and research in GIS
and Remote Sensing topics, the general Department of Geography and Planning faculty became involved as the proposal
was prioritized among other Department proposals for presentation to College of Arts and Sciences and University
governance committees. During the prioritization process, numerous faculty comments and suggestions were incorporated
into our proposal. In May 2013, the University at Albany Provost selected the MSGIS for funding and granted our
Department permission to submit a Letter Of Intent to SUNY System. The faculty have subsequently refined aspects of the
proposal (specifically curricular content) for the full proposal that we are now submitting.
e) How did input, if any, from external partners (e.g., educational institutions and employers) or standards influence the
program’s design? If the program is designed to meet specialized accreditation or other external standards, such as the
educational requirements in Commissioner’s Regulations for the profession, append a side-by-side chart to show how the
program’s components meet those external standards. If SED’s Office of the Professions requires a specialized form for the
profession to which the proposed program leads, append a completed form at the end of this document.
Although the MSGIS is not an accredited program, throughout its development Geography and Planning faculty reached
out to numerous colleagues in higher education, the community, and industry for their comments and suggestions. We
received especially helpful curricular guidance from the University at Albany PhD Program in Informatics, a program with
which several members of Geography and Planning are associated. We have attempted to make the MSGIS curriculum a
bridge to the Informatics PhD wherever possible, making it as straightforward as possible for our students to remain in the
University for further graduate study.
f) Enter anticipated enrollments for Years | through 5 in the table below. How were they determined, and what assumptions
were used? What contingencies exist if anticipated enrollments are not achieved?
Anticipated Headcount Enrollment
Year Full-time Part-time Total
1 10 10
2 20 20
3 25 25.
4 30 30
5 35 35
Table 1. Expected new enrollments for the MS in GIS from the starting year through year 5.
The values in Table 1 were drawn from enrollment projections prepared for the Department of Geography and
Planning NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant proposal and are embedded in the MOU between the Department of
Geography and Planning and the University at Albany Office of the Provost. Each enrollee is assumed to take 12
credits for each of 2 semesters per year. Professor Mower, director of the GISSA Certificate program and the GIS
track coordinator for the MA in Geography program, reports that most of the graduate application inquiries that he
has received for GIS education first ask if the Department offers a master’s-level degree in Geographic Information
Science. When they hear that we do not, some choose to enroll in our MA program with a GIS track, others enroll in
the 15 credit GISSA program, and the rest look elsewhere for their educational needs. Although enrollment data for
graduate GlScience degree programs nationwide are not readily available, the University of Texas-Dallas reports
increases in enrollment from 3 in 2003 (the year the program was established) to 20 in 2007. As the major provider
of GIS instruction in the Capital Region in New York State, and the program providing the majority of interns to state
and regional agencies, we expect to be able to begin our program implementation with a headcount of 10 in our
first semester. We plan to advertise the new program aggressively through visits to Geography departments at 4-
year SUNY colleges as well as through revamped departmental promotional materials, focusing especially on web-
based dissemination.
g) Outline all curricular requirements for the proposed program, including prerequisite, core, specialization (track,
concentration), internship, capstone, and any other relevant component requirements, but do not list each General Education
course.
Core: (required courses, 21 credits)
Gog 529 Spatial Statistics
Gog 584 Remote Sensing |
Gog 585 Remote Sensing II
Gog 590 Advanced Cartography
Gog 597 Advanced GIS
Gog 692 Seminar in GIS
Gog 592 GIS Project Development (capstone)
Electives (15 credits) chosen from:
GIS Applications (select 2)
Gog 501 Energy, Environment and Climate Change
Gog 518 Ecological Modeling
Gog 522 GIS for Social Sciences
Gog 524 Landscape Ecology
Ehs 612 Geographic Information Systems and Public Health.
GIS Technology (select 2)
Gog 579 Fundamentals of Applied Global Positioning Systems
*Gog 594 Landscape Rendering
Gog 685 Seminar in Remote Sensing
Independent Study (select 1)
Gog 695 Graduate Internship in Geography
Gog 697 Independent Study
(* indicates new course)
h) Program Impact on SUNY and New York State
h)(1)_ Need: What is the need for the proposed program in terms of the clientele it will serve and the educational and/or
economic needs of the area and New York State? How was need determined? Why are similar programs, if any, not
meeting the need?
The U.S. Department of Labor notes that
“Geospatial products and specialists are expected to play a large role in homeland security activities.
Information gathering needs to protect critical infrastructure have resulted in an enormous increase in the
demand for such skills and jobs.” (Lorraine Castro, NIMA Human Resources Department,
http://www.doleta.gov/Brg/Indprof/geospatial_profile.cfm., updated March 8, 2010)
William Johnson, Deputy Director of the Office of Cyber Security at the New York State Department of Homeland
Security and one of our GIS Internship Program partners, notes that much of his agency's current GIS application work is
contracted out to private firms. He believes that graduates of a Master’s program in GIS possessing an understanding of
geospatial application development would be very well received by his office. Another of our partners, Sam Wear,
Assistant ClO for GIS at Westchester County writes
“As director of the County’s GIS program over the past twenty years, | have seen tremendous growth in the
technology both in government and industry. In the near future, | believe job opportunities in the geosciences
will be even better in the private sector, particularly in health and human services, environmental/land use
planning, homeland security, and public infrastructure systems (water, sanitary, utilities) to name a few.”
Mauricio Roma, our internship partner at the New York State Office of the Attorney General notes
“Some of their [the GIS interns’] work is in the process of being used as evidence by the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Police as part of an enforcement case pertaining to the illegal disposal of construction and demolition debris in
the NYC Watershed. Students pursuing a MSGIS would certainly have a much better educational background for
the work that we do. In addition, | have observed that their work experience in our office, where they have
applied their GIS expertise to our environmental needs, have helped them to find jobs in a very difficult job
market.”
The structure and content of the degree curriculum will prepare students for positions in homeland security,
environmental planning, protection, and management, application development, transportation planning, health, and in
other fields requiring advanced skills in the representation and analysis of spatially referenced data. The Department of
Geography and Planning maintains memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with several New York State agencies for the
provision of GIS services. We currently place our students at the New York State Departments of Health, Environmental
Conservation, Homeland Security, and Transportation, as well as in the New York State Office of the Attorney General
and the NYS Office of General Services. Our students are held in such high regard that the New York State Office of
Homeland Security specifically requested GIS volunteers from our student population to staff the State Emergency
Management Office during the recent Hurricane Sandy superstorm event.
Our students have also taken internship positions in regional governmental agencies and NGOs. Participation in an
internship has become a critical step toward employment in today’s GIS job market. Just as the required skill set for full-
time GIS positions becomes more specialized, so have the qualifications for many of the more advanced GIS internship
opportunities. Our proposal to establish the MS in GIS will not only ensure that our graduates remain competitive in
future job markets but that they excel in them. The MS in GIS will also, of course, provide a means by which students can
qualify directly for New York State Civil Service GIS and mapping job titles.
The nearest operating MS in GIS program in New York State to our location is at Lehman College (CUNY) in New York
City. Our location in New York State’s Capital Region gives our students myriad opportunities to interact with the
numerous New York State agencies located here. Our established internship relationships with these agencies will prove
to be invaluable assets as our graduates search for subsequent employment in GlS-related fields.
h)(2) Employment: For programs designed to prepare graduates for immediate employment, use the table below to list
potential employers of graduates that have requested establishment of the program and state their specific number of
positions needed. If letters from employers support the program, they may be appended at the end of this form.
Need: Projected positions
Employer In initial year In fifth year
Although the MS in GIS program is designed to prepare graduates for jobs in governmental agencies that provide GIS
services, agency policies forbid our GIS internship supervisors from providing letters of support for our program.
Currently, 2 students are engaged in paid internships at the NY State Department of Health and 2 others at the NY State
Department of Environmental Conservation. We have regularly placed unpaid interns at the NY State Department of
Transportation, the NY State Office of the Attorney General, NYS Office of General Services, and other state offices or
agencies.
h)(3) Similar Programs: Use the table below to list similar programs at other institutions, public and independent, in
the service area, region and state, as appropriate. Expand the table as needed. NOTE: Detailed program-level
information for SUNY institutions is available in the Academic Program Enterprise System (APES) or Academic Program
Dashboards. Institutional research and information security officers at your campus should be able to help provide
access to these password-protected sites. For non-SUNY programs, program titles and degree information — but no
enrollment data — is available from SEDs Inventory of Registered Programs.
Institution Program Title Degree Enrollment
Lehman College Geographic Information Science MS Although enrollment
data is unavailable,
Lehman awarded 2
degrees in 2013 and 2
more in 2014 as
reported in Federal
IPEDS Completion data
University at Buffalo Geographic Information Science MS This program was
approved in August
2015—no enrollment
data is available
SUNY ESF Geospatial Information Science and MS Average of 5 per year,
Engineering 2011-2015
h)(4) Collaboration: Did this program’s design benefit from consultation with other SUNY campuses? If so, what
was that consultation and its result?
The design of this program benefitted from informal discussions with our colleagues at the University at Buffalo. No
substantive changes from our original plans occurred as a result of this collaboration.
h)(5) Concerns or Objections: If concerns and/or objections were raised by other SUNY campuses, how were they
resolved?
No concerns or objections were raised.
[ 2.4, Admissions
a) What are all admission requirements for students in this program? Please note those that differ from the institution’s
minimum admissions requirements and explain why they differ.
The admission requirements for the MS in GIS include:
e Evidence of academic achievement at other institutions (transcripts and letters of recommendation) and
e Evidence of overall graduate education preparedness (GRE General Test and TOEFL)
The Department reserves the right to rank incoming applications by academic achievement and to limit accepted students
up to the number of available program slots.
b) What is the process for evaluating exceptions to those requirements?
The Department of Geography and Planning will have an Admissions Committee in place for evaluation of MS in GIS degree
applicants. The Committee will evaluate exceptions on a case-by-case basis. It is likely that conditional admissions will be
made based on the successful completion of remedial coursework.
c) How will the institution encourage enrollment in this program by persons from groups historically underrepresented in the
institution, discipline or occupation?
The University at Albany has committed itself to the recruitment of underrepresented minorities as encouraged by former
President Robert Jones's priority to “Recruit and enroll more out-of-state and international students to ensure the diversity
of perspectives that equips students to succeed in today’s global society.” Our program will also consult with the University
at Albany Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the Fall semester of each academic year to implement strategies to attract
women and underrepresented minority students. The Department of Geography and Planning has begun the process of
establishing an articulation agreement between the Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) Department of Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics to create a clear path to our BA in Geography and to create additional opportunities for
undergraduate GIS internship experiences. Since HVCC enrollments represent relatively high numbers of minority students,
we hope to not only attract this cohort to our undergraduate programs but to attract them to the MSGIS as well, possibly
in the context of a new combined BA/MSGIS program.
d) What is the expected student body in terms of geographic origins (i.., same county, same Regents Region, New York
State, and out-of-state); academic origins; proportions of women and minority group members; and students for whom
English is a second language?
We expect that the largest draw to the program will come from New York state residents. However, due to our proximity
to western Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey, we expect to draw out-of-state students as well.
[ 2.5. Academic and Other Support Services
a) Summarize the academic advising and support services available to help students succeed in the program.
Currently, 4 Department of Geography and Planning faculty are responsible for core content delivery in the MS GIS.
curriculum. Given that the 5" year cohort is expected to contain 30 enrollees, each faculty member would be
responsible for advising approximately 7-8 students.
b) Describe types, amounts and sources of student financial support anticipated. Indicate the proportion of the student
body receiving each type of support, including those receiving no support.
The MS GIS was designed to be a self-paying graduate program. However, several of our internship providers offer paid
positions which can partly offset the cost of graduate education.
Ga 2.6. Prior Learning Assessment
If this program will grant credit based on Prior Learning Assessment, describe the methods of evaluating the learning and the
maximum number of credits allowed, or check here [X] if not applicable.
E 2.7. Program Assessment and Improvement
Describe how this program’s achievement of its objectives will be assessed, in accordance with SUNY policy, including the
date of the program’s initial assessment and the length (in years) of the assessment cycle. Explain plans for assessing
achievement of students’ learning outcomes during the program and success after completion of the program. Append at the
end of this form, a plan or curriculum map showing the courses in which the program’s educational and, if appropriate,
career objectives — from Item 2.3(b) of this form — will be taught and assessed. NOTE: The University Faculty Senate’s
Guide for the Evaluation of Undergraduate Programs is a helpful reference.
The Department of Geography and Planning currently maintains a 7-year assessment cycle for its non-accredited programs.
The most recent assessment was conducted in the Fall 2015 semester, We expect that the next review of our programs will
be conducted in Fall 2020 and that the first assessment of the MS in GIS would occur at that time. The Department will
apply the same methodology to the assessment of the MS in GIS that it performed in the Fall 2015 assessment to its other
non-accredited programs. This will include:
e Direct assessment of student responses to examinations in selected core courses,
e Indirect assessment through student surveys, and
e Indirect assessment through student focus groups.
The application of these direct and indirect assessment tools will identify both successes and deficiencies in the program
implementation. We will use the assessment results to continue to strengthen those factors leading to program strengths
and correct those that have contributed to student dissatisfaction or unacceptable levels of performance. We will assess
the success of our alumni through follow up email correspondence and through self-reporting on the program’s web site.
The Department also conducts yearly assessments of its programs and courses to determine whether learning objectives
are being met. Assessments at this level are conducted through item analyses of examination responses with respect to
questions specifically related to targeted learning objectives.
[ Section 3. Sample Program Schedule and Curriculum
Complete the SUNY Graduate Program Schedule to show how a typical student may progress through the program.
Either complete the blank Schedule that appears in this section, or complete an Excel equivalent that computes all sums
for you, and can be found at http://www.suny.edu/provost/academic_affairs/app/forms.cfm. Rows for terms that are not
required can be deleted.
NOTES: The Graduate Schedule must include all curriculum requirements and demonstrate that expectations from Part
52.2(c)(8) through (10) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education are met.
Special Cases for the Sample Program Schedules:
¢ For a program with multiple tracks, or with multiple schedule options (such as full-time and part-time options), use
one Program Schedule for each track or schedule option. Note that licensure qualifying and non-licensure qualifying
options cannot be tracks; they must be separate programs.
¢ = When this form is used for a multi-award and/or multi-institution program that is not based entirely on existing
programs, use the schedule to show how a sample student can complete the proposed program. NOTE: A different
form (for program revisions) should be used for new multi-award and/or multi-institution programs that are based
entirely on existing programs. SUNY policy governs the awarding of two degrees at the same level.
a) If the program will be offered through a nontraditional schedule (i.e., not on a semester calendar), what is the schedule and
how does it impact financial aid eligibility? NOTE: Consult with your campus financial aid administrator for information
about nontraditional schedules and financial aid eligibility.
b) For each existing course that is part of the proposed graduate program, append a catalog description at the end of this
document.
c) For each new course in the graduate program, append a syllabus at the end of this document. NOTE: Syllabi for all
courses should be available upon request. Each syllabus should show that all work for credit is graduate level and of the
appropriate rigor. Syllabi generally include a course description, prerequisites and corequisites, the number of lecture and/or
other contact hours per week, credits allocated (consistent with SUNY policy on credit/contact hours), general course
requirements, and expected student learning outcomes.
d) If the program requires external instruction, such as clinical or field experience, agency placement, an internship,
fieldwork, or cooperative education, append a completed External Instruction form at the end of this document.
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[Section 5. Financial Resources and Instructional Facilities ]
a) What is the resource plan for ensuring the success of the proposed program over time? Summarize the
instructional facilities and equipment committed to ensure the success of the program. Please explain new
and/or reallocated resources over the first five years for operations, including faculty and other personnel, the
library, equipment, laboratories, and supplies. Also include resources for capital projects and other expenses.
It is not expected that additional laboratory equipment will be required to offer the proposed program. The
Department of Geography and Planning maintains 3 computing labs for classroom teaching, laboratory
assignments, and collaborative project development related to the current GIS curriculum supporting our
undergraduate and graduate programs. The classroom teaching lab contains 1 instructor station and 26
student stations each consisting of desktop computing equipment. This lab was originally configured in 1994
with funds from a NSF Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program and has since been upgraded
many times over with replacement desktop systems acquired from University resources. Additional
equipment for the other 2 labs will be acquired from grants awarded to our GIS faculty. The University also
maintains several large smart classrooms with sufficient computing resources to teach additional courses, if
needs arise.
b) Complete the five-year SUNY Program Expenses Table, below, consistent with the resource plan summary.
Enter the anticipated academic years in the top row of this table. List all resources that will be engaged
specifically as a result of the proposed program (e.g., a new faculty position or additional library resources). If
they represent a continuing cost, new resources for a given year should be included in the subsequent year(s),
with adjustments for inflation or negotiated compensation. Include explanatory notes as needed.
SUNY Program Expenses Table
(OPTION: You can paste an Excel version of this schedule AFTER this sentence, and delete the table below.)
Expenses (in dollars)
Program Expense Categories Before Academic | Academic | Academic Academic Academic
Start Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4: Year 5:
(a) Personnel (including $220,757* $220,757 | $220,757 | $220,757 $220,757 $220,757
Saculty and all others)
(b) Library a + + + +e a
(c) Equipment + + *e + oc +
(d) Laboratories big ef + ** * +
(ce) Supplies ood + a a + +e
@) Capital Expenses + ood +e ood +e +
(g) Other (Advertising): + $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 ** **
(h) Sum of Rows Above $220,757 | 9225,75/'| 225,757 || 5225,757 || $220,757 | 6220,757
* Using salary data from November, 2015 for program faculty and % time dedicated to program in
SUNY faculty table above
** Not expected to exceed yearly departmental budget allocations
[Section 6. Library Resources
a) Summarize the analysis of library collection resources and needs for this program by the collection librarian
and program faculty. Include an assessment of existing library resources and accessibility to those resources
for students enrolled in the program in all formats, including the institution’s implementation of SUNY
Connect, the SUNY-wide electronic library program.
This program does not require addition library collection resources.
b) Describe the institution’s response to identified collection needs and its plan for library development.
Not applicable.
[Section 7. External Evaluation
SUNY and SED require external evaluation of all proposed graduate degree programs. List below all SUNY-
approved evaluators who conducted evaluations (adding rows as needed), and append at the end of this
document each original, signed External Evaluation Report. NOTE: To select external evaluators, a campus
sends 3-5 proposed evaluators’ names, titles and CVs to the assigned SUNY Program Reviewer, expresses its
preferences and requests approval.
Evaluator #1 Evaluator #2
Name: Marc Armstrong Name: Ola Ahlqvist
Title: Professor Title: Associate Professor
Institution: University of lowa Institution: The Ohio State University
[ Section 8. Institutional Response to External Evaluator Reports
Append at the end of this document a single /nstitutional Response to all External Evaluation Reports.
[Section 9. SUNY Undergraduate Transfer
NOTE: SUNY Undergraduate Transfer policy does not apply to graduate programs.
[Section 10. Application for Distance Education
a) Does the program’s design enable students to complete 50% or more of the course requirements through
distance education? [X] No [ ] Yes. If yes, append a completed SUNY Distance Education Format
Proposal at the end of this proposal to apply for the program to be registered for the distance education
format.
b) Does the program’s design enable students to complete 100% of the course requirements through distance
education? [X]No [ ] Yes :
[Section MPA-1. Need for Master Plan Amendment and/or Degree Authorization
a) Based on SUNY Guidance on Master Plan Amendments (in the Guide to Academic Program Planning),
please indicate if this proposal requires a Master Plan Amendment.
[ ] Yes, a completed Master Plan Amendment Form is appended at the end of this proposal.
[x] No
b) Based on SUNY Guidance on Degree Authorizations (below), please indicate if this proposal requires
degree authorization.
[X] No [ ] Yes, once the program is approved by the SUNY Provost, the campus will work with its
Campus Reviewer to draft a resolution that the SUNY Chancellor will recommend to the SUNY Board of
Trustees.
SUNY Guidance on Degree Authorization. Degree authorization is required when a proposed program
will lead to a new degree (e.g., B.F.A., M.P.H.) at an existing level of study (i.e., associate, baccalaureate,
JSirst-professional, master’s, and doctoral) in an existing disciplinary area at an institution, based on the
New York State Taxonomy of Academic Programs. Degree authorization requires approval by the SUNY
Provost, the SUNY Board of Trustees, SED and the Board of Regents.
[List of Appended Items
Appended Items: Materials required in selected items in Sections | through 10 and MPA-1 of this form
should be appended after this page, with continued pagination. In the first column of the chart below, please
number the appended items, and append them in number order.
Number
Appended Items
Reference Items
For multi-institution programs, a letter of approval from partner
institution(s)
Section 1, Item (e)
For programs leading to professional licensure, a side-by-side chart
showing how the program’s components meet the requirements of
specialized accreditation, Commissioner’s Regulations for the
profession, or other applicable external standards
Section 2.3, Item (e)
For programs leading to licensure in selected professions for which
the SED Office of Professions (OP) requires a specialized form, a
completed version of that form
Section 2.3, Item (e)
OPTIONAL: For programs leading directly to employment, letters of
support from employers, if available
Section 2, Item 2.3 (h)(2)
For all programs, a plan or curriculum map showing the courses in
which the program’s educational and (if appropriate) career objectives
will be taught and assessed
Section 2, Item 7
For all programs, a catalog description for each existing course that is
part of the proposed graduate major program
Section 3, Item (b)
For all programs with new courses, syllabi for all new courses in a
proposed graduate program
Section 3, Item (c)
For programs requiring external instruction, a completed External
Instruction Form and documentation required on that form
Section 3, Item (d)
For programs that will depend on new faculty, position descriptions or
announcements for faculty to-be-hired
Section 4, Item (b)
For all programs, original, signed External Evaluation Reports from
SUNY-approved evaluators
Section 7
For all programs, a single Institutional Response to External
Evaluators’ Reports
Section 8
For programs designed to enable students to complete at least 50% of
the course requirements at a distance, a Distance Education Format Section 10
Proposal
For programs requiring an MPA, a Master Plan Amendment form Section MPA-1
Appended Items
1. Curriculum Map for Educational and Career Objectives
The Department of Geography and Planning will perform direct assessment of student responses to
examinations in selected core courses. These include:
Course Offerings
Gog 597 Advanced GIS Every fall semester
Gog 584 Remote Sensing | Every fall semester
Gog 590 Advanced Cartography Every fall semester
Gog 529 Spatial Statistics Every spring semester
Gog 585 Remote Sensing || Every spring semester
Gog 692 Seminar in GIS Every spring semester
Gog 592 GIS Project Development (capstone) Every fall semester
2. Catalog Description for Each Existing Course in Proposed Graduate Program (referencing Section 3, Item (b))
Core Courses
Gog 529 (Bio 534) Spatial Statistics (3)
This course provides an introduction to spatial statistics for spatially referenced data. Spatial point patterns,
geostatistical data, and area (regional/lattice) data are studied using the viewpoint that these are realizations
from random processes. Major topics to be covered include spatial stochastic process, exploratory spatial data
analysis, intensity function, K function, cluster statistics, spatial interpolation, spatial covariance functions,
variograms, kriging, spatial autoregressive models, and geographically weighted regression. Computer exercises
with R programming language (www.r-project.org) are designed to help students gain hands-on experience on
the topics presented in lectures. Students are required to present and discuss assigned readings and develop an
individual research project that applies spatial statistical methods in geographical problem solving.
Prerequisites: Gog502/PLN504 or equivalent. In other words, students should be familiar with basic probability
theory, multiple linear regression, and basic linear algebra.
Gog 584 (Pin 551) Remote Sensing | (3)
Introduction to the concepts and interdisciplinary applications of remote sensing. The basic principles of theory
and practice are presented for earth resource management. Photographic and non-photographic sensors are
examined. Visual and digital image analysis techniques are introduced. Students will interpret color infrared,
multispectral, and other sensor imagery for a variety of purposes.
Gog 585 (PIn 553) Remote Sensing II (3)
Examination of current concepts and research in digital image analysis with emphasis on multispectral and
radar data sets. Students will utilize a variety of data sources including optical and digital imagery, maps, census
data, ground surveys, and other GIS data layers in completing an interpretation and analysis of selected
geoscience aspects of environmental concern. Methods and importance of accuracy assessment are
introduced. Prerequisite: Gog 584 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
Gog 590 Advanced Cartography (3)
Maps as information systems with emphasis on data collection, reduction, and symbolization. Error
measurement and correction. Introduction to psycho-physical aspects of cartographic presentation.
Prerequisite: Gog 390 or consent of instructor.
Gog 592 GIS Project Development (capstone)
GIS Project Development integrates tools for solving real, small-scale problems in spatial analysis. This course
serves as a demonstration that students critically understand GiS-related theories and use them to raise and
solve a realistic problem using geospatial technologies. This course puts students in the roles of GIS
professionals in industries responsible for addressing specific spatial problems. This course utilizes a systematic
approach to the application of underlying theories and to the selection of appropriate tools or technologies to
execute and present the entire project professionally.
Gog 597 (PIn 557) Advanced GIS (3)
Introduces students to ARC/INFO, a geographic information system (GIS) with extensive analytical and
cartographic components. Students will use ARC/INFO to compile and analyze data for selected research
projects in Geography and Planning. Major topics include data conversion procedures, registration and
rectification of digital data, spatial statistical analysis, and cartographic display. Prerequisites: Gog 496/596/USP
456/PLN 556 or equivalent courses.
Gog 692 (PIn 656) Seminar in Geographic Information Systems (3)
In-depth study of specialized topics of importance to Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In-depth
examination of the scientific literature and a substantial research project involving algorithm development
and/or modification and/or testing required. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: Gog 496/Gog
596/PIn 556 or equivalent, and Gog 414, Gog 590 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
Electives
Gog 501 Energy, Environment and Climate Change (3)
This course addresses the response of the global environment to rising energy consumption by human
civilization. The structure of this course reflects on the premise that energy consumption and climate change
are inherently-connected issues requiring a holistic study approach. First, we begin with basic scientific
principles important for understanding energy transformations and historic trends in the use of fossil fuels.
Second, we survey ancient climates formed by a combination of natural causes including the greenhouse effect,
solar output, the position of continents, earth’s orbit, vegetation and volcanic eruptions. All of these examples,
as well as the study of recent human-related climatic trends, will help to better understand differences between
natural cycles and anthropogenic forces of climatic changes. In the last part of the course, we review existing
alternatives to fossil fuels as well as several potential geoengineering projects that can mitigate global warming
and its negative consequences.
Gog 518 (Bio 518, Inf 508) Ecological Modeling (3)
This course introduces various theoretical and mathematical approaches to modeling ecological and
environmental data through computer-based exercises in the application of existing models and the
development of new models. Modeling topics cover animal population models, vegetation models, and large
scale landscape models, as well as model applications in decision making. This course is geared towards
demystifying models and providing students with the confidence and skills to apply this very useful tool to
research projects. Prerequisites: Statistics and either General Ecology, Environmental Analysis, Environmental
Studies or equivalent or permission of instructor.
Gog 522 GIS for Social Sciences (3)
The objective of this course is to apply GIS techniques on social sciences. Specific goals are: (1) to provide
students with an understanding of how GIS can be applied in social sciences; (2) to familiarize students with
advanced GIS and modeling techniques; (3) to provide students with hands-on experience in working with
various data sources through a project related to their own research interest. Applications spread from typical
themes in urban and regional analysis (e.g., trade area analysis, regional growth patterns, urban land use and
transportation) to issues related to crime and health analyses. It also covers common tasks (e.g., distance and
travel time estimation, spatial smoothing and interpolation, accessibility measures) and major issues (e.g.,
modifiable areal unit problem, rate estimate of rare events in small population, spatial autocorrelation) that are
encountered in spatial analysis. Computer exercises with ArcGIS and R are designed to help students gain
hands-on experience on the topics presented in lectures. Students are required to present and discuss assigned
readings and develop an individual research project that applies geospatial methods in geographical problem
solving. Prerequisites: Gog496/PLN456, or equivalent. Students should have some basic GIS and statistical
knowledge equivalent to one introductory GIS course and one elementary statistical course.
Gog 524 Landscape Ecology (3)
Landscape ecology is a highly interdisciplinary field, which has its roots in geography and ecology, and has direct
relevance to landscape planning and architecture. It deals explicitly with interactions between spatial pattern
and ecological processes, including various human influences. This introduction course covers the basic
concepts, principles, and methods of landscape ecology, as well as its important applications in nature
conservation, resource management, and landscape design and planning. Prerequisites: A general ecology-
focused course at the college level or permission of instructor.
Gog 579 Fundamentals of Applied Global Positioning Systems (3)
The course introduces students to fundamentals of Global Positioning System technology as applied to the
geosciences. Topics include background and history, signal structure, resolution, accuracy, data collection
techniques, basic geodesy, projections and datums, and applications. Field work and lab exercises complement
lecture material.
Gog 594 Landscape Rendering (3) (currently using course number Gog 530 Selected Topics: Landscape
Rendering)
This course explores 3D rendering of geographic surfaces through modern graphics processing unit (GPU)
hardware and shader programing languages. Topics include vector and matrix representations of vertex data
and 3D affine transformations, development of client/server graphics applications, acquisition and use of digital
elevation models (DEMs), perspective surface modeling, and surveys of current and developing trends in
surface representation. Prerequisites: Gog 692 or permission of instructor.
Gog 685 Seminar in Remote Sensing of the Environment (3)
Study of remote sensing in geographic investigation with emphasis on detailed examination of specific sensor
systems. Independent research on a sensor-environment problem is mandatory. Prerequisite: Gog 585 or
consent of instructor.
GOG 695 Graduate Internship in Geography (3)
Faculty-directed internship with an appropriate agency, enabling qualified students to gain practical experience
relevant to their academic program. Ordinarily the internship is part-time and lasts for one semester under the
joint supervision of a faculty sponsor and the agency project director. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. S/U
graded.
Gog 697 Independent Study in Geography (1-4)
Directed study and research on selected subjects in geography for the M.A. student. May be repeated once but
not for more than a total of 6 credits. Prerequisites: 9 credits in geography and permission of the instructor.
Ehs 612 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Public Health (3)
This course covers the basics of geographic information systems (GIS) as applied toward epidemiologic research
and surveillance. GIS software functionality, geocoding, use of global positioning systems (GPS), sources of data
and spatial statistical methods are among the topics covered. Prerequisite: Epi 501.
3. Syllabi for New Courses in Proposed Graduate Program (referencing Section 3, Item (c))
Gog 594 Landscape Rendering (Author: James Mower)
Course Description
The course will explore 3D rendering through modern graphics hardware and OpenGL shader programs using
Java as the graphics client language and GLSL as the server language. The course will cover standard surface
rendering techniques and parallel processing on modern GPUs. Students will work in groups and share ideas
among themselves. Although working in modern OpenGL is complicated, the results can be very rewarding.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course you will understand how to write an OpenGL program using the programmable
pipeline model. You will also understand coordinate transformation processes from world coordinate
systems through perspective and finally to projected screen coordinates. And finally, you will be able to adapt
your knowledge to the rendering of 3D geographic surfaces.
Prerequisites
If you have not taken GOG 692/PLN 656 (Seminar in GIS), you should not take this course without the
permission of the instructor.
Credits Allocated
This is a new, 3-credit course and has yet to be scheduled. It will meet 3 times per week for 50 minutes per
session.
Representative Assignments
Building an OpenGL “Hello World” application
Rendering Triangles
Rendering a Mesh
Implementing Coordinate Transformations
Performing Perspective Rendering
Assessment of Student Achievement
Each student’s performance will be assessed through his or her execution of assignments and the final
project. Assessment criteria include:
To what degree has the student addressed the assignment or project requirements?
To what degree has the execution of the assignment or project demonstrated mastery of its key theoretical
or technical points?
If the assignment or project is collaborative, to what degree has the student demonstrated an ability to work
with others in group member or leadership roles?
The instructor will perform the assessment on the basis of submitted code, observance of the working
application, and, for the final project, answers to the instructor’s and other students’ questions regarding the
project during a final demo session.
Assignments and projects submitted after their due dates will not be accepted unless the students makes
prior arrangements with the instructor. Partial credit will be awarded for assignments and projects that are
not fully functional when submitted.
Basis of Grade Determination
The student’s grade for individual assignments and for the final project will be determined as follows:
Grade Criteria
A 80-100% assignment/project requirements met
B 60-79% assignment/project requirements met
Cc 50-59% assignment/project requirements met
E Less than 50% assignment/project requirements met
The student's final grade will be based on the average scores for all submitted assignments and the final
projects such that the assignment values will be weighted as 80% of the final grade and the final project the
remaining 20% of the final grade.
Final Project
A project of the student’s choosing, as approved by the instructor, which demonstrates mastery of geographic
surface mesh data structures, coordinate transformations, shader program construction, and selected
rendering techniques.
Bibliographic Resources
Learning Java, 4th ed., by Niemeyer and Knudsen.
OpenGL Programming Guide, 8th ed., by Shreiner et al.
Supplies
Java and Eclipse are used as the course programming language and integrated development environment
(IDE). Assignments will also be using the JOGL libraries for OpenGL in Java. Students may download these
packages for their own use. Click here for instructions.
Topics
History of cartographic landscape representation
Our graphics environment Installing JOGL (for people working with Java)
Installing PyYOpenGL (for those working with Python)
Installing C++ bindings for Opengl
Triangle Demo
Structure of an OpenGL program
GLSL and the OpenGL programmable pipeline
Lab: Drawing a dot and a triangle
Vectors, cross products, and dot products—JOGL vector utilities (Surface shading techniques using linear
algebra)
Surface Shader demo
Affine Transformations
Transformation Pipeline
Perspective transformations
Working with DEMs 1 (grid, vector, working with GDAL)
Working with DEMs 2 (triangulation with CGAL, etc)
Shading models (flat, Phong, Gouraud, etc)
Lab: Add sun azimuth and altitude feature to JMSurfaceShaderDemoMacGL3
Vector shaders
Fragment shaders
Tessellation shaders
Compute shaders
Projects
3D transformations (eye, perspective, clipping, etc.)
Mesh topologies and rendering
Contouring
Polynomial surfaces
Visibility
3D interiors (buildings)
4. External Evaluation Reports (to be inserted on completion)
5. Institutional Response to External Evaluators’ Reports (to be inserted on completion)
External Evaluation Report
The State University Form 2D
paren Version 201-08-02
The External Evaluation Report is an important component of a new academic program
proposal. The external evaluator’s task is to examine the program proposal and related materials, visit the campus
to discuss the proposal with faculty and review related instructional resources and facilities, respond to the
questions in this Report form, and submit to the institution a signed report that speaks to the quality of, and need
for, the proposed program. The report should aim for completeness, accuracy and objectivity.
The institution is expected to review each External Evaluation Report it receives, prepare a single institutional
response to all reports, and, as appropriate, make changes to its program proposal and plan. Each separate
External Evaluation Report and the Institutional Response become part of the full program proposal that the
institution submits to SUNY for approval. If an external evaluation of the proposed program is required by the
New York State Education Department (SED), SUNY includes the External Evaluation Reports and Institutional
Response in the full proposal that it submits to SED for registration.
Institution: University at Albany
Evaluator Name (Please print.): Mare P. Armstrong
Evaluator Title and Institution: Professor, The University of Iowa
Evaluator Signature:
Tot a —
Proposed Program Title: M.S. in Geographic Information Science
Degree: M.S.
Date of evaluation: Site visit on 1 November 2016
I. Program
1.
Assess the program’s purpose, structure, and requirements as well as formal mechanisms for program
administration and evaluation. Address the program’s academic rigor and intellectual coherence.
This report contains the findings of one member of the external review team that was convened to evaluate a
proposed MS in Geographic Information Science that would be offered by faculty at the University at Albany.
The purpose of the proposed program is to provide graduate level instruction to students interested in furthering
their education in the field of geographic information science. The proposal comprises a 36 credit curriculum
that is constructed from core and elective courses. The 18 credit core exposes students to fundamental
knowledge (in both theory and practice) in this area of study while the 18 credits of electives enables each
student to tailor the curriculum to their particular area of interest. The proposed program has a well-designed
progression of core content that builds on the introductory graduate course (GOG 597). The remaining
components of the core require students to acquire knowledge about spatial statistics, remote sensing, and
principles of cartography and visualization. This core-elective approach also provides a coherent, yet flexible,
structure to the curriculum: each student goes through a common core experience with additional room to tailor
5.
the program to individual interests. The home of the proposed program is the Department of Geography and
Planning, which will provide any required administrative support. Below the level of the department, a tenured
faculty member serves as Program Director and will dedicate 75% effort to the design, delivery and supervision
of the curriculum and the students enrolled within it. Four additional faculty will also contribute a significant
portion of their faculty effort to the proposed program.
Comment on the special focus of this program, if any, as it relates to the discipline.
The special focus of the proposed program is on geographic information science. This is an increasingly
important component of geography programs throughout North America. Narrowing the focus even further,
there are strengths within the curriculum in remote sensing and cartography (or what is sometimes known as
geographic visualization).
Comment on the plans and expectations for self-assessment and continuous improvement.
The Department has a 7-year assessment cycle for its non-accredited programs and the new MS GIS is expected
to follow the same schedule. As described in section V, a student portfolio might be considered as a means to
provide a capstone experience. Such a portfolio would contain key assignments or projects that would
demonstrate how students make progress in acquiring knowledge and skills. These materials can also help the
program to identify how specific courses and activities contribute to moving the students toward completing
degree requirements and achieving program goals.
Discuss the relationship of this program to other programs of the institution and collaboration with other
institutions, and assess available support from related programs.
The structure of the curriculum provides a mechanism through which additional links to other programs can
be developed. There are now existing courses being provided by the School of Public Health and the School
of Criminal Justice. Additional opportunities for collaboration are highly plausible with the Department of
Informatics and the new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
What is the evidence of need and demand for the program locally, in the State, and in the field at large? What
is the extent of occupational demand for graduates? What is the evidence that demand will continue?
The GIScience &Technology profession continues to experience growth according to the U.S. Department of
Labor. The proposed program would matriculate well-educated students who would satisfy this increased
demand for employees. Locally, there appears to be a market for the degree given the location of the University
at Albany in the Capital District of NY, a multi-county metropolitan region with a population of approximately
one million, and the seat of government for the State of New York. For students who look beyond the immediate
area there are many exciting career opportunities in government, industry and business.
Il. Faculty
6.
Evaluate the faculty, individually and collectively, with regard to training, experience, research and
publication, professional service, and recognition in the field.
The Department of Geography and Planning has recently added three Assistant Professors who have teaching
and research expertise in GIScience; these additional faculty brings the faculty strength to a level suitable for
the MS program. However, since these GIS faculty are recent graduates, it is difficult to judge their recognition
in the field. Nevertheless, these faculty have graduated from high quality PhD programs and have injected
considerable intellectual energy into the department. In addition, to these new hires, one long-term tenured
faculty member in this area has recently accelerated his scholarly activity. This is a good sign of an engaged
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Ui.
10.
faculty. There is also leadership at the senior ranks with one faculty member recently promoted to the rank of
Professor and the department chair maintaining an active geospatial-related research program. Taken together,
this holds promise for the future of the program.
Assess the faculty in terms of number and qualifications and plans for future staffing. Evaluate faculty
responsibilities for the proposed program, taking into account their other institutional and programmatic
commitments. Evaluate faculty activity in generating funds for research, training, facilities, equipment, etc.
Discuss any critical gaps and plans for addressing them.
We feel that the proposed program can be delivered without additional faculty resources. This assessment is
based on discussions with the interested and affected faculty members in the core department, as well as a
careful examination of the documents provided to the reviewers. The current core faculty have active research
programs and participate in scholarly conferences. The amount of effort that will be required to maintain the
program appears reasonable and the faculty are committed to ensuring programmatic success. However, any
reduction in faculty positions through retirement or resignation would likely have a detrimental effect on the
ability of the faculty to deliver the curriculum. Given that the majority of the core faculty are relatively recent
PhD graduates they have yet to establish a sustained record of funding. This situation, however, will likely
resolve in a satisfactory way. It is also true that the National Science Foundation recognizes that training in
STEM fields is a priority (e.g., the NRT program) and this may lead to improved opportunities for funding.
Decisions about the allocation of faculty and staff positions are beyond the scope of this review.
Evaluate credentials and involvement of adjunct faculty and support personnel.
The tenured and tenure-track faculty quite rightly provide the curricular core. The current roster of adjuncts
appear to be well-qualified and many have taught in the program for several years. However, state and local
government agencies in the region employ GIS professionals and this provides an opportunity to tap into a pool
of potential adjuncts who would offer application-oriented courses and supervise internship experiences.
Support personnel include administrative support positions as well as IT support. These appear to be adequate
for the proposed program.
Students
Comment on the student population the program seeks to serve, and assess plans and projections for
student recruitment and enrollment.
The location of the program in New York’s Capital District provides an opportunity to recruit applicants who
may already be employed in IT positions as well as others who have low-level GIS positions and wish to
pursue professional development opportunities. Another option is to consider recruiting students from other
SUNY schools. The Department should investigate how to articulate with such schools in a way that would
enable graduates to transition to the proposed MS program. It might make sense to pilot such arrangements
with SUNY schools that are in relatively close proximity to Albany (e.g., Oneonta, New Paltz, and
Plattsburgh).
What are the prospects that recruitment efforts and admissions criteria will supply a sufficient pool of highly
qualified applicants and enrollees?
It is likely that there are Office of Graduate Education rules that govern general admissions processes and
those rules would serve as a baseline for admission decisions. GRE scores may provide some insight and
TOEFL scores should be required for most international students. The MS faculty should investigate ways of
ensuring basic GIS competency and make advising decisions accordingly. A remedial class in basic GIS may
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11.
12.
13.
Iv.
14,
15.
be required for some applicants. In a similar vein, the Department should evaluate the multivariate statistics
requirement and develop a plan that would enable out-of-compliance students to satisfy this requirement
during the first semester of enrollment.
Comment on provisions for encouraging participation of persons from underrepresented groups. Is there
adequate attention to the needs of part-time, minority, or disadvantaged students?
The proposal states that the program will “connect with University diversity resources” to accomplish its goal
of recruiting underrepresented minorities. However, the achievement of this objective as a recruiting goal
may possibly require additional effort by the program to reach out to potential students.
Assess the system for monitoring students’ progress and performance and for advising students regarding
academic and career matters.
Since the program will convene an ad hoc admissions committee, it will be able to assess student
backgrounds and provide quality control at the intake step. The design of the curriculum requires that all
students pass through a common core, thus ensuring some degree of direct comparability of performance
across students. The faculty have indicated that advising duties will be equitably among the faculty, and as
described in the proposal (page 9), this will yield approximately 7 advisees per faculty member each year.
This seems reasonable. It is recommended that the faculty meet each spring (preferably prior to the time
admission decisions are made for the subsequent fall semester) to discuss the progress of each student in
completing degree requirements.
Discuss prospects for graduates’ post-completion success, whether employment, job advancement, future
study, or other outcomes related to the program’s goals.
The location of the University in the Albany area represents a significant strategic advantage for employment
and internship opportunities. The program should also investigate options that would prepare students for the
Certified GIS Professional (GISP®) certification administered by the GIS Certification Institute
(www.gisci.org) as well as Universal Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Certification administered by the
United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (usgif.org).
Resources
Comment on the adequacy of physical resources and facilities, e.g., library, computer, and laboratory facilities;
practica and internship sites or other experiential learning opportunities, such as co-ops or service learning; and
support services for the program, including use of resources outside the institution.
The available resources and facilities appear to be adequate for supporting the proposed program. Informal
conversations indicate that access to relevant journals is available. There are also computer laboratories where
students can complete assignments and learn about various GIS-related techniques. It cannot be over-
emphasized that this academic area of inquiry changes rapidly and requires that graduates be provided
experience with current technologies. The SUNY system seems to have negotiated favorable terms with respect
to the site licensing of the most widely used GIS software products. Open source software options are also a
viable option in some circumstances.
What is the institution's commitment to the program as demonstrated by the operating budget, faculty salaries,
the number of faculty lines relative to student numbers and workload, and discussions about administrative
support with faculty and administrators?
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We met with groups of faculty including those who comprised the core and those who had no, or only peripheral,
involvement with the proposed curriculum. All were very positive in their appraisals. The chair was very
enthusiastic in endorsing the proposed program and the program also appears to have solid support in other
levels of academic administration at Albany. We were not provided with detailed information about the
operating budget aside from the SUNY Program Expenses Table (page 15). In general, the program is designed
to be relatively inexpensive and will, ultimately, generate additional tuition revenue.
V. Summary Comments and Additional Observations
16. Summarize the major strengths and weaknesses of the program as proposed with particular attention to
17.
18.
feasibility of implementation and appropriateness of objectives for the degree offered.
© The proposed program will provide students with a highly marketable degree and skillset.
¢ There are significant employment opportunities across the public and private sectors at both the local
and national scale.
¢ The program can be positioned to receive a stream of talented undergraduates from the entire SUNY
system.
There is a potential pool of professionals that could seek out this academic development opportunity.
The program is well connected within the Albany capital region in terms of adjunct professional
faculty, and the ability to create a well-developed internship program.
¢ The core group of faculty bring talent and energy, as well as experiences and competency from
several top tier GIScience programs.
With a core group of faculty largely composed of untenured Assistant Professors it is important that a plan be
implemented to ensure their continued professional development. This concern should turn into a significant
strength with the same group of faculty eventually establishing themselves as rising stars with funded
research programs and laboratories.
If applicable, particularly for graduate programs, comment on the ways that this program will make a unique
contribution to the field, and its likelihood of achieving State, regional and/or national prominence.
The proposed program should play a prominent role in providing educational experiences for students
interested in learning about GIScience. The focus of the program has been placed on achieving State and
regional prominence, and it is here that the program will likely succeed. If the built-in market, as described
above, is tapped, the program should attract talented students and, ultimately, place them into prominent
positions in government and industry.
Include any further observations important to the evaluation of this program proposal and provide any
recommendations for the proposed program.
The program may wish to consider the design and adoption of a professionalization course (or modules) in
which students would be instructed ethics, communication skills, job search strategies, and other aspects of
professional development.
A concluding element was not part of the proposal reviewed by the external evaluators. Several options might
be pursued to achieve this goal. First, as students progress through the degree program, they will produce a
number of digital map or map-like products (e.g., story maps, animations, imagery) that can be compiled into
a digital portfolio of accomplishments that can be evaluated by faculty members in the program. Such a
portfolio would likely enhance placement since employers would be able to observe tangible evidence of
accomplishments. Alternatively, each student might meet with their advisor and internship supervisor to
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compose a memo of understanding about the scope of work to be accomplished during the period of an
internship. Toward the end of the internship experience, each student would compose an internship report
that provides information about student developmental experiences and any digital products that arise as a
consequence of the work accomplished. This report would then be evaluated by the advisor and additional
faculty members.
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The State University
of New York
External Reviewer Conflict of Interest Statement
Iam providing an external review of the application submitted to the State University of New York by:
University at Albany
(Name of Institution or Applicant)
The application is for (circle A or B below)
A) New Degree Authority
B) Registration of a new academic program by an existing institution of higher education:
MS. in Geographic Information Science
(Title of Proposed Program)
I affirm that I:
1. am not a present or former employee, student, member of the governing board, owner or shareholder
of, or consultant to the institution that is seeking approval for the proposed program or the entity
seeking approval for new degree authority, and that I did not consult on, or help to develop, the
application;
2. am not a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any of the individuals listed above;
3. am not seeking or being sought for employment or other relationship with the
institution/entity submitting the application?
4. do not have now, nor have had in the past, a relationship with the institulion/entity submitting
the application that might compromise my objectivity.
Name of External Reviewer (please print):
Marc P. Armstrong
Signature:
a
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External Evaluation Report
The State University Form 2D
af New York Version 201-08-02
. The External Evaluation Report is an important component of a new academic program
proposal. The external evaluator’s task is to examine the program proposal and related materials, visit the campus
to discuss the proposal with faculty and review related instructional resources and facilities, respond to the
questions in this Report form, and submit to the institution a signed report that speaks to the quality of, and need
for, the proposed program. The report should aim for completeness, accuracy and objectivity.
The institution is expected to review each External Evaluation Report it receives, prepare a single institutional
response to all reports, and, as appropriate, make changes to its program proposal and plan. Each separate
External Evaluation Report and the Institutional Response become part of the full program proposal that the
institution submits to SUNY for approval. If an external evaluation of the proposed program is required by the
New York State Education Department (SED), SUNY includes the External Evaluation Reports and Institutional
Response in the full proposal that it submits to SED for registration.
Institution: University at Albany
Evaluator Name (Please print.): Karl Ola Ahlqvist
Evaluator Title and Institution: Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
Evaluator Signature: Ue, oa
Proposed Program Title: M.S.'in Geographic Information Science
Degree: M.S.
Date of evaluation: Site visit on 1 November 2016
Because the report was developed in close collaboration with the second reviewer, Marc P Armstrong, several
sections have very similar wording with his report.
I. Program
1. Assess the program’s purpose, structure, and requirements as well as formal mechanisms for program
administration and evaluation. Address the program’s academic rigor and intellectual coherence.
The proposed program will provide graduate level instruction to students in the theory, principles, and
applications of geographic information science. The proposal presents a curriculum that is composed of a set
of core and elective courses. The courses in core provides students with a common base in knowledge areas
that has been recognized widely (in the 2006 GIS&T Body of Knowledge core curriculum) as being
fundamental knowledge in this domain. The electives then provides each student with opportunities to tailor
their degree to their particular area of interest. This core-elective structure is typical of many graduate level
programs and also enables the curriculum to adapt when new courses are developed, or in response to changing
demands and abilities of students and the workforce. The selection of core and elective courses signals a
coherent and rigorous approach to a graduate program in GIS. The proposed program will be housed in and
administered by the Department of Geography and Planning, where a tenured faculty member will act as
Program Director and four other faculty will provide instruction and advising to students in the program.
2. Comment on the special focus of this program, if any, as it relates to the discipline.
The special focus of the proposed program is on geographic information science. Though this is a wide and
highly interdisciplinary field, many similar programs are tied to geography departments, so the departmental
home in this case seems like a good and natural fit. In fact, many ‘traditional’ geography programs have seen
an increased emphasis on GIS as the workforce demand has continued to grow in this area.
3. Comment on the plans and expectations for self-assessment and continuous improvement.
The Department has developed a 7-year assessment cycle for its other programs and the new MS GIS
assessment plan seeks to follow a similar pattern. The proposed plan consists of primarily summative elements
toward the end of the students’ studies. While this is an important part of an assessment strategy, it is also
equally important to gather formative evidence about students’ progress through the program. In our
deliberations we discussed several possible ‘capstone’ experiences (see section V). These would be natural
instruments to assess (in a summative way) the program outcomes. As an example, the currently well-developed
internship program can provide a direct assessment opportunity by soliciting structured evaluations from the
internship site supervisors. Additionally, the use of a portfolio as one capstone experience option, also offers
an opportunity to look at key artefacts from different points in time in the program. These can help to
longitudinally identify how specific courses and activities contribute to moving the students toward completing
degree requirements and achieving program goals. As such, they provide important evidence for a formative
assessment process.
4. Discuss the relationship of this program to other programs of the institution and collaboration with other
institutions, and assess available support from related programs.
The department already has two other graduate programs in Geography and Regional Planning. It seems that
the proposed program has been developed as a natural complement to these degrees and has a strong support
from key faculty in those programs.
As mentioned above, the field of GIS is highly interdisciplinary and lends itself to collaboration with many
other disciplines. Some of the faculty we met already have close collaborations or connections with the
Schools of Public Health and Criminal Justice. During our meetings with faculty we heard numerous accounts
of additional ongoing and possible partnerships that are actively being pursued. Some of the most logical
collaborators would be in the Department of Informatics. The field of Geospatial Intelligence has seen
tremendous growth lately and here the new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and
Cybersecurity will most likely be a critical partner to position the University as a key institution in that arena.
Another natural collaboration would be with the School of Business as more and more business decisions and
logistics operations are making increasingly sophisticated uses of GIS.
5. What is the evidence of need and demand for the program locally, in the State, and in the field at large? What
is the extent of occupational demand for graduates? What is the evidence that demand will continue?
The GIScience &Technology profession is by now an established field, yet its sustained growth potential keeps
it on the list of “Bright Outlook” occupations published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Most estimates see
continued growth in employment of GI scientists, technicians, and analysts.
Locally, there is a “built-in” market for graduates as evidenced by the many adjunct faculty employed by
government and business in the region, and well-stocked internship opportunities provided by local and regional
organizations. Regionally and nationally the job market for graduates of GIS programs is very good.
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IL. Faculty
6. Evaluate the faculty, individually and collectively, with regard to training, experience, research and
publication, professional service, and recognition in the field.
With the recent addition of three faculty members at the rank of Assistant Professor, who each has teaching and
research expertise in an area closely related to the proposed MS program, the Department has suitable strength
in appropriate areas. All of the GIS faculty are graduates of high quality PhD programs in GIS or related areas.
Since a majority of core GIS faculty are recent hires and are only beginning their careers, it is too early to judge
their recognition in the field. However, we are impressed by their quality and energetic scholarly activity. The
more senior faculty provides balance and natural leadership as well as an opportunity for some more structured
mentorship activities.
7. Assess the faculty in terms of number and qualifications and plans for future staffing. Evaluate faculty
responsibilities for the proposed program, taking into account their other institutional and programmatic
commitments. Evaluate faculty activity in generating funds for research, training, facilities, equipment, etc.
Discuss any critical gaps and plans for addressing them.
There is a good balance between the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty and a pool of adjunct instructors
in the department. This together with a few elective courses offered by faculty in other units provides a
diversified and well-resourced platform for program delivery, and we saw no need for additional faculty
resources at this time. The core faculty, as stated above, are all graduates of high quality PhD programs with
strong traditions of geospatial research activity. I want to stress though that any reduction in faculty through
retirement or departure need to be strongly considered for an equal new hire to sustain the program, especially
in the critical early years.
8. Evaluate credentials and involvement of adjunct faculty and support personnel.
There is a substantial pool of potential adjuncts that could be further developed to primarily offer application-
oriented courses or other opportunities for MS students. These adjuncts often provide an important and welcome
enrichment of professional insights and opportunities for students to pursue. There seems to be an informal
exchange between tenure-track and adjunct faculty. This is good but it could be formalized in order to ensure
alignment of the curriculum to keep gaps and redundancies at a minimum.
ILL. Students
9. Comment on the student population the program seeks to serve, and assess plans and projections for
student recruitment and enrollment.
The location of the program in New York’s Capital District provides for a large local pool of potential
applicants who may wish to pursue professional development opportunities. A directed media campaign may
be in place to advertise the new program to this constituency.
Another option is to consider exploiting the position of The University at Albany as a natural progression
from other campuses in the SUNY system. These other schools could provide an important source of talented
undergraduates who want to pursue further educational opportunities. Again, an well-designed and intentional
effort to market the new program to students throughout the SUNY system seems appropriate.
10. What are the prospects that recruitment efforts and admissions criteria will supply a sufficient pool of highly
qualified applicants and enrollees?
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11.
12.
13.
Admissions decisions should preferably be informed by considering GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores, even if
these only serve as crude metrics, they do provide some insights into the maturity and preparedness of
students applying to the program. Reference letters are also a possible requirement but would add
administrative burden on the faculty. Either way, without some form of minimum bar the program runs the
risk of admitting unprepared students that require substantial resources in terms of mentoring and remedial
support.
Students will come to the program from a variety of backgrounds and it is important that the program is able
to accommodate for different levels of background knowledge and experience with spatial thinking and
software. While I would anticipate that most students who seek this program will already have had some basic
GIS and/or cartography training, this cannot be taken for granted. In order to cater to the already well-
prepared, it is likely that there will need to be some pathway for entirely unprepared students to get up to
speed with the most basic things in order for the core courses to really become rigorous offerings at a graduate
level. There are options for remedial training with the online training the Esri site license offers and that is
something that incoming students could be given access to before getting to campus.
Comment on provisions for encouraging participation of persons from underrepresented groups. Is there
adequate attention to the needs of part-time, minority, or disadvantaged students?
We did not see much in the proposal that directly addressed this issue. As a first step I would recommend that
the department consider ensuring that all new and existing staff and faculty have received appropriate training
in. Additionally, the SUNY system has an established Graduate Tuition Opportunities Program that provides
full tuition scholarship support to former recipients of support for economically and educationally
disadvantaged undergraduate students. This sounds like an appropriate target group for directed marketing. It
is good to see that the department plans to engage in close collaboration with university diversity resources.
Assess the system for monitoring students’ progress and performance and for advising students regarding
academic and career matters.
The Department currently houses a MA program and thus, there is local knowledge about the protocols and
practices that lead to good student outcomes. As mentioned above, the program will have its own admissions
committee and will be able to perform quality control at the intake step. All students will pass through a
common core, thus ensuring some degree of direct comparability of performance across students. Other
similar programs have instituted regular joint advising sessions during which different advisors together with
some of their students discuss progress and performance. Some version of this might be a workable model to
both ensure similar support and advice to students but also to help distribute advising duties equitably among
the faculty. The advising load of approximately 7 students per faculty member each year seems reasonable
for an established MS program, but it may be that it needs to be kept a bit lower during the build-up.
Discuss prospects for graduates’ post-completion success, whether employment, job advancement, future
study, or other outcomes related to the program’s goals.
As described in point 9, above, the location of the University represents a strategic advantage for employment
and internship opportunities. We see an additional opportunity for the program to ensure that the MS GIS
program prepares students for the two major professional certifications available for GIS&T professionals.
The most established is the Certified GIS Professional (GISP®) certification administered by the GIS
Certification Institute (www.gisci.org). The second path is the Universal Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)
Certification, a professional designation administered by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
(usgif.org).
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Iv.
14,
15.
Resources
Comment on the adequacy of physical resources and facilities, e.g., library, computer, and laboratory facilities;
practica and internship sites or other experiential learning opportunities, such as co-ops or service learning; and
support services for the program, including use of resources outside the institution.
The University maintains excellent facilities on the Albany campus and the Department provides a well-
established internship program to help students get valuable experiential learning and networking opportunities.
Of some concern to the reviewers was the maintenance and upkeep of lab spaces that seemed to rely on a
relatively slow hardware and software update cycle. The GIS&T field is tremendously dynamic and it requires
not only foundational skills, but also that graduates be provided experience with the most current technologies.
It was discovered during the site visit that the SUNY system has negotiated favorable financial terms with
respect to the site licensing of the most widely used GIS software products. This is a positive signal.
What is the institution's commitment to the program as demonstrated by the operating budget, faculty salaries,
the number of faculty lines relative to student numbers and workload, and discussions about administrative
support with faculty and administrators?
The Department provides a supportive intellectual environment for a diverse collection of scholars, both senior
and pre-tenure, and with that in mind, the proposed MS degree has the full support of the faculty in the
Department of Geography and Planning. The chair enthusiastically endorsed the proposed program. The
program also appears to have solid support in the upper levels of academic administration at Albany.
V. Summary Comments and Additional Observations
16.
17.
Summarize the major strengths and weaknesses of the program as proposed with particular attention to
feasibility of implementation and appropriateness of objectives for the degree offered.
Most importantly, the proposed program provides students with a highly marketable degree and skillset with
employment opportunities across the public and private sectors at both the local and national scale. The
institutional context is favorable since the program can be positioned to receive a solid stream of talented
undergraduates from the entire SUNY system. Finally, the program is well connected within the Albany
capital region in terms of adjunct professional faculty, and the ability to create a well-developed internship
program. Additionally, there is a potential local-regional pool of professionals that could seek out this
academic development opportunity.
A mixed point concerns the composition of the core group of faculty in the program. On the strongly positive
side, they bring talent and energy, as well as experiences and competency from several top tier GIScience
programs. Yet, with this group largely composed of untenured Assistant Professors it is important that they be
provided with room to grow professionally and with sufficient time to develop their research programs. This
investment will help the program gain stature and increase its attraction to a broader clientele. With a plan in
place to ensure continued professional development, this weakness should fairly quickly (within 5-10 years)
turn into a significant strength; it is not difficult to imagine the same group of faculty having established
themselves as rising stars with funded research programs and laboratories.
If applicable, particularly for graduate programs, comment on the ways that this program will make a unique
contribution to the field, and its likelihood of achieving State, regional and/or national prominence.
As it is conceptualized, the proposed program will play a prominent role in providing well-designed
educational experiences for students interested in learning about GIScience. It does not seek, nor does it need
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18.
to aspire to gain, national prominence, at least not at the outset. Instead the focus has been placed, correctly
in our view, on achieving State and regional prominence, and it is here that the program will likely succeed.
As described above, there is a built-in market from which it will attract students and, ultimately, place them.
Over time, there may be potential for the program to rise to the top nationally. With some strategic
collaborations around GIS & health and Geospatial Intelligence those areas look particularly promising.
Include any further observations important to the evaluation of this program proposal and provide any
recommendations for the proposed program.
Professionalization
A goal of the program is to provide significant education experiences to students who will graduate as well
trained professionals. To achieve this goal, it is important to consider this professionalization can be
nurtured, and developed. One way is to design a professionalization course in which students would be
instructed in subjects such as ethical considerations around the use of geospatial information (e.g. privacy),
project management, software systems development methodologies, communication skills, job search, and
paths for professional certification (e.g., GISP , USGIF ) and other aspects of professional development.
Alternatively, instruction in such areas could be provided as 1 semester hour stand-alone courses or as multi-
lecture/discussion modules within existing courses.
Capstone Experience
A concluding element was not part of the proposal reviewed by the external evaluators, but we considered
options for how students could demonstrate their knowledge and skills as well trained professionals at the
very end of their program. This would both serve as an important assessment strategy and as a way for
graduates to strengthen their job applications. Two options were discussed in more detail as outlined below:
Portfolio. As students progress through the degree program, they will produce a number of products such as
digital maps (e.g., story maps, animations, imagery), lab reports, smaller software development projects, etc..
These could be assembled in a comprehensive digital portfolio of accomplishments, each signifying evidence
of a certain set of skills and abilities. Near the conclusion of the degree program, each student could compose
an overarching narrative that reflects on this body of work in a broader learning context and present this as a
“master’s portfolio” to the academic advisor (and possibly additional faculty) for approval.
Internship. Before pursuing this track a student would meet with their advisor and internship site supervisor to
compose a memo of understanding about the scope of work to be accomplished during the period of the
internship. At the conclusion of this experience, each student will compose an internship report that provides
information about student learning and developmental experiences and any artefacts that were produced
during the internship. This report will be reviewed by the internship supervisor for accuracy and quality (see
above comments on using this for direct assessment). The report is then evaluated by the advisor (and
possibly additional faculty) for approval.
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The State University
of New York
External Reviewer Conflict of Interest Statement
I am providing an external review of the application submitted to the State University of New York by:
University at Albany
(Name of Institution or Applicant)
The application is for (circle A or B below)
A) New Degree Authority
B) Registration of a new academic program by an existing institution of higher education:
M.S. in Geographic Information Science
(Title of Proposed Program)
[affirm that I:
1. am not a present or former employee, student, member of the governing board, owner or shareholder
of, or consultant to the institution that is seeking approval for the proposed program or the entity
seeking approval for new degree authority, and that I did not consult on, or help to develop, the
application; 7
2. am not a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any of the individuals listed above;
3. am not seeking or being sought for employment or other relationship with the
institution/entity submitting the application?
4, do not have now, nor have had in the past, a relationship with the instituion/entity submitting
the application that might compromise my objectivity.
Name of External Reviewer (please print):
Karl Ola Ahlqvist
ans /{ t
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Response to the External Review Reports
On November 1, 2016, the Department of Geography and Planning hosted an external evaluation
of its proposed Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGIS). Our reviewers,
Marc Armstrong, Professor of Geography and Associate Dean for Research and Infrastructure
from the University of Iowa and Karl Ola Ahlqvist, Associate Professor of Geography at Ohio
State University, prepared separate evaluations of our proposed MSGIS. The conclusions of both
reports were very positive and provided thoughtful recommendations and refinements for the
proposal as it moves forward through University at Albany, SUNY System, and New York State
Department of Education governance. The Department has already begun the implementation of
their requests, as noted in this response.
Both reviewers state that the MSGIS curriculum provides a balanced set of core and elective
courses, combining academic rigor with appropriate room for individual specialization. Noting
that the MSGIS would be appropriately housed in the Department of Geography and Planning,
Armstrong identifies curricular strengths in geographic visualization that have been introduced
with the recruitment of Drs. Rui Li and Shiguo Jiang through NYSUNY 2020 funded lines. Both
Li and Jiang, as well as Dr. Alexander Buyantuev, another of our Department’s junior faculty
members and a specialist in remote sensing, have already collaborated with colleagues in other
University units on projects involving spatial analysis and geographic visualization. We look
forward to exploring further partnerships with our colleagues in the Schools of Public Health and
Business as well as with the new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and
Cybersecurity (CEHC).
While noting that the Department of Geography and Planning already follows a 7-year program
assessment cycle, Armstrong and Ahlqvist both suggest that the MSGIS self-assess through the
implementation of a capstone requirement, taking the form of a student portfolio containing
examples of work derived from a mix of in-class and internship experiences (depending on each
student’s course of study). This requirement has been added to the curriculum as Gog 592, GIS
Project Development (see SUNY Form 2B, sections 2.3.a, 2.3.g). Already established as a
culminating academic experience, the course has added a learning objective for professional
portfolio assembly and presentation.
The reviewers see continued growth in employment opportunities for geographic information
scientists and state that the MSGIS will feed this increased demand both at the regional and
national levels. Already serving the ‘built-in’ GIS market at New York State government offices
and agencies, our existing GIS programs have long produced graduates who have also sought
and attained positions in other regions and at the federal level. We therefore agree with our
reviewers that the MSGIS is likely to produce yet more highly-qualified applicants for such
positions, especially as spatial data components become further embedded within information
technologies and the internet of things.
Commenting on our faculty and staff resources, the reviewers note that all of our GIS faculty are
graduates of high-quality PhD programs in GIS and that the MSGIS can be delivered without
additional faculty support. They caution, however, that any reduction of faculty through
retirement or other circumstances should be matched by new hires. With respect to opportunities
for funded research, Armstrong suggests that current NSF priorities for STEM-related projects
should benefit the ability of our new faculty to enhance their research portfolios, ultimately
helping MSGIS recruitment efforts.
Both Armstrong and Ahlqvist note that the Capital Region is home to a large pool of GIS
professionals, Ahlqvist suggests that we formalize the MSGIS full-time and adjunct faculty
relationships to ensure curricular alignment. We will do so by establishing a Curriculum
Committee that will coordinate program updates, rules, and other administrative matters.
Committee membership will be composed of our active full-time and adjunct staff. The program
director will be responsible for calling committee meetings.
Regarding student recruitment, the reviewers suggest implementing GRE and TOEFL score
evaluations, removing a multivariate statistics admission requirement, and introducing
provisional admissions through the satisfactory completion of remedial GIS instruction for
students lacking basic geographic information science instruction. The GRE and TOEFL
requirements have been added to our proposal and the multivariate statistics requirement has
been removed (see SUNY Form 2B, section 2.4.a). Remedial instruction options for provisional
admission will be implemented on a per case basis.
Both reviewers suggest that our program add paths to professional GIS certification, specifically
GISP and GEOINT. We will add learning objectives to selected courses that would address key
elements of these certification programs. It is important to note that the MSGIS would not
conduct certification examinations—these activities are handled by the relevant certification
agencies (the GIS Certification Institute awards GISP certification; the United States Geospatial
Intelligence Foundation awards GEOINT).
Armstrong notes that the MSGIS will likely draw heavily from a large pool of current GIS
professionals in state and regional offices and agencies. However, he also raises the interesting
possibility of creating articulation agreements between the University at Albany and other SUNY
units that would allow a ‘3+2’ or similar path from undergraduate to graduate studies, similar to
current internal University at Albany combined degree programs. We are currently exploring this
option in talks with the Graduate School, the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Studies,
and the College of Arts and Sciences Office of the Dean. We expect that establishing such
agreements would enhance our ability to create sustainable recruitment channels with our
collaborating programs across SUNY.
Armstrong also commented on the need to establish a specific plan for minority student
recruitment. Geography and Planning faculty members Mower, Buyantuev, Jiang, Lawson, Li,
and Lapenas have submitted a proposal for NSF GEOPATHS funding that would in part create
an undergraduate articulation agreement between the Hudson Valley Community College
(HVCC) Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics and the University at Albany
Department of Geography and Planning BA in Geography and create additional opportunities for
undergraduate GIS internship experiences. Since HVCC enrollments represent relatively high
numbers of minority students, we hope to not only attract this cohort to our undergraduate
programs but to attract them to the MSGIS as well, possibly in the context of a new combined
BA/MSGIS program.
With regard to program resources, both reviewers note that the MSGIS receives strong support
from the Department of Geography and Planning Chair and faculty as well as other levels of
University administration. The program will benefit from existing New York State licensing
agreements with major GIS software providers and will be able to continue using open source
GIS tools at no cost. The reviewers also note that there are sufficient lab resources to promote
research and instruction.
Concluding their reports, both reviewers identify a number of key factors that predict a
successful rollout of the MSGIS. Quoting Armstrong:
¢ “The proposed program will provide students with a highly marketable degree and
skillset.
¢ There are significant employment opportunities across the public and private sectors at
both the local and national scale.
¢ The program can be positioned to receive a stream of talented undergraduates from the
entire SUNY system.
¢ There is a potential pool of professionals that could seek out this academic development
opportunity.
¢ The program is well connected within the Albany capital region in terms of adjunct
professional faculty, and the ability to create a well-developed internship program.
e The core group of faculty bring talent and energy, as well as experiences and competency
from several top tier GIScience programs.”
Ahlqvist agrees on several of these factors but cautions that our untenured Assistant Professors
must be provided with sufficient room to develop their research programs. To ensure that our
junior faculty are not overly burdened with administrative responsibilities, the core duties for
program administration will rest with Dr. Mower as initial program director. As our junior
faculty receive permanent appointment, they will begin to assume greater administrative
oversight of the program. Importantly, most of the courses listed in the proposed curriculum have
already been developed by our core faculty.
Among their further observations, Armstrong identifies the importance of offering instruction on
professionalization for our program graduates, either as a unique course experience or as a set of
lecture topics offered in existing courses. As the faculty currently offer informal instruction on
professionalization in their courses, we will use the newly-created Curriculum Committee to
coordinate their presentation (where appropriate), thus ensuring compatibility between full-time
and adjunct instruction and eliminate redundancies.
In conclusion, the Department of Geography and Planning is pleased to have received such a
positive review of its proposed Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science. As
previously noted, we have already implemented several of the reviewers’ suggestions and are
working to complete the rest. We do not expect that any of the remaining changes will pose an
impediment to the rollout of the program. We look forward to admitting our first student cohort
in the near future.
