At a Feb. 12 faculty meeting, Bluffton faculty approved a new pre-engineering major and a business concentration in insurance and financial services. A new pre-physical therapy major was also formally approved by faculty late last fall. The pre-physical therapy major, pre-engineering major and insurance concentration will be implemented in fall 2018.
Dr. Angela Montel and Dr. Stephen Harnish, mathematical and natural sciences department chair, are the backbones of the new pre-physical therapy major. Both faculty members recognized the coursework Bluffton University currently offers and saw the opportunity to formally offer the major.
“Dr. Montel actively collected information and compared other physical therapy programs,” said Dr. Lamar Nisly, dean of academic affairs. “She also researched what was required by the American council of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).”
The major will consist of 56 credit hours all from existing courses. Students are also expected to work with The Center for Career and Vocation to shadow registered physical therapists for at least 40 to 60 hours.
As for Bluffton’s new pre-engineering major, there is still some finalization in process but the university’s Admissions office hopes the demand for this major will prove successful.
“Engineering is among the top three programs prospective students ask about when inquiring at Bluffton,” said Erin Ostling Burkholder, director of admissions. “We’re very excited to finally be able to say, ‘Yes, we can help you prepare to become an engineer.’”
According to Nisly, the major is designed for students who are not ready to take the technical exam but want to receive the foundation to later transfer to a technical engineering school.
Dr. Luke Myers, Harnish and Nisly are looking into forming an articulation agreement with other universities that will allow students to transfer in after completing Bluffton’s pre-engineering program. The goal is for this to be finalized within the next year or two, Nisly said.
The major will require 55 credit hours and consist of three new courses, including an engineering seminar for first-year students.
“This major will provide a pathway for students who have an interest in engineering but have a variety of other options available,” said Nisly. “It will lay the groundwork for some success and build a foundation for other specialized courses.”
As for the new business concentration, Burkholder recognizes the new opportunity.
“There seems to be a growing need for qualified finance and insurance professionals,” said Burkholder. “Bluffton’s new concentration prepares students with necessary skills to fill these roles.”
The implementation of the new insurance and financial services concentration will offer two new courses for business students to take. Both of the financial courses were offered either last spring or this spring as a trial. They will start being offered on a regular basis next school year.
“We have a lot of alumni and board members who have been in the insurance area,” said Nisly. “This concentration actually grows out of a joint task force between community members and faculty members, which is how universities should work to be able to respond to emerging needs in a community.”
