BUIES CREEK — Campbell University will move forward with its eighth school and sixth doctorate program after the Board of Trustees’ approval of the School of Engineering and Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree in October.
Both programs are expected to begin in the fall of 2016, and both will come at a time of high demand for professionals in the fields in North Carolina. Between 50 to 80 percent of job growth in the United States is dependent on engineers and scientists, according to a recent report, yet only 2.7 percent of all engineers in the U.S. live and work in North Carolina. And in the next 10 years, jobs for occupational therapists are projected to grow nearly 30 percent, with the need growing as more and more baby boomers remain active later in life.
“Our mission is to prepare students for purposeful lives and meaningful service that benefits society,” said Campbell University President Jerry Wallace, “and these careers certainly fall in line with that mission.”
ENGINEERING
The Board of Trustees vote to work toward establishing the School of Engineering comes five months after it approved the creation of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree. With the most recent decision, the University has begun the process of searching for a dean.
In 2016, Campbell will become only the second private university or college in North Carolina to offer an engineering degree.
“The decision to go forward with a school was made because there really is no proper home for the program currently at Campbell,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Mark Hammond. “There’s a logic and a structure to our academic programs, and engineering is different enough that it warrants establishing a school of its own. It also stages us for expansion in the coming years, as we are certainly optimistic that in the future, we’ll have graduate programs and more.”
Campbell’s program is expected to enroll about 50 students in 2016 and grow to approximately 250 students by 2023. It will be housed initially in the Carrie Rich Building and Bryan Hall — which have served as incubators for several recent programs and the School of Osteopathic Medicine — until a new facility is built.
Initial concentrations for the program will include mechanical and chemical/pharmaceutical engineering. Growth and expansion will likely include other areas such as civil and biomedical engineering. The University hopes to have a dean in place next summer.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
The new Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree program will become Campbell’s sixth health sciences program added since 2011. The University launched the state’s first medical school in 35 years in 2013 — the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine — and added nursing this fall. Occupational therapy will be housed in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.
Should it meet the accreditation standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, Campbell’s Doctor of Occupational Program will become one of the few fully accredited programs in the United States. There are currently only six, with eight programs currently progressing through the accreditation process.
Occupational therapists treat injured, ill or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help patients develop, recover and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. About half of occupational therapists work in offices of occupational therapy or in hospitals. Others work in schools, nursing homes, physicians’ offices and home health services.
The career outlook for occupational therapists is strong, based on recent reports by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. News & World Report projections.
“Creating a Doctor of Occupational Therapy program solidifies our commitment to health care in North Carolina,” said Michael Adams, incoming dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. “This program will complement our other health sciences programs and enhance our efforts in addressing anticipated shortages of health care professionals in our local area and beyond.”
The program is expected to be housed in a new building on Campbell’s Health Science Campus. According to the report presented before the Board of Trustees’ vote, the program is expected to also have an impact on Campbell’s undergraduate programs, possibly requiring additional faculty for biology and athletic training/kinesiology courses.
The program is proposed to begin fall 2016 pending approval by SACSCOC and ACOTE and will be the sixth doctoral degree offered by Campbell.
Trustees: Engineering school, occupational therapy doctorate coming to Campbell