"I will have served in this role for more than nine years, a long time by national standards," he said. "I ...]]>

Former NEBHE President and U.S. Congressman Robert A. Weygand will leave his position as the University of Rhode Island's vice president for administration and finance at the end of the fiscal year in June 2013.

"I will have served in this role for more than nine years, a long time by national standards," he said. "I must admit, it seems like it was yesterday that I started."

Since taking the URI position in 2004, the university has invested nearly $500 million in physical improvements for students, faculty and staff, and streamlined its business practices, including improving its  financial systems, paperless forms, travel services, purchasing, auditing and internal controls.

A landscape architect by training, Weygand also noted: "I am personally and professionally proud of our work to 'green the campus' with new quadrangles and numerous green spaces for students, faculty, staff and visitors."

Weygand was president and CEO of NEBHE from 2001 to 2004, where he wrote the following "Message from the President" columns for Connection (NEJHE's predecessor)  ...

Higher Education Reorganization: To Move a Pachyderm, Robert A. Weygand, Spring 2003

Eleanor McMahon: Education Pioneer, Robert A. Weygand, Fall 2002

Is There a Future for Public Higher Education?, Robert A. Weygand, Spring 2002

The announcement of Weygand's departure also noted that Peter Alfonso, vice president for research and economic development, will leave his position at the end of this fiscal year.

Certified nurse-midwifery is ...]]>

With Boston serving as a hub of both educational and medical excellence, it’s no wonder that New England has a high reputation to uphold in both of these areas. However, Boston and the rest of the region lack a specific degree program that is putting New England below the radars of potential midwives.

Certified nurse-midwifery is a popular field with registered nurses seeking higher education who wish to have a larger role in managing prenatal patient care than they would as labor and delivery nurses. Expectant mothers are also showing interest in using the midwife model for a more holistic method of perinatal care than they might get with the traditional obstetric approach. There has been extensive research done showing the benefits of the midwife model of care. Notably, the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group published its report “Midwife-led Versus Other Models of Care for Childbearing Women” that noted promising outcomes of midwife care, concluding that most women should at the very least be offered the choice of the midwife model.

But New England, home to more than 250 colleges and universities, offers this degree in only two places: a satellite program at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. (in which the degree-granting institution is Philadelphia University) and Yale University. With the nation focused intensely on the cost of healthcare, it would be beneficial for New England to train and employ nurse-midwives, who have proven to provide clinically competent perinatal care to women at a lower price. According to the American College of Nurse Midwives’ 2012 report “A Summary of Research on Certified Nurse Midwives in the United States,” the philosophy of midwives to use more touch than technology results in the same healthy outcomes for low-risk women in labor with fewer expensive medical interventions and an overall lower cost.

Leslie Ludka, MSN, CNM, director of midwifery at Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Mass., and former senior practice advisor for the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) believes that midwives are a major part of the solution to healthcare reform. “Midwives have been practicing healthcare reform since the beginning,” she noted. “Our hallmarks include a dedication to patient education, which leads to better overall patient health. In addition, although high-cost equipment is readily available today, midwives are taught to use less-costly methods to gather the same important information.”

Moreover, the goals of midwifery care, as defined by the ACNM, include honoring the normalcy of women’s healthcare and providing minimal intervention when intervention is not warranted In contrast, nearly a third of all births in the U.S. end in Cesarean section, adding more than $2.5 billion to the cost annually, according to “Evidenced-Based Maternity Care,” a 2008 from the Milbank Memorial Fund.

So why don’t New England’s colleges and universities see the potential in educating certified nurse-midwives? If there’s interest and support from the midwifery community, it seems like the decision would be an easy one. Unfortunately, programs in the region have found that it’s not that simple. The University of Rhode Island initiated a certified nurse-midwifery program in 1993, but despite student interest, a strong faculty, and exceptional community support from midwives in the area, budget cuts throughout higher education resulted in the program’s loss of funding and as a result the program was suspended in 2007. Debra Erickson-Owens, PhD, CNM, RN, former director of the graduate program in nurse-midwifery at URI, states that there are no immediate plans to revive the program. She said that, despite the fact that the school still gets inquiries from interested students, a master’s program in nurse-midwifery is an expensive program to run and without the proper funding it just isn’t feasible.

But it’s that very degree that sets a CNM apart. According to the ACNM, a certified nurse-midwife must have two degrees: a bachelor of science in nursing and a master’s in nurse midwifery. He or she must earn a master’s degree in an accredited midwifery education program, and pass a national certification exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. This differs from a certified midwife (CM) and a certified professional midwife (CPM), neither of whom are required to have a degree in nursing of any kind.

Being certified as a professional midwife is a perfectly reasonable option, but many RNs won’t choose this option, as it requires lateral as opposed to vertical movement in the healthcare field and doesn’t officially utilize their training as nurses. CNMs have the training and certification required to work in a hospital as well as home setting, a higher salary potential, and still be certified as midwives.

Nina Harris is a certified midwife and student in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions. Though she established herself as a midwife, she chose to go the nursing route for a few reasons. She said that, as opposed to being a certified professional midwife, “As a CNM, you have more flexibility in where you can work, you are more accepted and empowered in the medical community, and you have more political clout. There is reciprocity anywhere you go and you can deliver midwifery care to a greater volume of women in settings where the midwifery model of care is not otherwise practiced.”

Harris also stated, “It is very hard to make a living as a CPM. I value balance in my life. I want to create a lifestyle in which I can love my work, but also have time off, and also sustain myself and my family financially.” Harris added that she would prefer to stay in New England not only because this is where her family is, but also because there is an often-overlooked population of women living in underserved communities who need care here. Nurse-midwives are directly poised to provide this kind of care if given the chance to learn and practice in the region.

However, to think that women who choose to use midwives are primarily of a lower-income status would be a misconception. In fact, there is marked diversity in the population of women who choose midwifery care over that of a physician. According to a 1998 study in Family Planning Perspectives that examined the use of midwives versus physicians in Michigan, women on Medicaid were 3.5 times more likely to use a midwife than those on private insurance. However, a college degree also increased the likelihood of a midwife-led birth among white women. And the ACNM notes that among Hispanic women, non-Hispanic white women, non-Hispanic black women and Asian or Pacific Island women, the percentage that chooses midwifery care is proportional, with a deviation of only about one to two percent between ethnicities.

There may also be a misconception that using a midwife implies giving birth at home, or without the availability of emergency intervention should the birth have complications. However, according to the ACNM, in 2009, 96% of all midwife-attended births occurred in hospitals. For the most part, it is the difference in model of care not the physical setting that women seek out when choosing a midwife over a physician.

In 2011, the ACNM published its “Midwifery Trends in Education Report” stating that it hopes to reach a goal of 1,000 certified midwives (including CNMs) by 2015. However, as of their most recent numbers, they are at 335. With 39 accredited programs in the U.S., the goal is attainable, but will need to see growth in terms of interest and accessibility. Ludka noted that, though Massachusetts has a fairly high number of employed midwives, many of them were not educated in this region. She said, “We need more midwives. We have open midwifery positions right now in Massachusetts, and two major hospitals are exploring the possibility of adding midwifery practices to their institution. Educating more midwives locally will fill those positions with midwives who are established in Massachusetts and more likely to remain.”

With a wealth of both public and private nursing programs in New England churning out qualified RNs annually, the region has the opportunity to get in on the increasing pool of CNMs and better serve the community.

Alyssa Franzosa is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She is a former intern with NEJHE.

Holding onto research  power

University of Connecticut Vice President for Research Suman Singha reported to university trustees that ...]]>

A look at recent developments in New England higher education shows a region struggling to hold onto its historical research  prowess and adding new health programs, but also facing rising costs and declining funds.

Holding onto research  power

University of Connecticut Vice President for Research Suman Singha reported to university trustees that research dollars are drying up. Research funding has declined by approximately 10% over the past two years. For FY11, total research dollars were approximately $225 million and the loss of one-time federal stimulus funds of $52.9 million accounted for nearly 25% of UConn’s research dollars last fiscal year, Singha said

Last year, UConn received $61.4 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But NIH officials said thousands of grants will be eliminated, and UConn CFO Richard Gray warned of a “funding cliff.”

Still, UConn officials point to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s support of two initiatives expected to increase federal funds for research. One is the expansion of UConn’s Health Center. The other is the opening at UConn's Storrs campus of the Maine-based Jackson Laboratories and new technology center.

University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston told the New Hampshire Senate Finance Committee that UNH captures more federal research dollars per faculty member than any other land grant university in New England. “Since 2001, we have had 174 invention disclosures, filed 83 patent applications, executed 97 license agreements, spun-off eight start-up companies, and received almost $2 million in royalties.”

University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret has set his sights on increasing research funding and bringing in $750 million—about $200 million more than last year.

University of Maine Receives $3M  Grant from EDA

The University of Maine’s Advanced Engineering and Wood Composites Center received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration. Funds will be used to buy robotics equipment. Center Director Habib Dagher notes that robotics will create composite materials with a precision and speed that can’t be matched by existing technology. Those composites will be used in turbine blades, towers and bases. The grant, announced in the fall will help create the center’s “robotics manufacturing cell.” Dagher said the new cell will help bring all of the design, engineering, manufacturing and testing functions to a single place, increasing efficiency and saving costs. The center, at the Orono campus, was expanded to include the Offshore Wind Laboratory. The lab formally was scheduled to open in November with the aim of advancing the work designing, building and testing deepwater, wind-generating technology in which the center is a national leader.

“This investment will advance efforts to develop deepwater offshore wind power in Maine,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine). “The work being done by the university has the potential to help break our dependence on foreign oil while creating good-paying jobs in our state.”

Preparing healthcare providers

The University of New England’s College of Dental Medicine is slated to open its doors at the Portland campus by fall 2012. This will be the first dental school in northern New England. Founding dean James J. Koelbi submitted UNE’s application for accreditation to the American Dental Association in March 2011. An accreditation team will visit the campus in spring 2012 and a final decision on accrediting is expected in late summer 2012. Harvard, Tufts and Boston universities and the University of Connecticut are currently the only New England universities with dental schools. UConn’s School of Dental Medicine offers qualified New England students whose states do not have a dental school, reduced tuition under NEBHE's Regional Student Program.

In Rhode Island, healthcare is the largest industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that nationally the healthcare sector will generate 3.2 million jobs between 2008 and 2018—more than any other sector. U.S. Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.), Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts (D-R.I.) and state Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-R.I.) joined URI President David M. Dooley to announce the university’s new health studies major. The new major offers an interdisciplinary approach which focuses on health services, health promotion and/or global and environmental health, by bringing together 28 departments and eight colleges on URI’s Kingston campus.

UMass Dartmouth, Bristol and Massasoit community colleges signed an articulation agreement to provide a smooth transfer process for community college students into a new health services degree program offered at UMass Dartmouth. Officials from the three campuses hailed the agreement as an example of a partnership to prepare students for employment in high-demand areas such as radiology and dental hygiene provided they meet certain requirements.

But danger lurks

Prior to the passage of the state budget for FY12, state support for the University System of New Hampshire hovered around 13% of its operating funds. In the last budget cycle, state support fell to 6% when funding was reduced to $48.5 million. The system has taken steps to adjust by freezing wages and hiring, cutting 200 positions, cutting other expenses and raising tuition and fees. Also, the system is increasing its efforts in fundraising, making improvements in the licensing of intellectual property and adding new degree and certificate programs.

UNH associate professor of economics Neil Niman raises the issue of privatizing the system and reviewing costs such as the administrative offices of the system, Cooperative Extension and other programs that come with the university’s designation as a land-, sea- and space-grant university.

"If the state says we're not going to support those [programs], does the university then continue to have that kind of commitment?" Niman said. "Is it fair to ask you [the students] to pay for those sorts of activities through your tuition?"

Huddleston remains committed to keeping the university’s public status. He noted that much can be learned from private universities in areas such as philanthropy. He plans to step up those efforts and work toward providing a more flexible structure for the university.

Former Maine state Senate President Mark Lawrence suggested a single tuition rate for in-state and out-of-state students. In-state rates would be adjusted based on the funds appropriated by the legislature.

NH college grads have highest debt in U.S.

Students graduating from public and private colleges and universities in New Hampshire had accumulated an average debt of $31,048 by the time they graduated, compared with $25,250 nationally, according to the Project on Student Debt’s report, “Student Debt and the Class of 2010.”

Students graduating from the most prestigious and most expensive schools accumulated less debt, which is attributed to large endowments, scholarships and parents with more resources. Dartmouth College graduates had an average debt load of $18,700 while students graduating from the UNH had an average debt of $32,320. More than three-quarters of students at UNH have loans.

In other higher ed news around New England ...

Judicial Watch, a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes violations of federal law, has advised the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education that recent changes allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates violate the law. Twelve states now have laws that permit undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates.

Rhode Island has a policy but not a law. The Rhode Island General Assembly has consistently rejected in-state rates for undocumented students. The policy approved by the Board of Governors is scheduled to go into effect in the fall 2012. It will apply to all public colleges, community colleges and the University of Rhode Island. Eligible students are those who have attended a high school in the state for at least three years and graduated or received a GED. Students must also make a commitment to seek legal status as soon as they are eligible.

In Vermont,  the University of Vermont Interim President John Bramley says a review of the relationship between UVM and the state of Vermont is long overdue. Gov. Peter Shumlin supports such a review and has appointed a task force to reevaluate the relationship between the university and the state. The state contributes $40 million to UVM’s $600 million budget. Shumlin says the state needs to better target the money it spends on UVM.

Business leaders have advised both Shumlin and Bramley that they would like to see more focus on STEM fields. The task force will make recommendations to Shumlin and the new president of UVM in the summer of 2012.

Bramley points out that out-of-state students subsidize in-state students whose numbers continue to decrease. In 1989, approximately 50% of students were residents of Vermont. That share declined to 33% in 2011. Bramley adds that the pool of students graduating from high school is also declining. He notes that all universities face similar funding challenges and all are looking for new sources of revenue. Aside from tuition revenue, Bramley sees some promising areas such as online education, using facilities at UVM for conferences and other events as new sources of revenue.

Carolyn Morwick is a consultant at NEBHE and former director of the Caucus of New England State Legislatures.

Talks will take place Tuesday evenings, at 7:30 p.m. from September through December 2011, at Edwards Auditorium on URI's Kingston campus. The complete season line-up follows:

Tuesday, Sept. 13Inventor and futurist ...]]>

The University of Rhode Island's honors colloquium will address technological advances expected over the next 20 to 30 years and their impact on humankind.

Talks will take place Tuesday evenings, at 7:30 p.m. from September through December 2011, at Edwards Auditorium on URI's Kingston campus. The complete season line-up follows:

Tuesday, Sept. 13
Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil on exponential growth and its consequences.

Tuesday, Sept. 20
Author and futurist Peter Schwartz on the interplay of geopolitics and technology in the future.

Tuesday, Sept. 27
Three-time Hugo award-winning science fiction author Vernor Vinge on what sci-fi writers know about the future.

Tuesday, Oct. 4
Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and urologist Anthony Atala on making new organs, now and in the future.

Tuesday, Oct. 11
Bioengineer and MacArthur Fellow Jim Collins on Synthetic Biology: Life Redesigned.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
URI professor and nanotechnologist Jason Dwyer on current and future trends in nanotechnology.

Tuesday, Oct. 25
Technologist James Bellingham, hurricane researcher Joseph Cione and roboticist Chris Roman on the use of drones and robots to study the ocean, the atmosphere and their coupling.

Tuesday, Nov. 1
Biological engineer and brain and cognitive scientist Ed Boyden on enhancing the brain's past, present and future.

Tuesday, Nov. 8
Cognitive scientist Deb Roy and media researcher Johanna Blakleyl on social media.

Tuesday, Nov. 15
Cybersecurity expert Richard Clarke on cyberwarfare.

Tuesday, Nov. 29
Director of the Center for Bioethics, Science and Society at Northwestern University Laurie Zoloth on ethics and genetics.

Tuesday, Dec. 6
Honors Colloquium students on their envisioned future as informed by the 2011 Honors Colloquium course and lectures.

Fishing has been an economic safety net in Senegal, which has created competing interests familiar ...]]>

The Coastal Resources Center and the Fisheries Center at the University of Rhode Island were awarded a five-year, $11.5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to help the sub-Saharan African country of Senegal promote sustainable fishing.

Fishing has been an economic safety net in Senegal, which has created competing interests familiar in some parts of New England. Farmers who were struggling financially could switch to fishing. But as they left the land for the sea, one result has been overfishing.

The Coastal Resources Center will establish an office in Dakar, Senegal, and work with local partners and fishermen to develop strategies to protect critical marine habitats and threatened marine species. The project will also pilot an initiative similar to the Sea Grant and Land Grant models in the U.S. that link universities with private-sector and government stakeholders to use science in management decision-making.

Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies associate director Paul E. Harrington moved to Philadelphia-based Drexel University. Harrington has been a frequent contributor to NEJHE and to NEBHE events

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Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., will also leave leave Boston for Philly, departing as dean of Boston College's Lynch School of Education to become ...]]>

Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies associate director Paul E. Harrington moved to Philadelphia-based Drexel University. Harrington has been a frequent contributor to NEJHE and to NEBHE events

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Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., will also leave leave Boston for Philly, departing as dean of Boston College's Lynch School of Education to become the 27th president of Saint Joseph's University, starting May 18.

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Jamshed Bharucha, provost and senior vice president of Tufts University, was elected the 12th president of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, effective July 1, succeeding George Campell Jr.

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Bryant University hired Robert Shea as the college's director of faculty development. Shea previously served as director of the Office of Student Learning, Outcomes Assessment and Accreditation and assistant director of the Instructional Development Program at the University of Rhode Island.

The University of Rhode Island, in collaboration with Rhode Island Hospital, will offer a five-year dual degree program to teach graduates to apply physics to treating cancer and other human diseases.

Set to launch in September 2011, the 162-credit program combining a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's in medical physics, will be ...]]>

The University of Rhode Island, in collaboration with Rhode Island Hospital, will offer a five-year dual degree program to teach graduates to apply physics to treating cancer and other human diseases.

Set to launch in September 2011, the 162-credit program combining a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's in medical physics, will be the first of its kind in New England.

Only 26 other universities in the U.S. and Canada currently offer accredited graduate medical physics programs.

After completing the program, students will enter a two-year residency program. Graduates may find jobs at hospitals and treatment centers, in private industry or the government, with starting salaries ranging from $82,000 to $135,000.

Brandeis University trustees named George Washington University Law School dean Frederick M. Lawrence to succeed Jehuda Reinharz as Brandeis president, beginning after Jan. 1, 2011. Lawrence became dean of the GWU Law School in 2005, after nearly two decades teaching at the Boston University School of Law.

University of Connecticut trustees appointed Philip E. ...]]>

Brandeis University trustees named George Washington University Law School dean Frederick M. Lawrence to succeed Jehuda Reinharz as Brandeis president, beginning after Jan. 1, 2011. Lawrence became dean of the GWU Law School in 2005, after nearly two decades teaching at the Boston University School of Law.

University of Connecticut trustees appointed Philip E. Austin to serve as interim president of the university where he oversaw major growth as president from 1996 to 2007, including shepherding the $1 billion infrastructure improvement and private incentive program known as UConn 2000.

Jo Ann Rooney, former president of Spalding University in Kentucky, took the reins of Mount Ida College after the college's nine-month search to fill the position.

Debra Townsley, president of Nichols College was  named the new president of Peace College in Raleigh, N.C.

Boston College Law School dean John H. Garvey was appointed president of Catholic University of America—the D.C. college's first lay leader.