Lincoln University is looking to add at least three new academic programs and initiatives to its offerings.
The Board of Curators Academic/ Student Affairs Committee heard about the new academic programs and initiatives at its meeting Thursday.
David Heise, interim head of the department of science, technology and mathematics, discussed the possibility of adding minors in project management, and sound and music computing, as well as a new bachelor's degree in architecture or its inclusion in an existing degree program.
Heise said the university has heard from faculty, community business partners and its business department there is a large demand for project management offerings at Lincoln.
Heise said LU will soon be approving the six-course undergraduate minor at the departmental level in September. He said the minor is structured to pair well with bachelor's degrees in business administration or computer information systems.
Business and computer science were some of the areas of interest and expected growth outlined by the Hanover Research reports Lincoln was presented this month.
The minor could be used to later obtain a project management professional certification, which also requires work experience.
The sound and music computing minor is in a much earlier stage of development, Heise said, with just an initial outline of courses created.
"I hope that this can be one of those opportunities to act as a recruiting tool that we can bring in some students that find this as a unique program," Heise told the committee. "There are some universities that have similar types of programs, but I'm not aware of any such programs at HBCUs, so I think we have the opportunity to market this. In fact, I'm not aware of any such programs in the state of Missouri at any institutions."
Lincoln discontinued its degrees in music education and sacred music a couple years ago, and Heise said he hopes it fulfills that gap for students with an interest in music.
Lincoln will also be exploring offerings for architecture.
Missouri doesn't have a public institution that offers a master's degree in architecture, so LU is looking at its current offerings to determine a path accepted by the University of Kansas, which offers in-state tuition to Missouri residents getting a master's in architecture.
Heise said LU will look at how combinations of technology, engineering, aesthetics and design offerings could be paired to potentially create an entirely new degree program or fit within one of its existing ones.
The committee also approved a Joint Service Transcript policy, which outlines how Lincoln will accept military education, training and experience as college credit.
The item now goes to the full board for approval during its September meeting.
The university will continue accepting military transcripts in the fall as it usually has, but it will soon have a policy stating how on the books.
The Academic/Student Affairs Committee also discussed at-risk students and student success programs, the difference between recruited and enrolled students, and creating technology priorities before the board's September meeting.