Decker College expands degree programs and explores areas for growth

After hiring Mario Ortiz as dean of the Decker School of Nursing in 2016, Binghamton University started an ambitious expansion plan into the health sciences, resulting in undeniable growth.

Within three years, the Decker School of Nursing became one of three schools — the School of Applied Health Sciences and the School of Rehabilitation Sciences are the other two — in the newly created Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Across these schools, six academic divisions (nursing, health and wellness studies, public health, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language pathology) serve almost 900 students pursuing degrees, minors and certificates. Thousands more students take Health and Wellness Studies courses to complete general education requirements or pursue interests.

With this increased programming came a boost in faculty and staff, which now number more than 130 and are still growing. More students, faculty and staff necessitated more space, so the college moved to a 112,000-square-foot building on the University’s Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City, N.Y. In addition, Decker’s Division of Advising and Academic Excellence significantly expanded to facilitate program growth and provide more assistance to students, faculty and staff.

The changes haven’t ended there: In the past year alone, Decker added pathways for students who want to become physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and public health professionals, and it changed its degree offerings for advanced practice registered nurses.

New (or changed) in 2023

Decker College welcomed its first cohort of 40 students to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in June. This full-time, three-year program is delivered on campus and culminates in a clinical doctorate. Students who complete the program will be eligible to sit for the national exam to become licensed physical therapists.

The Division of Occupational Therapy welcomed its first students to campus in August when the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Entry-Level Professional program began. Open to baccalaureate-prepared applicants who wish to become occupational therapists at the clinical doctorate level, the program requires three years of full-time study. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national exam to become occupational therapists. Binghamton is now one of only two State University of New York (SUNY) institutions to offer an OTD degree.

“The new clinical doctorates in physical therapy and occupational therapy are moving Binghamton University another step closer to our vision of having a comprehensive health sciences campus,” Ortiz says. “This shows that Binghamton has the ability and the expertise to offer these much-needed rehabilitation programs within a premier public university.”

Decker’s Division of Public Health expanded the number of students eligible for its accelerated degree program in 2023. Now, students from undergraduate majors at Harpur College that lead to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree can also earn a master’s-level public health degree in five years with the Harpur-Master of Public Health 4+1 program. Graduates of public health programs can pursue a wide range of careers, such as emergency preparedness and response, health education, disease prevention, public health advocacy and community health planning.

In keeping with a national effort in nursing education to move nurses toward higher levels of education, the Decker School of Nursing no longer offers master’s-level nurse practitioner degree programs (the last cohort entered this fall). Starting in fall 2024, Decker graduate nursing students who wish to become nurse practitioners will do so at the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) level.

Ortiz explains: “We’re making this change in accordance with recommendations from national nursing organizations such as the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, which have committed to moving all entry-level nurse practitioner education to the DNP degree by 2025.”

“Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, physical therapy and audiology all require or offer practice doctorates,” adds Nicole Rouhana, associate professor and director of graduate nursing programs. “Moving to the DNP will put advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) — including nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists — on par with other health professions that require doctoral degrees.”

Brand new this fall

Rodney Gabel, professor and founding director of Decker’s Division of Speech and Language Pathology, began developing a master’s degree program in speech and language pathology (MS-SLP) immediately after joining the University three years ago. The program recently received Candidacy Accreditation status from the Council of Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Candidacy Accreditation is a form of accreditation given to a new program while it develops and demonstrates it can provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to become speech-language pathologists.

“The initial application for candidacy status received a positive review, and the site visit was an important step for our program,” Gabel says. “Given the feedback from the CAA site visitors, we are beginning our process of recruiting our first cohort of students and are ready to offer a high-quality graduate program.”

The MS-SLP program will begin in fall 2024. It is expected to attract considerable interest based on the enormous popularity of the undergraduate minor in speech and hearing science launched in August 2021.

Future possibilities

While Ortiz is pleased with the progress, his vision for Decker College includes an even more expansive program lineup. He and University leaders are exploring the following areas for additional growth.

Decker is examining opportunities to grow undergraduate and graduate programs in the health sciences, potentially adding bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. Also being studied are the addition of several health sciences minors, including nutritional sciences, exercise science, health promotion, emergency medical technician/paramedic training and recreation therapy.

“For many years, students have been asking us for an undergraduate program in health sciences,” says Lisa Hrehor, professor and director of the Division of Health and Wellness Studies. “And, from surveying students in the Health and Wellness Studies minor, we know that areas such as exercise science, athletic training, health promotion and nutrition are in high demand.”

Feasibility studies are underway to expand the DNP program to include options for those wishing to become certified nurse midwives (CNMs) or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). CNMs focus on gynecologic and family planning services and preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care. CRNAs administer anesthesia during surgery or other medical procedures.

The college is also investigating the viability of adding a graduate program in forensic health, which would prepare graduates for careers such as working with victims, offenders or in medicolegal investigations. Forensics is a highly sought-after program, evidenced by the popularity of Decker’s two forensic health offerings — an undergraduate minor and an advanced graduate certificate.

Also under consideration is the addition of an advanced certificate in emergency nursing for those already certified as family nurse practitioners. The program would provide the education and procedural skills necessary to practice as nurse practitioners in emergency and urgent care settings.