? The Master of Science in Risk Control is the current name of a M.S. in Safety program initiated in 1974 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The name change occurred in 1994 to more appropriately reflect the name of the degree. The program has evolved to reflect the needs, expectations and challenges in the fields of occupational health, safety and environmental regulations. The risk control view requires students to be competent in areas beyond safety regulatory compliance. The philosophy of risk control attempts to extend, elevate and integrate the technical areas of safety engineering, industrial hygiene and environmental regulations management from operational levels to managerial concerns. ? ? Since its inception, the M.S. program has graduated approximately 400 students. In recent years, the enrollment generally has been between 30 and 40 students annually. Many of the students are employed professionally and pursue the degree on a part-time basis. To accommodate the students, classes are offered both in the daytime and evenings. ? ? The program administrators have achieved continuous improvement in the program by focusing the curriculum on teaching and applied problem solving and research. There is an impressive level of internal funding of the program from the university. In addition, the program has established partnerships with outside constituencies, has secured NIOSH funding to enhance the program. The commitment of the core and supporting faculty contributes substantially to the overall effort. ? ? Students admitted to the M.S. in Risk Control program generally have technical backgrounds, i.e., engineering and/or science related undergraduate degrees and prior work experience, some of which is in the field of safety, health and environmental protection. Students come from throughout the United States as well as international students from various parts of the world, e.g., Jamaica, Venezuela, the Middle East, Africa, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia. ? ? The M.S. degree program in Risk Control is comprised of three major components. These are two technical components, industrial hygiene/environmental protection and safety sciences, and a concentration on Management/Applied Research. Requirements for the degree include completion of at least 39 graduate credits with an overall graduate grade point average of 3.0 or better, (a minimum of half of the credits must be in courses available only to graduate students), approval for degree candidacy at the appropriate time and an appropriate distribution of courses from the concentration areas. ? ? In the Safety Sciences component, students complete the following courses: ? RC 583 Voluntary OSHA Compliance 3 cr. ? RC 734 Safety Engineering Standards 2 cr. ? RC 586 Fire Protection 3 cr. ? RC 587 Human Factors Engineering/Ergonomics 3 cr. ? RC 589 Fleet Risk Control Management 3 cr. ? In addition to these courses, students can select from a list of six elective courses in the area of safety sciences to satisfy the overall program requirements. ? ? The Industrial Hygiene/Environmental Affairs component include the following: ? CHEM 742 Industrial Hygiene 3 cr. ? CHEM 652 Environmental Regulations Management 3 cr. ? CHEM 710 Industrial Hygiene Instrumentation 2 cr. ? In addition, students may complete courses from among an additional mix of four courses including courses in toxicology, radiation biology, environmental chemistry, industrial hygiene ventilation and noise control. ? ? Courses in the Management/Applied Research component consist of the following: ? RC 781 Risk Management in Loss Control 3 cr. ? RC 782 Risk Control Management 3 cr. ? RC 735 Field Problem in Risk Control 3 cr. ? RC 785 Seminar in Risk Control 2 cr. ? Additionally, students select one course from among a group of behavioral courses, another from among research-intensive courses and have additional choices from a set of five elective courses. The research component is integrated into the managerial perspective as an applied problem-solving exercise. It generally is performed at an industrial site or within a service organization on a safety, health and environmental topic. ? ? Internships supplement the formal coursework and applied research. Students with work experience in safety, health and environmental affairs are not required to intern. Students without safety-related experience are advised to participate in internships by the program director. ? ? The program has well-established connection to local industries as well as very strong ties with major workers' compensation and other insurance companies. Particularly strong are the connections with the St. Paul Companies Construction Risk Control Group, the Construction Safety Council and the national Associated General Contractors. This has made the construction safety an especially strong component. J.J. Keller and Associates has donated two computers and extensive safety-related materials, plus funding to support two students each semester to provide technical support. ? ? Placement of students has been essentially 100 percent throughout the life of the program. This stems from the combination of the background and objectives of the students and the employment market in the field of occupational safety, health and environmental safety. Placement has been significant in a broad cross-section of industries. These include forest products, food processing, construction, petroleum, chemical, health care, semiconductor, high technology and heavy and light manufacturing. The insurance industry and governmental service round out the employment venues for graduates. About two out of three graduates secure initial employment in the north-central states, primarily Wisconsin and Minnesota. ? ? This application focuses on continued enhancement of the curriculum and instruction in the M.S. in Risk Control program. Specific objectives of the proposal are: ? ? * Provide student-trainee stipends to attract students with scientific and engineering-related educational preparation. The stipends will enhance the quality of the program's graduates as well as contribute the resolution of the multifaceted problems surrounding safety sciences encountered in the workplace. ? ? * Provide assistance with faculty support in terms of professional and curriculum development. This is critical to continuous improvement in both the curriculum content and delivery capability. ? ? * Acquire instructional resources to enhance coursework, course delivery and applied research. Continual change and development of software, training aids, and computer-assisted instructional aids require a level of support to provide current experience and tools for both students and faculty. ? ?
