150 likes | 278 Views
ACADEMIC PLAN III 2009-2014 Looking ahead: themes, motifs, process. Myron Allen VP for Academic Affairs January 2007. Process: A template for communication. Stage 1: Identifying the main issues and themes. Discussions, presentations, feedback
E N D
ACADEMIC PLAN III 2009-2014 Looking ahead: themes, motifs, process Myron Allen VP for Academic Affairs January 2007
Process: A template for communication • Stage 1: Identifying the main issues and themes. • Discussions, presentations, feedback • Stage 2: Formulating specific ideas for discussion. • Position papers, feedback, iteration • Stage 3: Develop department- and college-level plans. • Drafts, feedback, re-drafts • Stage 4: Develop university-level plan. • Draft, feedback, re-drafts Comments: UP3@uwyo.edu
Motif 1: Building strength vs. adding breadth • UW has many strong programs. • Few of them have critical mass or bench depth. • A strong economy is an opportunity to build depth. • Adding new programs that have little existing foundation jeopardizes this opportunity.
Interdisciplinarity is a pathway to depth: • by promoting shared interests among scholars, • by capitalizing on UW’s relatively small size, • by providing a richer learning environment.
Motif 2: Reinforcing areas of distinction • Refine focus areas for building strength. • Provide opportunities for many departments — even small ones — to pursue excellence and depth. • Help attract the strongest new faculty members (scholarly communities = magnets).
Areas of distinction in AP II: • Critical areas of science and technology • Cultural assets, arts, and humanities • Environment and natural resources • History and culture of the Rocky Mountain region • Life sciences • Professions critical to the state and region These aren’t written in stone, but it’s self-defeating to make sharp deviations from one 5-year plan to the next.
A few specific issues related to areas of distinction • Science & Technology: • Flesh out Institute for Energy Research • Solidify computational science & links with NCAR • Focus UW’s materials science expertise • Cultural Assets • Strengthen fine arts infrastructure • Explore a humanities institute • Life Sciences • Continue defining life science focus areas • Link life sciences with other areas of science and ENR • Professions • Define the scope of clinical health science offerings • Use SER & NCAR as levers to bolster science education • Integrate UW’s contributions to business and rural community development (This is just a start.)
Motif 3: Promoting access to higher education • The Hathaway scholarship program helps reduce financial barriers to baccalaureate education in Wyoming. • Other barriers remain: • Coordination of P-16 education statewide; • Preparation of students for college. • UW has additional responsibilities: • to extend opportunities to part-time students, low-income students, place-bound students, students of color, nontraditional and first-generation students; • to formulate a sound, equitable tuition policy.
Motif 4: Committing to excellence • Embed assessment of learning in UW’s academic culture. • Develop a strategic plan for enhancing masters’ and doctoral education. • Solidify UW’s culture in faculty hiring, reappointment, tenure, and promotion. • Develop strategies for recruiting top students.
Motif 5: Providing leadership • Bolster UW’s role in the state’s public education system. • Build a strong, stable School of Energy Resources by: • cultivating contributions from many departments • enhancing communication with industry. • Translate expertise into public policy involvement. • Explore new possibilities for building Wyoming’s industrial research infrastructure and entrepreneurial. • Develop better mechanisms for cultivating leadership skills in early- and mid-career faculty members. • Enhance opportunities for students to build leadership.
Process: tentative time line AY 2006-2007: Identify main issues Oct 2007: First position paper from Academic Affairs Mar 2008: Second position paper from Academic Affairs Aug 2008: Third position paper from Academic Affairs Sep 2008: Due date, first draft of department-level plans Oct 2008: Due date, first draft of college-level plans Jan 2009: First draft of university plan Mar 2009: Final drafts of all plans May 2009: Approval by Board of Trustees Each position paper and draft will allow time for feedback
Strategic questions about the planning process • To what extent can UW unify its planning processes? • Academic plan (due 2009) • Support services plan • Capital facilities plan • Athletic plan • To what extent can we link the planning processes with the self-study required for HLC accreditation? • Self-study is due 2009. • HLC’s format is distinct from an academic plan. • HLC emphasizes themes important to our plans: • Orientation to the future • Focus on learning • Connectedness (internally and externally) • Distinctiveness.
Stakeholders Faculty & APs Students Staff members Academic administrators Other UW administrators Trustees External boards Public Prospective students Legislators Government agencies Potential donors