FIU iREAL: Building a Bold and Innovative Future for Higher Education

FIU iREALCommission CAC Update October 18th, 2013 iREAL is integrating: Research Engagement Assessment Learning

President’s Charge “Multiple movements are emerging, and, for FIU, business as usual is no longer an option.” — Mark B. Rosenberg As we complete our Worlds Ahead Plan, now is the time to develop a new plan that: • builds on our significant accomplishments • prepares FIU for a future of unprecedented changes in higher education

FIU iREAL will: • Be “Worlds Ahead”-bold and innovative and open to exploring non-traditional approaches • Focus on problem solving for FIU and our stakeholders and investors • Identify, quantify and elaborate a series of transformational goals for FIU • Include broad scale consultation with faculty, staff, students and community, to ensure effective harvesting of ideas and expertise • Be based on the best available studies and reviews pertaining to the future of universities and their role in society

Outcomes • Provision of a clear road map for transforming FIU to meet challenges and opportunities • Identification of specific areas where philanthropic support can facilitate positive transformation • Promotion of University and community debate • Guiding and influencing FIU next strategic plan • Opportunity to promote FIU’s bold plan nationally

Questions for Working Groups • What are the major drivers of change, now and in the foreseeable future, in the delivery of educational services, and how will they likely impact FIU and our predominantly minority and non-traditional (working) students who have been shown to have a greater need for high-touch educational experiences? Connie Boronat • What are the major drivers of change in the assessment of learning at the university level, and how will they impact FIU? Elizabeth Bejar • How will new modalities of education impact the six-year graduation rate of our first-time-in-college students, the primary performance funding indicator used by the Board of Governors? Kathleen Wilson • How can the research university survive if the focus is on providing validation of individual learning in ways that are “less expensive than ever before”? Ken Furton • What alternative scenarios of institutional change should we consider, and what are the pros and cons as well as the costs of the initiatives proposed? Jerry Cohen

Questions for Working Groups • How can faculty, staff, students, and the community be thoroughly engaged with changes that are proposed? Pablo Haspel • How will FIU respond to, and benefit from, the changes in the global educational market? Expanding overseas educational activities MihaelaPlugarasu • How do we balance the pressure to deliver inexpensive degrees with the need to maintain a high quality product that represents excellent value to our students and maintains FIU’s trusted brand status? Carlos Becerra • How can we best harness the innate entrepreneurial spirit of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni? Christina Jardim • How can we get maximum benefit from FIU’s growing health related initiatives that include building on existing FIU expertise and demonstrating value to our university, South Florida, and global constituencies? Yogi Hernandez

How do we engage all of our stakeholders? • White papers from FIU stakeholders posted on website • Concept papers and published articles posed on website • Have discussions with groups starting with the Deans and VP’s • Poll groups to examine importance of various issues • Other ideas?

1. FIU is student centered in its commitment, services and resources. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

2. All FIU faculty should be excellent teachers and assessed through a comprehensive student and peer evaluation process. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

3. FIU's students, most of whom work and commute to campus, need greater access to more flexible approaches to learning such as hybrid courses (part online and part in person) as well as fully online courses and degrees. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

4. FIU's students should be allowed to obtain credit for prior learning and experience in order to expedite completion of degree requirements (e.g., competency-based learning). VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

5. A direct link exists between FIU's research quality and its ability to deliver an effective education to its students. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

6. FIU delivers value for the cost of degrees for its students. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

7. FIU needs to reduce the cost of degrees even if quality suffers (Note: FIU tuition and fees = $6,416/year; national average for public 4-year universities = $8,655/year; national average for private nonprofit 4-year universities = $29,056/year). VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

8. FIU should take a leadership role in reducing its carbon footprint (e.g. reducing electricity use and reducing the number of required campus visits). VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

9. FIU should have fewer students and be more focused. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

10. The South Florida business community will significantly benefit from greater engagement of FIU students with local, national and global business priorities through increased access to opportunities such as fieldwork, research, and internships. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

11. FIU should expand the number of students it recruits from other states. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

12. FIU should expand its overseas educational opportunities. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

13. FIU should develop and maintain a life-long relationship with its students. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

14. FIU should offer a variety of free universally accessible online courses (often referred to as Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs). VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

15. FIU faculty should conduct research that ties into the community. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

16. FIU should be more focused on entrepreneurship to create additional opportunities for students, faculty and the community. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

17. FIU should make targeted contributions to meeting South Florida's and the nation's growing health care needs. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

18. FIU's athletics play an important role in recruiting and retaining current students and keeping alumni connected to the university. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

19. FIU's degree programs represent a trusted brand to employers and the community. VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

20. FIU should expand access to accelerated degree completion programs such as dual enrollment (college credit while in high school) and accelerated degree programs (e.g., 5-year BA/MA degrees, 5-year MA/PhD degrees). VPs / Deans Faculty / Staff Strongly Disagree = 1 Disagree = 2 Agree = 3 Strongly Agree = 4 Students Community

Rank the importance of the following for FIU for the next strategic plan (2015-2020). 1=most important and 15=least important (use each number only once)

Priorities for Students, Faculty, Staff and Community Leaders PercentageHigh Priority 65-74 Student centered, Improve teaching 55-64 45-54 Community engaged, Improve graduation rates 35-44 Low cost degrees, online/hybrid, Trusted brand status 25-34 Access to qualified students, increasing research, diversifying income streams 15-24 Increasing PhD production, expanding overseas <15 Sustainability, life-long relationships, improving athletics

Timeline • 10/4/2013iREAL commissioners appointed • 10/10/2013 First iREAL commissioner meeting • 10/16/2013Submit names of proposed committee members including : • Faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community representatives • Dean’s Office distributes template for commission reports • 10/18/2013 Confirmation of working group members • 10/19/2013 – 10/25/2013 Initiateworking group meetings • 11/15/2013 First working group drafts due • 11/29/2013 Final working group reports due • 12/13/2013 Draft of iREAL white paper • 12/23/2013 Final of iREAL white paper

FIU iREAL: Building a Bold and Innovative Future for Higher Education