Valdosta State University Division of Academic Affairs Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 Academic Affairs Mission The provides academic programs and services to prepare students for a lifetime of learning and work, utilizing the scholarly skills and expertise of our highly-qualified faculty and staff. Academic Affairs Strategic Plan In order to successfully implement a six-year strategic plan for the, the Division s faculty, administrators, and staff establish goals, objectives, and action steps relative to the following considerations: Size and Scope of Student Body Size, Scope, and Responsibilities of Faculty Members Size, Scope, and Responsibilities of Administrators and Staff Members Size and Scope of Academic Programs and Curricula Goal 1: Determine the Size and Scope of Student Body Objective 1: Consider the desired size and makeup of the student body (i.e., student type, student level, residential, oncampus, online, new types of students). Objective 2: Establish an enrollment target for the next five years based on a reasonable level of growth (i.e., 1% increase in headcount per year). Action Steps to Support Students: 1. Each academic program should examine its student demographics and identify ways to support the current audience as well as attract new students. Academic Deans, Department Heads, Program Coordinators. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.4, 1.4.2, 1.4.3, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.3.1, 5.2.1) 2. Each college/department should develop recruitment activities aimed both at current students as well as potential new students. Academic Deans, Department Heads, Program Coordinators. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.4.3) 3. In collaboration with the Division of University Advancement, create meaningful relationships with alumni, students, and donors to engage them in the life of the institution and to support its programs. Academic Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 2.1.2, 2.2.2, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.4) 4. Increase applied learning opportunities in diverse learning environments (e.g., online, national, global, industrial, community). Academic Deans, Department Heads, Faculty, Center for International Programs. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.4) 5. Engage students in discipline-based inquiry and encourage students to disseminate their research (e.g., Quality Enhancement Plan, Undergraduate and Graduate Research Symposiums, etc.). Deans, AVP Research, Undergraduate Research Council, and Faculty. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.2) 6. In collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, implement a student co-curricular transcript software module to support community engagement. Honors College and Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.2.1) Revised October 8, 2013 Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs P a g e 1

2 7. Expand use of technology and data warehouse tools to assist faculty and administrators with student monitoring, retention, and departmental management. Information Technology. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.3.3) 8. Utilize mobile technologies and/or incentives to increase student participation of end of course evaluations (SOI). Information Technology. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.2.2, 5.3.2) 9. Improve visual format of existing Student Opinion of Instruction (SOI) response screen. Ensure timely notification s are sent to students with survey opening and ending dates. Information Technology. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.2.2, 5.3.2) 10. In collaboration with the Division of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications, establish a centralized advising center for students with 0-30 credits. Academic Deans, Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.3, 1.3.1) 11. Add online tutoring to D2L. Student Success Center. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.2.3) 12. In collaboration with the Division of University Advancement, identify new funding sources to support students involved in research, presentations, and applied learning. Academic Deans and Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.2, 1.2.4, 2.1.2, 2.4.1, 2.4.2) 13. Increase support of international initiatives for both student and faculty. Provost s Office, Faculty, Center for International Programs. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.4, 3.1.2) Goal 2: Define the Size, Scope, and Responsibilities of Faculty Members Objective 1: Consider the number and type of faculty needed to support student learning. Objective 2: Articulate clear teaching, research, and service expectations. Objective 3: Compensate and determine faculty workload fairly and competitively based on established expectations. Objective 4: Encourage positive relationships and strong communication between students, staff, faculty, and community. Objective 5: Determine and develop the resources needed to support the expected teaching and Objective 6: Collaborate with other divisions in the university to ensure the complete development of our students. Action Steps to Support Faculty: 1. Attract and retain talented employees from diverse backgrounds with a high potential for success. Provost s Office and Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.1) 2. Utilize national salary benchmark data to make competitive offers to new faculty. Provost s Office and Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.1) 3. Prepare faculty to be leaders in teaching, research, and service. Provost s Office, Deans, and Department Heads. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.1.1) 4. Promote professional development and collaboration throughout campus and beyond (e.g., IDEA Center, interdisciplinary programs, and services). Deans, Faculty, Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.3) 5. Identify methods to formally recognize community engagement among faculty. Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.2.2) Revised October 8, 2013 Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs P a g e 2

3 6. Increase employee participation in workshops and other opportunities to enhance their technical and professional skills. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.3) 7. Expand research capacity by identifying and cultivating new sources of support. Provost s Office, Academic Deans, OSPRA, AVP Research. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.2.2) 8. Award 100% of faculty seed grant funds. OSPRA. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.2.1) 9. Award 100% of new faculty scholarship funds. Provost s Office/Faculty Scholarship Coordinator. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.2.1) 10. Facilitate entrepreneurial efforts by departments to discover new avenues of financial and community support. Provost s Office and AVP Research. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.1.2) 11. Allocate resources to support grant writing and grant administration. Provost s Office and AVP Research. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.2.1) 12. Create entrepreneurial partnerships to engage with industry, other USG institutions, and state agencies. Provost s Office, Deans, Department Heads. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.2) 13. Institute a new Hiring Justification Form for academic positions. Provost s Office, Deans, Department Heads. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.1, 5.2.3) 14. Review and clarify policies for tenure and promotion (e.g., including workload, reassigned time, advising load) for each academic college. Provost s Office, Promotion & Tenure Committee. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.1.3) 15. Document a general faculty workload policy which can be customized by each academic college. Provost s Office and Faculty Senate. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.1.3) 16. Complete implementation of Digital Measures to serve as a resource for tracking faculty activity. Offer training classes on Digital Measures. Setup six new report templates for all users: Faculty Activity Report & Action Plan, Pre-tenure, Post-tenure, Promotion, Tenure, and Graduate Faculty Status. Institutional Effectiveness. (VSU Strategic Plan 4.1.1, 5.2.2) 17. Provide technical support for faculty members who incorporate leading technologies (including mobile) into the curriculum. Center for Extended Learning. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.1) 18. Provide training for professional advisors and faculty members on all educational opportunities (e.g., traditional face-to-face, hybrid, online, emajor, ecore, Prior Learning Assessment) available to students. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.3.2) Goal 3: Determine the Size, Scope, and Responsibilities of Administrators and Staff Members Objective 1: Consider the number and type of administrators and staff needed to support student learning. Objective 2: Encourage positive relationships and strong communication between students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community. Objective 4: Collaborate with other divisions in the university to ensure the complete development of our students. Revised October 8, 2013 Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs P a g e 3

4 Action Steps to Support Administrators and Staff: 1. Promote professional development and collaboration throughout campus and beyond (e.g., IDEA Center, interdisciplinary programs, and services). Deans, Faculty, Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.3) 2. Develop a campus-wide coordinating infrastructure to secure and provide external recognition for community engagement. Provost s Office, Division of Student Affairs, Assistant to the President for Government and Corporate Relations. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.2) 3. Develop mechanisms to record and measure the impact of institutional and student involvement with our community. Provost s Office, Division of Student Affairs, Assistant to the President for Government and Corporate Relations. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.2.4) 4. Develop mechanisms to record and measure the impact of community involvement on our students and institution. Provost s Office, Division of Student Affairs, Assistant to the President for Government and Corporate Relations. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.2.5) 5. Attract and retain talented employees from diverse backgrounds with a high potential for success. Provost s Office and Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.1) 6. Provide training for professional advisors and faculty members on all educational opportunities (e.g., traditional face-to-face, hybrid, online, emajor, ecore, Prior Learning Assessment) available to students. Deans, Faculty, Centralized Advising. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.3, 1.3.2) 7. Increase employee participation in workshops and other opportunities to enhance their technical and professional skills. Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.1.3) 8. Improve communication within the Division by restructuring membership of Dean s Council. Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.1, 5.2.1) 9. Improve communication within the Division by meeting monthly with division directors. Provost s Office. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.1, 5.2.1) 10. Improve communication within the Division by meeting periodically with assistant and associate deans. Provost s Office and AVPs. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.1, 5.2.1) 11. Develop an institution-wide department head handbook. AVP and Department Heads Council. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.1, 5.2.1, 5.3.1) Goal 4: Redefine the Size and Scope of Academic Programs and Curricula Objective 1: Examine and evaluate curricula and courses at all levels to measure student learning and revise curriculum as needed. Objective 2: Explore new modes of delivery. Action Steps to Academic Programs and Curricula: 1. Examine the sizing, structure, and resources of each academic college and academic department. Deans and Department Heads. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.3, 5.3.1) 2. Evaluate active academic courses for relevancy and currency. Deactivate courses as needed. Department Heads and Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.3.4, 5.3.1) Revised October 8, 2013 Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs P a g e 4

5 3. Evaluate course scheduling (e.g., sequencing, rotation, time, delivery method) within academic programs to identify barriers to degree attainment and correct those impediments to the extent possible. Department Heads and Deans. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.3, 1.3.4) 4. Within the next two years, transition the University Catalog to an entirely online format in keeping with national trends. Catalog Advisory Committee, Information Technology/Web Design Team. (VSU Strategic Plan 3.3.1, 5.3.2) 5. Identify programs considered low degree-producing. Facilitate enhancement, merger, or closure of said programs. Request termination of programs to USG to remove from degrees authorized inventory. Reallocate resources to support new programs. Provost s Office, Deans, Department Heads, Institutional Effectiveness. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.3.4, 5.2.3, 5.3.1) 6. Use assessment data in program planning and evaluating student learning outcomes. Deans, Department Heads, Faculty, Institutional Effectiveness. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2, 5.3.1) 7. Increase the number of students participating in Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) or other nontraditional methods to earn academic credit. Department Heads. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.1.3) 8. In collaboration with the Division of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications, develop a business plan for VSU to operate and secure authorization for out-of-state distance education students. Center for Extended Learning. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.4.3) 9. Enhance marketing of undergraduate and graduate programs, particularly those with excess capacity. Department Heads, Deans, Program Coordinators, Graduate School. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.4.3) 10. Establish a long-range technology plan. Information Technology. (VSU Strategic Plan 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.3) 11. Increase global perspectives in program offerings. Department Heads, Faculty, Center for International Programs. (VSU Strategic Plan 1.2.4, 3.1.2) Revised October 8, 2013 Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs P a g e 5