Roadmap from our Strategic Planning Sessions Winter 2013

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Lesley Augustus Welch
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1 Roadmap from our Strategic Planning Sessions Winter 2013 Developed by Representa1ves of the Faculty, Students, and Staff in the VCU School of Engineering

2 At VCU, we're mo1vated, crea1ve and intelligent leaders, using our imagina1on to dream bigger and our collec1ve strengths to make them real. Whether it is an engineering student whose undergraduate research project improves water quality in developing na1ons, a junior journalism major who covers the presiden1al campaign for a na1onal newspaper or a life sciences graduate student who is restoring a threatened species to Virginia rivers we make VCU great and the world even bejer. We have what it takes to make it real. From the VCU website 2

3 VCU School of Engineering Strategic Plan Development Methodology: Step 1: Logis1cs planning Dec 2012 Step 2: Strategic discovery Jan 2013 Step 3: Strategic huddles Feb Mar 2013 Step 4: Cons1tuency veung Mar Apr 2013 Step 5: Strategic communica1ons May 2013 Step 6: Ac1on planning teams Jun Sept

4 VCU School of Engineering Mission Statement FY Strategic Themes student centered learning research that makes a difference collabora1ve crea1ve culture global real world perspec1ve VCU Quest for Dis1nc1on Core Values accountability achievement freedom innova1on service diversity collabora1on integrity 4 4

5 Strategic Themes 1. Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the inter- disciplinary leaders of tomorrow 2. Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 3. Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, creaive, innovaive, and entrepreneurial culture 4. Provide a global, real- world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience 5 5 5

6 Strategic Themes Theme 1: Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow Key IniIaIves: 1. Market the academic quality, opportuni1es, and uniqueness of the VCU School of Engineering 2. Recruit and retain excellent students, faculty and staff commijed to student- centered undergraduate and graduate experiences 3. Provide interac1ve instruc1on and facili1es 4. Create unique programs and opportuni1es within and beyond our curriculum and capitalize on them 5. Embrace and leverage our diversity in academics, cultures, gender, ethnic backgrounds, educa1onal backgrounds, etc. 6

7 Strategic Themes Theme 2: Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind Key IniIaIves: 1. Foster a climate of interdisciplinary transla1onal research and development 2. Provide investment, mentorship, and rewards for faculty development 3. Elevate graduate student quality, performance, and culture 4. Build strategic regional rela1onships 5. Build mul1- disciplinary areas in energy, engineering for healthcare, biomedical informa1cs, applied materials, and cyber security 7

8 Strategic Themes Theme 3: Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, creaive, innovaive and entrepreneurial culture Key IniIaIves: 1. Provide a roadmap and infrastructure to s1mulate entrepreneurship 2. Engage regional and global businesses in research and educa1on 3. Ensure that our new faculty hires are targeted and deliberate 4. Nurture communica1ons and shared governance 5. Enhance collabora1ve teaching and educa1on experiences 8

9 Strategic Themes Theme 4: Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience Key IniIaIves: 1. Improve interna1onal research and experiences 2. Educate and engage students and faculty on engineering challenges and implementa1on issues across the world 3. Foster and build rela1onships with interna1onal universi1es and corpora1ons 4. Create a comprehensive global awareness and immersion program 9

10 Strategic Themes with Key IniIaIves and TacIcs in Detail 10

11 Theme 1 Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow Key IniIaIves Summary: 1. Market the academic quality, opportuni1es, and uniqueness of the VCU School of Engineering 2. Recruit and retain excellent students, faculty and staff commijed to student- centered undergraduate and graduate experiences 3. Provide interac1ve instruc1on and facili1es 4. Create unique programs and opportuni1es within and beyond our curriculum and capitalize on them 5. Embrace and leverage our diversity in academics, cultures, gender, ethnic backgrounds, educa1onal backgrounds, etc. 11

12 Theme 1 Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow 1. Market the academic quality, opportuni9es, and uniqueness of the VCU School of Engineering a. Build deeper rela1onships with high schools & community colleges b. Make bejer use of new media tools c. Publicize faculty, student, and alumni awards and accomplishments d. Create and publish annual reports to the key cons1tuencies of our school e. Strategically market to peer academic ins1tu1ons for recruitment and na1onal school rankings 12

13 Theme 1 Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow 2. Recruit and retain excellent students, faculty and staff commided to student- centered undergraduate and graduate experiences a. Define endowed funding priori1es b. Inves1gate internal and external salary equity issues, and take appropriate ac1on c. Incen1vize faculty to par1cipate in undergrad student experiences d. Recruit faculty and staff that are commijed to student centered educa1on e. Leverage resources to enhance teaching excellence 13

14 Theme 1 Theme 1: Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow 3. Provide interac9ve instruc9on and facili9es a. Create and implement quality teaching assessment methods b. Ensure compulsory teaching courses for junior faculty and those with poor evalua1ons c. Create projects funded from teaching grants d. Develop more reconfigurable classroom space that fosters student- centered learning e. Create gathering spaces that promote student interac1on f. A student- faculty ra1o that promotes student- centered learning 14

15 Theme 1 Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow 4. Create or leverage unique programs and opportuni9es within and beyond our curriculum and capitalize on them a. Leverage current and/or create new mul1disciplinary ac1vi1es and centers of excellence b. Develop and implement programs to enhance leadership skills c. Deepen experiences provided in the honors program d. Encourage extra curricular experiences to enhance gradua1on porholio e. Create a co- op program for undergraduate studies f. Con1nue and explore distance learning opportuni1es 15

16 Theme 1 Build upon our legacy of student- centered learning to prepare the leaders of tomorrow 5. Embrace and leverage our diversity in academics, cultures, gender, ethnic backgrounds, educa9onal backgrounds, etc. a. Create a baseline diversity map that provides us with a direc1on to improve b. Publicize our current diversity strengths and address our weaknesses c. Leverage our current diversity for recruitment through enhanced use of new media d. Enhance and promote academic diversity 16

17 Theme 2 Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind Key IniIaIves Summary: 1. Foster a climate of interdisciplinary transla1onal research and development 2. Provide investment, mentorship, and rewards for faculty development 3. Elevate graduate student quality, performance, and culture 4. Build strategic regional rela1onships 5. Build centers of excellence in strategic research areas in energy, engineering for healthcare, biomedical informa1cs, applied materials cyber security, and big data 17

18 Theme 2 Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 1. Foster a climate of interdisciplinary transla9onal research and development a. Ins1tute seed funding for School of Engineering faculty collabora1on with other VCU schools b. Encourage mul1ple advisors for disserta1ons c. Enhance experience of student R&D projects d. Strengthen our rela1onship with the VCU Medical campus e. Align facili1es & lab space that facilitate interdisciplinary research f. Influence ac1ons to improve technology transfer 18

19 Theme 2 Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 2. Provide investment, mentorship and rewards for faculty development a. Start internal faculty development grants b. Consider crea1ng a faculty development fund c. Encourage a dialogue on faculty sabba1cals d. Provide addi1onal coordina1on and infrastructure for grant wri1ng e. Mentor faculty on research, service, and teaching 19

20 VCU School of Engineerig 2018 Theme Strategic 2 Themes Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 3. Elevate graduate student quality, performance and culture a. Develop a recruitment plan to ajract higher quality applicants b. Ins1tute compe11ve s1pends for graduate students c. Improve the 1meliness of our graduate student offers d. Require publica1ons and teaching experience for Ph.D. students e. Require a minimum of three years full 1me on- campus research effort for Ph.D. candidates 20

21 Theme 2 Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 4. Build strategic regional rela9onships a. Define our strengths, refine our story, and share it b. Develop regional partnerships to create a graduate student research pipeline c. Compile and promote our research strengths and industrial research contracts d. Work with local investors and businesses to keep technology in the region e. Enhance our external research experiences for students 21

22 Conduct research that makes a posiive difference in our community and human kind 5. Build mul9- disciplinary areas in energy, engineering for healthcare, biomedical informa9cs, applied materials, cyber security and big data informa9on Theme 2 a. Enhance interdisciplinary collabora1ons between VCU schools and other universi1es b. Obtain extramural funding to support center ac1vi1es c. Recruit new faculty with exper1se in strategic areas d. Foster the crea1on of proposals for new infrastructure and facili1es to support transla1onal research and development e. Adver1se and promote the ac1vi1es of the School of Engineering 22

23 Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture Key IniIaIves Summary: 1. Provide a roadmap and infrastructure to s1mulate entrepreneurship 2. Engage regional and global businesses in research and educa1on 3. Ensure that our new faculty hires are targeted and deliberate 4. Nurture communica1ons and shared governance 5. Enhance collabora1ve teaching and educa1on experiences 23

24 3: Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture 1. Provide a roadmap and infrastructure to s9mulate collabora9on and entrepreneurship a. Create a course that would teach the basics of entrepreneurship to undergraduate and graduate students b. Establish a sustainable model and curriculum for undergraduate business minors c. Provide opportuni1es for business leaders and engineering students to collaborate d. Create a deeper rela1onship with the Na1onal Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance 24

25 Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture 2. Engage regional and global businesses in research and educa9on a. Establish a database and coordinate rela1onships among faculty, alumni, and industry b. Develop an annual research open house for presen1ng School of Engineering research to industry c. Establish an educa1onal program for faculty on innova1on and entrepreneurship similar to the Kauffman FastTrac, NewVenture or TechVenture programs d. Create a network of informa1on with regional and global companies, government, and non- government organiza1ons e. Recruit new faculty members that have strong rela1onships in regional and global markets, industry and business 25

26 Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture 3. Ensure that our new faculty hires are targeted and deliberate to support the strategic plan and areas of mul9- disciplinary focus a. Iden1fy and proac1vely invite high- performing candidates for dis1nguished lectures in the School of Engineering b. Hire an experienced Associate Dean of Research that can have input into the other hires c. Add entrepreneurship and industry as preferred experiences in appropriate job pos1ngs d. Focus hires based on research and educa1onal themes iden1fied through the strategic planning process e. Require tech transfer agreement and documenta1on of research funding (prior and current) 26

27 Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture 4. Nurture communica9ons and shared governance a. Restructure faculty council b. Work closely with engineering student council and other student organiza1ons c. Leverage marke1ng and communica1ons to maximize visibility and our school brand d. Ensure that students, faculty, chairs, and administra1on work directly with marke1ng to announce awards and advancements to increase visibility e. Capitalize the unique ins1tutes and centers to drive collabora1on, innova1on, and entrepreneurship 27

28 Theme 3 Create and nurture a highly collaboraive, entrepreneurial culture 5. Enhance collabora9ve teaching and educa9on experiences a. Create and implement more mul1disciplinary courses b. Work with other schools from the VCU system to s1mulate collabora1on and educa1on c. Establish reconfigurable space and encourage team teaching d. Develop and enhance interdisciplinary opportuni1es (e.g. 101 labs, 1nkering lab, senior design) e. Create collabora1ng areas for graduate student interac1on 28

29 Theme 4 Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience Key IniIaIves Summary: 1. Improve interna1onal research and experiences 2. Educate and engage students and faculty on engineering challenges and implementa1on issues across the world 3. Foster and build rela1onships with interna1onal universi1es and corpora1ons 4. Create a comprehensive global awareness and immersion program 29

30 VCU School of Engineering 2018 Theme Strategic 4 Thmes Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience 1. Improve interna9onal research and experiences a. Create and fill an interna1onal outreach director posi1on b. Find funds to establish rela1onships with interna1onal companies, providing paid internships for undergraduate students c. Develop dual- degree programs with foreign universi1es, requiring an agreement on the curricular and research requirements, as well as onsite work at those universi1es d. Create a one credit seminar for presenters to share research projects and global experiences e. Develop a semester study abroad senior design or graduate program where students are able to absorb real world challenges and gain an understanding to solve global engineering challenges 30

31 Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience 2. Educate and engage students and faculty on engineering challenges and implementa9on issues across the world a. Ini1ate a School of Engineering program to define global and outside of the United States region specific challenges and opportuni1es b. Leverage exis1ng resources from the VCU study abroad office and global educa1on office c. Encourage and support student educa1onal groups (e.g. Engineers Without Borders) d. Develop new opportuni1es compa1ble with curriculum requirements e. Integrate global learning challenges/issues into course material Theme 4 31

32 VCU School of Engineering 2018 Theme Strategic 4 Themes Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience 3. Foster and build rela9onships with interna9onal universi9es and corpora9ons a. Develop and/or deepen rela1onships with companies that offer interna1onal internships b. Con1nue to develop collabora1ve degrees, minors and senior projects with universi1es abroad c. Make study abroad a feasible op1on for students and iden1fy universi1es abroad that can support program exchanges d. Host conferences and workshops that bring interna1onal researchers and engineering professional to our campus e. Focus on quality over quan1ty for global partnerships with universi1es 32

33 Theme 4 Provide a global, real world perspecive of engineering in the learning experience 4. Create a comprehensive global awareness and immersion program a. Create interna1onal internships and immersion programs b. Develop interna1onal collabora1on with student exchanges c. Include cultural diversity courses in our curriculum d. Create a cer1ficate in interna1onal engineering studies e. Link and leverage faculty and professionals to mentor our students on interna1onal culture issues 33

34 Strategic Dashboard Metrics: A. Increase in na1onal ranking in US News and World Report B. Number of peer reviewed published ar1cles per year by faculty and students C. Number of funded grant dollars per faculty D. Survey responses on sa1sfac1on ra1ngs by students, faculty, and staff 34

35 Thank You Thank You VCU School of Engineering is grateful to its faculty and staff for contribu1ng to this roadmap and extends special thanks to: Gary Bowlin, Ph.D. Anil ChaJerji, Robert Kelly, Krzysztof (Krys) Cios, Ph.D., Isaac Rodriguez, Robert Klenke, Ph.D., Karla Mossi, Ph.D., Stephen Fong, Ph.D., Billie Mar1n Lowry, ScoJ Rash, CFRE, John Speich, Ph.D, and Gary Tepper, Ph.D. 35

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