College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Plan 2007-2008

Approved by Arts and Sciences Cabinet, February 26, 2007,
Approved by Arts and Sciences Council, April 26, 2007

Goal I:      Ensure the excellence, currency, and appropriateness of academic programs

1.   Work with the University Curriculum Committee and the Drake Curriculum Analysis and Planning Committee to offer annual workshops on achieving the learning outcomes of the Drake Curriculum; in particular the revisions to the Engaged Citizen category and senior capstones as passed by the faculty Senate in April 2006. Review and revise, if necessary, A&S course proposal forms to make sure they reflect the criteria set forth by the UCC.  Responsibility A&S Dean and Cabinet,
Start date: Fall 2007.

2.   Investigate ways to acknowledge and support innovative faculty creation of undergraduate experiential learning experiences.
      Responsibility: Dean and A&S Council, with ad hoc Workload Taskforce. Start date: proposal to be submitted to full faculty by February 2008.

3.   Link discussion of assessment data to college-level planning as well as create a budget line to support department assessment processes and fully implement revised outcomes and assessment procedures that were discussed by departments and programs in 2006.
Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
Start date: August 2007.

4.  Create a three-year planning cycle in Arts and Sciences to feed into the three-year strategic planning cycle of the university.
Responsibility: A&S Cabinet.
Start date: Fall 2007.

5.   Continue plans to upgrade learning facilities by 1) ensuring that all A&S classrooms for more than 20 students are electronic classrooms by August 2008; 2) engaging an architectural firm to prepare a master plan for fine arts facilities by December 2008.
Responsibility: Dean and Technology Committee.

6.   Review the structure of A&S faculty governance, particularly the links between the Curriculum Committee, Cabinet, and Council, in order to make the governance structure more effective and more representative. Responsibility: A&S Cabinet and Council.
Report due Spring 2008.

 

Goal II:    Improve and sustain the financial strength of the University

1.   Increase corporate and donor support for the fine arts events to provide $20,000 per year for visiting artist programming of $20,000 per year;
      to add $200,000 in donations to support unfunded fine arts scholarships;
      and to increase the Friends of Drake Arts quasi-endowment to $200,000.
Responsibility: Dean and Senior Advancement Officer.
Completion: December 2009.

2.   Identify corporate and donor support of $50,000 a year for DUSCI and summer undergraduate research; and increase the STAR Fund Endowment to $100,000.
      Responsibility: Dean, DUSCI Director and Senior Advancement Officer.
      Completion: April 2010.

3.   Identify ways to more effectively market existing programs or develop new learning programs that will increase college full-time enrollment by 75 students over the 2004-2006 average.
      Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
      Feasibility study and implementation plan completion: August 2009.

4.   Identify $22 million in Federal, Grant, and Donor Funding to initiate a new science building connected to Olin Hall.
      Responsibility: Dean and Senior Advancement Officer working with the President and Provost.
      Initiate architectural and lab design planning by Spring 2010.

 

Goal III:   Recruit and retain faculty and staff of the highest quality

1.   Develop a plan to use increased A&S faculty development money to support priorities such as: 1) to support faculty to secure a course release for a semester in which they are completing a significant scholarly project; 2) to support travel by faculty who have created a new experiential learning/study abroad program for students; 3) to support faculty in developing a new course based on their scholarly or creative expertise.
Responsibility: Dean and A&S Council.
Proposal due April 2008.

2.   Develop a formal three-tier mentorship & development program for pre-tenure, mid-career and established faculty.
Responsibility A&S Cabinet.
Start date: August 2009.


3.   Review pay for part-time faculty and full- and part-time laboratory instructors and propose adjustments as necessary.
Responsibility: A&S Council.
Report due December 2007.

4.   Review college academic structure to ensure effective support of interdisciplinary programs and evaluation of faculty hired into interdisciplinary programs.
Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
Report due November 2008.

5.   Create two new endowed professorships within the college.
Responsibility: Dean and A&S Senior Advancement Officer.
Completion: April 2010.

6.   Create additional opportunities for faculty to discuss research or teaching in order to enhance the sense of community among A&S faculty.
Responsibility: A&S Council.
Start date: September 2008.

7.   Review and propose changes if necessary for the Family Leave Policy and flexible contracts for faculty at various stages of their academic careers.
      Responsibility: Arts and Sciences Council and Dean
Report due by August 2010.

 

Goal IV:   Ensure that Drake students, faculty, and staff are able to function effectively as members of diverse local, national, and global communities

1.   Create a program on strategies for incorporating diversity into education that can be offered to the other units in the university.
Responsibility: Diversity Committee.
Report due: April 2008.

2.   Increase the percentage of faculty from diverse cultural or ethnic backgrounds to 15%.
Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
Completion: August 2009

3.   Double the number of women holding full professor rank over the number in April 2007.
Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
Completion: April 2009.


4.   Develop a plan for supporting students who are studying off-campus in study abroad or internship programs so that they can more easily stay on track for graduation; possibilities to be considered include but are not limited to offering on-line courses that meet DC criteria during the regular academic year, encouraging more flexibility in major requirements so that students can free a semester for experiential opportunities, etc.
Responsibility: Department Chairs, A&S Council.
Department Chairs Report to A&S Council by November 2008.
      Plan completion: March 2009.

5.   Develop a college program (either a summer program or a program offered the semester before students enroll on college) to help develop skills and knowledge for academic success for students drawn from populations that have not traditionally succeeded in college.
Responsibility: Diversity Committee and A&S Council.
Feasibility and implementation plan: November 2008.

6.   Ensure that 50% of full-time faculty have had a significant learning or teaching experience abroad, or at peer institutions in the U.S.A., (including, for example, faculty exchanges with other ANAC schools).
Responsibility: Dean and A&S Council.
Completion: April 2010.

Goal V:     Improve relationships and communications with University’s constituencies (students; faculty; staff; boards; alumni; friends; prospective students & their parents; community; national)

1.   Revise departmental and college web-pages to take advantage of the communication possibilities presented by the university portal project and to create sites for needs such as providing information on teaching and learning for faculty and maintaining information on graduates.
Responsibility: Educational Technologist and Technology Committee.
Start date: October 2007.

2.   Develop regular alumni surveys as part of each program’s assessment plan. Responsibility: Dean and Department Chairs.
Implementation begins: March 2008.

3.   Expand membership of the A&S National Advisory Council to 20.
Responsibility: Dean and NAC Chair.
Completion: September 2008.

4.   Ensure that members of the NAC and of Friends of Drake Arts have meaningful interaction with faculty and students.
Responsibility: Dean and Senior Advancement Officer.
Completion: April 2008.