Fulbright College Strategic Plan

Below you will find the recently completed strategic plan for Fulbright College. I want to thank the several faculty and staff members who offered their ideas and insights during the process of drafting the plan. I very much appreciate the good work of Charles Adams, John Hehr, Yvette Murphy, Joe Candido, Dave Dawson, Fiona Davidson, Jeannine Durdik, DeDe Long, Charles Robinson, Luis Restrepo, Loredana Lanzani, Pam Jansma, Dave Fredrick, Davis McCombs, Roger Koeppe, Steve Beaupre, Jeannie Whayne, Lynn Jacobs, and Dawn Fisher. Please feel free to contact me or any of those who drafted the plan with your comments and ideas.

 

 

FULBRIGHT COLLEGE STRATEGIC PLAN

January 10, 2007

In Fulbright College, we embrace the vision of Senator J. William Fulbright, when he stated that “the highest purpose of higher education is the teaching of things in perspective, toward the purposes of enriching the life of the individual, cultivating the free and inquiring mind, and advancing the effort to bring reason, justice and humanity into the relations of people and nations”.

Note: In all enumerated Recommendations, unless otherwise specified, the understood subject is “Fulbright College.”

FIRST OVERARCHING GOAL: To ensure that original scholarship and discovery of knowledge are core values of the college faculty, and are woven into the fabric of both undergraduate and graduate education in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Guiding Principle 1: Fulbright College supports and rewards excellence in faculty scholarship.

Comment: Faculty who are actively engaged in their own scholarly pursuits are best able to convey the intricacies of their discipline to their students, and impart a detailed understanding as to how new knowledge is developed in that discipline. Most or all faculty should be effective ‘teacher-scholars’.

Recommendation 1: …increase the proportion of the budget which supports faculty research and the creative application of knowledge.

Recommendation 2: …expand the number of Master Researcher Awards to two awards annually within the areas of: a) arts/humanities, b) sciences, c) social sciences (one at the senior level and one at the junior level for each of the 3 areas) and increase the salary increment for each award.

Recommendation 3: …continue and seek to expand support for travel costs of faculty presenting their research or their involvement in other creative endeavors at national and international conferences.

Recommendation 4: …review its merit evaluation procedures to ensure that the evaluation of research gives adequate consideration to not only the quantity of faculty research, but the quality and nature, e.g., long-term vs. short-term projects.

Guiding Principle 2: Fulbright College faculty engages undergraduate students in **discovery.

Comment: Resources are necessary to reward/support faculty who develop discovery-based opportunities in their classes.

Recommendation 1: …provide competitive funds for the development of new or replacement courses and enhancement of existing courses towards emphasis of discovery experiences. [Enhancement or replacement of existing courses should be emphasized because of the need to optimize offerings while recognizing the reality of finite resources.]

Recommendation 2: …review its core curriculum to ensure that it includes ways for students to engage in discovery in all appropriate courses. [Do not expand the core curriculum; streamline it if possible to accommodate this process – see Recommendation 1.]

Recommendation 3: …develop funds for the support of undergraduate research and travel to professional meetings. (Note: these financial opportunities should be available to all undergraduate students involved in discovery research).

Recommendation 4: …encourage the Teaching and Faculty Support Center to develop programs and/or publications to aid faculty in the incorporation of discovery into the undergraduate curriculum.

Recommendation 5: …support and reward faculty that directly involve undergraduate students in the discovery process through original research and creative endeavors.

Recommendation 6: …review its merit evaluation procedures to ensure that it encourages and rewards faculty whose courses engage students in processes of inquiry and discovery.

Recommendation 7: …encourage discovery process or inquiry learning by emphasizing it as a criterion in Master Teacher Awards and annual faculty evaluations.

Recommendation 8: …encourage and support the development of an interdisciplinary course centered on the discovery process.

• Lecture/demonstration format
• Covering major discoveries in several fields
• ARSC Core course [substituting for existing core requirements]
• Freshman or Sophomore level

Recommendation 9: …modify and possibly increase the Senior writing requirement such that it qualifies as a discovery experience (interpreted broadly, discipline-specific), and may involve two or more courses in the Major.

Recommendation 10: …encourage courses in the major that include a research/analytical paper; encourage elective courses which involve an analytical paper where practicable.

**Discovery: the process of obtaining knowledge through inquiry, observation, study, and the engagement of critical thinking skills: problem-solving, reasoning, communication, and making connections. Critical thinking and discovery are processes; the emphasis of instruction is on the process of presenting open-ended challenges sometimes involving ambiguity. Discovery and critical thinking skills are essential tools in addressing the ambiguities of work experiences and every day life.

Guiding Principle 3: Fulbright College faculty cross diverse disciplinary lines and collaborate to address the accelerating pace of change and the complexity of problems that challenge society.

Comment: College curricula must enable students to understand complexity, develop critical thinking skills, and understand connectivity among disciplines.

Recommendation 1: …send clear messages that interdisciplinary ventures and team-based activities already exist within the College, are important, and should be enhanced and expanded.

Recommendation 2:…set aside (TELE) funds in the college to support faculty developing cross-disciplinary, collaborative courses or programs.

Recommendation 3:…provide financial incentives for cross-departmental and cross-college activities, thereby encouraging faculty from diverse disciplines to work on collaborative scholarly or research projects.

Recommendation 4:…set up a budget system in which participating units share revenues as well as costs. Formal and informal sharing agreements facilitate interdisciplinary work among departments, colleges, disciplines, and centers.

Recommendation 5:…sponsor more joint cross-disciplinary events for faculty, students, alumni and friends of the Arts and Sciences.

Guiding Principle 4: Fulbright College values original scholarship; it is a degree requirement for all graduate degrees offered in Fulbright College.

Comment: Coursework-only degree programs do not prepare students adequately for the changes expected in all disciplines.

Recommendation 1: Strongly encourage a master’s thesis (6 credit hours) that embodies original scholarship, in addition to 24 semester hours of course work for Master of Arts degrees and Master of Science degrees. (Departments re-examine course requirements that exceed 24 semester course credit hours for these two degrees.)

Recommendation 2: Departments and programs re-examine the balance between course requirements and dissertation/scholarship requirements of Ph.D. programs on a regular and ongoing basis, to ensure appropriate emphasis on original scholarship and discovery within the context of our changing world.

SECOND OVERARCHING GOAL: To prepare students who are globally aware and culturally sensitive.

Guiding Principle 1: A diverse campus environment prepares students for life and work in a global community. Faculty, staff, and students benefit by being aware of the importance of diversity to the College and its mission.

Recommendation 1: The director of communication enhances and makes easily accessible information on the college website related to diversity so that data and goals are clear. The website should:

1. present a historical perspective on the College's efforts to diversify its population;
2. include departmental data as well as overall College statistics;
3. display data related to race, gender, and country of origin in the case of international students and faculty;
4. present clear and attainable goals for increasing the diversity of the College's population in each category.

Recommendation 2: …encourage the development of a template by the content manager, University Relations, so that all U of A colleges can easily report diversity data, goals, efforts and progress toward meeting those goals.

Guiding Principle 2: Multiple cultural perspectives and cultural sensitivity are enhanced by increasing the representation of minorities among the students and faculty of the college. Further, Fulbright College supports the University’s Affirmative Action Plan promoting a campus which is welcoming to any individual regardless of age, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, race, religious commitment, gender, or sexual orientation. Diversity is valued and celebrated; neither prejudice nor discrimination is tolerated.

Recommendation 1: …seek external funding for scholarships to diversify the college student population. Possible action item: hire a development person specifically to look for NGO and private sources of funds for minority student scholarship or other forms of aid.

Recommendation 2: …develop programs to build relationships with historically African American and Hispanic communities and institutions.

Recommendation 3: …continue to support in spirit and create through policies and practices a place of work and study for all which is free of all forms of discrimination, sexual intimidation, and exploitation.

Guiding Principle 3: Diversity of perspective is enhanced by approximating gender balance in the representation of faculty, staff, and student population.

Recommendation 1: …develop data on gender diversity in the college, make it easily available on the college website; and set ambitious but attainable numerical goals for increasing the number of women among the faculty and student body, especially in the sciences and other areas in which women are underrepresented.

Guiding Principle 4: Global awareness and cultural sensitivity are enhanced by increasing the representation of international students in the college.

Recommendation 1: …encourage the U of A study abroad programs to engage with international students on-site in order to expand the visibility of the U of A and/or facilitate additional recruitment of international students.

Recommendation 2: …support the International Admissions Office in targeting underrepresented areas of the world, particularly Africa.

Guiding Principle 5: Restructuring and empowering international area studies programs emphasize their centrality to the College's diversity efforts.

Recommendation 1: …move toward a system of joint faculty appointments so that area studies directors have more authority to make teaching assignments and evaluate the performance of faculty appointed in their area.

Recommendation 2: …move toward the creation of a stand-alone major in each area studies program.

Recommendation 3: …review departmental majors associated with area studies programs: strive for increased flexibility in requirements in order to allow faculty members with joint appointments in area studies to teach the courses required to sustain stand-alone area studies majors.

Recommendation 4: …aggressively seek external funding -- private or grant money -- to support area studies programs. Consider devoting more TELE funds to area studies programs to reflect growing student interest in these areas.

Recommendation 5: …revitalize the Fulbright Institute of International Relations in order to:

1. provide an umbrella organizational home for the international area studies programs; and
2. sponsor colloquia that bring various area studies faculty together to focus on a theme that crosses disciplinary lines.

Recommendation 6: …establish an Area Studies Committee in order to better coordinate the efforts of all the area studies programs, international or not.

Recommendation 7: The Area Studies Committee, or a subgroup focused on international area studies programs, work with the dean's office and the Study Abroad office to set long-term priorities for international programs, and tie these priorities to hiring decisions where appropriate.

Guiding Principle 6: The infusion of diversity in the curriculum prepares students who are globally aware and culturally sensitive.

Recommendation 1: …integrate cultural diversity and global awareness in the college core, especially by replacing western civilization with world civilization.

Recommendation 2: …better integrate study abroad experiences in the curriculum.

Recommendation 3: …enhance current and develop new international service learning opportunities in college study abroad programs in which multiple disciplines collaborate and focus on community building in a developing nation.

Recommendation 4: …seek ways to facilitate cooperation across department boundaries, both in teaching and research.

THIRD OVERARCHING GOAL: To prepare student scholars for success in the 21st Century.

Guiding Principle: Success in the 21st Century requires the cultivation of aptitudes and skills in problem solving, reasoning, communication, and making connections to generate creative answers to the world’s current and ever-evolving challenges.

Recommendation 1:…consider establishing a *tool requirement fulfilled via a variety of designated courses. May include Foreign Languages and/or an increase in the requirement.

Recommendation 2:…offer students a choice to enhance their program by taking courses outside their major/college (skill enhancement).

Recommendation 3:…offer a capstone course integrating all course work in each major program.

Recommendation 4:…encourage all disciplines to expand out-of-class educational experiences, particularly involving service to the community; offer opportunities to practice civic responsibility, engagement, and action.

Recommendation 5:…develop a list of competencies that students must achieve or a research problem that must be complete in a designated time period.

Recommendation 6: The departments and the college will address the timing and proper sequences of courses.

Recommendation 7:…establish internal grants program which supports team-implemented undergraduate research awards - in order to focus on teamwork.

Recommendation 8:…re-evaluate the college core with the intent to:

• integrate, emphasize communication skills: listening, verbal, written, foreign language, computer literacy and quantitative literacy; research skills; and analytical/critical thinking skills;
• align it with Fulbright College’s strategic plan; and
• broaden choices including technological focus and interdisciplinary work;

and encourage the Provost to undertake a similar examination of the University Core.

*Tool: a skill or skill enhancement. It may be generally or peripherally related, or unrelated to the specific content or major area of study; tools help facilitate application of knowledge to the realities of the workplace and the complexities of our current world issues. A tool can be obtained from within or outside the College; among other things, it may be used to access, assess, analyze, measure, diagnose, program, evaluate, record, communicate, manipulate.