Setting the Standard in the
Strategic Planning
December 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vision, Mission, and Overarching Objective3
Teaching and Learning4
ObjectiveOne: STEM instruction4
Objective Two: Undergraduate Majors7
Objective Three: Graduate Programs9
Research12
Objective Four: Research Excellence12
Objective Five: Faculty Hiring14
Objective Six: Working Environment16
Community and Outreach18
Objective Seven: Healthy Communities18
Objective Eight: K-16 Science Education21
Objective Nine: Economic Development22
Objective Ten: Fundraising/Alumni24
Executive Summary of College Plan
Vision, Mission, and Overarching Objective 26
Summary of Overall Goals and Objectives27
Summary of Goals28
Teaching and Learning Summary30
Research Summary31
Community and Outreach Summary32
Metrics, Targets, and Timelines Summary 34
Vision, Mission, and Overarching Objective
Vision
The faculty of the College of Natural Sciences asks and answers questions inspired by the universe around us. Through observation, experimentation, modeling and analysis, we test hypotheses and generate new questions aimed at deepening the understanding of nature.We are privileged to share the answers we find, the methods we use to find them, and the excitement of discovery with the problem-solvers of the future.
Mission
The College fosters a climate of excellence among its constituent departments to improve and integrate the teaching of science and mathematics, to facilitate highly productive research, and to promote and enhance community outreach. The College faculty shares a common philosophy about the education of future scientists that is realized through visible and productive research programs in which dedicated faculty members mentor students and postgraduates of all levels. In the classroom, the laboratory, and the field, we are committed to excellent instruction, in order to develop a scientifically literate public, future scientists, and a technically proficient work force.
Overarching Objective
The overall objective of the College is to utilize the talents of the faculty, staff, and students as a resource for our State and Nation, resonating with the evolving needs of industry, business, government and local K-16 education. The following document focuses on specific objectives, goals, strategies, and action plans for three areas: Teaching/Learning, Research, and Community/Outreach. In reality, all three areas are interdependent and interconnected such that strategies and action items for one area will have repercussions in other areas.
Teaching and Learning
Our overall goal is to provide the highest quality academic programs in natural sciences. This encompasses a commitment to both outstanding integrative undergraduate curricula, and to first-class graduate programs, in the mathematical, physical, and life sciences.
In the undergraduate domain, this commitment includes: presenting introductory courses that promote computational and scientific literacy for non-science majors, especially via our contributions to the All-University Core Curriculum; offering rigorous and quality introductory courses that are prerequisites to upper division courses for science, and technology majors; developing and presenting cutting-edge advanced disciplinary instruction for undergraduate students in science majors from across the University; incorporating appropriate computational, technological, and hands-on laboratory experiences throughout the curriculum; making mentored undergraduate research experiences integral components of all majors in the College; enhancing our curricula by an array of both curricular and co-curricular experiences; increasing educational opportunities to students via innovative use of information technology; committing to quality advising, effective retention and academic enhancement programs, career placement assistance, and post-graduate alumni programs.
In the graduate domain, this commitment includes: instilling in students the enthusiasm and thought processes which prepare them for still greater achievements in research; mentoringspecific research projects for graduate students; providing advanced coursework at the frontiers of our disciplines; offering a balanced graduate experience that prepares students for a variety of postdoctoral career tracks ranging from research careers at Carnegie Research Extensive universities to teaching careers at small colleges to successful careers in a wide array of industries; facilitating inter- and cross-disciplinary educational initiatives at the graduate level; an emphasis on doctoral education in all of our disciplines.
We have organized these commitments in three Objectives, each with several Goals, in what follows in this section.
Objective One
The College will provide students across the University with outstanding science and mathematics instruction, especially through its role in the All-University Core Curriculum.
Goal 1: The College’s lower division lecture and seminar courses will be a model for introductory science courses nationally and will be the preferred choice for undergraduate students to satisfy their core curricula.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: optimize the size of our lecture courses, with an eye on both quality and access; deploy appropriate graduate teaching assistants to aid in student learning; use the PRISM system and other tools to continually assess and improve our lower-division offerings; work towards a ‘math and science across the curriculum’ culture in the overall AUCC; incorporate sufficient writing and presentation components to our courses to ensure that our students communicate effectively in the sciences; ensure that we maintain a robust and flexible array of up-to-date courses that satisfy AUCC requirements; participate vigorously in the university’s freshman seminar programs.
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesSCH in AUCC / Increase by 1/2% more than overall CSU SCH per year / Will be difficult if Critical Thinking is dropped
GTA stipends / Peer levels in 2008 / Support from Grad. School
PRISM system up to date / All programs by fall 2006 / Develop College-wide PRISM outcomes?
AUCC courses in state core / All courses by fall 2007 / Writing in PY is the next step
Science/Math literacy / All programs have NS/M prerequisites by 2010 / All programs of study at CSU!
Assess CNS distribution of Tech Fee / Assessment in fall 2006, bi-annually thereafter / Money distribution, decision process, criteria
Goal 2: The College will enhance and expand high-quality hands-on laboratory experiences throughout the undergraduate curriculum.
Learning science means doing science, and we are committed to a philosophy and a practice of providing experiential learning through engaging laboratory experiences for all of our students.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: increase access to laboratory sections of existing courses; monitor the use of college Technology fees to maintain and upgrade laboratory equipment in student labs; add more laboratory experiences to existing courses whenever feasible; assure that responsibility for student laboratory experiences is accounted for in departmental workload analyses.
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesAdditional lab experiences available / Increase in number by one per year
SCH in lab experiences / Increase by 1/2% more than overall CSU SCH per year
Assess CNS distribution of Tech Fee / Assessment in fall 2006, bi-annually thereafter / Money distribution, decision process, criteria
Goal 3: The College will be a national leader in instructional science innovation.
The traditional lecture persists as a dominant educational strategy at CSU, as at most institutions of higher education, despite considerable evidence that its main virtue is cost effectiveness rather than educational effectiveness. Meanwhile, the internet and adjunct communications technologies offer possible supplements and alternatives to a solely site-centric, model of education. Students who have taken courses featuring blended instruction (frequently a combination of lectures and a significant portion of structured, online learning activities) typically express a preference for such a format, and often show enhanced learning. For our institution to continue to compete effectively for students, particularly those taking lower-division courses, we must invest in developing and testing new types of high quality courses using innovative instructional methods, and also explore novel modes of instruction which can be integrated into traditional class formats.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: provide financial incentives to departments, based on competitive proposals, to reform and enhance the larger lower-division courses; increase the use of appropriate hardware and software (e.g. clicker systems, WebCT, smart boards, online and tablet-based learning modes); maintain state-of-the-art instructional facilities of all kinds (e.g. smart classrooms with good seating and lighting, the CNS Tutorial Hall, appropriate learning spaces in the new CNS Residential Hall, excellent Library collections and facilities).
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesProposal system for instructional innovations / $10K pilot program in 2006-07
Percent of courses using WebCT etc. / Increase by 5% per year until 2010 / Target specific courses? Develop tracking mechanism
Upgrade CNS Tutorial Hall / Assess in 2006-07; find home by 2009 / MusicBuilding is our preference
Web library resource enhancements / Module for all science students by 2007 / Coordinate with Library; AEP?
Goal 4: The College will provide management of the Life Science Core Curriculum, and obtain full funding for its operation.
The Life Sciences (LS) Core is an introductory curriculum in life sciences shared across multiple departments and colleges. The concept is to deliver fundamental concepts in biology that are the basis for many majors without duplicating efforts in multiple departments and/or colleges. We propose the establishment of a LS Advisory Board, composed of chairs of departments that contribute faculty to the instruction of LS courses, and a LS Curriculum Committee, composed of departmental curriculum committee chairs from departments that require LS Core courses. Fully funding the operations of the LS Core is critical to its success.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: achieve campus consensus on Biology’s proposal to structure the administration (LS Director; LS Administrative Advisory Board of Department Chairs; LS Curriculum Advisory Board of department CC Chairs) to oversee staffing, resource allocation, and curriculum development; appoint a LS Core Director; review the second-year coursework in the Core; work with the Council of Deans and the Provost’s office to make the proper funding of the LS Core a high priority in the budgeting process.
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesNew administrative plan / Adopted by fall 2006 / Provost's decision
Appropriate funding / Fully funded by fall 2007 / Review of existing proposal
Director / Hired by fall 2007
Objective Two
The College will graduate large numbers of well-educated science students and prepare them for productive careers in the sciences.
Goal 5: The College will provide learning environments and extracurricular programs that promote the success of our undergraduate majors.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: assure appropriate advising for all CNS majors and open-option students interested in natural sciences; accelerate access to courses required for graduation to improve our time-to-degree statistics; facilitate career placement; maintain and enhance our retention programs (possibly through better coordination with broader based STEM efforts); plan and build an appropriate successor to the Ingersoll Residential College; assist our students with graduate school admissions procedures and placement (e.g. with GRE testing); increase our scholarships, both in number and value.
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesAnnual advisor training program / Pilot in 2006-07, implement in fall 2007 / Shared College/Dept. responsibility
Time-to-degree statistics / All students have 15 credits persemester available / How much does CNS affect this goal?
Graduate/career placement statistics / Survey in 2006-07 / GRE Prep courses offered
Science Residence Hall / In the next residence hall phase / Entire dorm desired
StudentScienceSupportCenter / In the MusicBuilding by 2008 / In PDP, coordinate with STEM programs
Scholarships / Increase by 10% per year for five years / Measured in dollars
Goal 6: The College will increase opportunities for undergraduate research experiences, so that every qualified and motivated student in the College can participate.
Most science fields are laboratory- (or field-) based, with the creative and exciting aspects of a career in science being grounded in new discoveries about our world. As such, research-based experiences allow students to develop a more realistic picture of what scientists do on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, these experiences also provide students the opportunity to apply the theoretical concepts they learn in the classroom to “real” laboratory experiences. Perhaps the most important lessons to be learned are that experiments do not always fit our preconceived ideas about expected outcomes and that these experiences require students to synthesize and apply knowledge gained from a variety of courses (often including cross-disciplinary areas). Therefore, it is important to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in research projects in their respective fields. Moreover, the earlier students are exposed to more “real-world” discovery-based laboratory experiences, the more likely students will remain in science fields. Thus, undergraduate research is an opportunity to heighten recruitment and retention in our nation’s scientific workforce.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: require research as part of our Honors program; promote the “Celebrate Undergraduate Research and Creativity” Symposium; increase the visibility of undergraduate research activities in CNS; increase student awareness of external Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs; increase funding to support undergraduate research (e.g. travel, supplies, fellowships, summer stipends, and work-study funds); increase off-campus research opportunities for undergraduates locally; provide incentives for faculty to host UG research activities; provide incentives and appropriate GTA resources for instructors to incorporate student-driven research into regular coursework; develop an online journal for undergraduate CNS research projects; establish a program of graduation ‘with distinction in research.’
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesNumber of students involved / Increase by 5% per year for five years / Early experiences; Many Minds
Number of UG co-authors of articles / Double by 2010 / Develop tracking mechanism
Funding for UG research / Double by 2010 / AEP proposals, HHMI proposal
On-line UG research journal / Organize in 2006-07, implement in fall 2007 / Find a faculty ‘editor’
Number of REU students/programs / Increase to five by 2008 / Goal: every department?
Goal 7: The College will enhance the educational opportunities for our undergraduate majors.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: offer Honors Track 2 in every CNS major; increase the number of 5-year integrated BS/MS degree programs; develop interdisciplinary majors and minors that combine emerging areas of economic opportunity (e.g. mathematical biology; ACT degree in CS; nanotechnology and materials sciences; neuroscience major with CVMBS; certificate program with College of Business; biomedical engineering; pre-health programs; certificate program in Animal Behavior); expand opportunities for exposure to international experience both abroad and on campus; incorporate additional humanities experience in all CNS majors (e.g. more writing; science ethics coursework; science and mathematics history and philosophy courses; Sciences and Arts degree certificate; Science and Art annual poster competition).
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesDepartmental Honors programs / In every major by fall 2007 / Additional funding needed in BY, PY?
Integrated BS/MS programs / One additional each year
New interdisciplinary certificates/minors / One additional each year / Business Science next?
International experiences / Two new university partnerships by 2008
Science ethics courses in curriculum / Inventory in spring 2006
Science History component / In every major by fall 2008
Science and Arts certificate / Available 2005-06 / “Scholastic Breadth”
Science Writing / SCH in CO301B? / Partner with English; Cornell model?
Science Education majors / 25% increase by 2009 / Hach Foundation interest
Goal 8: The College will increase opportunities for distance BS and MS degrees and online learning.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: maintain quality and increase enrollment in the existing distance programs (e.g. MS in CS; MS in ST); increase distance offerings that are independent of degree programs (e.g. IMP mini-courses and placement program); add new degree programs (e.g. Industrial/Organizational Psychology degree program in Denver, and the MS in NS Education program).
Goals and Metrics / Targets and Timelines / NotesSCH in online courses / Increase by 5% per year for five years / New courses required
Number of certificate/degree programs / Increase by two by 2008 / MS in NS; I/O in Denver; others?
Distance revenue / Increase by 10% per year for five years / Hire (CPALI?) AP to assist faculty
Objective Three
The College will offer first-class graduate programs in the natural sciences, and will focus on the training of PhD graduates as a key indicator of its success.
Goal 9: The College will increase the number and quality of PhD students and PhD degrees awarded.
Research and graduate education are integrally coupled. Graduate students are central to successful scientific research within the University, and the most satisfying part of many faculty members’ professional life is mentoring the next generation of scientists. Probably the most highly leveraged key to a high-quality graduate program is the successful recruitment of new students. The success of recruitment, and many other aspects of a healthy graduate program, relies on an effective partnership between the College and the GraduateSchool.Graduate students are also involved in the undergraduate educational enterprise as GTAs as well as research mentors.
Strategies to achieve this goal include: effective recruitment efforts by the College, our Departments, and our faculty (e.g. promoting visits to our campus by prospective students, and visits by our faculty to undergraduate institutions); support multi-department graduate student recruiting efforts that lend greater visibility to the recruiting efforts of small departments and breed interdisciplinary interactions within related fields; increase the funding for GRAs in every department; work with the Graduate School to relieve the tuition differential for international GRAs; work with the Graduate School to make competitive GTA stipends a University priority; increase the number of GTA positions; ensure timely admissions processes; expand GTA tuition allocations and develop well-understood effective distribution formulae; work with the Graduate School to increase graduate student health benefits; increase the visibility and recognition of our research programs via a more focused and attractive web presence; monitor graduate student workloads to ensure timely progress toward their degrees; increase our retention rates for graduate students; monitor and work to upgrade our placement of graduate students.