College of Human Environmental Sciences

Strategic Plan for 2005-2010

 

 

Vision for 2010:

 

          The College of Human Environmental Sciences is a student-centered research division with a diverse faculty who are involved in teaching, research, and service. Faculty research and outreach activities are centered within the College’s Alabama Institute for Healthy Communities, Families, and Consumers. The College attracts top undergraduate and graduate students through on-campus and distance programs. Undergraduate and graduate programs throughout the College are recognized for their excellence and graduates of these programs are highly recruited by employers. Students within the College appreciate the student-friendly atmosphere of the College and the expertise of the faculty. Faculty members are recognized for their expertise and are often consulted by state and national policy makers when family, consumer, and health issues are being discussed.

 

Goals:

1.     The Alabama Institute for Healthy Communities, Families, and Consumers is established.

 

2.     Faculty members have funded research projects that address family, consumer, and health issues important to society.

 

3.     The faculty of the College has increased and is more diverse.

 

4.     Undergraduate and graduate programs within the College produce graduates who are highly qualified and are sought by employers.

 

5.     Distance education offerings within the College will be increased by one program and courses and services to students will be improved.

 

6.     Students within the College receive advising from faculty and staff that is appropriate and useful.

 

7.     Students within the College are supported as they apply for scholarships and awards.

 

8.     Service activities in the College are effective in meeting the needs of Alabama’s citizens and are recognized as being cutting-edge.

 

9.     The College has had a successful Capital Campaign resulting in increased endowments and supporters.

 

10. Faculty members are affecting family, consumer, and health policy at the state and national levels through white papers.

 

11. Faculty members have been recognized for their expertise at the University, State, and National levels.

 

 

Action Plan:

 

Goal 1. The Alabama Institute for Healthy Communities, Families, and Consumers is established.

 

Objectives:

 

1.1   By 2010 the Alabama Institute for Healthy Communities, Families, and Consumers will be established and will house a minimum of two centers.

 

Action Steps:

 

1.1.1.               Develop a plan for the Alabama Institute for Health Communities, Families, and Consumers.

1.1.2.               Develop guidelines for centers within the Institute.

1.1.3.               Encourage groups of faculty in HES and in other divisions on campus to work within centers to collaborate on research and other appropriate activities.

 

Goal 2.  Faculty members have funded research projects that address family, consumer, and health issues important to society.

 

Objectives:

 

2.1       By 2010 faculty with research responsibilities will publish an average of two peer-reviewed publications a year or have two peer-reviewed design works accepted for exhibition internationally or nationally.

 

2.2       By 2010 College faculty will bring in a minimum of $250,000 in funded research.

 

2.3       By 2010 two research projects within the College will be federally funded.

 

Action Steps:

 

2.1.1      Establish a mentoring program for new faculty members to increase their research productivity and funding potential.

2.1.2      Appoint an Associate Dean for Research

2.1.3      Provide release time for newly employed faculty to establish a research agenda.

2.1.4      Provide needed research equipment to newly employed faculty.

2.1.5      Provide networking opportunities each semester for faculty members involved in research.

2.1.6      Provide information and support for faculty to seek funding from foundations and other sources.

 

Goal 3.  The faculty of the College has increased and is more diverse.

 

Objectives:

 

3.1 By 2010 the number of faculty members in the College will have increased proportionate to growth in student enrollment.

 

Action Steps:

 

3.1.1      Maintain an entrepreneurial posture to enable us to address emerging issues in the world, nation, and state through research, academic programs, and services.

3.1.2      Support the University’s goal of increasing the number of students by increasing student enrollment in the College by 4% each year.

3.1.3      Continue to advocate to central administration for new faculty lines to support the growth in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.

 

3.2             By 2010 the College faculty will have become more ethnically diverse.

 

Actions Steps:

 

3.2.1  As faculty positions become available, actively recruit ethnically diverse candidates for the positions.

 

Goal 4.   Undergraduate and graduate programs within the College produce graduates who are highly qualified and are sought by employers and/or graduate and professional programs.

 

Objectives:

 

4.1  By 2010, 75% of graduates in undergraduate programs in CHES will be employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.

 

Action Steps:

 

4.1.1      Focus recruiting efforts on top high school students.

4.1.2  Create a committee on branding/outreach/image

4.1.3  Develop a strong undergraduate research program

4.1.4  Expand opportunities for top students in University Scholars Programs

4.1.5 Develop the Leadership Institute to enhance student leadership in College

4.1.6 Work with the Career Center to provide employment postings and to provide career counseling to students.

4.1.7 Enhance internship opportunities for students.

 

4.2     By 2010, 100% of doctoral students will have disseminated (published or presented at a professional meeting) research upon graduation.

 

Action Steps:

 

4.2.1      Encourage doctoral students to submit abstracts for research presentations at national meetings.

4.2.2      Provide travel funds to doctoral students presenting research at national meetings.

4.2.3  Provide forums within the College for doctoral students to present research.

4.2.4      Encourage and reward students who submit their research for publication.

 

4.3             By 2010, 90% of graduate students will be employed or enrolled in further graduate or post-graduate programs within six months of graduation.

 

Goal 5.  Distance education offerings within the College will be increased by one program and courses and services to students will be improved.

 

Objectives:

 

5.1  By 2010, one additional degree program within the college will be available by distance.

 

Action steps

 

5.1.1      Work with departments to determine the degree program(s) most suited to distance education.

5.1.2  Provide support for faculty to develop distance offerings.

5.1.3  Work with Academic Outreach to market the degree program and to develop the courses as appropriately.

 

5.2  By 2010, 90% of all courses offered through distance education will have interactive components that allow faculty-to-student interaction and student-to-student interaction.

 

Action steps

 

5.2.1      Provide training for faculty to introduce types of technology that will facilitate interaction in distance courses.

5.2.2      Work with Academic Outreach to revise current distance courses so that interaction is increased.

5.2.3      Evaluate courses to determine if the revisions result in improved interaction and in a better learning environment for distance students.

 

5.3  By 2010, distance students will have access to advising, scholarships, and other services and benefits provided on-campus students.

 

Actions Steps:

 

5.3.1      Establish a strong infra-structure for distance education within the College.

5.3.2      Work with Academic Outreach to assure that distance students have access to services across campus.

5.3.3      Assure that distance students are knowledgeable about the services available to them.


Goal 6.  Students within the College receive advising from faculty and staff that is appropriate and useful.

 

Objectives:

 

6.1 By 2010, 90% of students in HES will rate their academic advising experience as good or excellent. Base-line data in spring 2005 51.7% of HES majors were very satisfied and 33.2% were satisfied with their advising experience, for a total of 84.9%.

 

Action Steps:

 

6.1.1      Provide training for faculty, graduate students, and staff who advise students on a regular basis.

6.1.2      Establish a standard for excellent advising.

6.1.3  Reward faculty for excellent student advising through the merit raise process.

6.1.4 Increase the college-wide advising infrastructure.

6.1.5 Provide additional web-based resources to support academic advising.

 

Goal 7.  Students within the College are supported as they apply for scholarships and awards.

 

Objectives:

 

7.1   By 2010 the percentage of students who receive scholarships and awards from outside the College will have increased 50% since 2004.

 

Action Steps:

 

7.1.1      Provide information to students about scholarships available through professional and civic organizations.

7.1.2      Mentor students to increase their volunteer and extracurricular activities as a means for making them more competitive for awards.

7.1.3      Encourage faculty to nominate students for awards for which they are competitive.

7.1.4      Identify a faculty or staff person to assist students who are nominated for awards to develop competitive nomination packets.

 


Goal 8.  Service activities in the College are effective in meeting the needs of Alabama’s citizens and are recognized as being cutting-edge.

 

Objectives:

 

8.1    By 2010, the majority of departments will have a minimum of one funded service activity that is known for excellent service.

 

Action Steps:

 

8.1.1  Provide opportunities for faculty to observe cutting-edge service   programs in their areas of interest.

8.1.2      Develop a relationship with appropriate state/local agencies and elected officials so that they are aware of the expertise in the College.

8.1.3      Reward faculty efforts in obtaining funding for service projects.

 

 

8.2           By 2010, at least one course in each department will have      measurable service learning objectives.

 

Action Steps:

 

8.2.2      Provide service-learning training for interested faculty.

8.2.3      Provide faculty with a data base of agencies available for service learning opportunities.

8.2.4      Coordinate with persons involved with service learning on the UA campus.

 

 

Goal 9.  The College has had a successful Capital Campaign resulting in increased endowments and supporters.

 

Objectives:

 

9.1  By 2010 the Capital Campaign goal of raising $1,000,000 will be met.

 

Action Steps:

 

9.1.1      Develop a Leadership Board to represent the College.

9.1.2      Develop a Capital Campaign Plan.

9.1.3      Dean and/or Director of Advancement will make twelve visits with prospective donors each year.

9.1.4      Modify web site to facilitate contributions to the College.

9.1.5      Increase annual giving by alumni and friends by ___%.

9.1.6      Increase communications with alumni and their families.

 

Goal 10.  Faculty members are affecting family, consumer, and health policy at the state and national levels through white papers.

 

10.1 By 2010 the College will have a system for the creations and dissemination of white papers.

 

Action Steps:

 

10.1.1  The Alabama Institute for Healthy Communities, Families, and Consumers will define white papers and set guidelines for authors.

10.1.2  Name Crenshaw Scholars to write white papers. Compensate Scholars upon the completion of the paper.

10.1.3  Disseminate white papers through the College web site and other appropriate channels.

 

Goal 11. Faculty members have been recognized for their expertise at the University, State, and National Levels.

 

11.1 Prepare faculty to respond to media issues as appropriate.

 

Action Steps:

 

11.1.1  Provide training to faculty to work with the media.

11.1.2   Develop press kits for faculty to facilitate the identification of our faculty’s expertise at the local, state, and national level.

11.1.3  Utilize the College web site to promote faculty in their areas of expertise.

 

11.2 Promote faculty for awards at the University, State, Regional, and National levels.

 

Action Steps:

 

11.2.1  Faculty will be encouraged to be active in professional organizations.

11.2.2  Departments will identify appropriate awards for faculty members.

11.2.3  Press kits will be used in the development of materials.

 

 

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