From linn@unr.edu Wed Sep 27 20:17:32 1995 Return-Path: Received: from equinox.unr.edu (equinox.ccs.unr.edu) by quake.seismo.unr.edu (4.1/1.34) id AA02468; Wed, 27 Sep 95 20:17:32 PDT Received: by equinox.unr.edu (8.6.12/1.34) id DAA14340; Thu, 28 Sep 1995 03:17:20 GMT Received: by equinox.unr.edu (8.6.12/1.34) id UAA14320; Wed, 27 Sep 1995 20:17:18 -0700 Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 20:17:18 -0700 (PDT) Sender: plancom@unr.edu Reply-To: plancom@unr.edu From: Travis Linn To: plancom@equinox.unr.edu Subject: Draft Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE Status: R Here's the draft of the main part of the document...the one we've been=20 working on as a group. We'll distribute copies of the preamble at the=20 meeting. (We'll also distribute hard copies of the document below.) The budget/program priorities sections await input from the=20 deans. The appendices we're working on.=20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D PATHS TO THE UNIVERSITY Students will come to the university directly from high school,=20 from Nevada's community colleges, from colleges and universities=20 outside the state, and from careers and life experiences that have=20 separated them from formal education. In order to achieve our=20 instructional goals, we must work to raise the academic standards=20 of our university and to convey those expectations to our=20 students, prospective students, and the community at large. * K-12 Standards: We will advance a centralized university effort=20 and will encourage individual departments and programs to=20 communicate with the middle and high schools regarding=20 requirements for admission and the prerequisites (skills and=20 knowledge) for student success.=20 * K-12 Outreach: We will support outreach activities to assist K- 12 students in meeting higher academic standards, with particular=20 focus on students who would contribute to the diversity of the=20 university community. * UCCSN Standards: We will maintain communication with departments=20 at our sister system institutions in order to ensure equivalent=20 basic content and rigor of articulated courses.=20 * Admission Standards: We will conduct ongoing assessment of our=20 admissions standards, in the contexts of growing enrollments and=20 of our rising academic standards within the curriculum.=20 * Recruitment: We will increase funding and recruitment activities=20 to attract top students from Nevada and surrounding states to the=20 university. * Diversity: We will place special emphasis on recruiting=20 high-quality students who contribute to the diversity of our=20 university community.=20 * Honors Program: The size of the Honors Program will keep pace=20 with the number of qualified students we can attract, because=20 these students establish a mark that helps to raise the academic=20 standards of the university. THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE Surviving The Early Years Many students who leave the university without graduating do so=20 within the first two years. Reasons vary from financial hardship=20 to inadequate academic and career guidance, to isolation from more=20 senior students and faculty. These conditions are even more=20 critical for certain segments of the student population such as=20 first generation and ethnic minority students. =20 * Scholarships: We will increase scholarship money to improve=20 access and encourage scholastic achievements. As part of this=20 effort, we will implement scholarship policies that encourage=20 increased participation in the university community, because such=20 participation is known to be an important factor in student=20 success. * Curriculum: We will strengthen the rigor of the freshman-year=20 experience, both within the current core courses and, where=20 appropriate, in new department- and college-specific courses=20 designed to introduce students to the methodologies of their=20 prospective disciplines. Increased rigor will better prepare=20 beginning students for the expectations of upper-division work.=20 * Mentoring: We will develop programs that provide freshman and=20 sophomore students increased contact with senior students, who=20 will serve as academic mentors, introducing them to the academic=20 expectations of the junior and senior years and to career=20 opportunities in their majors.=20 Enriching Undergraduate Education With the Core Curriculum well established, the quality of the=20 major and graduate curricula becomes a primary focus. The major=20 and graduate instructional programs need to prepare their students=20 to think critically, to solve problems, and to function in the=20 diverse world outside the university.=20 * Undergraduate research: As an important part of strengthening=20 the undergraduate major, we will enhance opportunities for=20 students to engage in research and scholarship, under the=20 mentoring of faculty and graduate students. Examples will include=20 the encouragement of senior theses in appropriate departments,=20 funds to support undergraduate research and publication, and more=20 liberal access to graduate instruction. Technology plays a major role in instruction in the modern=20 university. Computers and related equipment, particularly when=20 connected by networks across the campus, the state and the world,=20 empower learners as never before to seek out information where it=20 resides and to apply it to the questions at hand. Computers are also used by instructors for the dissemination of=20 class announcements, syllabi, reading lists, and consultation=20 times. Papers are submitted and corrected electronically; science=20 labs can utilize computer-based analysis; art collections and=20 musical works are accessible by computer; reserve materials in the=20 library can be accessed through computer networks. Instructors=20 also create lecture presentations using digital presentation=20 tools; and textbook producers are moving toward multimedia (CD-ROM=20 and videodisc) presentations. * Instructional technology: We will provide the equipment and=20 training necessary for the effective use of modern instructional=20 technologies in the classroom. This will include the training of=20 instructors in the use of databases and presentation technologies=20 and the training of all in the use of technology, including the=20 Internet, in carrying out research and in collaborating on=20 scholarly projects. The university has a continuing commitment to diversity.=20 Diversity, by its nature, is difference. In the context of a=20 university education, it is the opportunity to explore departures=20 from traditional associations. It is a conscious movement into a=20 world of both ideas and realities that may be different from=20 accustomed experiences. With the changing demographics of our=20 state and nation, our future depends on our ability to provide=20 education and ideas that embrace diversity.=20 An important aspect of diversity is an awareness of global=20 perspectives. At no other time in American history have we been=20 forced to confront the global realities that we now face. It is=20 imperative that we profoundly reshape our educational goals so=20 that international education becomes an integral part of a basic=20 educational experience for all students. The university is well=20 positioned to use study abroad as a primary springboard toward=20 achieving global competence for a significant number of students.=20 * Diversity in the Curriculum: We will increase =D2in-class=D3=20 diversity experiences by continuing to support the efforts of the=20 Core Curriculum Diversity Committee and the recommendations of the=20 International Task Force. We will provide incentives for faculty=20 to internationalize the courses they teach. * Study Abroad: We will fund scholarships specifically designed=20 for study abroad.=20 * Study Abroad: We will develop new study abroad sites. * Exchanges: We will create reciprocity arrangements with foreign=20 universities through a limited number of fee waivers and teaching=20 assistantships which will enhance cultural diversification at the=20 university as well as facilitate study abroad. * Exchanges: We will provide greater support for faculty=20 exchanges.=20 * Campus Culture: We will provide a more receptive campus culture=20 for international students. As a center for learning and scholarship, it continues to be our=20 goal to make the university a community of scholars, both within=20 the confines of the campus and through community involvement.=20 Collegiality is an important element in scholarship, as the=20 exchange of ideas produces greater creativity. * Visiting scholars: We will make available funds for visiting=20 scholars and external speakers for departments, in order to=20 stimulate both faculty and students. We will ensure that some of=20 these visiting scholars bring diverse perspectives. * Conferences/Meetings: We will seek to hold professional academic=20 conferences on campus, and provide funding to departments that=20 organize such efforts. * Community involvement: We will invite members of the community,=20 both in the Reno area and throughout the state, to participate in=20 the intellectual life of the university through attendance at=20 events, enrollment in formal and informal instruction, and=20 technology-based communications with our faculty and students. While continuing to build higher quality in our undergraduate=20 programs, we also recognize that we are part of a system of=20 undergraduate education in the state. * Partnerships: We will seek to create partnerships with=20 departments at UNLV in order to offer students and faculty on both=20 campuses opportunities not available on their home campuses. We=20 will maintain the cooperative programs that currently exist with=20 DRI.=20 * Partnerships: We will engage in dialogues with the community=20 colleges to seek coordinated strategies to use each institution's=20 resources most effectively.=20 * Partnerships: Academic experiences outside the classroom and=20 laboratory are central to students' life at the university.=20 Ideally, these experiences will expose students to a diversity of=20 individuals, at all levels within the university community as well=20 as in areas outside the university related to their academic work.=20 Therefore we will pursue opportunities for our students to carry=20 out projects in partnership with business, government and social=20 institutions that relate to their studies. FACULTY EFFECTIVENESS The university's mission weaves the faculty's primary activities=20 of teaching, scholarship, creative activity, and service, into a=20 seamless fabric. Our instruction includes not only teaching what=20 is known, but also seeking that which is not known and instilling=20 the methods of creative and thorough scholarly inquiry in our=20 students. Our scholarship is both a service and a learning=20 resource for our local and global communities and, as such, is=20 inseparable from our instructional activities. The sum of our=20 activities empowers our students to become educated women and men=20 in society, armed with the intellectual tools necessary to=20 surmount the challenges of today and tomorrow. We seek to deepen=20 the understanding, among all groups within the university as well=20 as among those outside our campus, that scholarship and=20 instruction are inseparable within our mission.=20 As the state grows, so will the university. It is clear that we=20 will be hiring more faculty members in the coming years. One of=20 the most important challenges we face is that of hiring well. * Quality/Diversity: We will continue to recruit the=20 highest-quality and most diverse faculty possible, in order to=20 create a critical mass of top-notch colleagues for the enhancement=20 of teaching and research. * Faculty Positions: We will continue to allocate faculty=20 positions among departments and colleges with reference to a=20 variety of criteria, including instruction, research and creative=20 activity, and service. As scholarly activity becomes increasingly=20 important in the education of our students (e.g., in undergraduate=20 research), allocation of resources is based on factors more=20 directly related to objectives than are faculty-student ratios.=20 As the size of the faculty increases, it is crucial that we=20 provide both new and current faculty with the tools they need for=20 success in instruction and scholarship, including adequate space,=20 staff support, and equipment. * Start-up Support: We will continue to provide start-up packages=20 competitive with those in a scholar's discipline. Start-up moneys=20 will include funds for instructional tools and equipment as well=20 as research materials.=20 * Research Funding: We will expand the Junior Faculty Research=20 Grant program to allow larger grants. Research resources will also=20 be made available to senior scholars as needed. * Administrative Support: Where appropriate, we will devise=20 technological solutions that improve communication, facilitate=20 instruction and scholarship, and enhance administrative=20 efficiency. A beginning example is the availability of class=20 schedules via computer, accomplished this year. * Staff Support: We will systematically assess the specific needs=20 of each program on campus to determine where increased=20 administrative staff support is most needed. * Faculty Development: We will create services to assist faculty=20 in research proposal, report, and presentation preparation. * Faculty Development: We will enhance faculty development=20 opportunities with specific emphasis on those faculty and=20 activities that contribute to the university=D5s diversity=20 objectives. * Mentoring: We will encourage the establishment of mentoring=20 relationships between new faculty and senior faculty, providing=20 new faculty with needed information about the operation of the=20 university and with opportunities for increased participation in=20 the life of the university. * Travel Support: We consider travel to be a key component of=20 research and scholarship. Therefore, we will increase travel=20 support for conferences, scholarly activities, and professional=20 development. A reward system is a statement of values. Therefore we will orient=20 the structure of faculty performance standards and remuneration to=20 the values we hold with regard to instruction, scholarship,=20 outreach activities, the encouragement of diversity in the=20 university community, and collegiality. Essential to the=20 university's Land Grant Mission for the 21st Century is a=20 reconsideration of the traditional faculty roles of teaching,=20 research, and service. This reconsideration includes vigorous=20 support and evaluation of teaching, a broadened concept of=20 scholarship, and a definition of outreach that surpasses "service"=20 to become an essential element of our central academic mission. To=20 achieve this, we have begun to put in place a system of merit,=20 promotion and tenure that recognizes both the unique talents of=20 each faculty member and the specific expectations of the academic=20 unit for that person. This system is built around a "role=20 statement," specifying expected levels and types of teaching,=20 research and other activities for that person. The role statement=20 is developed by the faculty member in consultation with department=20 chair, dean and program director, and is to be the basis of=20 evaluation. * Role Statements: Every faculty member will have a role=20 statement. * Reward System: We will revise applicable bylaws and codes to=20 reflect a broadened definition of scholarship and to reinforce the=20 values we have articulated. Transition From Undergraduate Studies The student's learning path does not end at graduation. It is=20 therefore incumbent upon us to help the student make a transition=20 from the university's formal instruction to a career or to=20 graduate studies. * Internships: We will promote internship programs that link=20 students from specific majors to educational experiences outside=20 the university. + Career guidance: We will continue to offer students resources=20 and training as they pursue jobs upon graduation. * Graduate Study Advisement: We will assist graduating seniors in=20 obtaining information about graduate studies, both within the=20 university and at other institutions, that would be appropriate to=20 their preparation and goals. THE GRADUATE EXPERIENCE Entering Graduate School The quality of our students directly impacts the quality of=20 research and graduate studies. It is important that we continue to=20 find ways to help graduate programs attract the best students,=20 both from Nevada and from around the world. * Fellowships: We will make graduate fellowships and=20 assistantships consistently available for departments and programs=20 with active graduate programs. Fellowships will be available each=20 year to make offers to top students early in the recruitment=20 process. * Diversity: We will expand the quality of the graduate student=20 applicant pool and increase the diversity of the graduate student=20 population by active recruitment. * International Students: We will provide the support necessary to=20 help international students acclimatize themselves to our culture=20 and laws, and to become members of the university community. Graduate Faculty Although the university of Nevada was established more than 120=20 years ago, only in the last decade have we taken our place among=20 the major universities in the United States. At this stage of=20 maturation, we are more confident of our own judgment as citizens=20 of the academic community, and less reliant on structure and=20 credentialism. * Graduate Faculty Status: We will operate on the principle that=20 all faculty at this university are qualified to teach at both=20 undergraduate and graduate levels and to serve on the advisory=20 committees of graduate students. Therefore we will eliminate=20 "graduate faculty status" which now divides our faculty. Graduate Programs * Program Review: We will continue the process of reviewing all=20 graduate programs on a regular, systematic basis for the purpose=20 of building and maintaining high quality in those programs. We=20 will critically assess the quality of existing graduate programs=20 and their relevance to 21st century jobs. * We will pursue the goal, which is now within reach, of awarding=20 at least fifty Ph.D. degrees each year. * Interdisciplinary Programs: We will continue to encourage=20 interdisciplinary programs, and will work to provide consistent=20 staffing and operational support, administrative oversight and=20 assessment of these programs. * Teaching Assistant Enhancement: We will continue to improve=20 pedagogical training for graduate teaching assistants. * Graduation Time: We will seek to shorten the time to graduation=20 of master's and doctoral students. Research The university has these overall goals for research: obtain=20 Carnegie Research I University status by 1997; grow research and=20 other sponsored projects to $100 million by the year 2000; see one=20 or two faculty members elected to the National Academy of=20 Science/Engineering; increase the number of women and minorities=20 in science and engineering; increase faculty invention disclosures=20 and technology licensing, and expand applied research and=20 university/industry partnerships, particularly with Nevada=20 companies. * Grants and Contracts Support: We will improve the institution's=20 ability to accommodate the administrative needs created by our=20 progress toward $100 million annually in grants and contracts.=20 * Research Personnel: As the number of soft-money staff positions=20 on campus continues to grow in response to increased research=20 funding, we will address the difficult personnel issues=20 surrounding these positions. We will update personnel policies to=20 allow flexibility in hiring, promoting, and terminating staff=20 positions. Our examination of this issue will include balancing=20 principal investigator rights and employee rights. It will also=20 include creation of a new category of technical staff, separate=20 both from classified employees and from faculty. * Funding: We will develop a strategy for adding research=20 infrastructure support to the university=D5s funding formula. * Funding: We will continue to work to obtain full indirect cost=20 return from the legislature. * Research Equipment: We will assess the condition of research=20 equipment, and develop plans for maintenance, upgrades, and new=20 acquisitions. * Interdisciplinary Research: We will facilitate the organization=20 of research groups that include researchers from a variety of=20 programs, to study different aspects of a common research problem. THE CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE Supporting learning and scholarship at the university are our=20 hard-working, capable staff, as well as resources including=20 information technology and the physical plant. Information Technology Infrastructure Because learning and scholarship rely upon information, the=20 information infrastructure of the enterprise is of primary=20 concern. The university community and society in general are=20 placing greater societal and economic emphasis on the value,=20 collection, management, and strategic importance of information.=20 To form a culture that will support active scholarship into the=20 21st century, the university is developing a climate that welcomes=20 the opportunities offered by our expanded access to knowledge and=20 information. This new environment enables broad-based=20 communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, expanded contact=20 with our students, and coherent integration of our diverse=20 information technologies and resources. The university has made progress and continues in its=20 determination to build an easy-to-use, reliable, widely available,=20 integrated, high-performance information infrastructure and=20 support system. The university will use this infrastructure to=20 acquire, organize, manage, and provide systematic access to=20 information resources, regardless of format, and to facilitate the=20 enhancement of instruction, student learning, research, and=20 outreach activities, regardless of location. * Information Skills: Every graduate of the university will have=20 the opportunity to develop critical information skills that can be=20 applied to solving problems of our society and that will make=20 students competitive in today=D5s marketplace and prepared for=20 lifelong learning. The curricula will include the basic principles=20 of information retrieval and the critical analysis of data as=20 essential elements in critical thinking. * Student Computers: Students will either own or have access to=20 computers that will serve as workstations, providing them with the=20 necessary levels of access to instructional and research=20 resources. We will provide expanded terminal hours on campus, as=20 well as expanded computer labs capable of serving more students. A=20 widely accepted national standard is a ratio 15 students for each=20 computer terminal. By that formula, we would have 800 terminals;=20 we have 60-75. * Faculty and Staff Computers: We will provide every faculty and=20 staff member with a computer suitable to his/her needs, and=20 connection to the Campus Network. At this time, 75 percent of=20 faculty and staff have a computer, and 90 percent of those have a=20 network connection. Some have access by telephone modem. * Technical Support Staff: It is important that the university=20 provide adequate support for the technological infrastructure. A=20 nationally accepted ratio for computer support is one support=20 person for every 20 faculty members. With 600 faculty, that would=20 be 30 support people. We currently have seven people, plus some=20 measure of support from System Computing Services. =20 The "nervous system" of the modern university is the computer=20 network, enabling the diverse parts of the enterprise to=20 communicate with one another and with the world at large. It is=20 expensive but essential. At the university of Nevada, Reno, we=20 have extended the computer network to include 60 percent of the=20 buildings on campus. * Campus Network: We will connect all classrooms, laboratories,=20 offices, and residence halls to the Campus Network, and thus to=20 the Internet. * Network Support: We will ensure the funding for continued=20 maintenance, replacement, evolution, and growth of the Campus=20 Network to achieve state-of-the-art performance and reliability. =20 Vast resources are now available on the Internet, but those=20 resources are scattered and lack order, system, or unity.=20 Therefore the Internet, however vast, must be considered as a=20 collection of additional resources, not as a replacement for=20 information resources that reside at the university. * Library Materials: We will continue to improve the physical=20 collection of the library, as well as increasing access to=20 materials in electronic format. The Libraries will increasingly=20 make available materials in full-text and image-based formats; an=20 adequate level of support must be made available to support this=20 technology. * Access to Materials: Technology shall be fully utilized to=20 obtain access to those materials not owned by the Libraries and=20 to acquire for the user at time of need rather than in=20 anticipation of need. * Library Collection: In developing the collection and providing=20 access to other resources, we will be especially cognizant of the=20 needs created by our new emphases on undergraduate research in the=20 major, and the needs created by new areas of graduate and faculty=20 research. Physical Infrastructure The physical campus will remain the hub of the university's=20 activity. However, the needs of that campus will change, given our=20 growth and our productivity. The university operates beyond its=20 official business hours, and will likely expand its hours of=20 operation in coming years. Moreover, our population growth=20 produces a continuing need for more classrooms, offices,=20 laboratories, and other types of campus settings. The university adopted a master plan for land and buildings in=20 1989, a plan that is still in effect but will require review in=20 the light of changing needs. One such review is a thorough space=20 utilization and needs study that has been completed this year. The=20 study indicates that the university will face a critical shortage=20 of instructional, research and support space within the next=20 decade. * Classrooms: We will bring all classrooms up to at least a=20 minimum standard conducive to teaching. In so doing, we will=20 recognize that a "minimum standard" means different things in=20 different disciplines. Planning for classroom renovation will=20 include input from relevant faculty and staff.=20 * Laboratories: We will update, upgrade, and expand laboratory=20 facilities in the sciences and engineering. Currently, many=20 teaching labs operate with out-of-date equipment, and lab=20 limitations restrict the number of students who can take numerous=20 courses.=20 * Campus housing: In continuing to strive for a campus environment=20 conducive to the scholarly interaction of students, we will seek=20 to provide expanded housing for undergraduates and graduate=20 students. * Study centers: We will seek to create additional study centers=20 on campus. THE LAND GRANT MISSION In all of our arenas -- instruction, research and creative=20 activity, and service -- our contributions occur outside as well=20 as within the boundaries of our campus. Such contributions=20 constitute outreach: the generation, transmission, application,=20 and preservation of knowledge for the benefit of external=20 audiences in ways that are consistent with university and unit=20 missions. In essence, outreach activities are partnerships between the=20 university and the communities (local, state, regional, national,=20 and international) in which it exists. Outreach is not a category=20 of endeavor separate from our instruction, research and creative=20 activities, and service; rather, outreach activities occur within=20 each of these categories.=20 * Outreach Goals: Individual faculty, departments, schools and=20 colleges will evaluate the extent to which they can appropriately=20 participate in outreach activities. Outreach activities will be=20 incorporated into faculty=D5s teaching, research, and service=20 functions via the role statement and will be recognized and=20 rewarded through the tenure, promotion, annual review, and merit=20 pay processes.=20 * Industry relations: As a resource for scholarship, we will=20 develop relationships with industries that promise to diversify=20 the state's economy in the 21st century. In these activities, we=20 will provide real-life learning opportunities for our students,=20 bring additional resources to campus, and help address critical=20 problems and issues facing our communities. Finally, we will value=20 contributions to the university mission that foster such=20 partnerships. The success of economic diversification in Nevada is dependent on=20 further development and support of local companies. To develop=20 successfully, companies must learn to compete in an ever=20 increasingly global market. * Sponsorship: We will encourage private sector sponsorship of=20 University students studying abroad, and foreign students studying=20 at the university, in accordance with the needs and interests of=20 Nevada industries.=20 All of these considerations, from undergraduate research to the=20 information infrastructure to basic research to partnership with=20 community institutions, are threads in the fabric of the=20 university. They contribute to the success of men and women, young=20 and old, who come to the university or use its services from afar,=20 to learn and to discover knowledge. We are proud of our students,=20 and we are committed to providing them with the resources they=20 require to learn, the skills they need to inquire systematically,=20 and the culture that inspires their creativity. In the next section of this Master Plan, we delineate the specific=20 budget and program objectives that will support the goals=20 articulated here.