ACADEMIC PLAN III

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ACADEMIC PLAN III 2009-2014 Looking ahead
themes, motifs, process
Myron Allen VP for Academic Affairs January 2007
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Process A template for communication
Stage 1 Identifying the main issues and
themes. Discussions, presentations,
feedback Stage 2 Formulating specific ideas
for discussion. Position papers, feedback,
iteration Stage 3 Develop department- and
college-level plans. Drafts, feedback,
re-drafts Stage 4 Develop university-level
plan. Draft, feedback, re-drafts
Comments UP3_at_uwyo.edu
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Motif 1 Building strength vs. adding breadth

• UW has many strong programs.
• Few of them have critical mass or bench depth.
• A strong economy is an opportunity to build
  depth.
• Adding new programs that have little existing
  foundation jeopardizes this opportunity.

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• Interdisciplinarity is a pathway to depth
• by promoting shared interests among scholars,
• by capitalizing on UWs relatively small size,
• by providing a richer learning environment.

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Motif 2 Reinforcing areas of distinction

• Refine focus areas for building strength.
• Provide opportunities for many departments even
  small ones to pursue excellence and depth.
• Help attract the strongest new faculty members
  (scholarly communities magnets).

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• Areas of distinction in AP II
• Critical areas of science and technology
• Cultural assets, arts, and humanities
• Environment and natural resources
• History and culture of the Rocky Mountain region
• Life sciences
• Professions critical to the state and region

These arent written in stone, but its
self-defeating to make sharp deviations from one
5-year plan to the next.
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A few specific issues related to areas of
distinction

• Science Technology
• Flesh out Institute for Energy Research
• Solidify computational science links with NCAR
• Focus UWs materials science expertise
• Cultural Assets
• Strengthen fine arts infrastructure
• Explore a humanities institute
• Life Sciences
• Continue defining life science focus areas
• Link life sciences with other areas of science
  and ENR
• Professions
• Define the scope of clinical health science
  offerings
• Use SER NCAR as levers to bolster science
  education
• Integrate UWs contributions to business and
  rural community development

(This is just a start.)
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Motif 3 Promoting access to higher education

• The Hathaway scholarship program helps reduce
  financial barriers to baccalaureate education in
  Wyoming.
• Other barriers remain
• Coordination of P-16 education statewide
• Preparation of students for college.
• UW has additional responsibilities
• to extend opportunities to part-time students,
  low-income students, place-bound students,
  students of color, nontraditional and
  first-generation students
• to formulate a sound, equitable tuition policy.

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Motif 4 Committing to excellence

• Embed assessment of learning in UWs academic
  culture.
• Develop a strategic plan for enhancing masters
  and doctoral education.
• Solidify UWs culture in faculty hiring,
  reappointment, tenure, and promotion.
• Develop strategies for recruiting top students.

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Motif 5 Providing leadership

• Bolster UWs role in the states public education
  system.
• Build a strong, stable School of Energy Resources
  by
• cultivating contributions from many departments
• enhancing communication with industry.
• Translate expertise into public policy
  involvement.
• Explore new possibilities for building Wyomings
  industrial research infrastructure and
  entrepreneurial.
• Develop better mechanisms for cultivating
  leadership skills in early- and mid-career
  faculty members.
• Enhance opportunities for students to build
  leadership.

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Process tentative time line
AY 2006-2007 Identify main issues Oct 2007
First position paper from Academic
Affairs Mar 2008 Second position paper
from Academic Affairs Aug 2008 Third
position paper from Academic Affairs Sep 2008
Due date, first draft of department-level
plans Oct 2008 Due date, first draft of
college-level plans Jan 2009 First
draft of university plan Mar 2009 Final
drafts of all plans May 2009 Approval by
Board of Trustees
Each position paper and draft will allow time for
feedback
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Strategic questions about the planning process

• To what extent can UW unify its planning
  processes?
• Academic plan (due 2009)
• Support services plan
• Capital facilities plan
• Athletic plan
• To what extent can we link the planning processes
  with the self-study required for HLC
  accreditation?
• Self-study is due 2009.
• HLCs format is distinct from an academic plan.
• HLC emphasizes themes important to our plans
• Orientation to the future
• Focus on learning
• Connectedness (internally and externally)
• Distinctiveness.

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QUESTIONS?
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Spare slides follow
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Stakeholders
Faculty APs Students Staff members Academic
administrators Other UW administrators Trustees
External boards Public Prospective
students Legislators Government
agencies Potential donors