College of Communications & Information Studies 106 Grehan Building Lexington, KY 40506-0042 859 257-7805 www.uky.edu/cis
2009 - 2014
Strategic Plan
Goal 1: Establish the College as a Leader in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Goal 2: Prepare Students for Leading Roles in an Information-‐driven Economy Goal 3: Promote Research and Creative Activity that Deepens and Maximizes Social, Intellectual, and Economic Opportunities for all Citizens Goal 4: Develop the Human, Physical and Technological Resources of the College to Achieve the Institution’s Top 20 Goals Goal 5: Promote Excellence in Inclusion and Diversity Across the College Goal 6: Improve the Quality of Life of Kentuckians through Engagement, Outreach and Service
1
DRAFT: 05/25/10 College of Communications and Information Studies 2009-2014 Strategic Plan Mission, Vision, and Values Statement MISSION The College of Communications and Information Studies is dedicated to improving people's lives through excellence in research, service, and education and training for undergraduate and graduate students in the multicultural, multiethnic global society of the information age.
VISION The College of Communications and Information Studies will be a national leader at the undergraduate and graduate levels among public research universities in the fields of Communication, Journalism, Integrated Strategic Communications, Telecommunications, and Library and Information Science.
VALUES •
Integrity
•
Academic and Scholarly Excellence
•
Mutual Respect and Human Dignity
•
Diversity and Inclusion
•
Academic Freedom
•
Shared Governance
•
Work-life Sensitivity
•
Civic and Community Engagement
•
Social Responsibility
•
Freedom of Expression
•
Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2
Preamble Brief History The College is part of Kentucky’s rich tradition in communication and information studies, which traces its roots back to the publication of the state’s first newspaper in 1785. The College has played a key role in training professionals in these fields since the 1890s when the first courses in journalism were offered. Throughout the years, the College and its units have enjoyed remarkable leadership, exemplified by visionaries such as Enoch Grehan (1869-1939), who was instrumental in establishing the university’s current daily newspaper as well as in fundraising for the construction of the first university building dedicated entirely to one of the units of the future College. The College was created in its present form in 1993, after a merger of the College of Communications with the College of Library and Information Science. A more detailed timeline can be found online for your reference at: http://cis.uky.edu/history. Present Rankings and Distinctions {To be inserted} Enrollment and Related Demographic Data The College awarded 348 Bachelor’s degrees in academic year 2008-09, nearly 10% of the University’s undergraduate degrees for that academic year. The College has averaged 10% of all Bachelor’s degrees awarded at UK during the past seven academic years through 2008-09. The College awarded an additional 93 Master’s degrees and three Doctorate degrees during academic year 2008-09, XX% of the University’s graduate degrees for that academic year. As part of its broader instruction mission to the University, College faculty taught 30,615 credit hours during academic year 2008-09. The College had 49 full-time faculty in Fall 2009 of whom nearly 70% had doctoral degrees. In addition, six full-time lecturers support the College’s undergraduate instruction. The College had 1,086 students enrolled in Fall 2009 as undergraduate majors and 267 students enrolled in the College’s graduate programs. Of all 1,353 enrolled students, 69% were female, 11% were minorities (non-white), and 71.7% were in-state residents. Undergraduate majors are predominately full-time students (96%). The College’s distribution of undergraduate major enrollment by student classification in Fall 2009 includes increasing enrollments with each year: freshman 18.2% (198), sophomore 23.1% (251), junior 28% (304), and senior 30.7% (333). There are more than 12,900 living alumni of the academic units in the College; 6,700 live in Kentucky and 2,300 live in Fayette County. Context for the Plan Four units constitute the College: the Department of Communication, the School of Journalism and Telecommunications, the School of Library and Information Science, and the Graduate Program in Communication. Each unit contributes to the overall work and success of the 3
College in unique ways. Both the plan structure and the plan content integrate the four units, but also respect the inherent differences among the units. (( Insert paragraph on the strengths of the units.) In the larger world, rapidly changing technology affects all units of the College in multiple ways. First, as with any institution, changes in technology mean new ways of doing the basic work of the College. In addition, all College units prepare students for work that is increasingly dependent on new technologies, all of which are changing at an increasingly rapid pace, with the result that the nature of what students need to be prepared for is in constant flux. The College has a pivotal role within the University because it has responsibility for educating students about information and communication technology, the basis for learning across all disciplines and has an impact on retention and graduation rates throughout the University. Finally, all units of the College have a role in understanding innovative technologies and in shaping the direction of technological change as it unfolds in the larger world. For these reasons, this plan includes a high degree of flexibility. Critical Issues for Continued Success The details of this plan are contained in a linear fashion in the set of goals that follows, each with its own related objectives and strategies. But to understand the meaning of what follows, it is important to note that all of the details are meant to address the overarching goal of excellence in education in the three related realms of teaching, research, and service. For the College, that means finding the appropriate balance between the maintenance of valued traditions and the imperatives of innovation. This balance is especially important as the College moves toward increased work across the disciplines within the College, and towards better ways to measure those indicators of progress that are less quantitative but no less important. More specifically, increased focus on innovation and collaboration requires the human resources and physical infrastructure that will foster and enable collaborative efforts: competitive faculty salaries, integrated work spaces that bring people together, and administrative structures that support and develop innovative research.
4
Goal 1:
Establish the College as a Leader in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Objective 1.1 Prepare students for leadership in the study and application of ICT. Strategy 1.1.1 Ensure a flexible and responsive curriculum that educates students on cutting edge ICT and their applications. Strategy 1.1.2 Partner with organizations and corporations to provide real-world learning and practice opportunities for students on the applications of ICTs to current problems. Strategy 1.1.3 Develop the various ICT related literacies (including digital, information and media literacies) of students through the general education curriculum. Strategy 1.1.4 Maximize the creative use of existing instructional technologies to provide exemplary distance learning for students. Strategy 1.1.5 Increase research on best practices for the use of technology to deliver distance learning. Objective 1.2 Increase academic and scholarly productivity in ICT that contribute to economic and societal well being. Strategy 1.2.1 Increase the level of research focusing on ICT and the number of journal articles published that address issues related to ICT. Strategy 1.2.2 Increase external funding for research and development related to ICT. Strategy 1.2.3 Recruit faculty with expertise and interest in ICT and the application of ICT for public good. Objective 1.3 Develop collaborative networks, both within the University and with outside agencies and organizations, that advance our understanding and use of ICT. Strategy 1.3.1 Identify commonalities among potential collaborators and create working partnerships among them aimed at mutual enrichment. Strategy 1.3.1 Develop formal and informal channels for building relationships and promoting information exchanges focused on ICT. Strategy 1.3.2 Develop strategies and seek related funding for addressing knowledge gaps in ICT. Objective 1.4 Expand ICT programs that empower individuals, groups, and communities to address challenging problems through sustainable infrastructure. Strategy 1.4.1 Address access issues through focus on new technologies and increasing the rates at which they are adopted. Strategy 1.4.2 Develop and study the use and effectiveness of digital media content aimed at empowerment. 5
Objective 1.5 Implement new approaches to information technologies within the College to promote awareness and understanding of the uses of ICT. Strategy 1.5.1 Adopt a news mentality to delivering quick bits of information about the college daily. Strategy 1.5.2 Develop and implement a "search engine optimization," or SEO, approach to having information about the College pop up first as stakeholders seek information on-line about programs, or faculty or student success stories. Strategy 1.5.3 Develop local and national partnerships to create the College as a working laboratory for innovation in ICT.
6
Goal 2:
Prepare Students for Leading Roles in an Information-driven Society
Objective 2.1 Recruit and graduate more high-ability communications and information sciences students from all societal segments. Strategy 2.1.1 Enhance marketing and communication efforts statewide and in strategic out-ofstate and international target areas. Objective 2.2 Improve student retention and time-to-degree. Strategy 2.2.1 Increase faculty numbers to improve student/faculty ratio and academic program quality. Strategy 2.2.2 Implement a rigorous and on-going assessment of program effectiveness across curricular and co-curricular programs. Strategy 2.2.3 Expand efforts to monitor student progress toward degree completion and implement a robust set of intervention and support strategies. Strategy 2.2.4 Implement research-based curricular enhancements to facilitate continuous improvement in student learning. Objective 2.3 Implement a new undergraduate General Education Curriculum that addresses written, oral, and graphical communication theory and skills. Strategy 2.3.1 Ensure that all students at the University graduate with appropriate competency in oral and written communication including media literacy, information literacy, visual literacy, and graphical literacy. Objective 2.4 Implement an undergraduate program in information sciences. Strategy 2.4.1 Focus first on involvement in General Education, then on instituting a minor in information sciences, and then on developing a major in information sciences. Objective 2.5 Leverage information and communication technology (ICT) to improve student learning experiences. Strategy 2.5.1 Determine the appropriate mix of campus learning, e-learning, and blended approaches for students and faculty. Strategy 2.5.2 Provide appropriate opportunities of professional development to encourage faculty engagement in technology-assisted instruction. Strategy 2.5.3 Expand instructional development opportunities for innovative ICT-based pedagogies that focus on active learning.
7
Objective 2.6 Increase the number and quality of graduates in all units to enhance the reputation of the College while addressing the critical needs of the Commonwealth and United States. Strategy 2.6.1 Expand opportunities for interdisciplinary and inter-professional learning and training; create appropriate space and facilities. Strategy 2.6.2 Provide training opportunities for graduate and professional students to serve the needs of the Commonwealth and beyond, through research, teaching, and internship experiences. Objective 2.7 Expand space available for academic pursuits through reallocation of existing space and construction of new academic buildings. Objective 2.8 Assess the success of graduates in relation to their field of professional preparation. Strategy 2.8.1 Track the employment of graduates. Strategy 2.8.2 Establish social media connections to keep graduates in touch and engaged. Objective 2.9 Review and reconstitute graduate education in the College. Strategy 2.9.1 Conduct a strategic planning process to determine ways to enhance existing areas and develop new ones. Strategy 2.9.2 Develop a model for staffing and resources of the graduate program.
8
Goal 3:
Promote Research and Creative Activity that Deepens and Maximizes Social, Intellectual, and Economic Opportunities for all Citizens
Objective 3.1 Increase research and scholarly productivity. Strategy 3.1.1 Reduce barriers to and facilitate interdisciplinary research and collaborative scholarship, including scholarly projects that encompass national and international partnerships. Strategy 3.1.2 Target institutional investment to research areas of current strength and emerging importance (such as health communication, risk and crisis management, environmental sustainability, dissemination and implementation processes, combating social ills, instructional communication, biomedical informatics, media studies). Strategy 3.1.3 Grow traditional sources of extramural research support and identify and cultivate new sources. Strategy 3.1.4 Increase the number and intellectual quality of graduate students in the Graduate Program in Communication. Strategy 3.1.5 Increase the number of research assistantships available to graduate students. Strategy 3.1.6 Encourage and facilitate greater involvement of graduate faculty in mentoring graduate student research. Strategy 3.1.7 Promote the creation of post-doctoral student positions. Objective 3.2 Expand research capacity. Strategy 3.2.1 Pursue private and non-profit funding for construction and renovation of research space. Strategy 3.2.2 Add faculty positions in targeted and emerging areas. Strategy 3.2.3 Develop and implement effective College-wide policies for allocation of existing space based on strategic need and scholarly productivity. Strategy 3.2.4 Ensure that the level of administrative and support services are sufficient to meet the needs of a growing research enterprise’s separate pre-award and post-award requirements. . Objective 3.3 Enhance the impact and public awareness of the College’s research and scholarship on a knowledge-based economy. Strategy 3.3.1 Strengthen communications and public relations programming to communicate more effectively the impact of research and scholarly accomplishments. Strategy 3.3.2 Integrate research and teaching more fully by increasing research opportunities for students at all levels. Strategy 3.3.3 Monitor, track, and publicize applied research efforts in our communities including well-being, safety, improved communication infrastructure, technology transfer and commercialization efforts and similar metrics. 9
Strategy 3.3.4 Leverage both traditional and new media forms for high-impact exposure for the College. Objective 3.4 Increase entrepreneurial opportunities and activity among faculty. Strategy 3.4.1 Aggressively pursue College-supported research and entrepreneurial centers, including a Center for Applied Communication Research. Strategy 3.4.2 Provide incentives, including released time, for faculty for entrepreneurial activity across the disciplines within the College, with other university entities, and with outside agencies and businesses. Strategy 3.4.3 Recruit staff professionally trained to handle in an integrated way the business development, grant writing, and business management aspects of entrepreneurial center activities. Strategy 3.4.4 Develop ways to work collaboratively outside the structure of the College in order to qualify for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from federal agencies and similar opportunities.
10
Goal 4:
Develop the Human, Physical and Technological Resources of the College to Achieve the Institution’s Top 20 Goals
In considering the overall goal and the objectives of this section, the College recognizes that there are external constraints that at times limit the availability of resources needed to achieve the objectives as specified. The College also recognizes its responsibility to leverage existing and potential additional resources to reach the maximum desired results. The College notes that it is presently a net generator of income for the University. The College believes that this status provides support for proposals for additional investment by the University in the College’s ability to enhance its programs and services. To meet the objectives within this goal, the College will seek additional resources from the University and additional flexibility in using those resources. At the same time, the College is committed to increased entrepreneurial activity to generate additional revenue. Human Resources: Objective 4.1 Recruit faculty and professional staff with high potential for success at a Top 20 level research university. Strategy 4.1.1 Ensure starting salaries and start-up support are nationally competitive. Strategy 4.1.2 Develop and leverage endowed chairs and professorships to recruit leadership level faculty and professional staff in targeted areas. Strategy 4.1.3 Recruit professionally diverse faculty to staff the General Education requirements. Objective 4.2 Enhance the success, retention, and advancement of faculty and professional staff engaged in the varied missions of the University. Strategy 4.2.1 Ensure that faculty and professional staff work allocation and advancement policies and practices, including those pertaining to compensation, are fair, transparent, and clearly communicated, and that they reflect best practices among top public research universities. Strategy 4.2.2 Support, recognize, reward, and celebrate faculty and professional staff achievement in all areas. Strategy 4.2.3 Design and implement a research-based program to improve career advancement support and opportunities for faculty and professional staff at all stages of their careers. Strategy 4.2.4 Identify and develop faculty and professional staff leaders. Objective 4.3 Create a workplace culture that articulates values and initiatives to engage employees as stakeholders. Strategy 4.3.1 Reinforce values and practices necessary to foster a culture of respect, learning, innovation, efficiency, and service to support students, colleagues, and customers.
11
Strategy 4.3.2 Improve performance management to motivate and challenge employees to excel in support of University and department goals; link achievement to recognition, rewards, and compensation; and enhance communication at all levels. Strategy 4.3.3 Review and revise faculty/staff temporary disability policies to include policies for dealing with faculty temporary disabilities and childbirth. . Objective 4.4 Continually enhance recruitment, selection, orientation, and retention of top talent. Strategy 4.4.1 Sustain continuous progress in employment of women and minorities at all levels of the University. Strategy 4.4.2 Strengthen market competitive compensation and benefits to attract, retain, and reward top talent and high performers. Objective 4.5 Expand staff resources to support student success and faculty productivity in research and teaching. Objective 4.6 Support faculty in assuming leadership roles in professional and discipline-related activities. Physical Resources Objective 4.7 Develop a plan for a new or renovated building to consolidate all programs and activities of the College. Objective 4.8 Increase building space available to College academic programs and for research and support functions. Objective 4.9 Improve the suitability, sustainability, efficiency, accessibility, and quality of existing facilities. Strategy 4.9.1 Continue classroom and research facility renovations and upgrades. Strategy 4.9.2 Implement a more collaborative process for building class and classroom schedules to improve classroom utilization. Strategy 4.9.3 Provide space for consolidation of undergraduate and pre-major advising. Strategy 4.9.4 Provide consolidated space for planned entrepreneurial centers.
12
Technological Resources Objective 4.10 Strengthen the integration and utilization of innovative, cost-effective information technology solutions to enhance the College. Strategy 4.10.1Establish and improve robust partnerships between Information Technology and the College. Strategy 4.10.2Focus on the capture, aggregation, and delivery of information related to communication and information studies. Strategy 4.10.3Ensure the best instructional technologies are available to faculty for distance learning delivery. Economic Resources Objective 4.11 Determine College priorities for advancement efforts (scholarships, endowment, capital projects, major gifts, etc.) and aggressively pursue opportunities. Strategy 4.11.1 Develop a compelling and succinct mission statement for the college that drives development efforts. Strategy 4.11.2 Determine areas of focus for Development efforts (annual support, major gifts, planned gifts, support for Centers of Excellence). Strategy 4.11.3 Effectively utilize the Development Cycle (identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship) for all priorities. Strategy 4.11.4 Utilize standardized and customized metrics to gauge success and re-direct efforts. Objective 4.12 Cultivate and strengthen relationships with College alumni and donors. Strategy 4.12.1 Develop a vision for our alumni and align with the vision of the University. Strategy 4.12.2 Determine ways to use technology to reach alumni. Strategy 4.12.3 Survey alumni to discover how many have included the College in their estate planning. Strategy 4.12.4 Develop a formal donor recognition program (i.e. Dean’s Society). Strategy 4.12.5 Increase collaboration with the UK Alumni Association.
Objective 4.13 Create a College Advisory Board. Strategy 4.13.1 Cultivate board members who have the interests and resources to contribute successfully to College development efforts. Strategy 4.13.2 Provide the College Advisory Board with the necessary resources to fulfill their responsibilities as development representatives of the College.
13
Objective 4.14 Increase resources for development efforts. Strategy 4.14.1 Include ways to enlist faculty in assisting in the identification and cultivation of donors. Strategy 4.14.2 Increase development staff. Strategy 4.14.3 Develop budget for Development materials and travel. Strategy 4.14.4 Develop information/materials to help UK central development office build an understanding of the College and its Development priorities.
14
Goal 5:
Promote Excellence in Inclusion and Diversity Across the College
Objective 5.1. Establish and operate from a common understanding of diversity and inclusion that equips all members of the College to navigate effectively in a diverse world. Strategy 5.1.1 Adopt a College structure that makes explicit the shared responsibility of the entire community for inclusive excellence. Strategy 5.1.3 Develop an evaluation strategy for assessing the College’s progress in achieving greater diversity and inclusion in all its endeavors. Objective 5.2 Promote curricular and co-curricular transformation that recognizes the educational advantages of diversity. Strategy 5.2.1 Develop a coherent and focused College- and unit-level implementation strategy for achieving greater diversity and inclusion in curricular and co-curricular activities. Strategy 5.2.2 Attract and retain talented and diverse faculty, students and staff. Strategy 5.2.3 Promote student, faculty, and staff understanding of, and respect for diversity and inclusion Strategy 5.2.4 Establish clearly defined expectations, incentives, interventions, and accountability measures as key components of the diversity and inclusion strategy. Objective 5.3 Enhance College/campus/community collaborations in areas where opportunities exist to build diversity and increase inclusion. Strategy 5.3.1 Establish a plan for better internal and external communication with respect to the College’s efforts at diversity and inclusion. Strategy 5.3.2 Develop partnerships with local, regional, and statewide organizations that promote excellence in diversity and inclusion. Strategy 5.3.3. Encourage faculty, staff, and student participation in international conferences and events, as well as national and local events that attract diverse and inclusive audiences. Strategy 5.3.4. Develop promotional materials and web content in languages other than English. Strategy 5.3.5. Actively recruit international undergraduate and graduate students via three channels: direct contact with prospective students during international travel by the College administration, faculty and staff; web delivered advertising; and interaction with the University’s International Office.
15
Goal 6:
Improve the Quality of Life of Kentuckians through Engagement, Outreach and Service
Objective 6.1 Enhance faculty and staff connection with the community through engagement, outreach, and service. Strategy 6.1.1 Develop a common understanding of engagement and its relationship to teaching, research, and outreach/service. Strategy 6.1.2 Evaluate and adopt in promotion and tenure regulations the best practices on assessing engaged scholarship. Strategy 6.1.3 Promote faculty and staff involvement in engaged research, application, outreach, and service. Strategy 6.1.4 Provide incentives for and recognitions of significant faculty and staff outreach and engagement activity. Strategy 6.1.5 Highlight and build on the history of the College in providing service to the community. Strategy 6.1.6 Highlight and build upon the work of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, and the Scripps First Amendment Center. Objective 6.2 Enhance community access to University knowledge and expertise. Strategy 6.2.1 Develop College, department, and unit mission statements that reflect linkages with their natural community constituencies and counterparts. Strategy 6.2.2 Promote regional outreach and engagement partnerships. Strategy 6.2.3 Pursue significant research and application that improve the lives of Kentuckians, particularly when such research and application may have broader implications. Objective 6.3 Enhance external recognition and funding of University engagement, outreach, and service. Strategy 6.3.1 Increase local, state, federal, and philanthropic support to expand engagement activities. Strategy 6.3.2 Secure external recognition for engagement, outreach, and service initiatives.
16