About

Strategic Plan

Vision

Opening minds to science

Mission

To create passion for Science and Mathematics through evidence-based discovery, advancing knowledge of the natural world

Core Strategies

Core strategies represent the integrated top-level priorites of the college based upon the core capabilities assessed by the faculty, staff, and administration.

Core Strategy A: Core Capabilities For a Research Platform

Focus Areas

Infrastructure
  • Next generation sequencing
  • Cores—imaging, genetics, proteomics, EAF, robotics, VERITAS, RTS, statistical consulting center
  • Departmental shared equipment

Support with: funding for service fees, staff, and new equipment

Research Clusters
  • Existing Clusters
    • Cell Signaling
    • Global Change
    • Materials Science
    • Computational
    • Education Research
    • HF/IO
    • Biomedical Sciences
    • Environmental Sciences
  • Potential future clusters:
    • nanotechnology
    • imaging, sensing
    • bioinformatics

Support with: seminars, website presence, whiteboard sessions, and symposia

Postdoctoral Training
  • Develop training program to attract postdoctoral fellows
Resources
  • Training on equipment (e.g., next gen seq.)
  • Grant writing workshops
  • Grant review process
  • Bridge funding
  • Research pilot funding
  • Tech transfer, IP, and commercialization

Core Strategy B: Interdisciplinary Capabilities

Focus Areas

Research Clusters

(see Core Strategy A)

Space
  • Faculty assigned space by interdisciplinary connections rather than department boundaries
Interdisciplinary Programs
  • Graduate
    • Microbiology & Immunology
    • Interdisciplinary Applied Science and Mathematics
    • Biomedical Sciences
    • Environmental Sciences
  • Undergraduate
    • Earth and Environmental Sciences
    • Neuroscience
    • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Support with: Web presence, stipend support, interdisciplinary governance and committees, resources for curriculum development, program development, recruitment, and GTAs

Interdisciplinary Seminars
  • Based in departments but communicated/advertised by research cluster, graduate discipline, or undergraduate discipline

Support with: bylaws that incorporate rewards for interdisciplinary activities, service, education, and research


Core Strategy C: Graduate Education

Focus Areas

Funding
  • Increase Stipends
  • Cover insurance costs
  • Obtain external funding
Program Enhancement
  • Raise admission standards
  • Increase frequency of committee meetings
  • Employ assessment
Training
  • Bioethics
  • Writing
  • Statistics
  • Industry-desired skills
    • Entrepreneurism
    • Tech transfer, IP, Commercialization
    • Management skills
    • Leadership skills
  • Explore possibility of incorporating internships

Core Strategy D: Position CoSM as a Regional Research and Education Partner of Choice

Focus Areas

Access
  • Improve parking
  • Provide more flexible course hours, evenings, weekends
New Delivery Methods
  • Increase online content, hybrid, or entirety
  • Enhance relationships for College Credit Plus
  • Train high school teachers in the discipline
  • Increase number of service learning courses
Partnerships
  • Consult with parks, hospitals, other constituents, as to needs
  • Partner with businesses, AFIT, AFRL, WPAFB for research and education

Core Strategy E: Science of Teaching and Learning

Focus Areas

Research
  • Grow Education Research
  • Education Research journal club
  • Center for Science and Math Education

Support with: website presence

Funding and Assessment
  • Get external funding for education initiatives
  • Promote assessment culture, use for preliminary data and to demonstrate real improvement
Training
  • Develop comprehensive program for faculty development

Core Strategy F: Undergraduate Education

Focus Areas

(in conjunction with Core Strategy E)

Curriculum Redesign
  • Redesign gateway/entry level science courses with active learning
  • Departmental core groups
  • Identify program and course learning goals
  • Design assessments, lessons, activities
Training
  • Train Learning Assistants/Scale-up assistants
  • Train GTAs
  • Faculty Development program (see Core Strategy E)
Entrepreneurship, Creativity, and Innovation
  • Infuse into curriculum
  • Start with workshops, symposia
  • Identify or develop contests for students working in groups
  • E, C, I, critical thinking, scientific reasoning, problem solving Included in learning goals
Student Success
  • Increase enrollment by increasing retention
  • Student Success Initiatives
    • Academic Recovery Program for students on probation
    • First-year seminars targeted to CoSM majors
    • 2nd year careers/majors courses for each department/major
    • Early Alert
Academic Building
  • Design new building to be CoSM home
  • Innovative science teaching and learning spaces
  • Scale-up wet labs
  • student success, advising
Pre-College and Community Programs
  • Increase Science and Mathematics preparation and interest
  • Pre-college programs
  • STEM outreach
  • On campus events
  • Math and Science boot camps
  • Math and Science contests

Core Strategy G: Alumni Relations

Focus Areas

Advancement Council
  •   Scholarships
  •   Internships
Communications Planning
  •   Multimedia and Technology group
  •   Newsletter
  •   Social media, Twitter, etc.
  •   Biweekly news spotlights—Dispatch
  •   Website updating
Donor Recognition Ceremony
Entrepreneurship and Alumni