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
- Core Strategy B: Interdisciplinary Capabilities
- Core Strategy C: Graduate Education
- Core Strategy D: Position CoSM as a Regional Research and Education Partner of Choice
- Core Strategy E: Science of Teaching and Learning
- Core Strategy F: Undergraduate Education
- Core Strategy G: Alumni Relations
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
