COS News

Summary of Planning Activities/Initiatives

Report also available in PDF and MS Word (.doc) formats

Dean Mary Anne Hanner
June 1, 2007

Provost’s Goal #1: Showcase for teaching and learning with an emphasis on relationship-driven education.

Assessment

• Departments/programs with mature assessment programs will be asked to provide evidence of how assessment data is used to change, update, modify their curricula and /or programs.

Relationship-driven education

• Expand Women in Math and Sciences (WiSM) Program with more departmental mentoring and retention strategies
• Minority Mentoring in Mathematics and Science (M3S) Program will be launched
• Formalize departmental faculty mentoring programs to support new T/T faculty and ACF in developing teaching and research (as appropriate) skills and strategies (COS Priority)
• Augment focus on SoTL through COS initiatives and DAC language (COS Priority
  • Provide a stipend/release time to faculty member(s) who are interesting in testing teaching and learning outcomes
  • Incorporate SoTL into the DAC common elements during this revision cycle

Expansion of the appropriate use technology in instructional mission

• Development of the COS Technology Plan after university-wide technology planning during fall semester.  The plan will provide a blueprint for future investment in instructional technology.
• Modest expansion of technology delivered courses in BIO
• Encourage additional expansion of technology in sciences and math

Development of more interdisciplinary curricula and research activities (COS Priority)

• Develop an interdisciplinary GIS minor in collaboration with G/G, PLS, BIO, S/A
• Develop an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies minor in collaboration with ECN, S/A, G/G, PLS, BIO
• Develop an initiative to support interdisciplinary program development and/or interdisciplinary research projects

Engage departments in planning that will result in specific outcomes (COS Priority)

• Encourage departments who are not engaged in planning discussions to put structures in place to have those discussions with faculty and staff

Other Exemplary Teaching and Learning Activities

• Investigate inquiries for other off-campus programs in PSY and MAT
• Development of a GIS Center at EIU

Provost’s Goal #2: Have the most active and highly regarded student research/student scholarship program.

• Webpage on COS website to showcase student research, an online journal of student research

Provost’s Goal #3  Honors programming of choice

• PLS  and the Honors College is investigating possibility of membership in the Washington Center Program

Provost’s Goal #4:  Expansion and support of study abroad experiences (COS Priority)

• BIO’s Ethnobotany course in China in 2008
• Augment the international experiences in PLS and ECN International Options
• Additional study abroad experiences through the COS Study Abroad Initiative

Provost’s Goal #5:  Doudna as a regional Fine Arts Center

• Other opportunities for collaboration between COS programs and Fine Arts departments: CHM, PHY and THA concerning special effects; PHY and THA focused on acoustics; CDS and MUS and/or THA on care and use of professional voice; CHM and ART concerning the chemistry of various mediums; collaborations concerning management of hazardous materials. None of these opportunities have been actively pursued.  These and other ideas will be discussed with COS department chairs and then with Dean Johnson. 

Other Activities

Support NUR as the program continues to mature

• Secure appropriate facilities, staff, and program equipment and materials
• Secure critical mass of students
• Determine most advantageous delivery modes

Demonstrate increased development activities particularly those that would shift expenses from operating funds

• Invite new members to the COS Advisory Board
• Augment contacts with COS Advisory Board
• Encourage COS Advisory Board to realize their goal of creating an endowment with annual minimum contributions of $500 each
• Develop an alumni/development webpage on the COS website

Continue to develop leadership skills of administrative team

• Provide funding for leadership conference during first year of appointment
• Provide more opportunities for chairs to give input and advice on college-level issues
• Provide opportunities for leadership discussions at administrative council meetings (ask chairs to present on a project or event in their department, to discuss effective management of department level problems)
• Provide resources for individual leadership development (articles, websites)