Strategic Plan Priority Areas

• Priority Area: Innovative and Experiential Learning
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    1. Provide increased opportunities for student involvement in career pathway exploration in their first two years in the College. 
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Partner with Career Center on marketing existing programming
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number and percent of first and second year and new transfer students engagement with Career Center Braven and MEP programming
    2. Improve the innovative and experiential learning environment in classrooms
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Increase participation in and funding for faculty and staff training in instructional technology and pedagogy. 
          2. Additional training opportunities on leveraging technology in the classroom.
          3. Funding for faculty to study effectiveness of course delivery modes.
          4. More funding for faculty curriculum development and course redesign.
          5. Improve safety practices in teaching labs and project spaces.
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number and percent of eligible faculty who participate in training.
          2. Number of curriculum development projects completed.
          3. Student performance on learning outcomes related to safety.
    3. Increase hands-on learning opportunities (e.g., research and internship opportunities, contest teams and clubs). 
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Raise student awareness of hands-on learning experiences
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number and percent of eligible students participating in learning opportunities
• Priority Area: Research and Scholarly Activity
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    1. Provide opportunities, incentives, and support infrastructure for faculty research including laboratory safety
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Provide incentives, funding, and recognition to faculty and students who conduct research and disseminate research results
          2. Connect faculty to campus resources to support proposal writing/development
          3. Develop laboratory specific safety plans
       2. Measures of success:
          1. College RSCA productivity metric
             number and dollar amount of grants submitted
          2. Percent of labs with functional lab specific safety protocols
    2. Support and promote interdisciplinary and collaborative research opportunities 
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Identify and reduce barriers to collaborating with other departments, universities and industry partners
          2. Continue interdisciplinary seminar series
          3. Continue developing interdisciplinary research space and infrastructure
          4. Continue joint PhD development
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number and dollar amount of multi-department, multi-institution, joint industry research products and grants
          2. Number of  attendees at seminars
          3. Number of  interdisciplinary research spaces created/upgraded
          4. Milestones towards joint PhD approval
    3. Raise awareness of and support student participation in research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Reinstate the research fair
          2. Increased support for student presentations (poster or speaker) at conferences
          3. Promote independent Study "Special Topics" opportunities to allow student research for credit
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number of students [differentiate bet. undergrad and grad] mentored during research projects
    4. Increase opportunities to broaden research skills for both students and faculty.
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Provide skill-building opportunities and resources for faculty and students.
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number of participants in skill building opportunities
    5. Increase inclusion  of historically underserved students in research projects and other research based learning opportunities.
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Promote research programs through MEP and student affinity clubs
          2. Feature student researchers in internal and external publications
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number  of historically underserved students participating in these programs
• Priority Area: Student Experience and Success
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    1. Continue progress towards Graduation Initiative 2025 retention and graduation goals
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Help students find the best major for their interests and skills. 
          2. Increase opportunities for form a community / build relationships with other students
          3. Provide resources and opportunities that motivate and prepare students for possibilities that exist after graduation
          4. Provide math support for incoming students
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Retention and graduation rates
          2. Percentage of students participating in Engineering student clubs and activities  
          3. Number and academic outcomes of participants in summer programs such as EXCEED
    2. Increase percentage of full-time job placement rates and/or continuing education for all students by time of graduation
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Provide events and other channels for students to be connected into the trends that are relevant to industry. 
          2. Incentivize career-readiness activities (i.e. extra credit, prizes, etc.) 
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Job placement percentage
          2. Percentage of students participating in career-readiness activities
    3. Make learning and research resources, support services, technology, and collaborative opportunities accessible to all students
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Provide quick-hits / one-sheeter with links to where to go
          2. Provide parent education on available support services and the best ways to support students in coordination with the Student Affairs Family Advisory Board
          3. Improve availability of Maker Space
          4. Improve communication with students surrounding support services and opportunities
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Student satisfaction and engagement survey to measure efficacy of different tools/methodologies, etc.
          2. Percentage of students opening student newsletter communications
          3. Percentage of students utilizing services 
• Priority Area: Industry and Community Partnerships
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    1. Create collaborative and mutually beneficial community and industry partnerships
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. In partnership with the Division of Research and Innovation, create infrastructure to support entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering
          2. Increase number of students involved in Extended Studies Off Campus and Corporate Programs
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Number of faculty and students participating in entrepreneurship
          2. Number of extended studies enrollments
    2. Increase student participation in internships and coops
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Improve professional skills students need to compete for and be successful in internships and co-ops
          2. Create mechanism to track student internships
          3. Evaluate application and internship experience for equity/inclusion
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Percentage of students participating in internships and co-ops each summer and semester
          2. Percentage of students looking for internships but unable to find one
    3. Develop an engaged alumni community
       
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Establish alumni engagement plans at department and college levels
          2. Establish an early career alumni recognition award that recognizes recent graduates who have made a contribution to community and society 
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Alumni attendance at department and college events
          2. Alumni giving numbers, both dollar amount and headcount
          3. Active contacts in alumni directory
• Priority Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
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    1. Create, support, and facilitate an inclusive learning and working environment for all faculty, staff, and students 
       1. Key Initiatives:
          
          1. Create collaborative approach and measurement strategy and analysis to understand barriers that historically underserved students are facing
          2. Increase awareness and importance of diversity for faculty members and staff. Share what resources are available
          3. Create a standing DEI committee within the College of Engineering
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Equity gaps in courses, retention and graduation rates
          2. Campus climate survey results
    2. Increase external funding to support DEI initiatives
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Incentivize faculty participation through internal seed funding opportunities
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Amount of external support for DEI initiatives
             
    3. Ensure more balanced and equitable distribution of service
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Initiate review of the distribution of and compensation for service activities for faculty, staff, and students across all departments and programs
          2. Develop and implement plans for improving equity in service loads
             
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Stakeholder survey results
    4. Increase diversity of faculty to more closely match the student demographics
       1. Key Initiatives:
          1. Collaborate with ASPIRE iChange program and VP of Faculty Success to improve faculty recruitment and retention
          2. Promote academic career pathways to current students
       2. Measures of success:
          1. Faculty demographics