HIGHER PRIORITY ACTION ITEMS (1)
1 - Enhance OOE support to departments for faculty teaching, scholarship, and service efforts (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: The tuition and equipment fee distribution based on increases in FY 2003 have enhanced unit OOE support.
1 - Increase faculty salaries to levels competitive with peer institutions (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: Senate Bill 345 had 2 more years of faculty increases - according to the "promise." Recent State fiscal problems have derailed the increases, but limited progress was made. The additional tuition surcharge for Business Administration & Engineering courses are being applied to faculty salaries in these two colleges. The removal of the linear fee cap in Veterinary Medicine has allowed for additional salary increases in that college. The equalization of salaries in Technology and Aviation has continued.
1 - Increase travel and scholarship funding opportunities for all faculty (SC).
Progress: The increases in departmental OOE funded from the tuition increase in FY 2003 will help, projected cuts in FY2003 not withstanding. The Vice Provost for Research has made some changes in how internal grants are provided.
1 - Increase the number and level of stipends for graduate teaching/scholarship assistants (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: Based on year 2 or 3 of the 5 year tuition increases, funding is planned for increasing the number and level of support for GTAs and GRAs. The reality of this depends on stabilization of the general fund.
2 - Enhance opportunities for faculty to strengthen teaching methods (T/L)(SC).
Progress: The Provost, the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and the Faculty Exchange for Teaching Excellence program (SWAP sessions, etc) have continued to further advancement of the teaching and learning environment. The university has developed programs for greater recognition and rewards for teaching excellence, e.g. the University Chair for Distinguished Teaching Scholars Award. The College of Engineering has initiated and supported the LEARN program. There has been gradual improvement in departments' approaches to the evaluation of faculty teaching.
2 - Enhance academic advising (T/L).
Progress: A major advising web site was established on the home page of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. A university-wide Advising Coordinator was appointed (Dr. Mike Lynch). Academic affairs and student affairs advising activities were linked. An Advising Advisory Council is being established. A major electronic web-based survey was established and linked to students' enrollment to gather student feedback on advising. Results from the first survey were provided to departments and colleges. The development of an advising report linked to the DARS report (LAAP) is being pilot tested for use by advisors and students (funded by FIPSE). A simplied version of DARS is being developed for use on K-State OnLine.
3 - Develop a strategy to enhance scholarship funding from public and private sectors (SC).
Progress: A 60 million dollar scholarship capital campaign was recently completed. A goal of an additional 40 million dollars for scholarships (graduate and undergraduate students) is included in an upcoming fund raising campaign.
3 - Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration in graduate education and scholarship (T/L)(SC).
Progress: Faculty-initiated efforts are underway to create interdisciplinary graduate programs in public health (masters in public health degree proposed), food science (graduate certificate program), genetics of environmental adaptation (graduate research program), and leadership studies (graduate certificate program). Existing interdepartmental programs in genetics and biochemistry are under review. A graduate certificate in occupational health psychology includes faculty from several colleges and University Counseling Services.
3 - Increase enrollment in high-quality professional, graduate and certificate programs (T/L).
Progress: Graduate certificate programs are being employed as a tool for accomplishing this goal. Fourteen graduate certificate programs are now in place, with four new certificate programs established during the past academic year and one still under review.
4 - Develop and implement a long-range plan for the Library to address chronic under-funding (IN).
Progress: Part of the tuition increases for FY 03 are being used in the Library and will add substantially to the funding. The Integrated Information Infrastructure (III) project will complement and facilitate development of the digital library and electronic access.
4 - Improve services provided by the Library to students and faculty (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: A desktop system has been implemented that delivers journal articles requested via interlibrary loan directly to faculty and student computers. A 200-terminal information commons was installed in Hale Library with a common interface that gives students and faculty access to library electronic e-resources and university software and systems. A wireless access system was also installed throughout Hale Library
5 - Develop and implement a strategic plan for the information technology infrastructure (IN).
Progress: A 5 to 7 year plan for developing an Integrated Information Infrastructure is in place and initial steps taken to get the project underway. Preliminary steps to develop and install a Portal system and authorization system are under way. A Storage Area Network System has been purchased and database design work is underway.
5 - Provide quality support for electronic communication and an integrated information environment (IN).
Progress: Funding from the FY 2003 tuition increase is being used to improve equipment and technology infrastructure. This will continue to be augmented by increases over the next four years. Computing and Network Services is now managing the Library's network.
6 - Hold administrators responsible for promoting diversity among students, faculty, and staff (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: The Provost requires a statement on diversity in the goals and self-evaluations of all deans and directors of support units in the Office of the Provost and addresses it in their annual evaluations. The Equity Committee appointed by the Provost has recommended procedures for reviewing the diversity climate in departments and units and providing recommendations to department and unit heads. Deans are strongly encouraged to include diversity initiatives in their evaluations of department heads. A new Associate Provost for Diversity and Dual Career Development has been hired, who has expectations in the area of enhancing faculty diversification.
6 - Improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: The Assistant Provost and the Director of Academic Services have been compiling longitudinal data on faculty retention for women and minorities. Comparative data from majority faculty at K-State and from other research institutions are being collected and used to identify any systemic problems. Modest but inadequate improvement has been made, especially with reference to administrative positions.
6 - Enhance students' multicultural competency through scholarship and new teaching strategies (T/L).
Progress: The Tilford Group has identified a set of multicultural competencies and has been working with individuals and departments to integrate these into current courses and curricula.
7 - Recruit more international undergraduate students (T/L).
Progress: With the support of the President and the Provost, International Programs has been working with Admissions to develop the necessary infrastructure to support the recruitment of international undergraduate students. That system is currently being developed and implemented. The international student exchange program has seen a dramatic growth in the last several years. International enrollments have increased by 150-200 total, with the majority of these being exchange and graduate students. The impact of September 11, 2001 on these efforts is not currently known.
7 - Integrate international content into curricula (T/L).
Progress: None to
this point, subject to more feedback from academic units.
MODERATE PRIORITY ACTION ITEMS
2 - Reward faculty for pedagogy which promotes student learning (T/L)(S/O).
Progress: See above item on teaching.
2 - Emphasize teaching in annual and tenure evaluations including use of multiple indicators (T/L).
Progress: The Provost's Office has reviewed each department's document to ensure the document contains multiple criteria to annually evaluate teaching. The reviews of the annual faculty evaluations try to ascertain if multiple criteria, as outlined in the departmental document, were used to evaluate teaching in that department.
3 - Recruit top level graduate students from the United States and around the world (T/L)(SC).
Progress: Concurrent degree programs (starting graduate programs while completing undergraduate programs) are being encouraged as a means for retaining some of K-State's best undergraduates. Graduate Council has already endorsed this principle and will be working this year on program guidelines. The plan to use tuition increases in the future to enchance GTA/GRA stipends should help departments and interdisciplinary programs to recruit more effectively.
3 - Enhance the involvement of undergraduates in scholarship (T/L)(SC).
Progress: K-State continues to be the leader nation-wide in the number of top scholarships for public research institutions. The university is engaged in the Bilingual Education Students Interacting To Obtain Success (BESITOS) program which sponsors students to become qualified bilingual/English as a Second Language teachers. Starting in the Fall of 2000, the university implemented the Developing Scholars program in which selected students work with K-State faculty as research assistants in scholarly activities. The program is designed to provide academic, social, and financial support for students who are participating, alongside faculty, in the discovery and creation of new knowledge. Building on a past and recent grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Division of Biology received funding to involve undergraduate students and their faculty mentors in biological science research. The grant provides funding to the student and supports laboratory development for the research programs. The Associate Dean for the Graduate School has convened an ad hoc group, Coalition for Undergraduate Opportunities, with the purpose of increasing undergraduate opportunities through grant applications and honors programs.
4 - Maintain and enhance digital resources in library operation, collections, and infrastructure (IN).
Progress: Digital Library software was implemented that provides integrated access to commercial e-resources and unique K-State e-resources. Access was provided to 13,000 full-text electronic journal titles to supplement 7,000 print titles. A web site with capability to provide digital library resources to a wide variety of users has been created. This site enforces the license requirements for the digital works enabling distant students to access needed material over the internet. Also see related Library items above.
6 - Support academic programs to prepare all students to live in a diverse world (T/L).
Progress: The Tilford Multicultural competencies (see above) and corporate partnerships are being used in the discussion with academic programs and faculty about the need to introduce new materials into classes and curriculums to better prepare students to work in a diverse world. Rather than establishing a "one size fits all" model, the approach is to deal one-on-one with the different degree programs.
6 - Support retention and leadership programs for diverse student populations (T/L).
Progress: The PILOTS program was developed to provide and encourage academic development and leadership potential for entering freshmen. While not solely a program for diverse populations, it has traditionally provided strong support for minority individuals. The Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) provides leadership opportunities for Hispanic and Latino students.
7 - Expand opportunities for K-State students to study abroad (T/L)(S/O).
Progress: A record number of exchange students, 404, participated during 2001-02. This compares to approximately 20 participants ten years ago. We are now both promoting many direct enrollment (non-reciprocal) programs for K-State students plus three new signed exchanges and two affiliation agreements. Negotiations for more agreements are underway.
7 - Expand existing international programs and international academic area studies (T/L).
Progress: The university has negotiated twinning agreements (acceptance of course credits) with 3 international higher education institutions. Unfortunately, course approvals for transfer purposes have not been completed, but will be this fall. There also have been 3 successful sponsored student proposals. The American Studies program is in the process of development. The offices of International Programs and the English Language Program have continued their development of services and programs for international students. See related international action items above.
7 - Improve recruitment and retention services for international students and faculty (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
Progress: As noted above, limited funding was provided to support the development of recruiting services and programs for international undergraduate and graduate students. This program is still being developed. Improvements have been made in providing basic services to newly arrived international students. A 0.2 FTE position was added to help with INS work for international faculty. Recent changes in international conditions and INS requirements have placed a heavier burden on the university in the recruitment and retention of international faculty and students.
8 - Integrate the information technology infrastructure in more classrooms (IN).
Progress: Three new technology classrooms became available beginning with the Fall 2002 semester. These include Eisenhower 226, Eisenhower 21, and Thompson 101. Eisenhower 226 seats 36, Eisenhower 21 seats 35, and Thompson 101 seats 102. State-of-the-art 61" plasma screens were installed in Eisenhower 226. This brings the total number of technology classrooms to 29, including one on the Salina campus.
8 - Enhance instructional technology coordination efforts among units (T/L).
Progress: Increased collaborative efforts have been initiated among the Office of Information Systems in the Division of Continuing Education, Information and Educational Technology within the College of Agriculture, Computing and Network Services and the Information Technology Assistance Center to provide more and enhanced technology training sessions, the TechByte series (campus wide weekly seminar on technology issues) and the InfoTech Tuesday weekly newsletter.
8 - Analyze the effectiveness of mediated instructional delivery methods (T/L)(SC).
Progress: Kansas State University serves as the leader for the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance, a consortium of ten universities providing online master's degrees.
Digital mediated advising support is in the final stages of implementation for all advisors using K-State OnLine. Three more degree programs will be available this year using distance learning on the internet. The IDEA Center recently conducted an assessment of learning through mediated instruction; generally positive results were reported.
8 - Develop and implement intellectual property rights policies for mediated instructional materials (T/L)(SC).
Progress: An intellectual property policy was recently (fall 2002) approved by the Faculty Senate and signed by the Provost.
9 - Help in the establishment of scholarship programs aimed at environmental issues (SC).
Progress: None to this point.
9 - Adopt a university-wide policy of wise energy consumption and environmental stewardship (IN).
Progress: Viron Energy Consulting is now (fall 2002) completing a campus-wide energy audit. The audit is identifying ways in which energy costs can be reduced. When new funds are required to implement recommendations, they will be provided by long-term revenue bonds that would be repaid by energy savings. The new campus smoking policy, which was implemented August 1, is designed to improve the health/safety environment on campus.
9 - Encourage the transfer of technology to the private sector (S/O).
Progress: K-State's arrangement with KSURF and MACC has become a national example of effectiveness. New startups have become an emphasis, of which Nanoscale Materials, Inc. is an outstanding example. A discussion with department heads on this topic is slated for November.
A program is being developed with Barton County Community College to help them, in conjunction with us, to develop technology transfer programs.
9 - Continue to prepare graduates to support economic development within the State (T/L)(S/O).
Progress: See below for programs developed by colleges.
Graduate School: A graduate intern program in technology transfer and entrepreneurship was initiated in 2002.
Engineering: The engineering and related professions are almost all directed at creating wealth and raising the standard of living. Hence, economic development is a large part of what they do. For specific economic development programs beyond the usual academic programs we have the Advanced Manufacturing Institute which helps manufacturers in the state. Many students work in this program as interns, then accept jobs within the state for these manufacturers. We also have a growing emphasis in technological entrepreneurship. In addition, we have Engineering Extension which employs students occasionally.
Arts & Sciences: Economics graduates have gone on to work for state agencies (Kansas Inc., SRS, the state's Division of Budget, Kansas Department of Transportation, etc.), for research institutes (such as DPRI), and in small companies and large corporations throughout the state. Our doctoral students have accepted administrative appointments with universities (for example, as deans at Fort Hays State and Pittsburgh State and as an associate dean at Kansas State) and teaching appointments (Washburn, Bethany, K-State College of Business, etc.). Such students have contributed to economic development in the state.
Human Ecology: Travel and tourism is one focus in Hotel-Restaurant Management that emphasizes the impact of hospitality on the economic development of communities and states. The area of emphasis is on providing new revenue streams in rural communities. Apparel Marketing students study social responsibility in global apparel manufacturing and sales.
Veterinary Medicine: Our graduates who go to positions in Kansas have a direct impact on the economy by enhancing business and productivity. Companion animal (pets and horses) practitioners create what is essentially another "small business" in the communities where they work. Food animal practitioners support the agribusiness community by improving the health and productivity of livestock and, therefore; become a driving force in the economic industry of meat production.
Business Administration: The MBA program has students serving as interns in new startup companies.
1. 1 The number in front of the Action Items relates to the associated theme. Key --T/L=Teaching/Learning; SC=Scholarship; S/O=Service/Outreach; and IN=Infrastructure.