College of Arts and
Sciences
Shaping the Future
March 1, 2005
Vision
Baker University will be nationally recognized for
fostering learning communities that integrate liberal arts, professional
programs, and experiential learning in ways that develop the whole person and
shape successful, responsible citizenship in our global society.
Explanation of Key Components
· nationally recognized (Expands applicant pool to create more selective admissions for CAS; encourages active participation in events that bring national recognition for our students, faculty, and staff in all academic units; encourages internships across the country and abroad; elevates the value of a Baker degree for all of our alumni)
· learning community (Students, faculty, and staff linked together in various ways around a common theme, focused on a coordinated program of learning, characterized by service, civility, and respect)
·
integration of liberal arts, professional
programs, and experiential learning (All educational units – CAS, SON and SPGS – include the
integration of these three educational elements each in a slightly different
mix; yet, all are committed to the value of this integration. The unique
mission statements for each major educational unit will describe the nature of
the integration utilized within that educational unit and the value that
integration has for their respective students.)
· developing the whole person (Mind, body, and spirit)
· promoting responsible citizenship (People with ethical character who seek ways to be of service and make a contribution to the greater good)
· global society (Promotes awareness of and appreciation for diversity, international connections, the importance of learning to live and work with diverse groups of people, and the impact our actions have on the members of the global community and the planet on which we all live together; encourages education about different cultures, domestic and foreign, as well as study abroad.)
College of Arts and Sciences
Core Values
Student Learning, Development, and Success
We are passionate about student learning, development, and success. We will provide a challenging, yet supportive, learning-centered educational experience that reflects a concern for academic excellence, sensitivity to changing and emerging student, stakeholder, and market requirements, and attention to the factors that influence student learning, development, fulfillment, and success. We will build a living-learning environment that promotes student engagement and ignites in our students a passion for life-long learning. To do so will require focus on organizational learning and agility.
Community
Our commitment to community represents the essence of our campus culture. We will adopt policies, procedures, and practices that promote attention to individual needs and aspirations, as well as those that strengthen our University and the broader community which we serve. We value diverse perspectives and promote actions that demonstrate mutual respect among all members of our local community and the global community of which we are a part. We will actively engage students, faculty, and staff in integrated learning communities that foster synergistic connections among and within academic disciplines, task groups, and social clusters. We will seek ways to partner with our extended community to promote mutual enrichment, professional progress, and the greater good.
Character
We understand that virtuous character development is a life-long pursuit. Therefore, we encourage continued character development for students, faculty, and staff. We will seek and develop faculty and staff who will model ethical behavior, principled decision making, and personal integrity in ways that will inspire these characteristics in our students. We will integrate ethics and analytical thinking throughout our curriculum and adopt an ethos of ethical character development in our approach to athletics, co-curricular activities, student discipline, and employee relations.
Civic and Social Responsibility
We are committed to the traditional United Methodist concerns for social justice and service to others, and we will seek faculty, staff, and students who share this concern, regardless of their faith tradition. We will encourage a sense of social responsibility among members of our community by integrating academics, student development, co-curricular activities, university governance, and community-service programs in ways that promote understanding of public policy and encourage activism, service to others, leadership development, and a life-long commitment to civic and social engagement.
College of Arts and Sciences
The College offers a life enhancing experience that promotes rigorous scholarship and integrates student learning, student development, and student engagement in ways that educate the whole person and inspire student success and fulfillment.
Liberal arts education provides the foundation of the College educational experience for all academic programs, including those leading to a professional degree. The curriculum is infused with exposure to ethical considerations, experiential learning opportunities, and thoughtful reflection that, together, help students translate theory and research into practical tools for principled-decision making and creative problem solving at work, at home, and in the global community. This intentional combination of liberal arts, professional programs, and experiential learning is designed to produce open-minded critical thinkers who understand diverse people and perspectives and are prepared to lead in their chosen profession.
By encouraging faith and values exploration and deliberately surrounding the students with meaningful opportunities for student development and engagement in learning communities outside the classroom and beyond campus borders, we encourage each student to embrace our core values of community, character, and responsible citizenship. These pursuits reflect a steadfast belief in the relevance and importance of liberal arts education and a resolute commitment to our United Methodist heritage.
Baker University
College of Arts and Sciences
Strategic Planning Initiatives
1.
Exemplify excellence in learning-centered
liberal arts education and professional preparation
We will exemplify best practices in learning-centered education through high academic standards and performance expectations; student-centered instruction; experiential learning and professional preparation; continuous review of our academic programs and instructional support services to ensure that they reflect changing and emerging student and market needs; and routine assessment of student learning to measure programs against key, relevant external standards regarding the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students for success in our technologically advanced, global society.
We will magnify the benefits of a traditional liberal arts education through innovative academic offerings and initiatives that build interdisciplinary learning communities, illustrate interdisciplinary connections, and amplify the universal value of exploration and discovery within and among the liberal arts and sciences.
2.
Build a living – learning community that
capitalizes on the synergistic integration of student learning, student
engagement, and student development to nurture and promote personal and
intellectual growth
We will collaborate to enhance the quality of the Baker CAS student experience through attention to the needs of the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. By deliberately integrating curricular and co-curricular activities with student development initiatives, we can create a seamless connection between the living and learning environments and actively engage students in academic, cultural, social, athletic, religious, and civic activities that reflect our core values, intensify the learning experience, and promote opportunities for intellectual growth and character development in all aspects of campus life.
This living-learning community connection is likely to produce a transforming experience that will perpetuate a commitment to the Baker experience for generations to come.
3.
Establish a culture of continuous
personal and organizational learning to promote faculty, staff, and
organizational success
Achieving our vision and performing our mission require commitment to the reciprocal relationship between personal and organizational success. Personal learning and success for faculty and staff promote organizational success, while organizational learning allows for systemic adjustments that promote personal satisfaction, productivity, and both personal and organizational success.
We will maximize this reciprocal effect and bring about high levels of personal performance and organizational success. High levels of faculty and staff personal achievement can be facilitated by emphasis on professional development activities, measurement and analysis of employee performance; appropriate compensation, internal recognition beyond the regular compensation system; open sharing of information, shared governance, and an environment that encourages innovation and creativity.
In turn, significant organizational improvement can be realized when we have faculty and staff with high levels of knowledge, skill, and motivation who diligently measure and analyze organizational outcomes. This analysis is especially important in the areas that will promote improvement of student learning, satisfaction, and success, as well as operational and financial performance.
4.
Develop an increasingly diverse learning
community that accents the importance of understanding multiple perspectives,
as well as the ability to live and work effectively among different groups of
people
To adequately
prepare our students for fulfillment and success in a global marketplace and
within an increasingly diverse domestic community, we must provide them with
opportunities to learn with and about diverse people. To support this goal, we will incorporate
diverse perspectives and exposure to diverse cultures throughout our
curriculum; develop strategic partnerships that promote international and
domestic student exchange; continually enhance our Study Abroad programs,
facilitating participation for all students, regardless of economic circumstances;
and otherwise seek ways to increase diversity among our students, faculty, and
staff.
5.
Provide for the continued enhancement of
facilities so that all members of our community have a safe, attractive, state-of-the-art
environment in which to live, learn, work, and play
The visual impression projected by the campus physical plant represents the vibrancy of the College. The level of modernity and state of repair of the buildings, along with the associated technological enhancements and creature comforts, have a direct impact on student and employee recruitment, as well as student and employee satisfaction. State-of-the-art instructional, recreational, athletic, dining, living, and office spaces are essential to support our vision and perpetuate our mission. With concerns for safety and security paramount, we will provide buildings and infrastructures that keep pace with industry standards, serve the needs of our campus community and invite campus connections with alumni, the surrounding community, and external constituents.
6.
Create
budgeting, financial management, and reporting systems that derive from and
support institutional priorities
Modern financial management tools are required to support enlightened resource allocation, informed decision making, and clear accountability. We will use these tools to allocate financial resources based on institutional priorities and to create budgets that support strategic initiatives. We will establish an annual budget planning cycle that sets milestones, assigns responsibility for the development and implementation of annual budgets, and establishes a new and effective budget development structure (with membership criteria), which will provide for broad-based participation in the process.
7.
Further
develop alumni relationships and create partnerships and other collaborative
arrangements that reflect institutional core values and support institutional
priorities
Communities
persist and grow when they connect with external groups and agencies for mutual
benefit and support. Reaching beyond
campus borders to connect and collaborate with alumni, philanthropic
foundations, governmental agencies, churches, businesses, and other
organizations will promote opportunities for resource sharing, resource
acquisition, service learning, internships, and student placement, as well as
linkages that will allow us to share our expertise for mutual benefit and the
greater good. From the immediate
Baker University
College of Arts and Sciences
Strategic Plan
Enabling Factors
- Invigorate recruitment and retention programs
and practices
The College is tuition driven. That is, net tuition is the primary source of revenue for operations in the College. An entering freshman class of students has a four-year financial impact on college operations, with an ongoing opportunity to be won or lost based on retention. Therefore, nothing is more important than a vigorous, calculated, and effective recruitment initiative which is supported by pro-active, student-centered retention initiatives. These are our highest priorities with the most immediate promise of meaningful financial results. Without a growing, competitive, and diverse student population, the College cannot accomplish its purpose.
Recruitment is job one; but it must be focused on attracting students who fit the Baker profile and are likely to thrive here. Careful and energetic recruitment builds a viable entering class, shapes the student body, and is the first step in an effective retention plan. To produce powerful retention effects, the recruitment efforts must be augmented by retention programs that support student engagement, development, and success. A combination of vigorous and carefully planned recruitment and retention strategies will sustain the College while supporting our driving mission to deliver high quality liberal arts education.
- Fund the Capital Campaign
An organized, focused, and
results-driven Capital Campaign is essential in order to create the margin of
excellence a robust endowment can provide.
Development success in the Capital Campaign and beyond will provide for
facilities, technology, scholarships, recruitment initiatives, and other
enhancements necessary for competitive growth and long-term institutional
strength. The best strategies of capital
and endowment fund-raising will build relationships, raise institutional
confidence, and contribute to an environment of success. A stronger endowment will allow for a lowered
spending rate, thus protecting the corpus, and it will reduce the inclination
to divert unrestricted gifts to operations.
- Implement an institutional image
campaign
An effective and compelling image campaign is necessary to establish the national identity of the College, to build and communicate a national reputation, and to promote institutional awareness among targeted audiences. A sophisticated program of paid advertising, powerful publications, interactive communications systems, and unique public relations activities is required to create a national reputation for excellence and prevail in an arena where students have choices and competition is intense. By prioritizing audiences, messages, and media, the College will communicate mission-critical values and institutional information in ways which garner the desired audiences’ attention, understanding, and response.
- Make technology enhancements an
overarching priority
Technology touches everything at
the College including teaching and learning, curricular improvement and
innovation, institutional planning and management, student life and
development, communications, and constituents.
In order to create efficiencies, improve capabilities and productivity,
and remain competitive in an environment where innovation in technology is
exploding forward on a daily basis, the College must invest in essential
technology improvements that include ample bandwidth, high-speed networking,
wireless technologies, smart classrooms, library resources, web-based services,
innovative courseware, improved security and redundancy, equipment and software
resources, training, and technical staff support.
- Encourage and reward innovation and creative contributions
Achieving a high level of organizational performance requires a well-executed approach to encouraging innovation that supports the long-term strategic goals of the College. In order to achieve this performance level, we will commit $1,000,000 over five years to create a program of competitively-selected internal grants totaling $200,000 each year. The purpose of this grant program is to encourage ideas, initiatives, suggestions, programs, and practices that support our strategic initiatives in innovative ways. This program of internal grants will promote organizational progress toward our vision and lead to increased employee productivity and satisfaction. Our College will be well served if all stakeholder groups who energetically participated in the planning process believe that their work was worth the time and energy invested, that the future is bright, that well thought out plans are possible, and that our bold vision can come to fruition.