Strategic Plan, 2005 - 2010
The College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences
is committed to integrating instruction and scholarship across the disciplines of science, engineering,
and mathematics. We aspire to be the leading institution for scientific and technical education, research, and outreach in the interior western United
States, providing students and our external partners with the knowledge and skills to make a positive difference in the future of the region. This plan
represents the third version of a strategic roadmap for the first few years of the college's existence.
Mission:
The College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences
promotes undergraduate and graduate learning experiences that integrate science, engineering, and mathematics, sustained by a commitment to research, scholarship, and the creative application of knowledge. The faculty, staff, and students collaborate to engage actively in the possibilities and practicalities of their fields.
Values:
The members of the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
are committed to:
- advancing both individual and collaborative research and scholarship;
- integrating research and disciplinary practice fully into our teaching;
- exploring the interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of our scholarly and educational activities;
- cultivating the varied natural and cultural settings and heritage of our region for educational and scholarly activities;
- building the mentoring, close student-faculty interactions, and research experiences that create a supportive, nurturing environment for rigorous learning;
- sustaining our partnerships with external agencies, tribes, communities, and industrial/corporate entities, that provide opportunities for community service and application of our knowledge to societal needs and issues;
- honoring the consistent tradition of national and international recognition of our excellent faculty;
- promoting a healthy, collaborative work environment in the college, including the background, diversity and experience of our staff; and
- fostering interactions of a diverse population of students, faculty and staff.
Vision:
The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences aspires to
- be the leading institution for scientific, mathematical, and engineering education, research, and outreach in the interior West;
- provide an environment for every student in our programs that infuses current practice and research in the disciplines into the educational experience;
- provide an environment for every faculty and staff member that facilitates the individual's professional and personal development;
- lead the university community to a deeper understanding of the importance of science and technology in today's society.
Proposed Vision Statement:
The College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences fosters a vibrant scholarly community - teaching, learning, and reaching across disciplines - committed to making a difference.
College Strategic Initiatives to Address University and College Priorities
During the second year of college planning, we used feedback from Leadership Council members and other external advisors to clarify the distinction between planning for effective operations and planning strategically for the middle or long term. We also identified key areas of uncertainty and assessed what planning was appropriate for dealing with each of those areas. We resolved to focus our planning efforts on the strategic aspects: what should be our selective and targeted activities, and which activities will we consciously decide to avoid or to reduce? The College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences has used leadership retreats, monthly academic chairs meetings, and quarterly meetings of center directors to identify and discuss priorities for responding to the opportunities and challenges described above. We have identified the manner in which our highest priorities relate to the university's strategic goals, as presented in the drafts being worked on by the university's Strategic Planning Council. The text box below summarizes those university priorities.
University Strategic Issues/Initiatives:
- Student Centered University
Become a truly student-centered university that has a deep commitment to student success and high expectations for student achievement.
- Regional and Global Stewardship
Contribute to regional and global stewardship through educational programs, research, and collaborative relationships.
- Access and Learning
Enrich access to responsive educational programs and experiences via multiple pathways.
- Environment of Inclusion
Create an environment of inclusion to prepare students for a global environment and to engage social challenges.
- Commitment to Native Americans
Become the nation's leading university serving Native Americans.
- Effective, Innovative, and Sustainable Practices:
Exemplify an effective, innovative, and sustainable learning community.
College priorities relate to the key university issues of providing excellent educational experiences, increasing student access and success, contributing to regional and global stewardship through our discovery and application of knowledge, and serving our region's population, including Native American students and communities. Our priorities are also driven by maximizing the benefits of current opportunities: the recent formation of the integrated college, and the impact of the investment in new and renovated physical facilities.
College Goal 1 - Contribute to university growth, financial stability, and regional and national priorities by increasing enrollments and number of graduates across STEM fields
The College will contribute to the university's goal of increasing enrollment on the Mountain Campus, by continuing our recent trend of increased headcount in our undergraduate and graduate programs. Our goal is to increase CEFNS enrollment to 3000 in the next 5 years (including at least 300 graduate students). Specific initiatives to achieve this goal include:
- adding strategic new degree and certificate programs (beginning with the MS in Engineering, the IGERT doctoral program, and Environmental Studies, and exploring interdisciplinary opportunities)
- participating in greater international and out-of-state recruitment
- participating in community college recruiting, development of improved articulation, and exploring factors affecting the success of transfer students
- increasing capacity in Construction Management where faculty resources have been constraining enrollment and where new instructional resources are being invested during 2006
- improving retention in freshman and sophomore years as a contribution to increasing enrollment, graduation rates, and the number of degrees in high-demand areas
- increasing the number of degrees granted to 400 per year in next 5 years
- tracking gender and ethnic diversity in our students to ensure that college programs are serving the population of the region (interior western US)
Indicators:
- headcount (including gender and ethnic representation)
- percentage out-of-state students, WUI students, international students
- numbers of community college transfer students
- number of degrees granted (including gender and ethnic representation)
College Goal 2 - Contribute to undergraduate excellence and student success
The faculty and staff of the college believe strongly that excellent academic programs (based in turn on excellent scholarship and pedagogy) are key to the long-term success of the university in its goals of attracting students and serving the state and region. We are proud that many of our programs are recognized at the national or regional level as excellent, and are committed to maintaining and enhancing the quality of our offerings. One index of strong academic programs comes from the external accreditation process for the engineering programs; we aim to have accreditation reviews and visits conclude with positive endorsement of program quality and with no substantive weaknesses or concerns identified. Our objective is also to maintain and improve our national standing in the US News & World Report ranking for non-doctoral engineering programs. Specific initiatives to advance these goals include:
- ensuring that all departments and degree programs participate systematically in faculty-guided assessment of student learning and in program or accreditation reviews;
- collaborating with and drawing upon campus-wide efforts to provide course-linked student support and faculty development to further enhance the quality of undergraduate experience (including freshman success initiatives);
- working with Facilities & Services to improve our teaching and learning spaces;
- revitalizing and broadening the Design4Practice curriculum, and draw upon it as a differentiator and marketing point as well as a positive enhancement to the student experience;
- maintaining and expanding Honors Program offerings as a recruiting mechanism and an enrichment for excellent students;
- soliciting guidance from Leadership Council members, employers, and alumni to ensure quality of undergraduate experience and preparation is enhanced (international experience, research, internships, teamwork, communication, learning to learn)
Indicators:
- all programs will have current assessment programs in place, will be collecting data, and will be using data for continuous improvement of student learning and of academic program in next 2 years
- all externally accredited or certified programs will earn full accreditation status (with no weaknesses or concerns) in each review cycle
- US News & World report ranking of undergraduate engineering programs will move into top 25
- faculty will participate in leadership roles in curriculum or undergraduate instruction arenas (CCLI grants, ASEE and other engineering education initiatives, awards for education, Council for Undergraduate Research, etc.)
- DFW rates in first-year classes will drop by 10 % (student success in those courses will increase by 10 % points) in next 3 years [is 10 % the right target?]
- retention rates for STEM majors (retention in college? In major?) will improve from x to y [need to obtain current rates and set target]
- number of CEFNS majors participating in Honors programs will increase from x to y [need to obtain current rate and set target]
College Goal 3 - Use integrated college structure to identify and build new interdisciplinary opportunities for faculty and students
Background: The new college structure, combining academic programs in mathematics, science, and engineering with several well-developed centers for research and outreach, offers tremendous opportunities for curricular integration and for creation of interdisciplinary opportunities for students and faculty. Increasingly the major accomplishments in research, application, and education in science and technology are coming out of interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary efforts. Our new structure provides the best setting possible for preparing students for the professional environments they will encounter - as well as for providing rich professional opportunities for our own faculty and staff, and for providing the region with effective solutions to today's societal challenges. We aim to develop new educational and research initiatives that capitalize on the new college structure, and that will position us to compete successfully for federal and other funds. We encourage the development or revision of degree programs and curricula that make effective use of inter-departmental collaborations (possible examples might be M.S. in Engineering biological engineering or biomechanics tracks, International Engineering & Science certificate, computational science offerings, or some version of the design courses as freshmen seminars for all CEFNS students). More direct engagement of the centers with the academic departments should strengthen the performance of both centers and departments. Environmental science and the new discipline of sustainability science are cross-cutting themes that can be used as recruiting mechanisms and as platforms for additional interdisciplinary efforts. Specific steps to be taken to achieve these aims include:
- establish a CEFNS
-supported retreats/brainstorm/workshop series to ensure that faculty learn what colleagues are doing and recognize opportunities to collaborate. The centers might be used to host or facilitate these sessions;
- encourage interdisciplinary proposals and research collaborations by ensuring equitable distribution of indirect cost recovery among participating units and by developing further incentive mechanisms in the college (e.g., by reserving pool of matching or seed funds for such projects);
- when opportunities to hire faculty arise, seek to address high-priority interdisciplinary areas in defining new positions. Explore uses of split appointments, language in faculty Statements of Expectation, and faculty evaluation procedures to encourage interdisciplinary activities.
- develop new interdisciplinary programs for students in areas of greatest opportunity, with attention to leveraging current strengths and resources. Ensure that departmental advisors are aware of and can promote existing cross-program opportunities (minors, certificate programs, double majors, current interdisciplinary degrees).
Indicators:
- number of students enrolling and earning degrees or certificates in interdisciplinary programs
- number of externally funded projects in identified interdisciplinary areas
- number of funded projects with co-investigators from more than one NAU department
- number of students and faculty engaged with center activities
College Goal 4 - Build non-state financial resources
Because state funding of the higher education system in Arizona has been very much tied to enrollment growth over the past several years, and because NAU's overall enrollment had declined over that time period, our state budget has been increasingly strained to keep pace with salaries and operations. While state investment in new and renovated physical facilities has been considerable over the past couple of years, the dollars to add staffing, to restore operations budgets, or to initiate new programs have been sorely lacking. The new facilities can be used as leverage points for seeking private (and in some cases agency) support for enhancing programs. We intend to focus on maximizing this opportunity by keeping facilities-related fundraising efforts a high priority over the next couple of years. We seek also to identify one or two other interdisciplinary priorities and begin building prospects and support for these (likely examples are interdisciplinary graduate fellowships; sustainable technologies and sustainability work).
Our college benefits from the availability of external funding (particularly federal) for many of our disciplinary and interdisciplinary interests. Research (sponsored projects) funding has been considerable and our college faculty and staff have driven much of the historic rapid increase in NAU's overall funding. Sponsored project support not only funds research, education, and outreach directly, but brings in indirect cost recovery dollars that can be used to fund our highest priorities (such as startup for new faculty, major equipment cost sharing, or faculty travel). The Research Council has developed a preliminary strategic plan for further increasing our research funding and support; the plan centers on creating incentives that will lead to increased funding success and therefore increased levels of indirect cost recovery for the college.
Specific efforts should include:
- use faculty and administrator contacts, Leadership Council members, etc. to remain informed about trends in federal and state funding and to target new opportunities;
- increase corporate or industrial research funding and support, beginning with our current partners and identifying new possibilities;
- identify private foundation opportunities for 1-2 most promising research or training groups, and begin the process of developing proposals for them;
- continue cultivating alumni and other private individuals whose partnership with the college can provide support for our priorities.
Indicators: [need to assess current levels and set targets]
- total amount of sponsored projects funding, will increase from $24M to ??
- no single federal funding source shall contribute more than 20 % of college total
- college will continue to receive competitive funding from at least x different federal agencies
- college funding from corporate and industrial sources will increase from x to y
- college funding from private foundations and donors will increase from x to y
- number of donors, number of dollars raised for endowments, and number of dollars raised for current use will all increase
College Goal 5 - Enhance the college's role in serving Native Americans and in serving external partners (agencies, outreach, application of knowledge)
Background: CEFNS , its departments, and its associated centers are home to many of the university's Native American students, staff, and faculty, and to programs that serve tribes across the region (and continent). In addition, our research and educational activities are delivered to - or in partnership with - many agencies, NGO's, and other external entities, especially across the Colorado Plateau. The College values the cultural and scientific diversity that these relationships bring; we learn and gain from our partnerships directly. These interactions provide much of the context for outreach and application of knowledge that enriches the educational experiences of our students and the professional development of our faculty and staff.
Objective: Continue and enhance the College's involvement in the university's service to Native Americans. Strengthen (and optimize the benefits from) our partnerships with external agencies and organizations, through education and applied scholarship/research. Build and improve partnerships with federal, tribal, state, and non-government agencies and corporations, through education and applied scholarship (applied research). Existing and new partnerships should be used to:
- build NAU resource base: facilities, adjunct faculty, research and design opportunities;
- provide enhanced practical opportunities (interships, research and design projects, jobs, networking) for NAU students; and
- improve connections with Native American and other minority communities, resulting in enhanced NAU enrollment of underrepresented groups
Priority initiatives:
- pursue formal arrangements for internships and similar endeavors (cooperative learning opportunities, collaborative research, etc.) with tribes, other partners
- improve recruitment of students from underrepresented groups through partnerships and outreach activities with high schools, community colleges, and technical schools (.e.g Yavapai, Crownpoint, Dne, South Mountain), through job / career forums, existing NAU distance learning / technology partnerships with tribes, etc.
- continue support for and commitment to existing partnerships and programs (e.g. Native American Cancer Research Partnership, Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, STAR program, New Mexico Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, NEON, Arizona Virtual Water University, CUAHSI)
- formalize workforce development partnerships; for example further develop natural resources training / education; encourage participation by resource agencies and sustainability organizations and businesses to serve their needs. Promote initiatives which result in a public view of NAU as a partner for research, and source of future employees and interns. Encourage enrollment in existing classes by natural resource and sustainability professionals from partner organizations as continuing education.
- encourage hiring of students in appropriate curricula by affiliated agencies (Park Service, USGS), to enhance students' learning experience
Results and Indicators of Accomplishment, Benchmarks
Benchmarking of college (and of units)
CEFNS College-Level Benchmarks |
||||||
F00 |
F01 |
F02 |
F03 |
F04 |
F05 |
|
| Headcount (Goal 1) |
||||||
Graduate |
211 |
220 |
239 |
256 |
233 |
(+ 3 MAST?) |
Undergraduate |
2533 |
2466 |
2361 |
2230 |
2292 |
2337 |
Total |
2744 |
2686 |
2600 |
2486 |
2547 |
2570 |
Degrees Granted |
||||||
Graduate |
59 |
63 |
55 |
58 |
92 |
88 |
Undergraduate |
406 |
425 |
410 |
449 |
402 |
406 |
Total |
465 |
488 |
465 |
507 |
494 |
494 |
Undergraduate Engagement |
||||||
Retention |
|||||||
Cohort Year |
Cohort Head-count |
1 Year Retain |
2 Year Retain |
3 Year Retain |
4 Year Retain |
5 Year Retain |
6 Year Retain |
1994 |
406 |
50.70% |
36.90% |
28.60% |
18.70% |
4.90% |
2.00% |
1995 |
488 |
52.90% |
33.80% |
26.80% |
15.20% |
5.30% |
3.10% |
1996 |
503 |
52.70% |
32.80% |
28.60% |
17.10% |
6.20% |
2.40% |
1997 |
456 |
49.80% |
30.50% |
26.50% |
14.30% |
4.80% |
1.80% |
1998 |
519 |
50.30% |
35.10% |
26.60% |
14.80% |
4.20% |
1.90% |
1999 |
590 |
52.70% |
33.70% |
27.80% |
14.40% |
5.10% |
1.70% |
2000 |
588 |
47.80% |
30.80% |
26.50% |
14.50% |
4.40% |
|
2001 |
574 |
48.60% |
5.00% |
30.30% |
16.90% |
||
2002 |
491 |
52.70% |
41.50% |
35.40% |
|||
2003 |
491 |
51.50% |
35.80% |
||||
2004 |
519 |
48.90% |
|||||
2005 |
521 |
||||||
Retained within University, but not necessarily within original start college |
|||||||
1994 |
406 |
64.00% |
51.50% |
43.10% |
29.80% |
9.90% |
4.20% |
1995 |
488 |
62.70% |
52.30% |
45.90% |
28.50% |
9.00% |
5.30% |
1996 |
503 |
64.40% |
51.70% |
48.30% |
27.60% |
10.30% |
4.80% |
1997 |
456 |
67.30% |
56.80% |
52.20% |
28.70% |
8.60% |
3.50% |
1998 |
519 |
67.80% |
58.20% |
52.60% |
30.80% |
10.40% |
4.00% |
1999 |
590 |
65.10% |
54.20% |
49.70% |
28.60% |
10.20% |
4.70% |
2000 |
588 |
65.60% |
54.60% |
48.50% |
27.20% |
10.00% |
|
2001 |
574 |
65.70% |
55.40% |
51.60% |
27.90% |
||
2002 |
491 |
67.60% |
59.90% |
54.00% |
|||
2003 |
491 |
69.20% |
58.90% |
||||
2004 |
519 |
66.70% |
|||||
2005 |
521 |
||||||
Retention |
|||||||
Cohort Year |
Cohort Head-count |
1 Year Grad |
2 Year Grad |
3 Year Grad |
4 Year Grad |
5 Year Grad |
6 Year Grad |
1994 |
406 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.70% |
9.40% |
22.20% |
24.60% |
1995 |
488 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
10.90% |
18.40% |
20.70% |
1996 |
503 |
0.00% |
0.20% |
1.40% |
10.90% |
22.10% |
25.80% |
1997 |
456 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
1.50% |
12.50% |
22.60% |
25.70% |
1998 |
519 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
1.50% |
12.10% |
24.10% |
25.80% |
1999 |
590 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.30% |
13.40% |
22.40% |
25.40% |
2000 |
588 |
0.00% |
0.20% |
1.40% |
11.90% |
20.60% |
|
2001 |
574 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.90% |
13.20% |
||
2002 |
491 |
0.00% |
0.20% |
0.60% |
|||
2003 |
491 |
0.00% |
0.60% |
||||
2004 |
519 |
0.00% |
|||||
2005 |
521 |
||||||
Graduated within University, but not necessarily within original start college |
|||||||
Cohort Year |
Cohort Head-count |
1 Year Grad |
2 Year Grad |
3 Year Grad |
4 Year Grad |
5 Year Grad |
6 Year Grad |
1994 |
406 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
1.00% |
14.50% |
33.50% |
38.40% |
1995 |
488 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.60% |
18.20% |
34.60% |
38.70% |
1996 |
503 |
0.00% |
0.20% |
1.40% |
19.50% |
37.40% |
42.90% |
1997 |
456 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
2.20% |
23.00% |
43.60% |
48.90% |
1998 |
519 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
1.70% |
21.20% |
42.20% |
48.20% |
1999 |
590 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.70% |
20.80% |
38.30% |
43.40% |
2000 |
588 |
0.00% |
0.20% |
1.90% |
21.60% |
37.60% |
|
2001 |
574 |
0.00% |
0.00% |
1.70% |
22.80% |
||
2002 |
491 |
0.00% |
0.40% |
1.40% |
|||
2003 |
491 |
0.00% |
0.60% |
||||
2004 |
519 |
0.00% |
|||||
2005 |
521 |
||||||
Diversity - Graduate |
|
Hispanic |
5.10% |
NatAmer/Alaskan |
2.70% |
Black |
0% |
Asian |
6.40% |
International |
1.00% |
White |
82.00% |
N/A |
2.90% |
Male |
53.50% |
Female |
46.50% |
Diversity - Undergraduate |
|
Hispanic |
7.70% |
NatAmer/Alaskan |
7.90% |
Black |
1.60% |
Asian |
3.20% |
International |
1.40% |
White |
76.00% |
N/A |
2.20% |
Male |
59.30% |
Female |
40.70% |
Diversity - Faculty and Staff |
|
Hispanic |
5% |
NatAmer/Alaskan |
1% |
Black |
2% |
Asian |
1% |
International |
N/A |
White |
90% |
N/A |
1% |
Male |
71% |
Female |
29% |
Research Benchmarks
(Goal 3,4,5)
Proposals submitted
Proposals awarded
Active awards
Total sponsored projects funds
Indirect costs returned to college
Intellectual property benchmarks - patents, disclosures, liCEFNS
ing and royalty income, ???
Number of peer-reviewed publications
Other???
Quality of Academic Programs Benchmarks
(Goal 2)
Proportion of program reviews and accreditation reviews that find no significant concerns
Number of sponsored projects dealing with curriculum, course, or lab improvements
Proportion of degree programs with active assessment and enhancement programs in operation
Number of agencies and corporations that actively recruit our students
Number of faculty with active peer-reviewed scholarship in pedagogy, education, etc.
Other???
Public Service / Outreach Benchmarks
(Goal 5)
Number of federal agencies with active projects on campus?
Number of tribes with contacts through ITEP and elsewhere?
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» College of Engineering, Forestry & Natural Sciences
Strategic Plan, 2005 - 2010 
