Academic Affairs
Annual Report
2007-08
Mark E. Workman, Provost and VPAA
The mission of Academic Affairs is to facilitate the critical pursuit of knowledge in an environment of civility and tolerance by providing excellent educational opportunities for all UNF students through a focused use of resources in scholarly programs that have relevance to the broad range of constituencies served by the university and that are subject to rigorous and ongoing scrutiny and improvement.
Goal 1: Advance the recruitment of academically ready and culturally diverse students and set occasions for their success.
Action 1.1: Implement universal tracking system pilot and create academic program maps to increase student completion rates.
The improvement of retention and graduation rates depends upon a comprehensive student support system that includes academic advising and monitoring of student progress. In 2007-2008 the Undergraduate Studies Council’s subcommittee on faculty advising proposed a pilot project to appoint several undergraduate coordinators who would serve as faculty advisors for their academic programs. In addition, a Task Force on Academic Advising has been formed to develop recommendations for improving the current system and structure of professional academic advising at the university. Finally, the Academic Roadmaps pilot project, designed to develop and implement a tracking, monitoring, and intervention system to facilitate student academic progress and time-to-graduation will be completed in the summer of 2008. Two academic programs from each college participated in the pilot. The plan is to expand the Academic Roadmaps program to include all academic programs and departments.
The pilot project for the Undergraduate Coordinator position initiative only received two applications though Academic Affairs was prepared to fund five positions. This is unsatisfactory. The Task Force on Undergraduate Advising will deliberate through the Fall 2008 semester and make a recommendation before December 2008. The evaluation of this outcome is therefore pending. The Academic Roadmap pilot phase will extend through the summer of 2008 to address additional programming requirements and specifications resulting from the initial test run. All academic programs have submitted initial drafts of Academic Roadmaps for their programs.
Action 1.2: Recruit FTIC strategically in order to increase both the student profile and diversity while maintaining stable lower-level enrollment; continue to accommodate AA transfers; and continue robust recruitment of graduate students.
Graduate:
Graduate students were robustly recruited in 2007-08. Application numbers went up by 441 over 2006-07, from 2303 to 2744. For the first time since 2003 04, we met (and exceeded) our FTE target, earning 968.63 with a target of 952. For the first time since 2003 04, our grad student headcount went up; in fall 2007 it was 1686.
Undergraduate:
Despite facing a severe budget crisis, Enrollment Services saw several significant developments during the 2007-2008 academic year. Some of these changes were procedural in nature, while others represented shifts in the philosophical approach to managing enrollments. These strategic developments resulted from systematic reviews of data and the corresponding implementation was accomplished through a collegial approach by staff members focused on improving the University and enhancing the experiences for the students.
Full Time-First Time: The 2007-2008 academic year saw a redesigned communication funnel designed to increase attendance at FTIC recruitment and yield events. Not only did we improve the system by which we communicate with prospective students, we developed recruitment materials specific to multicultural students and increased marketing associated with Presidential Scholarship targeting high profile students.
Minority recruitment: By improving our communication process, we increased attendance at minority recruitment events such as Jacksonville Black Expo, 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, and Project Excellence. These efforts complimented our other efforts for creating recruitment events centered on local minority churches. These recruitment activities provided the foundation for us to collaborate with the Jacksonville Commitment to yield more minority students. In 2007-2008, we moved away from our practice of delivering FTIC admission decisions on a rolling basis toward a more controlled practice of delivering admission decisions on pre-determined dates. This change has allowed the University to sculpt the academic profile of the entering FTIC class while enabling us to strategically target our fiscal and personnel resources.
Transfer student population: Not only did the budget crisis force us to review and alter our procedures, it also required significant shifts regarding our transfer admission policies. Due to the budget cuts, we had to limit the number of entering transfer students. Driven by data, the policy changes included a limit on the types of transfer students we consider for admission. We continue to consider for admission all AA transfer students who have earned an AA degree (or those who will earn the AA degree prior to enrolling at UNF) when those students come directly from an AA degree program at any Florida public community college or SUS university. We also continue to consider for admission all military personnel who transfer with an AA degree that was earned during active duty military service. In honoring the existing and active articulation agreements regarding transfer admission policies, we remain focused and able to deliver an exceptional educational experience to UNF students while meeting the expectations for those students who qualify for admission
Our initial enrollment restriction policy of limiting transfer admission to only degree seeking post-baccalaureate and upper level transfer students was successful and yielded 237 fewer transfer students (headcount) for the 2007-2008 academic year, while still allowing for the admission of upper level transfer students, including AA transfers. However, due to further budget restrictions this strategy did not yield enough reduction in enrollment and further enrollment restriction policies had to be introduced. While this further restriction should more drastically reduce our enrollment for the future, this policy still allows for the accommodation of AA transfer students.
During the 2007-08 academic year, attendance at our recruitment events increased a total of 321 students when compared to attendance during the same events in 2006-07. It should be noted that this increase in attendance was achieved despite the fact that significant budget cuts forced us to cut our overall number of recruitment events in 2007-08. During the 2007-08 academic year, we were able to see a significant increase in attendance at minority recruitment events that we hosted. Compared to 2006-2007, we saw an increase in attendance from 245 students in 2006-07 to an incredible 523 students for the same events in 2007-08.
Goal 2: Advance the scope and quality of academic programs in a manner consistent with the mission and resources of the university.
Action 2.1: Monitor and modulate as appropriate new and existing undergraduate and graduate programs in conjunction with the program review and strategic planning processes.
Selective admission to certain programs: During the 2007-08 academic year, Academic Affairs instituted a Selective Admissions policy to enable academic units to establish program admission criteria for entry into a major.
Exercise Science is the first program to submit a proposal following the policy. It was determined that the policy requires some minor adjustments to provide clarity. In consultation with Institutional Research, agreement was reached to develop a standardize approach to providing data to academic units for inclusion in selective admission proposals.
The French Studies major was created and will aid in strengthening the World Languages Department and the University by providing new opportunities for students to gain a global perspective and the ability to adapt to the changing global environment.
New Program approval process and Program Review process: In response to 2.1.1 of last years strategic plan, the New Degree Programs policy was refined and a three year timeline was implemented. It appears the changes worked well for the French Studies program. In addition, in response to 2.1.2 of last years strategic plan, the formal notification process with the BOG and the BOT liaison worked very well. In response to 2.1.4, the APC has taken an active role in assuring Academic Affairs has reviewed and approved the new degree proposal prior to being submitted to Faculty Association. Twelve program reviews have been conducted using the revised program review process including oversight of the Program Review Committee.
The Program Review Committee in consultation with the deans and provost agree the process requires further refinement. To make the process useful for all parties, additional “debriefing” conversations need to occur after the external reviewer has submitted his/her report. The process needs to clearly address the expectations for programs conducting a review with an external reviewer and those conducting a review upon completion of an accreditation visit. In addition, alignment with the strategic budgeting process needs to occur
Graduate programs:
We launched five new graduate degree programs in 2007-08:
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Masters of Science in Civil Engineering
Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering
Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
The DNP is the terminal practice degree for nursing, and the DPT will soon be the entry level degree for professional physical therapists. The addition of the DNP and the DPT brings UNF’s doctoral degrees to a total of three. These two degrees, like the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, speak directly to the clear and immediate needs of the greater Jacksonville region; they not only provide opportunities for employment development, they address both the rising healthcare needs of the area and the level of quality of healthcare that can be offered. The three engineering degrees address the needs of the region in two fundamental ways. First, they provide opportunities for baccalaureate educated engineers to enhance their skills and secure advanced employment -- as well as helping to attract to the region industry that requires masters-educated engineers. Second, they address the needs of designing and building a strong infrastructure for a large metropolitan area that is growing rapidly.
In addition, UNF launched its first fully online degree program, a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Instructional Technology.
Admissions were suspended, beginning in fall 2008, for two programs, the Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling in the Brooks College of Health and the Masters of Science in Applied Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. The deactivation of these two programs was necessitated by budget cuts.
Eight Graduate TLO awards, each of $5000, were made: Mina Baliamoune-Lutz/Developing new activities to enhance a Graduate Study Abroad (Brazil) Course; Michael Francis/Spanish Paleography and Florida History Online; Christopher Janson and Carolyn Stone/Urban Education in America; Origins of Democratic Equality in Schools; Judy Rodriguez & Julia Watkins/A TLO in Belize CA for Graduate Nutrition Students; Sherry Shaw/Graduate Study Abroad and Mentored Interpretation Research; Jeff Steagall/ GlobalMBA Scholarships; William Voorhees/PAD 6934 Nonprofit Strategic Planning; Mei Zhao and D. Rob Haley/Health Care and Culture in China: The Qingdao Experience.
Programmatic growth, given the current budget situation, has slowed down considerably. We continue to discuss future developments and look for ways to position ourselves to pursue programming that clearly speaks to our mission and community interest. This includes not only adding programs but monitoring the vitality of existing programs.
Action 2.2: Expand efforts to increase student political participation and civic engagement via the ADP.
Based on lessons learned at the national American Democracy Conference in June 2007, UNF's American Democracy Project was further institutionalized through the creation of an ADP Steering Committee made up of faculty, staff and students. The steering committee worked on developing and sponsoring a wide-range of campus activities designed to raise student political and civic awareness. These activities included:
Constitution Week (debate, lecture, and film);
a documentary film "Evoking Rights";
lectures on democracy and technology, and media images of the presidential candidates;
a student organized and led "UNF Voices Forum" on power in American democracy;
a panel discussion on public records; a mock political convention;
a student film production documentary on the media and political disengagement among young voters;
and National and Global Youth Service Day.
The ADP has successfully expanded the level of participation among UNF faculty and staff and has increased the range and quality of programming aimed at achieving ADP objectives.
Action 2.3: Develop our Quality Enhancement Plan as part of the SACS accreditation process.
UNF’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focuses on community-based transformational learning (CBTL). Consistent with the University’s new Goal #4 (Affirm the university's public responsibility through civic engagement and community-based learning and research); CBTL is designed to support a significant enhancement of student learning and an enhanced profile of the University in its relationships with community partners.
Development of the QEP involves clearly specifying the learning goals for students engaged in CBTL, delineating the desirable community impacts to be achieved, outlining the mechanisms by which these achievements will be monitored, and recruiting the programs and departments to lead the effort.
Action 2.4: Reorganize the office of Institutional Effectiveness and hire a Director of Assessment and Testing in order to improve the assessment activities within academic programs.
The recruitment of an associate provost for Institutional Effectiveness made it possible to contemplate amalgamating into one cohesive unit Institutional Research, Assessment, Testing, and Institutional Effectiveness. Such a potential reorganization, should it eventually be implemented, will be facilitated by the recent physical relocation of these functions into the suite adjacent to Academic Affairs vacated by Institutional Advancement.
The more significant structural amalgamation has yet to occur. A search for a director of assessment did not reach positive closure, so the responsibilities of that position are being carried out by the associate provost. More fundamentally, there remain several philosophical issues about whether and if so how best to integrate a variety of functions into one encompassing entity.
Action 2.5: Advance assessment of learning outcomes in general education, academic majors, and all graduate programs.
The University's assessment results, both direct and indirect, represent an ongoing process that should deepen with maturation and practice. New to UNF's assessment portfolio is its participation in the national Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA) as an early adopting institution.
The General Education Task Force's initial assessment findings point toward Next Steps to pursue, specifically in order to improve student writing. Program-, department-, and major-specific assessment findings reinforce writing as a focus for improvement. Graduate program assessments as a group are simultaneously more diverse and somewhat more advanced than undergraduate assessments. The VSA permits some standardization of data collecting and reporting. It also generates benchmarking potential and the integration of direct and indirect assessment measures.
Action 2.6: Implement improvements in the budget process (including summer funding) to maximize the effective utilization of AA resources, particularly in light of impending budget reductions.
There were no new recurring funds available to the Colleges, Academic Affairs, or any the other University Division so there was no opportunity to reengage the Strategic Budgeting Process which was implemented last year. There were limited non-recurring funds available for distribution, and the Provost reengaged the Academic Affairs Budget Council for purposes of reviewing requests for non-recurring funding. The Council's recommendations were forwarded to the President and were supported. Additionally, as a result of the budget cuts required of the University, the budget for Summer School was reduced by $1.25M. Those courses which remained on the summer schedule were required to meet enrollment targets. Special consideration was also given to courses required to keep students on pace for graduation.
The recommendation of the Budget Council relative to the allocation of non-recurring funds to the Division was approved without reservation by the President.
Action 2.7: Promote Academic Leadership Development
The Office of Academic Affairs funded the registration fee and travel expenses for new in-coming Chairs to attend the annual Kansas State University Chairs Conference held in May in Orlando. Academic Affairs also encouraged all Chairs to attend the annual Institute for Academic Leadership Conference hosted by Florida State University at Howey-in-the-Hills. Additionally, Academic Affairs held a Chairs workshop on annual evaluation of faculty as well as one where case studies addressing personnel situations faced by Chairs were the focus of discussions.
Feedback from the chairs who attended the K-State Chair and FSU IAL conferences were quite positive. Those who attended indicated they would like to attend future conferences. The feedback from the Chairs who attended the in-house workshops was also positive.
Action 2.8: Implement Provost's special task force to refine university mission.
The Provost's Task Force met through 2007-08 and led the university community in conversations on a revised Mission Statement, revised University Goals, a new Vision Statement, and a set of Values statements.
These statements were developed by the Task Force and then vetted by every constituent group on campus, including students, faculty, the president's staff, chairs and deans, and A&P and USPS employees. At the culmination of this process of drafting, reviewing, and refinement the new statements were reviewed and then formally adopted by the University Board of Trustees.
Action 2.9: Develop first-year programming to facilitate the transition, integration, and engagement of freshman students.
The UNF Reads! Program is designed to prepare first-year students for some of the academic and intellectual rigors of college life, and also to create a bond and sense of community based on this shared intellectual reading experience. Through Academic Affairs funding, we were able to purchase enough copies of Freakonomics for all first-time freshman students. Students will receive a copy of the book when they attend the orientation sessions throughout the summer. The book, and the various issues and topics it addresses, will then be integrated into many of the General Education courses taken by freshman students during the Fall semester. In addition to the use of Freakonomics in General Education courses, discussion groups will be organized in the residence halls and at other campus locations. Finally, a website has been created with information about the program and a link to a blog that allows students to begin some dialogue about the book before they arrive in the Fall.
In terms of a process evaluation, the UNF Reads! Program has put into place all the components for a successful freshman reading program based on best practices and lessons learned from other institutions.
Goal 3: Advance the strengths and scholarly engagement of the faculty.
Action 3.1: Develop recruitment and retention strategies for increasing diversity among faculty.
In April 2007, the Provost established a Diversity Task Force. The Provost charged the committee with drafting recommendations targeting the goals of increased applications and more effective recruitment of diverse faculty; mentorship of ethnically/racially under-represented faculty; and the mentorship of ethnically/racially under-represented students. Over the course of 2007-08, the DTF met monthly to discuss concrete steps to further its mission. Three subcommittees were formed; they worked on issues connected to strategic planning, researching literature focused on enhancing diversity, developing an inventory of campus resources, and researching the potential of developing a center with a diversity focus. In April 2008, the DTF hosted a visit by Dr. Mordean Taylor-Archer, Vice Provost for Diversity at the University of Louisville. In the course of a very inspiring two-day visit, Dr. Taylor-Archer presented the DTF with a suggested list of action items; this list formed the basis for a set of DTF action steps that the task force will present to the Provost and President in September 2008.
From April 2007 to April 2008, the DTF worked to develop strategies to address the enhancement of the diversity of the UNF faculty profile, but it was at the point of Dr. Taylor-Archer's visit to UNF that we turned from planning to implementation. We are now poised to develop, propose, and implement a set of concrete action items focused on our mission. The centerpiece of these action steps is the evolution of the DTF into a Commission on Diversity
Action 3.2: Hire new OFE Director and expand the linkage between faculty development activities and larger institutional priorities
Appointed an interim director of the Office of Faculty Enhancement.
The interim director has completed a successful year leading the faculty development unit. Programming in OFE has more closely corresponded with the larger initiatives of the university and Academic Affairs with workshops and faculty conversations on: community-based learning, international transformational learning opportunities, the Quality Enhancement Plan, promotion and tenure, accreditation and assessment, undergraduate research, plagiarism, and the use of instructional technology in large classes.
Action 3.3: Increase funding of external research
The dollar amount of direct federal awards for research received by UNF, as of the end of May 2008, stood at $2,261,479. This is a 13% increase relative to the total direct federal awards in 2006-2007 ($2,020,496). Given the number of awards currently under negotiation, the increase in direct federal awards is likely to exceed the increase recorded for last year (15%). This is indicative of continued progress in the competitive positioning of the UNF research enterprise with respect to federal funding programs. However, we expect to see a reduction in the total dollar award for sponsored programs in 2007 - 2008.
This reduction is a result of a number of internal and external factors. There has been a significant reduction (43%) in the amount of flow-through federal funds awarded to the University. The downturn in the State’s economy has resulted in reduced support for programs that depend largely on local and regional sources of funding. Faculty turnover at the beginning of the 2007–2008 academic year involved the departure of some members of the faculty who were quite active in sponsored project activities. In addition, with the recently approved policy on the placement of funds, some funds previously counted as sponsored project awards are now administered through the Auxiliary Oversight Committee and will not be included in the annual report for research and sponsored projects. The net effect of these changes will be reflected as a flat or reduced total dollar awards received through ORSP in 2007-2008.
Action 3.4: Develop opportunities for faculty to lead and participate in seminars/colloquies
Regrettably, as a result of the fiscal austerity that is currently being experienced by the university, there has been a significant reduction in funds available to support new academic initiatives. While Academic Affairs has maintained full funding for faculty travel and other forms of faculty development, the division has not been in a position to allocate the kind of incremental funding that would have been required to support a new faculty colloquy or seminar series.
This action will be deferred until such time that there is a restoration of funding adequate for this purpose.
Action 3.5: Highlight faculty scholarship and research activity.
Academic Affairs representation on the Web Advisory Council resulted in approval to revamp the UNF homepage website to include rotating banner images of faculty stories to help promote internally and externally, examples of recent faculty scholarship, research, and teaching.
Goal 4: Advance community outreach and partnerships.
Action 4.1: Establish an office for community-based learning to advance and oversee initiatives designed to increase civic awareness and engagement of students.
The Quality Enhancement Plan for UNF includes as a central component the establishment of a Center for Community-Based Learning (CCBL). The QEP Development Team has conducted research on comparable centers at other institutions, and conducted several phone interviews with directors who head up these centers, to inform the plan for the organization, structure, and staffing of UNF’s CCBL. The search for a director of the CCBL is currently underway.
If the current search for a director is successful, an important initial component for the successful creation of a CCBL will be in place.
Action 4.2: Inventory the service needs of the Jacksonville community and develop initiatives to address those needs.
Academic Affairs and the President’s office contracted with the Center for Community Initiatives to produce a comprehensive study of current student and faculty community outreach in the city of Jacksonville and in Northeast Florida. With the completion of this study, it is expected that the Director of the Center for Community Based Learning, once hired, will continue this study to the next phase – gathering data on what community needs remain unmet and incorporating new areas of outreach as part of the Quality Enhancement Plan’s Community Based Transformational Learning.
The release of the Community Impact Study has been delayed until August, 2008. The study will include an inventory of community outreach activities currently being conducted by UNF faculty. With the Center for Community Based Learning, the university should be able to build on the current community outreach activities.
AA Unit Summary Reports
Brooks College of Health Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the College during 2007-2008
Achievements: Successful initiation of the DNP and DPT; Reorganization of the Department of Public Health into the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and Department of Public Health; Movement of Mental Health Counseling into the Brooks College of Health; Integration of Exercise Science into the Department of Athletic Training & Physical Therapy; Completed CEPH Self Study and Site Visit for MPH accreditation; Developing international ties with Austria, Belize, China, Chile, and Ireland; Well attended Celebration of Partnership workshop held by the School of Nursing in April; Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy hosted a meaningful Caring Community Conference in September and is following up with recommendations; Us: Women and Girls' Health Initiative event attracted over 600 people in March; Nursing students received many awards and recognitions; Building addition close to occupancy.
Strengths: BCH has effective administrative team; BCH programs are accredited and meet professional criteria for excellence; BCH programs are relevant to the needs of the community and graduates are in high demand; Students work in professional community settings as interns or in clinical placements; Endowed scholarships, professorships, and program enhancements that continue to grow; The Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy is working with key community leaders to improve healthcare in Jacksonville and beyond; The Us: Women and Girls' Health Initiative continues to improve women’s health in the area; Growth of federal grants received in nursing, physical therapy and public health.
Weaknesses: Work loads are inconsistent between School, Departments and programs; Not enough African American and Hispanic faculty diversity; Lack of consistent, experienced leadership in the public health program; Need for more faculty in nursing, health administration, and exercise science.
Opportunities: Find funding sources beyond the State of Florida; Serve as a leader in the "QEP adventure"; Accreditation visits for nursing, nurse anesthesia, AT, BHA, and MHA in 2008-2009; Reinstitute the rehab counseling program; Raise money specifically for public/community health and athletic training; Certification scores in nutrition and athletic training meet our standard, but could improve; Work closely with the Commission on Diversity to increase minority faculty recruitment; Grow our programs to meet community demand, including the PT Clinical Residency program; Reorganize into a Department of Health Administration and Department of Public Health; Expand our presence regionally and beyond through the Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy and Leadership Institute.
Threats: Funding deficits resulting in lower salaries and inability to enroll students; Increasing competition from FCCJ and private academic institutions. Lack of understanding about professional programs by the University community.
College of Arts & Sciences Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the College during 2007-2008
Accomplishments: This year COAS worked through some important personnel changes. The Dean's Office welcomed a new dean, Dr. Barbara Hetrick who joined us from the University of Northern Iowa. Several new staff joined the Dean’s Office and new department chairs began in English, Communications, Psychology, and Philosophy. Despite these important transitions, the leadership in COAS is functioning well together and maintains collegial and non-competitive relationships.
A number of projects were initiated. Considerable discussion surrounded the relationships between departments and the advising center, with the result that each department is now assigned to a specific advisor. 'Group advising' sessions are already scheduled for this year and these will involve both advisors and faculty. Discussion of the foreign culture requirement and its relationship to the offering of BA and BS degrees was also initiated. This will continue into the coming year. We have also proposed an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree and will continue to move toward that goal in the coming year. This accompanied consideration of several discipline-based, and also interdisciplinary MA/MS programs, though planning for these has been delayed by the budget cuts.
The departments all completed their ALC's, GLO's, Strategic Plans, and worked hard to further regularize some of the new assessment initiatives within the lives of the departments. While assessment has been a part of the department culture for many years, this year more intensive effort was placed on 'closing the loop', i.e. making curricular changes based on the data amassed to date, and refining the assessment approaches to provide more targeted data.
While the college has been interested in advancing a first year program for freshmen for several years, a first step will take place in Fall 2008 as we implement the UNF Reads! program. This is a first step toward making the General Education program more coherent.
This year the COAS faculty received $1,421,583 in grant funding, $1,586,799 in donations, and $532,545 in state matching income. To date the College has raised $4,359,245 towards its $16,000,000 campaign goal. COAS had 11 faculty promoted to associate professor with tenure and 7 were promoted to full professor. Pat Plumlee received the Outstanding Faculty Service Award, Greg Ahearn the John Delaney Professorship, and six COAS faculty (Faiz Al-Rubaee, Peter Brown, Dale Casamatta Jr., Matt Gilg, Ping Sa, and Debbie Wang) received Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards.
Strengths: The greatest strength of COAS is the good will and commitment of the faculty, chairs, and support staff. The college functions well because this good will is freely offered and people do more than is or might be expected to resolve problems, meet the needs of students, and continue to strive for higher quality in our teaching and scholarship. It is evident that the good will of the faculty translates directly to their commitment to our students. This was highlighted by the Student Advisory Council members who stated that the best thing about UNF were the faculty. The collaborative spirit within the college will allow the college to explore opportunities for interdisciplinary initiatives without the roadblocks often encountered at other institutions. The expertise of the faculty is a further strength. Pockets of excellence and national or international renown exist across the college and would expand considerably were it possible to lower the service and teaching loads of our COAS faculty. For example, within the History Department alone, this year six books were published. Given that a university cannot prosper without sufficient resources and infrastructure, we are fortunate that the building projects across campus will ultimately provide space for many departments within COAS. The new biology building will allow us to move toward a university where the sciences are a strength and notable attribute.
Weaknesses: Certainly, the budget rescission that equaled $1,066,000 has negatively impacted the college. The college is now more thinly stretched to meet student demands. In some departments, this is evident in a reliance on non-tenure track faculty. For example, of all freshman writing classes, only 2% were taught by tenure track faculty. Similarly, only about 10% of laboratory sections in the sciences were taught by tenure track faculty. While these faculty may provide the courses needed by students, they cannot offer opportunities for undergraduate students to become involved with them in research and scholarship, placing a greater burden on the tenure track faculty to address these needs while juggling high service and teaching loads. Neither can the non-tenure track faculty contribute to the burgeoning graduate programs in many COAS departments. Again, this places greater pressure on the tenure-track faculty. The general education program, offered almost exclusively within COAS, is offered as efficiently as possible, but this efficiency too often results in larger than ideal class sizes, instruction by too many non-tenure track faculty, less coordination of coursework, and lost opportunities for the general education program to in fact be the cornerstone of our students' education.
Opportunities: Many of the COAS departments and faculty have reached a level of professional recognition and are poised to elevate the prominence of UNF. The Department of Music is an excellent example of this. With their recent invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall and their ongoing relationship with the city of Nantes, France, there is potential for this Department to function as an impressive ambassador for UNF. COAS faculty are devoted to UNF students and would involve more of their students in scholarship and research if time and funding were available for this.
Threats: The greatest threat to COAS is the weakening financial support available to UNF. Without raises the faculty face an escalating cost of living and a deteriorating economic situation. This is heightened by the very real threat that summer teaching, a source of additional income upon which many faculty rely, will be more and more limited. This budget situation encourages faculty to strive for early tenure and promotion as a mechanism to advance their salary, and these early tenures and promotions can easily lead to reduced expectations for tenure and promotion. The bylaw process may also ultimately weaken the expectations for tenure and promotion since faculty may be reluctant to establish criteria that will be difficult to meet.
College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the College during 2007-2008
Achievements:
1. In January 2008 students were admitted to study in the recently approved MS degree programs in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.
2. All degree programs that qualify for ABET or ACCE accreditation are accredited, with the exception of the new School of Computing Information Technology BS degree program (BS-IT). The BS-IT program will be reviewed for accreditation by an ABET team in October 2008.
3. The College is the UNF leader in student cooperative education and internship placement.
4. For at least the past six years, College graduates had the highest total SAT scores of graduates from all UNF colleges. College graduates always have the highest quantitative scores and the highest or second highest verbal scores (the highest verbal scores for each of the past two years).
5. The School of Computing has two new laboratories in Building 15 for its academic programs and research. Two more laboratories will be converted from space now used by the COEHS once its new building opens in 2009.
6. The Colleges five ABET-accredited BS programs were reviewed for reaccreditation in November 2007; final action is expected in August 2008.
7. The new Taylor Engineering Research Institute Board of Directors met twice to develop plans for research programs.
Strengths
1. The College has an excellent faculty. All tenured and tenure-earning faculty members have doctoral degrees. Many are active in sponsored or non-sponsored research and many are very involved in professional activities.
2. The College has excellent instructional and research laboratory facilities.
3. The College and its schools/department have excellent support from the First Coast business community. Each has an industry advisory council to assist program development, student support, and public relations.
4. The College has excellent distance learning facilities and staff that provide a strong basis for flexible student access to courses.
5. The College offers a comprehensive array of BS and MS programs.
Weaknesses
1. The College's School of Engineering and Construction Management Department need additional laboratory and office space to meet their expanding missions. Additional space has been promised when Building 4 is available in a few years.
2. The College's computing environment lacks the reliability and speed need for some of it research and distance learning needs. This is a continuing issue that must be resolved or UNF and the College will miss some excellent opportunities.
3. The Construction Management Department needs a teaching laboratory specialist to make effective use of its laboratory facilities.
Opportunities
1. The School of Computing is prepared to offer a Ph.D. program centered about medical science research topics.
2. Through the addition of the new engineering MS programs to complement the one in the School of Computing, the College is positioned for significant increases in sponsored research funding.
3. The College is beginning to be active in study abroad activities. The College has the capacity to expand these efforts.
Threats
1. Declining state funding will weaken the College significantly if the present trend continues. The College returned sizable and recurring faculty salary funds, expense funds and adjunct funds in spring 2008.
2. The lack of state funding to UNF for graduate waivers negatively affects the College’s ability to recruit graduate students.
3. Recruiting support staff is becoming more difficult, especially for degreed IT support positions, because of salary constraints.
4. Salaries for College faculty and staff are mostly stagnant and have been for several years now. This condition affects morale and makes hiring more difficult--especially when new employees; salaries top those of continuing, productive employees.
5. The new engineering MS degree programs were approved with the intention of adding six new faculty positions during the years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 (two each year). However, the State's budget cuts have postponed indefinitely the allocation of these necessary positions. In the interim, the MS programs will be phased-in more slowly.
The Coggin College of Business Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Achievements
1. The Coggin College was granted continuation of accreditation in April 2008 through 2013.
2. Successful search processes resulting in the naming of of two Coggin Distinguished professors (Accounting, Marketing).
3. Continuing high quality scholarly production by our faculty.
4. As of March 31, 2008, we received cash gifts of $800,000 (80% of annual goal) and pledges of $1 million (100% of annual goal).
5. Positive assessments of the Coggin College Advising Office services.
6. Positve assessments of the Coggin College Career Management Services.
Strengths
1. Faculty dedicated to high-quality student interaction and scholarly activities.
2. Excellent academic programs, including two (International Business; Transportation & Logistics) that are UNF Flagships.
3. Staff who are devoted to their duties and regularly go the extra mile to support faculty and students.
4. Business Advisory Council (BAC) that assists the College in focusing attention on critical issues that impact both the College and the greater Jacksonville community.
5. AACSB International accreditation, held by less than 10% of world-wide business schools.
6. An inside the college Career Management Center provides students and employers with important, focused services.
7. Our students engage in numerous community based and transformational learning experiences, most notably, study-abroad courses and internships.
Weaknesses
1.Budget challenges that may inhibit our ability to maintain appropriate levels of academically qualified faculty.
2.We have now outgrown our building and we are in need of substantial improvements in both space and quality of facilities.
3.Improvement needed in our ability to balance (or negotiate) our desire to excel with the university's concern with control.
4.Improved development of faculty members for department chair responsibilities. This includes making these opportunities more attractive to highly qualified faculty.
Opportunities
1. To significantly improve the extent to which faculty/student interaction is enhanced through the use of technology. This includes development of distanct learning courses (whether 100% or hybrid).
2. To better communicate the brand of the Coggin College through improved understanding and articulation of the values embraced by the faculty and (ideally) shared by our students.
3. To develop a platform for student and faculty development in the area of entrepreneurship as a prelude to the search for a Slade Professor in Entrepreneurship.
Threats
1. UNF's budget situation will cause limits in course enrollments during the 2008/2009 academic year. This threatens the accumulated good will that the college has with students and employers.
2. Budget cuts put in place at the end of the 2007/2008 academic year were focused in the Coggin College largely on non-replacement of retiring faculty members. Although this approach avoids the emlimination of existing faculty members, it is, of its very nature, not sensitive to the expected needs of the various programs for the future.
The College of Education and Human Services Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Achievements
1. The College successfully hired 10 new faculty to begin Fall 2008. These talented faculty, including two new department chairs, will greatly enhance the work of the unit.
2. The COEHS building, now 50% complete, will be a major asset to college growth when it opens in Spring 2009.
3. COEHS faculty continue to receive grant support for their TLO initiatives.
4. The COEHS departments completed required ALC and GLO work and collected data on the student outcomes via these program outcomes.
5. Teacher education programs made substantial progress toward completion of program matrices required by the Florida Department of Education.
6. The College continued international internships to Great Britain for selected teacher education and sport management students.
7. The Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Instructional Technology began its new degree in Educational Technology Leadership which will eventually be offered completely online.
8. Departments successfully submitted program folios to the Florida Department of Education for the M.Ed in Educational Leadership and the Reading Endorsement.
9. Considerable progress was made relative to the relocation of the Mental Health Counseling Program to the Brooks College of Health and the relocation of the Music Education program to the College of Arts and Sciences.
10. Students are graduating from all programs and are successfully obtaining employment and are representing UNF in a positive manner. Feedback from the community on programs and graduates remains very positive.
Strengths
1. The College has talented and dedicated leadership in its department chair and director positions.
2. There is excellent synergy among members of the COEHS leadership team.
3. College faculty are, by nature, collaborative to their approach to their work.
4. The College has hired talented new junior faculty.
5. The College recruits excellent students.
6. Undergraduate enrollment (Elementary Education majors, Secondary Education majors, Sport Management majors, Professional Educations minors) is growing.
7. The College has wonderful partnerships with schools and other community agencies.
8. All COEHS programs have strong field based components.
9. The COEHS continues to garner external support for outreach efforts.
10. The College has garnered its share of COEHS grant funds, and opportunities for transformational learning have increased.
11. The College continues to develop international opportunities for its students.
Weaknesses
1. The Department of Leadership, Counseling, and Instructional Technology has completed two unsuccessful Chair searches which has resulted in inconsistent leadership for the department.
2. Some program areas (e.g., Sport Management) have grown so rapidly that it is hard to staff programs.
3. Graduate enrollment has declined in recent years.
4. Faculty productivity in the area of scholarship is not as strong as it should be.
5. Some junior faculty have struggled with the tenure review process.
6. Loss of revenue has resulted in loss of an appreciable number of permanent faculty positions. Over time, overuse of adjunct faculty will have a deleterious effect on program quality and ability to serve students effectively.
7. Faculty and staff morale is threatened due to budget cuts which have resulted in lost faculty lines, decreased summer teaching, and absence of pay raises.
8. There is no permanent funding stream for "venture capital"; this it is difficult to make a long term commitment to special projects, study abroad experiences, and the like.
9. Office of Academic Advising is short one advisor position and one USPS support position.
10. Loss of the recruiter position to budget cuts will shift this task back to already busy faculty and administrators.
Opportunities
1. With a large number of new faculty and several new administrators, the likelihood of a positive culture shift and enhanced relations among departments will increase.
2. Tenure earning faculty and newly hired faculty member are very strong teachers and scholars. Over time, this will increase the reputation of the College.
3. Strong affiliation with school districts will continue to be beneficial for all programs in the College.
4. Strong affiliation with sport organizations in the surrounding area and beyond will continue to prove to be beneficial for students in the Sport Management Program.
5. Availability of TEACH grant funds will provide new opportunities for recruiting students to our undergraduate and graduate programs, especially those in Secondary Education.
Threats
1. Lack of resources is likely to have deleterious effects on program quality and faculty productivity.
2. Increase in the number of service providers (e.g., online institutions, multi-campus universities, community colleges with bachelor’s degrees, school district alternative certification programs) continue to force the College to identify uniquenesses of the programs we offer and to have to compete in the face of cheaper or less intensive opportunities.
3. Budget cuts have increased the need for us to hire visiting instructors and adjuncts. This practice is harmful to accreditation and program quality, and it increases the workload for tenured and tenure earning faculty. Morale is low among faculty due to a lack of raises, reduction in faculty lines, and reduction in summer teaching assignments.
The Graduate School Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Graduate School Achievements
(1) For the first time since 2003-04, we met (and exceeded) our FTE target, earning 968.63 with a target of 952.
(2) For the first time since 2003-04, our grad student headcount went up. In fall 2007 it was 1686.
(3) Our 2007-08 application numbers went up by 441 over 2006-07, from 2303 to 2744.
(4) The GS spent $50,000 on marketing and recruitment: Online: Gradschools.com, Hobson's Gradview.com; Print: new engineering master's programs brochure, Women's Digest ad; Newspapers: Every college and university newspaper in Florida and southern Georgia (except UF); Magazines: UNF Journal, Hobson's International Guides for Europe, Asia, and South America; Grad School Fairs & Expos all around Florida and southern Georgia; UNF Grad School Expo; Letter Campaign to select UNF seniors; CD-ROM marketing piece.
(5) We are developing the means to handle the admissions referral process electronically. The effect will be a shorter time between when we receive an application and when we notify the applicant of an admission decision.
(6) This year we added the ability of an applicant to check his/her application status electronically and in real time, through a checklist accessible by applicants through the mywings portal. This same checklist is available to Graduate Program Directors, as well.
(7) The amount of funding for stipends and scholarships went from $781,571 in 06-07 to $1,029,208 in 07-08. We distributed two LAC scholarships to each (eligible) college.
(8) We distributed $45,000 in scholarship funds to recipients of the Auzenne Scholarship. The Auzenne is a state program focused on funding graduate students in particular disciplines when it is found that they are underrepresented in those disciplines.
(9) The Graduate School participates in the Special Summer Graduate Program administered by the Division of Student Affairs and the PEACE Center.
(10) We increased the funding for the Graduate Scholars Program from $5000 to $14,000. A Graduate Scholar is a graduate student who, upon winning an award through a competitive process, is given $500 to pursue a self-initiated/self-directed scholarly project.
(11) The Grad School launched a year long set of Graduate Assistant educational programs called the "Graduate Educational Development Series." We offered nine different programs.
(12) The Grad School developed a comprehensive guide to the thesis and dissertation process.
(13) We enhanced communication with graduate students by developing a regular "Graduate Student Update."
(14) We launched five new degree programs in 2007-08 — Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Masters of Science in Civil Engineering, Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering, and Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering — and we are in discussions about a wide range of potential proposals for new degree programs, including some PhD programs.
(15) UNF launched its first fully online degree program, a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Instructional Technology.
(16) Eight Graduate TLO awards, each of $5000, were made: Mina Baliamoune-Lutz/Developing new activities to enhance a Graduate Study Abroad (Brazil) Course; Michael Francis/Spanish Paleography and Florida History Online; Christopher Janson and Carolyn Stone/ Urban Education in America; Origins of Democratic Equality in Schools; Judy Rodriguez & Julia Watkins/A TLO in Belize CA for Graduate Nutrition Students; Sherry Shaw/Graduate Study Abroad and Mentored Interpretation Research; Jeff Steagall/ GlobalMBA Scholarships; William Voorhees Nonprofit Strategic Planning; Mei Zhao and D. Rob Haley/Health Care and Culture in China: The Qingdao Experience.
(17) The GS and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness received, reviewed, and responded to 2006-07 GLO assessment data and improvement plans for all graduate programs; we will do the same for 2007-08 data and plans.
(18) The GS participated in a range of Program Reviews and Re-accreditation pursuits.
(19) SACS narratives for 3.6.1, 3.6.2, 3.6.3, and 3.6.4 were written and submitted to UNF's SACS liaison.
(20) We hired and trained new and replacement staff members.
(21) In 2007-08 we implemented a new process for reviewing and reappointing members of the graduate faculty. 24 graduate faculty members were reviewed and renewed as members of the graduate faculty.
(22) We developed plans for creation, publication, and distribution of a UNF Graduate School report to the community.
(23) We are now in data-collection mode about our alumni; in 2008-09, we expect to develop a survey instrument to send them.
Strengths
(1) We have a vibrant, professional, dedicated staff.
(2) We are beginning our third year with a full time dean.
Weaknesses
(1) We are understaffed in secretarial and reception support.
Opportunities
(1) The Graduate School is still in its infancy; there are plenty of opportunities and challenges left. These are identified in some measure in our Strategic Plan and the anticipated outcomes listed in the Grad School's website.
Threats -- MINOR
(1) Budgetary constraints limit us as they do every unit at UNF.
(2) A reversal of growth to enrollment restriction may have unexpected consequences.
(3) A move to the periphery of campus may have unexpected consequences.
Division of Continuing Education Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Achievements
The Division of Continuing Education has had a tremendous year. We will classify our achievments into the following areas: Enrollment, Financial, and Significant Accomplishments.
Enrollment Fiscal year 07-08 We serviced 5395 atudents unduplicated and a total of 8836 duplicated students in the past year. Those students took 551 courses and over 1034 business, industry, governmental and other organizations received training for the past fiscal year. The 5395 students they have combined to take over 13,419 courses.
Revenue The total revenue was 2,866,341 and was an increase of 618,733 which was in increase of 27.5% over last year. It should be noted that the RailRoad and English as a Second language revenue that was transfered out of CE has resulted in CE increasing non-RR and Non ELP revenue by 206% since 2006 and last year the resulting increase over 2007 was 78%.
Significant Program Achievements The Continue Education Program continues to run one of the best Osher Lifelong Learning Programs in the US with over 600 students enrolled and the numbr will grow to the fall of 08 with over 1000 students enrolled. we continue to receive the OSHER grant and have qualified for the 1 million dollar endowment and will soon qualify for the other 1 million dollar endowment.
The CE Division also developed the new Learn Jacksonville program offering a wide variety of community interest courses for people of all ages. We will soon offer over 200 courses annually in this endeavor. The program started in April of 2008 and we have offered over 30 courses with over 300 students.
We also developed the Executive Education series in cooperation with the Coggin College and have offered over 13 programs this year. In working with the Chamber of Commerce and the Jacksonville International Business Coalition, the division was instrumental in developin the research and subsequent report to the mayor of educational requirements by the city to make this Americas Logistics Center. We now have over 10 courses available to business and industry in the area.
We worked closely with Cornerstone Regional Economic Development Board and others to create Global Jax a group of those working in the international segments to promote the Jacksonville international community and ultimately to promote economic development with international companies. We received over 800,000 to be the Florida Ready to Work WorkKeys statewide resource for the implementation for the Florida Ready to Work program and WorkKeys. We continue to serve as a statewide resource and are the leader in the state in providing jobs profiles in our service region.
We have developed and over 5 new conferences and the Adminsitrative Professional Conference continues to draw upward to over 700 people per year. CE has for the pst 2 years coordinated the Southeastern WorkKeys Conference and this year will host the conference in jacksonville bringing over 500 workforce development professional to Jacksonville.
Other areas of significance include the following: International prgrams (2) for Russian Logistics Owners Program for Korean teachers in ESL and TESOL. Executive Education programs for Russian business owners Customer service consulting for the Jacksonville Chamber Expansion of prfessional development and legal studies programs Expanision of contract training programs have spoken and made presentation to over 200 companies and organizations.
Strengths
Strong atmosphere of teamwork
Great staff morale
Quality of instructors
High quality customer service
Professional staff and isntructors
Hard working committed team
Organizational structure
Established relationship and new ones being forged
Great UNF brand
Nice facilities
Running a lean operation
Loyal customers
Customized training
Weaknesses
Lack of classroom space
Paying rent for classrom space
Instructors who compete
Need more CE training for current jobs
Need more procedures and streamline operations contract training
Target marketing needs to improve
Need overall PR and Marketing plan
Need improved website and market brand
Our students do not receive some of the same privileges, library card, pool etc.
Improve and expand external communications
Opportunities
Change student lives
Program expansion and growth limitless
Develop process for new program launch
Evaluate CE name
Market to diverse cultures and international community
Partnerships with other UNF colleges
More advisory boards
WebPage enhancements
Safety training--other career and occupational advancement training
Transportation related training
Expansion of Cargo Ports
UNF and Dean are actively engaged in the community
Personal Enrichment program opportunites
Baby boomer training opportunties
Real Estate and insurance opportunties
Health Careers and other quick jobs Recertification
Threats
Limited Staff
Strong competition
Gas prices
Succession planning
Economy--Professional development is tied to economy
Advertising cost are increasing
Staff not very seasoned
Thomas G. Carpenter Library, Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Library during 2007-2008
Achievements
1) Programs and Services--LibChat (Instant Message reference) piloted in fall, implemented in spring. Delivered new and enhanced services with technology (media area upgrades, laptops for checkout, LibTV--display screens in lobbies, receipt printing for circulation, enhanced library catalog, migrated to new system software. Eliminated cataloging backlog. Added new databases and other materials with new funds received to support Coastal Biology flagship and DNP and DPT programs. Offered classes in Continuing Education's OLLI program. Planned and implemented 22 in-library exhibits.
2) Partnerships--Continued co-sponsorship (with Student Government) of 24-hour library hours during finals. Collaborated with Athletics for special study arrangements for student athletes and with ACE for in-library tutoring during finals.
3) Development--Library Dean's Leadership Council established with 15 charter members. Received gift for first named space in library building.
4) Staffing--Recruited and filled three positions.
5) User surveys--Implemented several new services identified in April 2007 survey. Conducted another survey in April 2008, with library noise levels (and cell phone use) cited as major issue. Took immediate steps to implement changes to address improvements.
Strengths
Renovated/expanded highly used building; dedicated and service-oriented staff; new perspectives brought by new employees; new development prograrm.
Weaknesses
Budget challenges limit growth and ability to meet needs of new academic programs; two unsuccessful searches for Acquisitions Librarian; limited diversity within the staff, lack of other library/institution experience, and limited middle-management experience are evident.
Opportunities
New library development program; availability of FCLA funds for technology and consortial database purchasing; new funds for support of one flagship and two doctoral programs; allocation of sponsored research F&A indirect cost recovery for library; new technologies and digitization tools; successful collaboration with other UNF entities; reorganization, reevaluation of processes, realignment of priorities in context of retirements and vacancies.
Threats
State/University economic and fiscal environment; small labor pools; salary competitiveness and compression; hiring freeze; staff morale (no raises, other issues).
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Office during 2007-2008
Administration
There were significant administrative changes in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. Four members of the ORSP staff, including the Director, left their positions in 2007-2008. In order to maintain an appropriate level of services, the administration of services within ORSP was reorganized into four major responsibility areas — Research Development Services, Grants Accounting and Financial Management Services, Research Integrity Services, and Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Services. In the new organization, the Office of the Director of Research and Sponsored Programs was deleted, the supervisor of each of the service units reports directly to the Assistant Vice President for Research (AVPR), and the AVPR assumes some of the administrative responsible of the previous director. A Director of Contract and Grant Administration was appointed to lead the Grants Accounting and Financial Management Services unit and to assume some of the administrative duties of the erstwhile Director of Research and Sponsored Programs. The Research Integrity Services unit is supervised by an Assistant Director. The supervisory position in the Research Development Services unit is currently vacant and the staff of that unit currently report directly to the AVPR. This position and an additional Research Development Coordinator position will be filled as the financial position of the Office improves. Two of the four members of staff in Departmental Research Services were reassigned to Grants Accounting and Financial management Services, one was reassigned to Research Development Services to facilitate the stimulation of sponsored research activities at the departmental and individual faculty levels, and the clerical position for this unit was vacant as of the end of June 2008. This clerical position is critical to the provision of an adequate level of departmental research support services and will be filled in 2008-2009.
Moving the AVPR to the new office space, in closer spatial proximity to the ORSP staff, has improved communication with the staff and will enhance the administration of the Office.
Research Development Services and Departmental Research Services
Faculty Research Development
The Assistant Vice President for Research organized a successful faculty research development trip that enabled seven faculty members to meet with program officers at federal funding agencies in the Washington, DC area. They met with program officers at the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the U. S. Department of Justice. Faculty participation in this activity grew by 133% compared to the previous year.
ORSP increased the level of direct research development support provided to faculty members and students:
12 members of the faculty received ORSP support for sponsored project related travel
6 members of the faculty received ORSP support for students to work on sponsored research development projects
1 research center received a sponsored research development support
1 member of the faculty received a fellowship supplement
ORSP organized a well-attended Principal Investigator Appreciation reception, in recognition of all members of the faculty and staff who received awards in the prior years. Faculty with 15 years, 10 years or 5 years of consecutive funding were given special recognition and first year faculty were recognized for submitting a proposal and receiving an award.
University-Wide Research Development
The Assistant Vice President for Research (AVPR) and the Director Research and Sponsored Programs led and provided support for the successful development, review, and submission of 6 congressionally-directed research requests (plus-ups), for a total amount of $6.6M in support of research at UNF. This required close coordination with the faculty, the Vice President for Government Relations and the SUS Lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Three of these have been approved for funding for a total of ~$3.4M, as part of the appropriations processes for Labor/Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense.
The AVPR facilitated the development of a proposal for the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Environmental Technologies through a collaboration of UNF faculty with faculty from the University of West Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University. This proposal was not selected for funding by the BOG.
ORSP collaborated with some colleges and departments in the initiation of research development efforts. These included:
An Industry/University Cooperative Research Initiative: The AVPR facilitated the development of a collaborative effort of the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction and the Brooks College of Health with the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and the University of Florida-Shands Hospital Jacksonville to develop an industry-academic partnerships for a better integrated digital health care model. The ultimate aim of this ongoing effort is to establish an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Health Management Research. In a preliminary inquiry with the National Science Foundation, we were invited to submit a formal application.
Support for the Department of Public Health/Center for Aging Research and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology collaboration with Gateway Community Services to provide training, assessment, program evaluation for services targeting older adults (age 60 and older) with mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance use problems (MH/COD).
ORSP participated in the annual New Faculty Orientation program and presented information on sponsored program services offered by the Office. This was followed by a proactive research development effort in which the staff at ORSP met with 20 new members of the faculty to provide one-on-one presentations on research and sponsored program services at UNF. Six of these new members of the faculty successfully submitted proposals in their first year at UNF. In addition, ORSP staff worked with continuing faculty in all of the colleges and to identify funding opportunities, develop proposals, process and submit 146 proposals, and to negotiate 84 funding agreements and contracts with external funding agencies. Twenty-three of the proposals submitted this year were from PIs for whom this was the first proposal submission at UNF.
In a joint effort between the AVPR and ORSP staff, we developed and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a Quality Management Plan (QMP) for an EPA funded project (Dr. Patrick Welsh, PI). The plan, which was a critical condition of the award, was approved within this reporting period.
The total award received through ORSP in 2007—2008 was $10,469,375.
The total research and sponsored program expenditure for the year was $12,064,850.
The total recovered F&A Costs was $1,247,298.
Grants Accounting and Financial Management (GAFM) The current Director of Contracts and Grants Administration introduced excellent innovations into the processes and procedures followed by the unit. Following on the improvements introduced in the last reporting period, the unit focused on four major areas with outstanding results, viz. process improvements, support services, reconciliations, and collecting aged account receivables.
GAFM made major strides in process improvements to provide a more efficient means for monitoring expenditures on contracts and grant awards. One major accomplishment was the implementation of the real-time indirect costs process. The real-time indirect costs process systematically records indirect costs immediately as transactions occur and provides the PI, the units and ORSP, with more timely and accurate information for making financial decisions. Other process improvements included collaborating with the IT department in developing Banner jobs: one of these systematically records worker’s compensation while the other systematically records budget on development and fee indexes. The implementation of these jobs has resulted in a significant saving of time and increased accuracy compared with the past manual practices.
The creation of new ORSP account codes was another major accomplishment. The new ORSP account code structure will enable ORSP, the principal investigators (PIs), and local units to easily budget, monitor, and report financial data in the appropriate categories, both for internal financial management and to ensure compliance with sponsoring agencies and federal guidelines.
Continuing support services provided directly to individual principal investigators, on various aspects of the grants management process, has enabled us to better adhere to state, federal, and university guidelines while ensuring the timely processing of transactions and reporting. In the 2007 — 2008 fiscal year, GAFM staff conducted over 60 grant management orientation meetings with PIs and held over 55 close-out meetings for PIs whose grants ended within the year.
The assignment of departmental support staff to the GAFM area has been an invaluable asset. Support services for personnel, p-card, travel, invoicing, requisitions, student stipends, and summer contracts have been provided. Sixty-eight awards have standardized budget recaps or analysis being provided to principal investigators on a monthly, weekly, or as needed basis. As a result of the support services received by the GAFM staff and departmental staff, as well as the procedures mentioned above, less than 1% of the awards have been overspent this fiscal period.
Procedures for collecting and monitoring FARS have been implemented to assure their timely submission and completion. There were 30 FARS prior to Summer 07 that were uncollected from prior years. During this period, 85% of these FARS have been collected.
Another area of achievement made by the GAFM staff was in reconciliations and strict monitoring of balances. There were several awards with problems due to the conversion from our legacy system to SCT Banner. This created a backlog of transactions that required extensive investigation and the reconciling of information from our old system with that in the new system. GAFM collaborated with the Controller’s Office in reviewing these transactions. As a result, an additional 15 awards prior to FY 06 were successfully reconciled and closed.
Additionally, a number of development and fee accounts had negative cash balances at the beginning of this fiscal year. 71% of these development accounts and 100% of the fee accounts have been reconciled and cleared.
The final area of achievement worth noting was the collecting of outstanding accounts receivable greater than 3 years old. As a result of the concerted effort of GAFM staff, we made significant progress in the collection of accounts receivable. GAFM was able to recover $77,749.62 in old awards previously deemed uncollectible from sponsoring agencies.
Research Integrity (RI)
The Research Integrity unit provided administrative support for an increasing number of active regulatory committees and assisted with the reviews of a significant number of protocols, thereby facilitating the responsible conduct of research by UNF principal investigators. The Institutional Review Board was the most active of the regulatory committees and absorbed most of the staff capacity. The activities and accomplishments of the RI unit are provided in terms of the committees. Other major RI accomplishments were the development and implementation of a Data Safety Monitoring Plan and the establishment of a Data and Safety Monitoring Board for an NIH-supported sponsored project.
Institutional Review Board (IRB):
The AVPR facilitated the reconstitution of the Board resulting in the selection of a new Chair and the addition of nine new members to the Board. The Assistant Director for Research Integrity conducted an orientation for new members in September 2007. This orientation was followed with continuing education of new members of the Board on an as-needed basis. The full IRB had 14 meetings during this fiscal year.
The IRB received a total of 190 new protocol submissions. Of these submissions:
169 protocols were approved by the Board
9 protocols were pending (review in-progress) at the end of the academic year
12 protocols were not approved.
The IRB conducted 13 continuing reviews of previously-approved protocols and reviewed requests for 35 amendments to previously approved protocols.
326 UNF researchers completed the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training course in the protection of human research subjects, bringing the University’s grand total to 683 CITI-certified researchers.
The Assistant Director conducted 8 educational presentations throughout the year to various undergraduate and graduate courses at the request of instructors. These presentations focused on ethical and responsible research practices for research involving human subjects and on UNF IRB policies and procedures. Additional educational presentations were made at the following events: Graduate Educational Development Series, Graduate Council meetings, College of Health faculty meetings, Psychology Departmental meetings, and New Faculty Orientation.
The Research Integrity Coordinator developed a lead-reviewer checklist as a tool to assist new IRB members in reviewing protocols.
A draft Human Research Protections Program plan was generated by the Assistant Director and was submitted to the Director of ORSP for review.
The IRB decided to modify existing procedure to involve the IRB administrators in the identification and determination of research protocols that qualify for "exempt" classification. The Board also approved the administrative review of approved protocols for projects with no change to the originally-approved protocols, which have had no adverse events or unanticipated problems.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC):
With the assistance of the AVPR two external members were added to the IACUC. The full IACUC had 5 meetings during this fiscal year. The Committee adopted the CITI Laboratory Animal online course as required training for all faculty, students, and staff who work with laboratory animals. "Essentials for IACUC Members" was also implemented for all IACUC members. The IACUC completed and submitted UNF's Assurance application to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare in March 2008.
The IACUC received a total of 3 new protocol submissions:
2 new protocols were approved
1 new protocol is currently pending
The Committee conducted 4 continuing reviews of previously-approved protocols and completed 2 semi-annual facilities inspections.
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
3 preliminary IBC meetings were held and 1 meeting of the full committee was held this fiscal year.
A medical surveillance program was established and implemented in May 2008.
IBC policy and procedures were revised.
A biosafety training program for all IBC members was developed.
Department of Defense Annual Biosafety level 2 trip report(s):
Report of June 11, 2007: All stated observations were addressed and necessary corrections were made. Response was submitted to DoD on March 18, 2008
Report of April 26, 2008: All stated observations are currently being investigated and a draft response is pending.
Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)
The Director of ORSP, in collaboration with Dr. Rine and the Research Integrity unit, developed and implemented a Data and Safety Monitoring Plan. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board was appointed, as required by NIH, to oversee the NIH-funded study, “Advanced Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Screening and Testing System” (Rine, R).
The DSMB had 3 preliminary meetings and 1 meeting of the full committee within the fiscal year.
Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (IPATT)
There were significant developments in the IPATT function at UNF in 2007/08. The AVPR participated in all the quarterly meetings of the Florida Technology Transfer Directors, all the quarterly meetings of the Florida Research Consortium (FRC), and in the Annual FRC technology transfer conference, renamed the Florida Innovation Showcase. With the assistance of Dr. Jerry Merckel, Associate Dean, College of Construction, Engineering and Computing, the AVPR organized presentations on technologies developed at UNF and maintained a UNF booth at the conference.
The AVPR prepared and submitted a competitive proposal for the State University Commercialization Assistance Grant Program to streamline technology transfer operations and to develop a marketing plan for a University research product. This proposal was one out of eight Phase-1 projects selected for funding by the BOG. It was funded for $26,750 and this project was in progress at the end of the 2007/08 fiscal year.
Other IPATT accomplishments include:
Processed 3 intellectual property disclosures, including the first disclosure from a student
Processed 4 full patent applications for technologies developed by UNF faculty
Granted 1 patent
Granted 1 copyright
Enrollment Services Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Academic year 2007-2008 was the second complete year that Enrollment Services functioned in its current organizational structure.
One Stop Student Services and Enrollment Services Processing evolved into viable units and the centralized budgeting and technology concepts matured as well. With severe budget cuts and hiring freeze and the implementation of significant enrollment constriction strategies, this past year has not been an easy one for our unit. Change is difficult for those who are entrenched in the past and for those who have tunnel vision. We were confronted by colleagues who continued to challenge the validity of our organizational structure and the wisdom of our enrollment management strategies but our leadership team remained steadfast in our belief that we were doing the right thing for the right reason: to carry out the university mission and to help our students. The Enrollment Services administrative team has an incredible the level of commitment and conviction and we will continue to refine our structure and our enrollment strategies so that our students benefit from higher quality services and educational experiences.
A primary goal in UNF's strategic plan is to recruit, enroll and retain academic achievers, talented and underrepresented students while meeting state funded enrollment targets. In an effort to accomplish this goal, the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Committee was convened several years ago and it included stakeholders in the enrollment process. Meeting weekly again this year, the committee worked collaboratively to ensure that we recruited, enrolled, retained and graduated students at a rate consistent with our enrollment goals. As often is the case, our enrollment target fluctuated at various points in the year and at each point the committee corrected its course and adapted to the new directive. This year, our role was even more challenging as we were charged with implementing a significant decrease in enrollment to adjust to funding levels. We have worked tirelessly to adjust to changing directives and, because of the flexible nature of our team members, we have been successful in meeting each challenge. The SEM Committee continues to be a vehicle for enrollment planning as well as an opportunity for cross unit collaboration.We continued to make considerable progress in implementing SEM principles this past year as we met weekly as an Enrollment Management team with representatives from relevant units on campus. As in the past, we worked with the President, Provost and Deans to set enrollment targets for the university and each college for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 years. We monitored these targets daily during registration, add/drop and the purge and reinstatement periods to gauge our progress toward meeting annual enrollment goals. As the threat of a declining budget became a reality, we adjusted targets to be more in line with budgetary realities. While we exceeded undergraduate enrollment targets again this year, we implemented strategies to begin closing the funding gap. Unfortunately, we learned late in the year that we were not funded at the level that we expected for 2008-2009 and so we are faced with the challenge of constricting enrollment again next year at the undergraduate level. We have developed and are implementing severe enrollment control strategies that are a significant departure from past practice and will work through this challenge as we have those we have faced in the past.
After over two years of planning and then implementing a prototype in 2005, we have now completed over two full years of service to students in the One Stop in 2007-2008. Even without the physical structure our dream for a One Stop became a reality. Our staff is a wonderful blend of enthusiastic, hard working, student centered professionals led by a director who is the perfect person to meet this leadership challenge. We have had growing pains and continue to tweak our original plan. The reality is different from the “paper plan” and so flexibility is the order of the day. Always aware of our mission to streamline services and provide quality experiences for each student, we continue to meet regularly to discuss the reorganization and to modify our structure. We continued to implement a plan to cross train all staff in our student contact departments (i.e. One Stop, ACE and Admissions) as well as integrating all "back of the house" units as well. This is a huge undertaking but one we feel is the right strategy to achieve our goal of quality service to students. While our units will be physically separated during 2008-2009, our students will still benefit from our staff members’ cross training. Lessons learned from visits to One Stop Centers across the nation informed our efforts to implement a national model at UNF.
With minimal renovation funding, we expanded the One Stop lobby to provide a better atmosphere to serve students. We were informed that we would be moving to UNF Hall in 2008-2009 so our plans to renovate the first floor of building two have been changed. Now ACE will move downstairs and all of our other Enrollment Services units will move to the Hall. We have worked with architects to design a space that will provide easy access to prospective and current student services.
This year, a new unit was added to the Enrollment Services' family. The Jacksonville Commitment Program is a city-wide collaborative effort among Duval County’s higher education institutions, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), and the city of Jacksonville whose goal is to increase the number of low-income students prepared for success in college programs by creating and sustaining a "college-going" culture. A scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate significant financial need and who meet admission criteria for one of the four postsecondary partner institutions. As the central partner in this city wide effort, UNF employs the Commitment Director and it was decided that the director would be housed in Enrollment Services and serve as part of our leadership team. We have made great strides planning the program, facilitating the cross institutional workgroups, recruiting the first cohort of students and awarding them scholarships and acquiring funds for the college counselors who will be funded by UNF and will report to our director. The Commitment promises to be an exciting program that will serve the needs of and provide educational opportunities for Jacksonville’s underserved high school students and the goals of this program fit well into Enrollment Services' overall mission.
Once again, this year several of our unit's directors were faced with very serious personnel issues and we used our weekly one on one meetings and our bi-weekly staff meetings an opportunity to explore strategies and options to resolve these difficult problems.
The primary mission of Enrollment Services has always been the delivery of timely client-centered services across units and our in-house staff and leadership professional development programs have focused on this goal. Our reorganization was a proactive approach to accomplishing our goal of providing the highest quality service to students. Since technology is viewed as the best method to provide information on-demand, we continued to explore and implement strategies and systems in order to provide better services to our constituents. This past year, the Banner student system was fully implemented and then upgraded and our Technology Unit in collaboration with ITS continued the process of regaining lost functionality that occurred as a result of the conversion from our legacy sytem. We have made great progress in the area of technology and expect to make greater gains next year.
Over the past eleven years, the offices of Enrollment Services have experienced a significant increase in the use of technology to enhance service delivery and our centralized Technology Unit was created to focus on this issue. While a significant amount of time continues to be spent on implementing upgrades in Banner, each office has made significant progress in the area of technology and we are particularly pleased with the advances that we have made this past year.
Undergraduate Studies Annual Report, 2007-2008
Significant Activities in the Division during 2007-2008
Undergraduate Academic Enrichment Program:
Significant Achievements:
The University Scholars Honor Society has twenty-five active members. The advisor to the club this year was Stacy Wheeler, an adjunct professor in PSPA. They met approximately twice per month during the fall and spring semesters to discuss current events or hear a faculty speaker.
Dr. Borg had approximately 150 individual appointments with students over the course of the year to discuss scholarship, research, graduate school, and internship opportunities.
Intellectual Life Grants were awarded to three faculty members.
The UAEP sponsored two Other Club Dinner Debating Society meetings this year
October 12, 2007: "In What Situation, if any, is it Acceptable to Put One's Morals at a Higher Priority Than the Laws of the Land?"
April 4, 2008 "Does the End Justify the Means when National Security is at Stake?" This event was co-sponsored by Alumni Services so it included alumni, in addition to the usual current students, faculty, and community members. It was such a success that Faith hall has offered to co-sponsor one of the dinners every year.
The UAEP sponsored two Face to Face Interviews. Governor Jeb Bush in Fall 2007 and Dr. Yank Coble, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Global. Health and Medical Diplomacy, University of North Florida and past president of the World Medical Association, in Spring 2008 .
The UAEP sponsored a Career Connections event co-sponsored with the Honors Program and Alumni Services. It was a luncheon for students that included a panel discussion with young successful UNF Alumni. The alumni participants included David Birkelbach UNF '01, '05, Heather Monroe-Ossi UNF '00, '06, James C. Roberts, III UNF '05, Jessica Stebbins UNF '01, Bobbie Castillo Strickland.
The UAEP involved UNF faculty and students in the Great Decisions program in area high schools. UAEP co-sponsored the Great Decisions Program with the World Affairs Council and organized and presented a simulated international crisis exercise for the students on the UNF campus in March 2008.
The UAEP sponsored the Mock Trial Team in 2007-08. After the departure of Glenn Coffey, the team was in need of a sponsor and John Moore, the student president of the team, asked Dr. Borg if UAEP would sponsor the team. Dr. Borg found two coaches for the team -- Henry Shi, a recent Harvard law graduate who was clerking with a federal judge in Jacksonville, and Kyle Scott, a UNF political science faculty member.
The UAEP helped 18 students apply for prestigious scholarships and fellowships such as the Rhodes, Truman, and Fulbright. Highlights of the year included a Truman Finalist and two winners of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships.
With Nancy Soderberg’s help, the UAEP received a second TLO grant that allowed it to continue the Public Policy Internship Program. The UAEP helped nineteen students find internship placements with such prestigious organizations as the World Food Programme in Rome and Bangkok, the Campaign to Save the Environment in Los Angeles, Senator Mel Martinez’s office and the Center for American Progress in Washington, and a prestigious paid internship with the state department in one of the embassies abroad.
The UAEP also helped Ambassador Soderberg to secure a TLO and additional funding for a class trip to Washington DC for the fall and spring sections of her class American Foreign Policy: The Superpower Myth.
The Undergraduate Research Program sponsored 28 faculty and undergraduate student research teams during 2007-2008.
The Student Research Symposium was held in conjunction with the Honors Program in April 2008. It included multimedia presentations as well as several posters. Travel grants were awarded to several students who presented their research at professional academic conferences.
Finally, here is an example of an outstanding student who has benefited from the support of the UAEP. Christopher J. Williams is a 2007 Suma Cum Laude graduate of UNF and currently a first year medical student at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Chris was an officer of the University Scholars Honor Society and the winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association scholarship in 2007 worth $1,000 and the Harris Family medical scholarship in 2008, worth $23,000 a year from the Emory University School of Medicine.
Strengths:
The program director has been a faculty member at UNF for 23 years and knows the University faculty and administration well. She has been the Director of the UAEP for thirteen years and is active in the National Association of Fellowship Advisors. The program has its own administrative assistant. The program has an additional staff person, LouAnne Hawkins assigned to direct the Undergraduate Research Program. Faculty and students who participate in UAEP programs and the URP are generally pleased with the services of the program.
Weaknesses:
The program director receives a one course reduction in her teaching load and a summer stipend equivalent to one course to direct the program, and thus is not able to devote as much time to the program as it often needs. The program's administrative assistant is a part-time OPS employee. The program is not as well-known among students and faculty as it needs to be.
Opportunities:
The program is now under the organizational structure of the Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Studies and so seems to be receiving more attention and guidance from upper level administration. The Office of Institutional Advancement is willing to include several of the programs proposals in its capital campaign.
Threats:
The major threat to the UAEP and the URP is the reduction in state funding that is affecting the entire State University System.
Center for Instruction and Research Technology:
Significant Departmental Achievements:
3950 interactions with 479 unique faculty members during the 2007-08 academic year.
618 equipment check-outs.
Second year of annual faculty technology survey to systematically gather information about faculty’s use of technology, needs for support, and preferences for learning about new technologies.
39 faculty events, ranging from brown bag discussions of new technologies and best practices to hands-on training for specific software and systems.
Teaching Online Seminar: an intensive, week-long seminar with a competitive application process for faculty to redesign a course for the online environment.
Collaboration with OFE on several well-received faculty workshops.
Collaboration with CPDT to support campus migration to Vista/Office 2007.
Successful migration of clickers from pilot to a campus-wide supported service, with a 350% increase in adoption from Spring 07 to Spring 08.
Continued growth of Blackboard faculty instructor support website.
Formation of Bb Team to manage the university' LMS in partnership with ITS and assumption of responsibility for all instructor communication.
Development of online poster template gallery to support faculty conference presentations.
Creation of illustrations for a dozen or more faculty articles/books.
Staff presentations at local, regional, and national conferences.
Article co-authored with nursing faculty published in Academic Exchange Quarterly Strengths.
Dedicated and knowledgeable staff.
Excellent reputation among faculty for customer service.
Well-funded in terms of capability available in center and equipment available for faculty checkout.
Weaknesses:
Insufficient staffing leading to large workloads and inadequate time for staff to pursue professional development and stay current with emerging technologies.
Activity is rapidly outgrowing space Opportunities.
New director in OFE brings opportunity for departments to collaborate in some faculty support areas.
There is opportunity for improvement in the current equipment reserve and checkout system, as well as the event registration system-these systems are currently very manual and labor-intensive. We have had some models developed by CIS courses and have an ITSR in with ITS for a new equipment system.
Current construction/movement of other departments on campus provides an opportunity to secure larger, better-suited space.
Securing additional support from ITS for internal processes such as development of laptop image could increase time available to staff to meet with faculty.
Threats:
Current budget climate.
Office of Faculty Enhancement:
Achievements:
The Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) provided numerous faculty development initiatives over the past year. Faculty development workshops were advertised in an engaging manner, were provided with cooperation from the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) and from faculty members from diverse departments, and were conducted with a level of excellence that was well received by the faculty. The OFE also provided workshops to support major initiatives at UNF, including Transformational Learning and the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The OFE also initiated a Faculty Enhancement Blog and an Evidence-based Teaching and Learning Discussion Group to foster an atmosphere of faculty engagement, reflection, and improvement. Student Assistant hours were provided to help faculty conduct research and analyze data on their pedagogical efforts. The OFE also offered a week-long course-redesign workshop that allowed faculty to make significant changes to their course design.
Strengths:
Since its inception, the Office of Faculty Enhancement (OFE) has been respected as a supportive unit that offers quality faculty development opportunities and that provides assistance in the areas of teaching and learning. Faculty members continue to value the OFE as a general resource and specifically value the workshops facilitated by their UNF colleagues and the workshops and information provided by the OFE regarding promotion and tenure. The relationship between the OFE and the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) has markedly improved over the past year, and there are more opportunities for cooperation in the future.
Weaknesses:
One area of weakness for the OFE is in its ability to provide continuous and personally relevant support for faculty. The status of the OFE began to deteriorate, however, as the working relationship between the OFE and the CIRT became more strained during the 2006-2007 academic year. The previous strategic plan for the OFE included the goal of recruiting an Assistant Director of the Office of Faculty Enhancement, likely to offset some of the workload of the Director and to provide a more nuanced and balanced approach to faculty development. Neither the Assistant Director position nor the permanent Director position has been filled. The Interim Director will be able to provide some continuation of services and activities, but a permanent Director and possibly an Assistant Director would be preferable. Until such a time as these can be achieved, a critical issue for the OFE will be to find creative ways to provide the majority of important services offered by the OFE (and the services most pursued and valued by the faculty) within the current resource-inhibited situation.
Opportunities:
The increased cooperation between the OFE and the Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) has had a positive effect on morale and services offered. The OFE has increased its workshop offerings and has enhanced the quality of the workshops by addressing both the pedagogical and technological needs of the faculty. The OFE also has the opportunity to address the needs of new faculty as it has been asked to be more involved in the New Faculty Orientation sponsored by Academic Affairs. The need to be more innovative with existing resources provides opportunities for new developments in the services provided by the OFE as well as in the delivery methods of these services. The Faculty Enhancement Blog provides a good example of how faculty development opportunities can be made available to faculty when the faculty member is ready to access them. Electronic copies of faculty dossiers provide another example of faculty support moving to a more fast and efficient delivery method.
Threats:
Faculty perceptions of their availability to engage in faculty development efforts continue to provide a barrier to faculty participation in OFE initiatives. Faculty express being too busy with their teaching, research, and service duties, and they may not see the clear and tangible benefit of participating in OFE initiatives. The OFE will need to communicate these benefits more clearly with evidence in relevant contexts. In addition, the OFE will need to put forward a professional appearance and atmosphere as much as possible to engender confidence among the faculty that the OFE can provide effective and valuable support. State budget cuts threaten all programs including the Office of Faculty Enhancement. The OFE has continued to be supported both by the administration and the faculty and has been protected from the majority of the budget cuts thus far. The OFE will need to demonstrate and communicate both its effect on faculty development as well as the associated impact this development has on student learning if it is to continue to be supported when financial situations continue or worsen.
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