Next Steps with the UGA 2020 Strategic Plan

1. Next Steps with the UGA 2020 Strategic Plan Presented by: Jerry Legge Associate Provost for Academic Planning (Interim), and Professor of Public Administration and Policy (SPIA) Provost Advisory Council Meeting – May 23, 2012

2. BACKGROUND • UGA’s Strategic Plan approved by University Council in March 2010 • Strategic Plan Themes • Building on Excellence in Undergraduate Education • Enhancing Graduate and Professional Programs • Investing in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence • Serving the Citizens of the State of Georgia and Beyond • Improving Faculty Recognition, Retention and Development • Improving and Maintaining Facilities and Infrastructure • Improving Stewardship of Natural Resources and Advancing Campus Sustainability • Strategic Planning within UGA’s Schools and Colleges

3. CHAMPIONS • Campus Champions for Seven Strategic Themes Champions are divided into seven committees, representing a primary area of expertise and are named after one of the seven strategic directions. The Champions are familiar with the subject matter of their respective themes and can call on other people with knowledge about their themes as needed. The work of the Champions is to further consider the strategic priorities and benchmarks for each strategic direction. Priorities will be evaluated to determine if they provide the appropriate means to move the University in these essential directions. The benchmarks associated with each strategic priority will also be evaluated. Along with Academic Planning, each Champion will study the assigned theme, examine the stated priorities and benchmarks, propose modifications if needed, and validate the appropriateness for inclusion in the final Strategic Plan document. That document will eventually go the University Council.

4. PRIORITIES and BENCHMARKS • Strategic Priorities – While the University is committed to the strategic directions in the plan as approved through faculty governance, there is room for refining how those directions are accomplished and how progress is measured. Refinement of the priorities may be appropriate and additional priorities may be needed. • Illustrative Benchmarks – There should be at least one benchmark that clearly measures the progress of each strategic priority. This is missing in the plan as it exists currently. Alternate and additional benchmarks may be considered and objective, appropriate baselines and target levels should be set for each.

5. EXAMPLE: Strategic Direction IIIInvesting in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence at UGA – As written in the Strategic Plan Strategic Priorities • Hire and retain research faculty with significant focus on areas of established or emerging excellence. • Provide physical and technological infrastructure to conduct cutting-edge research. • Increase research productivity. • Focus on interdisciplinary research such as environmental programs. • Establish a stand-alone school of engineering to support the research mission of the university and create a unique school of engineering that integrates the many different disciplines of a comprehensive research university. • Develop translational research programs with MCG-UGA partnership such as the Clinical Studies Center. • Build and promote international research partnerships with prestigious academic partners that reinforce and complement UGA’s strengths. • Create a Center for Diversity Research. • Position UGA at the hub of international networks of innovation and entrepreneurship in key fields. • Work with Georgia’s business, industry and government to create a knowledge hub in the Athens-Atlanta region. Illustrative Benchmarks • Increase federal research and development expenditure by 30%. • Increase extramural (e.g., NIH-sponsored) research funding for the MCG-UGA Medical Partnership. • Increase research support for faculty including pre-award support from 2010 levels. • Increase UGA’s participation in international consortia from 2010 levels. • Increase funding and productivity of humanities research from 20102 levels to match median levels established by American Academy of Arts & Sciences Humanities Indicators Project.

6. EXAMPLE: Strategic Direction IIIInvesting in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence at UGA – Designed by the Champions Committee Strategic Benchmark A: A 15% increase in the overall number of research faculty relative to the 2010 level. A dramatic increase in the number of cross college faculty hires supporting strategic research initiatives. Strategic Priority A: Hire, promote and retain world-class research faculty as aggressively as resources allow. Encourage interdisciplinary hiring across college boundaries, especially in areas of strategic value.

7. EXAMPLE: Strategic Direction IIIInvesting in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence at UGA – Designed by the Champions Committee Strategic Benchmark B: An increase in the total number of UGA faculty in one of the National Academies (Sciences, Engineering, Medicine), appointed to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute or in receipt of a similar honor. Strategic Priority B: Recruit high impact, “star” faculty to grow existing centers of excellence and create robust new ones, simultaneously enhancing UGA’s reputation for research and scholarship.

8. EXAMPLE: Strategic Direction IIIInvesting in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence at UGA – Designed by the Champions Committee Strategic Benchmark C: An advance in the National Science Foundation rankings from UGA’s current position of 97th among all colleges and universities to 85th based on federally supported expenditures for R & D. Strategic Priority C: Advance UGA’s research enterprise to a new level. Significantly increase the total value of externally sponsored research expenditures and advance UGA’s ranking and reputation based on research expenditures. Improve success with complex grant proposals, which increasingly dominate funding provided by the federal government.

9. EXAMPLE: Strategic Direction IIIInvesting in Proven and Emerging Areas of Research Excellence at UGA – Designed by the Champions Committee Strategic Benchmark D: Accreditation of all new undergraduate engineering degree programs. A 300% increase in R & D expenditures listed under “Engineering” in the NSF data table, relative to 2010. Strategic Priority D: Establish a college of Engineering that is interdisciplinary in design, including across colleges; aggressively recruit faculty to meet engineering teaching, and accreditation needs, while emphasizing research areas that both compliment existing UGA strengths and create new funding opportunities.

10. TIMELINE and RESULTS • Champions should have their recommendations to the Office of Academic Planning by late June. At that time, I will take these recommendations and incorporate them into a final plan that will be presented to the University Council in the fall. • Clearly aligned priorities with appropriate benchmarks should provide a vision of the University in 2020. • This vision will guide strategic decision-making, inform fundraising efforts and establish a foundation for the University’s 2020 reaffirmation of accreditation by SACSCOC.