CAS Strategic Planning Survey Results

1. CAS Strategic Planning Survey Results Survey for faculty and staff December 2012

2. Response Rate • Response Rate: 50.7% • Total number of faculty and staff: 150 • 121 faculty • 29 staff • Respondents: 76

3. “What is your position at Simmons?”

4. “How many years have you been at Simmons?”

5. CAS Alignment with College-Wide Strategy For the next few questions, responders were asked to rate on a scale of 1 – 5 (with 1 = poorly and 5 = very well) how well the CAS activities align with college-wide strategy in the following areas.

6. “Build a vibrant student-centered educational community that inspires leadership and lifelong engagement.”

7. “Envision Simmons as a university with a global perspective built on research, scholarship, and teaching excellence.”

8. “Attain and retain financial strength.”

9. “Create. Innovate.”

10. “Promote a student-centered culture of learning, leadership, and making a difference.”

11. Average Scores (Scale 1-5)

12. “We want to form some focused working groups … Which of these groups might be of interest to you?”

13. MISSING • Internationalization/Global Programs* • Activism and Community Accountability • Technology/On line Learning • Pedagogy • Co-curricular Vibrancy-Faculty Staff collaboration • City as Classroom • Transformative learning crossing boundaries • Women’s centered education

14. Recurring Words in OPEN RESPONSES to Q 11 • Rigor • Innovation • Experiential • Transformational • Interdisciplinary

15. Where Should cas be headed strategically, pedagogically, programmatically and/or academically to meet the needs of our undergraduate and grad student market and to advance our strengths and success? • Renovations of the science center* • Educating women to become research-empowered, responsible global citizens. A highly interdisciplinary problem-based, civic engaged global first year program modeled after the World Challenge successes. Research and Problem infused curriculum • A larger curricular experience for our students that happens beyond the first year, e.g. Duke U. • Prepare students for the new paradigm in the job market – no matter the major – student needs to have a solid grasp of the top 10 skills listed by employers.

16. Where Should cas be headed strategically, pedagogically, programmatically and/or academically to meet the needs of our undergraduate and grad student market and to advance our strengths and success? • Emphasize excellence in teaching above all else.* Stress faculty contact and personal attention. • Offer on-line certificate or degrees. • Globalization and internationalization,* partnerships with foreign institutions, importance of foreign languages. • Infusion of issues of race, gender, class, religion, equity, etc. throughout the curriculum. • Need to critically revamp student support systems. • Pedagogy-We need to get serious about “flipping the classroom” and getting out of the lecturing business.

17. Where Should cas be headed strategically, pedagogically, programmatically and/or academically to meet the needs of our undergraduate and grad student market and to advance our strengths and success? • CAS needs to commit to rigor in all it does. A challenging educational program is the best preparation for success and leadership. • Facilitating a smooth transition from the liberal arts to the professions. • We should be focusing on excellence and creating opportunities to launch our students into successful positions in the outside world. • STEM, experiential learning, co-op/internship models

18. DISCUSSION • Impressions? Surprises? Comments? • Next Steps

19. PROPOSED TIMETABLE • January: • Faculty meeting, presentation of findings • February: • Working groups compose vision & mission • March: • Present statements, discussion; present data on department profiles • April: • Plan of action for fall semester; finalize mission/vision • May: • Present mission to Board of Trustees • Fall 2013: • Begin department-level work on strategic plan