Goal 1: Identity/Distinction
Keene State College will provide a distinctive, rigorous, and primarily residential liberal arts education characterized by (1) the intentional integration of learning across the college experience; (2) progressive, engaged, and evidence-based pedagogy; (3) the development of workplace readiness; and (4) the achievement of desired college-wide student learning outcomes.
Objectives and Actions:
- 1.1 Prepare a comprehensive, integrated academic and co-curricular plan
- 1.2 Improve the accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of undergraduate advising
- 1.3 Support academic programs that help students develop cognitive, practical, and workplace skills
- 1.4 Support faculty research, scholarship and artistic creation
- 1.5 Strengthen quality of teaching and learning
1.1 Prepare a comprehensive, integrated academic and co-curricular plan
1.1. Prepare a comprehensive, integrated academic and co-curricular plan that (1) is guided by College-wide student learning outcomes; (2) incorporates an interdisciplinary general education curriculum that exemplifies and embraces Keene State’s definition of the liberal arts; (3) supports innovative, experiential, and integrated educational opportunities that respond to a spectrum of students’ learning styles; and (4) includes expanded opportunities for international engagement and study, service learning, undergraduate research, internships, and artistic creation.
Actions recommended by the Implementation Planning Group:
1.1.1. Create an integrated five-year academic and co-curricular plan for meeting College-wide learning outcomes, academic affairs’ department program outcomes, and student affairs’ department program outcomes.
1.1.2. Through the combined efforts of the ISPC, the College Senate, and the Provost, and based on feedback collected from faculty in 2014-2015, develop and implement a revised Integrated Studies Program (ISP).
1.1.3. Expand the number and scope of academically-focused Living Learning Communities by fall 2016.
1.1.4. Expand funding and support for the KSC Child Development Center, which provides internships and professional preparation for students in multiple disciplines, fulfills a community need for high quality child care, and partners with Keene-based agencies, by updating lab facilities as needed and supporting staff involvement in professional activities and advocacy
1.1.5. Establish a requirement for all KSC students to participate in an “engaged learning activity” as a part of their KSC education. Engaged learning activities include but are not limited to study away (international or domestic), undergraduate research and creative inquiry, faculty-led global programs, non-credit bearing service trips, extended and substantial community service or service-learning projects, major leadership roles, internships and co-op programs.
1.1.6. Enhance students’ engagement with diversity and multicultural perspectives and experiences, and support their achievement of College-wide learning outcomes, by increasing their participation in global learning experiences, including through institutional partnerships already established by the Global Education Office; increase and diversify study away opportunities that involve service learning, creative experience, internships, research, and volunteer work.
1.1.7. Develop an effective model for internship and co-op management to include streamlined processes, improved communication with internship sites, consistent standards for supervision, reporting mechanisms, and clear faculty expectations.
1.1.8. As part of the integrated academic and co-curricular plan, establish a co-curricular transcript.
1.2 Improve the accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of undergraduate advising
1.2. Improve the accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of undergraduate advising, integrating academic and co-curricular advising, to enable students to take full advantage of their educational programs and experience in and out of the classroom.
Actions recommended by the Implementation Planning Group:
1.2.1. Establish a standing advising steering committee (comprised of students, faculty, a member of the Registrar’s staff, and Academic and Career Advising staff) charged with making decisions about advising questions, such as the implementation of a required advising strategy, advising expectations, evaluation of advising, etc.
1.2.2. Develop an advising plan that ensures all first year and transfer students are assigned an advisor who is a member of the tenuretrack faculty, adjunct faculty, or the staff of Academic and Career Advising.
1.2.3. Offer faculty (especially first-year faculty) and designated staff members professional development and assistance to support all forms of advising.
1.2.4. Recognize and highlight those departments/faculty and staff advisors for whom advising is a particular strength and priority.
1.3 Support academic programs that help students develop cognitive, practical, and workplace skills
1.3. Better align and support academic programs that help students develop cognitive, practical, and workplace skills that are essential to competitiveness and success in employment and careers locally, regionally, and globally.
Actions recommended by the Implementation Planning Group:
1.3.1. Establish a Career Advisory Council with membership from faculty, corporate relations, Academic and Career Advising, student affairs, recent alumni (5-10 years post-graduation) and local business representatives to guide and support KSC career development goals and approaches.
1.3.2. Encourage curriculum development that crosses disciplinary boundaries and helps students develop the cognitive, practical, and workplace skills that will promote their success, as informed by prospective employers and current research about workplace readiness.
1.3.3. In coordination with the Corporate Relations Office, identify what prospective employers seek in recent graduates in terms of cognitive, practical, and workplace skills; communicate these skills and qualities to both students and departments; dispel misconceptions and better demonstrate how the KSC curriculum currently does or has the potential to cultivate skills and qualities.
1.4 Support faculty research, scholarship and artistic creation
1.4. Increase support for faculty research, scholarship (including the scholarship of teaching and learning), and artistic creation that are aligned with the College’s institutional values and enhance the student experience.
Actions recommended by the Implementation Planning Group:
1.4.1. Increase the number of tenure-track and clinical faculty to cover reassignments of faculty time for research and creative projects.
Consideration: This should not be interpreted as supporting covering classroom teaching needs with adjunct faculty.
1.4.2. Continue to support the growth of the Office of Sponsored Projects, including reviewing the structure and re-defining the responsibility of the Research Advisory Council as well as identifying and implementing a data management tool to assist the campus in assessing and managing research activity.
1.4.3. Establish a model for the Provost and Deans to set goals for grantfunded projects and, as appropriate, and in coordination with the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT), provide faculty fellowships, which offer reassigned time for tenured, tenure-track, and clinical faculty for ongoing research or creative projects that will result in the development of new courses, undergraduate research/creative opportunities for students, or high impact teaching practices.
1.5 Strengthen quality of teaching and learning
1.5. Continually strengthen the quality of teaching and learning, and provide faculty development that is integrated with the assessment of student learning and advances discipline-appropriate pedagogical innovation and high-impact practices.
Actions recommended by the Implementation Planning Group:
1.5.1. Create and offer faculty development opportunities focused on implementing and assessing the College-wide learning outcomes.
1.5.2. With collaboration from the Diversity and Multiculturalism Office and the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT), provide professional development opportunities, including presentations and workshops, to assist faculty in strengthening their capacity to engage in culturally responsive practices associated with their work with students from underrepresented groups.
1.5.3. Charge a Faculty Development Advisory Committee to identify faculty development needs on campus (including those of nonfaculty partners who support high impact learning), determine the best times to hold faculty development activities, and promote faculty development on campus.
1.5.4. Review and revise teaching evaluation forms (student, peer, and self evaluations) and procedures to incentivize innovation, the use of high-impact practices, and academic rigor.
1.5.5. Provide incentives and new approaches to support collaborative and team teaching and cross-disciplinary collaborations.