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Destination 2010: Academic Affairs

The successful road to Destination 2010 begins with solid Academic and Student Programs. In pursuit of such programs, following a number of campus community forums, Academic Affairs has set the following goals and objectives. We will strive to create a unified approach to achieving these goals and provide an infrastructure (organization and processes) that facilitates their achievement. We will adapt our pursuit of these goals and objectives to the outcomes of the longer term University strategic planning process now underway (see above).

GOAL 1: Excel in student academic preparation for the future

This goal begins with our commitment to enhance student success to a timely graduation. Along the way, we ensure our graduates’ abilities to think critically, develop fluency with library literacy and information technology, be globally aware and be responsive to the pluralism that characterizes the New California.

OBJECTIVES:

1A. Student Recruitment, Retention, and Rates of Graduation.

  • Meet or exceed our enrollment target.
  • Strengthen outreach and recruitment efforts with feeder high schools and community colleges.
  • Become a top university choice for the majority of CSU eligible high school graduates in Sacramento region.
  • Enhance first year programs for freshman and transfer students.
  • Develop interactive roadmap program for student academic planning.
  • Enhance targeted academic advising learning activities for at-risk students.
  • Review and improve General Education and graduation requirements.
  • Develop an effective enrollment and scheduling plan for departments.
  • Utilize CMS to improve academic planning, class scheduling, student advising, and intervention.
  • Increase collaborative activities with area high schools and community colleges through Early Assessment Program.
  • Increase student and faculty participation in Faculty Student Mentoring Program.

1B. Enhance global education perspectives

  • Continue to broaden the variety and scope of international curricular offerings.
  • All Sacramento State students are significantly exposed to a global perspective through curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities.
  • Actively pursue internationally-related teaching and research opportunities for faculty and students.
  • Provide a study abroad experience for every student who wants one.
  • Enroll a large and geographically diverse population of international students and scholars.
1C. Ensure and support a diverse student population in terms of access and success to graduation
  • Create a leadership vision that will promote fellowship, shared values and commitment to and passion for a common goal.
  • Enhance targeted advising that is sensitive to the needs of diverse students.
  • Strengthen tutoring and other academic support efforts for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Restructure and revitalize educational equity programs to optimize number of students that graduate.
  • Increase quality, rigor and accountability of educational equity programs.
  • Increase access rates of underrepresented students to educational opportunities by strengthening collaborative efforts with P-12 and community colleges.
  • Strengthen collaborative ties with the colleges and their respective departments, especially science, mathematics and engineering.

1D. Ensure that students graduate with the ability to think critically and effectively utilize information technology.

  • Ensure that the review of General Education and graduation requirements addresses critical thinking.
  • Expand student access to and training in the use of information technology.

GOAL 2: Enhance excellence in teaching and learning

This goal emphasizes excellence in both teaching and learning. An engaged faculty sets high standards, teaches students well and learns with those students. We can maintain this engaged faculty through support for professional development in scholarly activity, encouragement to explore and utilize academic technology in and out of the classroom, ongoing enhancement of pedagogical skills and providing opportunities to link the campus to the community and the professional world.

OBJECTIVES:

 2A. Wide application of academic technology in teaching.

  • All new faculty receive academic technology training and support.
  • Review and revamp technology support in and out of the classroom.
  • Provide hardware and software options for faculty to serve students having different learning styles

2B. Acknowledge excellence in teaching and learning.

  • Increase research-related support for faculty.
  • Streamline award programs and selection processes.
  • More fully recognize the scholarship of teaching in the RTP process.
  • Reserve release time funds to engage faculty to conduct high-level assessment studies validating the quality of the teaching process.

2C. Review Workload Balance

  • Examine the configuration of faculty professional responsibilities to bring about greater balance across and integration among the areas of responsibility.

GOAL 3: Develop resources to support instructional needs

This goal recognizes that the reallocation of internal resources and the development of external resources through sponsored research and gift development are essential to ensure a margin of excellence for instruction, faculty and staff development, technological necessities and library enhancement.

OBJECTIVES:

3A. Identify academic initiatives for external funding.

  • Actively pursue external funding opportunities for excellent academic initiatives.
  • All colleges develop an advancement plan to fund identified excellent academic initiatives.
  • All colleges develop a vision of their collective scholarly activity and applied research initiatives.

3B. Increase funds for excellence in teaching and research.

  • Actively promote the teaching excellence and applied research of Sacramento State to the region and alumni.
  • Engage department chairs in fund development for academic initiatives.
  • Engage department chairs in raising the profile of scholarly activity and sponsored research by faculty.

3C. Reallocate sufficient Academic Affairs resources to meet Destination 2010 academic priorities.

GOAL 4: Serve the capital region and the new California

This goal leverages Sacramento State’s location in the capital of the world’s sixth largest economy. We will emphasize our policy expertise and provide quality baccalaureate, certificate, masters and applied doctoral degrees to meet the educational and workforce needs of the region and state. To better prepare students to enter Sacramento State, we will develop P-12 and community college partnerships and provide professional development for credentialed teachers. We will direct our programs and services toward enhancing the intellectual and cultural resources of the region.

OBJECTIVES:

4A. Create active educational partnerships with school districts and community colleges in Sacramento region.

  • Full participation of area high schools in the Sacramento State Early Assessment Program (EAP).
  • Transfer degree agreements and implementation with major feeder community colleges.
  • Build leadership capabilities in area school and community college personnel.
  • Work together on short and long-range planning agendas and strategic initiatives that would be beneficial to all education communities in the region.

4B. Faculty makes significant contributions to the political, economic, and cultural future of the capital region.

  • The expertise and research interests of faculty are recognized and valued.
  • Faculty serves on the boards of major organizations or provides consulting services to major regional projects.
  • Insure that faculty hiring practices actively promote the recruitment of diverse individuals who represent the university’s student population.
  • Insure that faculty strives to teach in more culturally responsive contexts.
  • Promote faculty mentoring of students across disciplines.
  • Recognize/reward faculty for developing/strengthening strong collaborative ties with various constituencies thereby connecting the university to the broad community.
  • As demonstrated leaders, faculty should also contribute to the social fabric of the community in terms of their philosophy, community service, and support for diversity.

4C. Enhance work force development for the region.

  • Prepare graduates in all of the leading industries, as well as a large percentage of graduates that serve the people of California, such as teachers and nurses.
  • The College of Continuing Education offers courses, workshops, training programs and conference services for adults seeking to update their skills and advance in their careers.
  • Life-long learning, education and skills development opportunities for all employees and residents of the region.
  • Provide on-the-job training programs for government and private businesses of the region as well as opportunities for scholarship, research, and development.
  • Improve and train employee pool.
  • Design services for local area needs.
  • Access to local job market information.

4D. Students provide significant services to the community.

  • Establish a consolidated service learning and co-op education program to enroll at least 10% of the students per year.
  • Properly recognize teaching and research in service learning in workload calculation and RTP process for faculty.
  • Establish a service learning and co-op education database to monitor public and private services as well as economic contributions to the region.