Office of Academic Affairs Priorities for 2007-2008
University Wide:
- Developing College and Department Strategic Plans - This will allow alignment of resources over time to ensure optimal levels of support and focus for achieving academic goals.
- Budget Process Review - The objective is to ensure that academic and support unit budgeting processes are consistent with and supportive of institutional priorities.
- North Academic Core - This will be an effort to integrate long- and short-range facilities commitments to enable and support academic goals while also addressing deferred maintenance issues.
- Arts and Sciences Federation Review - These colleges are critical to university success. The review will allow us to determine how the Arts and Sciences colleges can integrate their activities for greatest programmatic impact.
- International Program Initiatives - We need to build on and focus the core international activities that will be essential if we are to have impact in a truly global information environment.
- James and Medical Center Coordination - The ability to invest in current strengths while leveraging that foundation for overall distinction is a goal toward which we must strive in the years ahead.
- Information Security - While this issue provides an intriguing area of scholarly inquiry, it also creates legal and ethical problems that will require major changes in our institutional culture and operating practices focusing on information access and control.
- Ohio University System Issues - The complex levels of coordination and differentiation needed for overall system success will require considerable discussion and planning for success.
- Outreach and Engagement - These dynamics are integrated into the very DNA of our university but there is a need to rethink how we will focus such activities to deal with dominant issues in the 21st century.
Faculty and Student Focused:
- Doctoral Program Reviews - Doctoral education is a core focus of the university. It is increasingly important to ensure that resources supporting this critical activity are used for greatest effect.
- GEC and McHale Report Implementation - Great strides have been made in the organization and delivery of undergraduate education, but it will be necessary to evaluate and assess changes recently implemented.
- Talent Acquisition and Retention Planning - The quality of faculty and staff is a primary determinate of our success. In a coming period where 20-30% of key personnel will be retiring, and the talent stream in many areas is limited due to demographic issues, the ability to compete successfully for the next generations of leaders will be critical. Accordingly, it will be essential to develop strategies to support and retain regular faculty who are leaders in teaching, research, and service, and whose contributions demonstrably and strategically support unit, college, and institutional aspirations and success.
- Student Financial Aid - We have a commitment to "access to excellence" and providing access for economically disadvantaged, yet talented students may well require greater levels of financial support.
- STEM Funding Initiatives - Ohio has made investment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) a priority. The availability of new funding will make it possible for us to accelerate commitments in these important areas of instruction and research.
