1 WORKING DRAFT OF PURDUE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE STRATEGIC PLAN April 2009 Missin, Visin, Values Missin Statement DRAFT: Thrugh leadership and innvatin in discvery, learning and engagement, Purdue Agriculture is at the frefrnt f sustainable and dynamic agricultural, fd, and natural resurce systems, helping make a better Indiana, natin and wrld. Visin Statement DRAFT: Purdue Agriculture will be knwn fr making the wrld better thrugh: Students wh are prepared t make a difference Research with purpse leading t discvery with impact Engagement that transfrms lives and livelihds Our Cre Values/Defining Characteristics DRAFT: Purdue Agriculture is a Cmmunity f Schlars that is: Cmmitted t students utside as well as inside the classrm Engaged with ur stakehlders and listens t their needs t be respnsive t emerging issues Dedicated t excellence in discvery that finds slutins t cmplex prblems and prvides insights n imprtant scietal issues Innvative, creative and pen t change in all missin areas learning, discvery and engagement Fcused n imprtant issues where we have a distinct capacity t cntribute Cllabrative and integrated Dedicated t diversity and inclusiveness Cmmitted t the highest standards f integrity, hnesty, respect, shared respnsibility, and mutual accuntability Values and rewards excellence in teaching, research and Extensin equally
2 Drivers f Change Influencing ur Strategic Plan The agriculture industry is changing in Indiana and arund the wrld. Purdue Agriculture must nt nly be prepared t deal with the changing envirnment, but we must psitin urselves fr leadership in the glbal arena. The drivers f change influencing the Purdue Agriculture strategic plan fall int five majr themes: Glbal ecnmic/plitical cntext The changing glbal marketplace and increasing glbal interdependence requires that the United States becme mre cllabrative in hw we d business. With natins like China and India becming majr players in the glbal ecnmy, we see cmpetitin fr resurces and talent n a glbal scale. The future will als bring mre jbs fr highly trained graduates, and we must prepare ur students t be cmpetitive and successful in the glbal arena. The rles f gvernment, nn gvernmental rganizatins, fundatins and crpratins in university research funding are changing. Wrld capital shifts with the emergence f new ecnmies, and the availability f research funding is narrwed as cmpanies cnslidate. Purdue Agriculture must put itself at the table when research pririties are set and funding decisins are made by being a leader in framing issues, slving prblems, and delivering slutins that impact critical challenges fr the state, natin and wrld. Arund the wrld, and particularly in the United States, public attitudes tward animal prductin, the envirnment, and hw ur fd is grwn are changing. Our stakehlders are dealing with uncertainty in their lives and livelihds. Our Extensin resurces and prgrams must deliver a cmprehensive apprach t slutins, recmmendatins, and educatin n cmplex high pririty issues t help thse we serve deal with uncertainty. Climate/Health/Fd Security/Sustainability Sme f the mst pressing issues that we as a sciety deal with revlve arund agriculture: Cncerns ver fd safety and envirnmental issues; wrld hunger; renewable surces f energy; ppulatin grwth influencing land use; nutritin and besity; and agricultural prducts and services that supprt cntemprary lifestyles; and stewardship f ur natural resurces. Agriculture s influence and impact n the life sciences is grwing as we develp new pprtunities in research in cmparative medicine and human health. Resurces and values glbal grand challenges centered arund limited resurces The issues we deal with are mre cmplex and interrelated; multidisciplinary appraches are ften necessary t slve prblems. Creating value is mre imprtant than ever we must shw hw ur wrk has an impact in ur state, natin and wrld. There is less tlerance fr excess, accuntability is critical, and ur research and persnal ethics must meet the highest standards. We must be wrld class withut frgetting ur traditinal stakehlders and their needs.
3 Changing expectatins f students, clientele, faculty, staff The demgraphics f ur student bdy are changing. We cntinue t attract and enrll primarily Indiana students, but they are frm increasingly nn traditinal agriculture backgrunds. The University is becming mre selective in admitting students, which may change the pathways ur students take t Purdue, as well as what we d in career planning and services. The industries that emply ur graduates are increasingly seeking a wrkfrce that is nt nly highly trained and skilled but diverse and able t wrk in teams t accmplish gals. Our Indiana clientele and their expectatins are als changing. We cntinue t serve agricultural prducers and yung peple in 4 H, but we must als meet the needs and expectatins f urban dwellers and business wners. The expectatins f ur faculty and staff are changing, as is what is expected f them. We must maintain a climate f respect fr excellence in discvery, learning, engagement and their integratin while we respect and prmte diversity f backgrund and thught and wrk life balance. Delivery f instructin/services Hw ur students and clientele access infrmatin has changed dramatically, and will cntinue t change ver the life f this strategic plan. We must incrprate mre technlgy in instructin, research and Extensin services. T reach and expand ur audiences and ensure that Purdue Agriculture is the first place t cme fr science based expertise, we must effectively tell ur stry in an increasingly varied and changing infrmatin envirnment. T build the diversity f ur student bdy, and thus the future wrkfrce, we must wrk t build the pre cllege pipeline, strengthen ur netwrks with under represented ppulatins, and deliver instructin that develps prblem slving and critical thinking skills in ur students. Strategic Gals, Initiatives, and Metrics Climate Gal: Strengthen a climate f respect fr excellence in discvery, learning, engagement and their integratin. Initiatives: 1. Create and prmte a statement f ideals f citizenship in Purdue agriculture t be aspired t by all faculty, staff and students. Dean create a task frce (faculty/staff/students) t draft/edit/finalize such a statement f ideas.
4 General principles at cllege level (universal principles); mre specific at departmental levels (wrkshps, discussins) t finalize actins Evaluate/adjust business practices and prcesses t reflect statement f ideals Implement plans t reinfrce and measure citizenship behavirs 2. Develp understanding f, respect fr, and reward f excellence in teaching, research, extensin and their integratin Regular frums n schlarship and excellence in discvery, learning and engagement Facilitate discussin n the schlarship f discvery, learning, engagement and their integratin Define excellence and schlarship in discvery, learning, engagement and integratin and incrprate it thrugh perfrmance evaluatins and prmtin and tenure cnsideratins Have administratrs include citizenship criteria explicitly in evaluatin f all emplyees and in ffer letters t new faculty and staff Develp and implement a lngitudinal survey regarding attitudes abut citizenship behavirs, including the perceptin f cllegiality and cllabratin and the culture f supprt that exists Celebrate with citizenship recgnitin fr thse wh implement gd citizenship Excellence in discvery, learning, engagement, and their integratin is measured (qualitative assessment by stakehlders) and frmally rewarded Excellence is rewarded and facilitated in pst tenure review and mid career develpment initiatives Identify and value citizenship in recruitment prcess Have search cmmittees evaluate and recgnize behaviral and attitudinal attributes assciated with excellence in citizenship. Diversity and inclusin Gal: T be a diverse, inclusive and welcming cmmunity where unique cntributins, talents and skills f faculty, staff, and students are acknwledged, valued, respected and rewarded. Initiatives 1. Value, respect and reward cntributins f faculty, staff and students wh strive fr and embrace diversity within the Cllege f Agriculture. Actin: Nminate faculty and staff fr university, state and natinal awards related t diversity 2. Understand and prmte diversity within the Cllege f Agriculture.
5 Evaluate current climate t prvide a baseline fr measuring prgress Articulate what diversity means t us Strengthen linkages with HBCUs, Tribal Clleges, and Hispanic Serving Institutins, dmestic and internatinal partners fr exchanges and partnerships Prvide financial supprt fr DATA and Multicultural Understanding requirement Underg an in depth curriculum review t assess hw diversity can be r is being incrprated by ur teaching faculty. Develp a cllege wide prfessinal develpment/schlarship fund that is earmarked fr faculty and staff t apply fr supprt t attend cnferences, trainings, r ther events where they can build their capacity related t diversity and inclusin practices. Thse wh receive funds will be required t reprt back abut their experience t prmte diversity within the cllege. Require dcumentatin f diversity effrts as a part f the perfrmance review fr staff, faculty and administratrs. 3. Recruit and retain a diverse grup f faculty, staff and students. Prvide infrmatin and training fr search cmmittees and department heads, and deans n effective ways t build a large and diverse candidate pl as well as ways t recruit tp candidates wh are nntraditinal fr the psitin. Prvide training n hidden biases and assumptins fr all cllege search cmmittee members, as well as debunking the ntin that expanding the applicant pl t include underrepresented ppulatins means sacrificing the quality f applicants. Develp psitin descriptins that highlight desired characteristics such as effective cmmunicatr, experience wrking in a multicultural team envirnment, experience infusing diversity int the curriculum, etc. Require all administrative and faculty candidates t state their prir accmplishments as well as their intended bjectives in prmting diversity. This may include hw the candidate wrks with students, infuses diversity int the curriculum, and/r supprts a diverse and inclusive envirnment. Require search cmmittees t dcument where psitins were advertised and hw wmen, minrities, and ther underrepresented ppulatins were encuraged t apply. Assist cunty Extensin ffices in hiring diverse candidates. Cllege needs t prvide the same training fr cunty emplyee search cmmittees that academic department based search cmmittees receive n biases, diversity, etc. Create diverse search cmmittees, t include faculty and staff frm underrepresented grups as well as students, while nt ver burdening the small minrity pl Build and fster wrking relatinships with minrity grups n campus Reward departments that recruit and retain wmen and racial/ethnic minrity faculty. Include fr the purpse f accuntability, recruitment and retentin f wmen, racial/ethnic minrities, and ther underrepresented ppulatins in Department Head reviews.
6 4. Enhance Purdue Agriculture s climate as a welcming and inclusive cmmunity. Prgrams and activities t create pprtunities fr awareness, cnnectedness with Agriculture cmmunity (e.g. new faculty tur) Survey/measure inclusiveness and adjust/respnd Accessibility/signage issues Influence and Impact Gal: Lead in framing issues, slving prblems, and delivering slutins that impact critical challenges fr the state, natin and wrld. Initiatives: 1. Expand Cllege f Agriculture participatin in large scale, multidisciplinary research and engagement t address critical issues fr the state, natin and wrld Develp better ways t reward and recgnize faculty and their departments wh participate in such prjects Create clear plicies fr faculty members wrking utside their departments (e.g. Discvery Park, statined utside the U.S.) fr extended perids f time because f participatin in such large scale prjects Adapt business ffice prcedures t facilitate large scale U.S. and internatinal effrts 2. Seek leadership/management rles fr faculty, staff and students in multi institutinal research and engagement effrts Facilitate the cst share needed t attract such rles t Purdue Develp business services with enugh flexibility t handle the management rles Recgnize the imprtance f such rles in prmtin and evaluatin 3. Encurage faculty, staff and students t make leadership cntributins at the university, state, natinal and glbal levels Enable faculty, staff, and students t accept leadership rles at university, state, natinal and glbal levels Nminate faculty/staff/students fr state, natinal and internatinal awards and ther recgnitin
7 4. Invest in lng term capacity t identify critical issues practively. Annually bring tgether a large crss sectin f stakehlders fr the purpse f engaging them in discussin n issues affecting the university, state and wrld. Prvide administrative supprt and recgnitin fr students/faculty/staff wh initiate and/r participate in agenda setting frums/summits Frm partnerships with ther institutins t address critical issues practively 5. Reduce time frm discvery t delivery Invlve Extensin in research effrts frm the planning stage (e.g., utilize issue based actin teams as part f transfrmatinal Extensin) Prvide a pl f resurces that faculty and departments can tap t respnd t urgent needs Discvery Gal: Fster a culture f schlarship acrss the Cllege f Agriculture that enables grwth f high impact discvery addressing sciety s mst imprtant challenges. Initiatives: 1. Create a culture f discvery inclusive f all faculty, staff, and students. Create incentives that encurage all faculty in the Cllege f Agriculture t engage in discvery. Clarify the best means f encuraging mre interactin between the engagement and discvery and the educatin and discvery cmmunity. Create pprtunities and rewards and recgnize effrts t cmbines discvery and educatin r extensin activities. Create pprtunities and rewards that recgnize cntributin t internatinal activities in these areas. Enhance partnerships that may exist between the discvery cmmunities, the state s gvernment (e.g., State Department f Agriculture, Department Envirnmental Management, and Department f Natural Resurces), and industry. Develp a Cllege level apprach t the display f discvery findings this culd include better websites, pster sessins r n campus discvery presentatin prgrams. 2. In rder t create the anticipatry cnditins necessary fr meeting lng term discvery assciated with critical glbal challenges, facilitate and empwer trans disciplinary, intellectual tpic cmmunities charged with develping strategies t enhance discvery. Hld cllege wide meetings t develp and then maintain tpic cmmunities in ur critical areas f expertise.
8 Within a tpic cmmunity, develp mentring methds t supprt peple and develp ideas prjects. T imprve the pprtunity fr funding, encurage the incrpratin and interactins acrss all areas f science resident at Purdue University. Special attentin shuld be give t including internatinal pprtunities int prjects thereby further increasing the interdisciplinary nature f ur prgrams. Prvide seed funds t launch anticipatry discvery initiatives supprted by the tpic cmmunities. Take leadership in research fcused internatinal cnferences, prgrams and wrkshps Develp an assessment tls t evaluate bth the success and leadership f the tpic cmmunities. 3. Lead the University by develping a new mdel fr increasing the number f fully funded graduate fellwships. Wrking with the Graduate Schl and the Cllege, create internal funding pprtunities fr full ride graduate schlarships. In rder t increase the number f lcal students interested in discvery, increase the supprt and number f undergraduate students invlved in discvery experiences. Create internal funding pprtunities fr autmatically matching funds fr graduate student supprt when requests fr students are included in prpsal submissins. Wrking with the Develpment Office and Ag Cmmunicatins, create an external prfile that emphasizes the psitive impacts f dllars invested in graduatin educatin. Put in place a means f transferring recent discveries t the state s citizens and legislature. Reinvent the means we use t reprt new discveries and discvery results t emphasize ur ability t create discvery with delivery. 4. T enable high impact discvery, develp and then implement strategic initiatives t facilitate the repair and enhancement f ur base discvery infrastructure and develp cre facilities with an eye twards maintaining a well trained staff. Create a transparent means fr supprting the purchase f majr equipment. Use the tpic area cmmunities fr develping the ideas fr majr equipment purchases ensuring a tie between the equipment and areas f need. Create a transparent means fr supprting the upgrade f labratry facilities including wet labs, cmputatinal infrastructure and animal husing and ther research space. Als prvide supprt fr enhancing field facilities and field based equipment T better recruit and train ur students, encurage the use f newest technlgies fr labratry and field discvery effrts.
9 5. Prvide administrative supprt t enable discvery faculty and staff t be efficient and successful in the pursuit f utside funding frm gvernment, crprate and private surces. Clarify t all (faculty and staff) that discvery is driven by funding. Instill the imprtance f prpsal develpment as prcess acrss all departments. Unify rules and expectatins acrss departments s that jint prpsal develpment is a simplified and fair prcess. Clarify business prcedures and eliminate arbitrary rules and requirements. Establish the means fr a Cllege level paperless prpsal develpment system. Fr use during the prpsal develpment prcess, put in place a state f the art cmmunicatin system t allw ready access t desktp prpsal writing tls that enhance the levels f infrmatin and idea exchange that can ccur. (Break the technlgy barriers.) Make pst award business prcedures accessible and timely. Student Experience Gal: Prepare glbal leaders in Agriculture and Life Sciences by exemplary teaching, mentring, imprved bradening experiences and enhanced partnerships with industry and alumni. Initiatives: 1. Establish a Cllege f Agriculture teaching netwrk fr develping and prmting excellence in teaching (i.e. cmmunity f teachers). Create a cllege wide mentring prgram in teaching and learning Prvide incentives fr develpment f researched based teaching strategies and adptin f distance learning and/r new technlgies Implement an accuntability prcess fr quality f teaching 2. Imprve student learning and learning envirnments in the COA. Imprve classrm layut and design t enhance teaching methds and utilizatin f technlgy Add student study and meeting areas Imprve cmmunicatin t students utilizing new technlgies t imprve instructin in the classrm, enhance advising and effectively infrm students Imprve sustainability and faculty engagement in utcmes assessment prcess 3. Enhance advising and develp key crprate partnerships t imprve student success and netwrking with industry and academic clleagues. Develp key crprate partnerships t imprve cmmunicatin f industry needs (i.e. desired emplyee skills, etc.) and current student learning utcmes Increase interactin f freshman and upper level students (peer mentring)
10 Increase supprt, recgnitin, and rewards fr (faculty) participating in mentring and advising activities Enhance student awareness f graduate schl and academic pprtunities. Identify and develp industry and academic partnerships and mentring prgrams fr imprving student netwrking. Hst a diverse grup f industries fr rundtable discussins t imprve industry netwrking and partnerships. Develp a COA industry netwrking sessin fr students. 4. Increase student and faculty invlvement and appreciatin fr bradening experiences (i.e. internship, undergraduate research, study abrad, service learning, extensin, leadership develpment certificate, alumni mentring prgram). Prvide incentives fr faculty t participate in bradening experiences Create endwment fr supprt f bradening experiences Recgnize utstanding faculty cntributins t bradening experiences 5. Strengthen the hnrs prgrams (Dean s Schlars and Departmental Hnrs) t recruit, challenge, and imprve the educatin fr tp students while maintaining prgram sustainability. 6. Imprve transfer prgrams, rientatin and services t students transferring frm Ivy Tech, Vincennes University and Purdue reginal campuses t imprve access t COA prgrams and success f transfer students. Train advisrs at satellite campuses n transfer credits t COA. Ensure curses at satellite campuses are transferrable t the COA. Crdinate transferrable curse fferings Cmmunicate learning utcmes/achievement necessary fr success at Purdue Engage and cnnect Gal: Engage peple in transfrmatinal learning experiences. Initiatives 1. Build transfrmatinal learning prgrams fcused n high pririty issues Develp brad based interdisciplinary teams t assure a cmprehensive apprach t slutins, recmmendatins, and educatin n cmplex high pririty issues. Discver and build cllabrative partnerships t expand ur reach and effectiveness Develp prgram riented appraches t cmplex issues that deliberately cmbine educatin resurces and learning experiences 2. Engage and expand the learner base with innvative strategies and web based technlgy.
11 Discver the mst effective methds and technlgies t reach varius audiences. Establish a cmmunity f practice t build ur capacity t develp and deliver innvative Extensin prgrams. Engage and build cultural bridges with new audiences Develp methds t prvide just in time, need based infrmatin in an audience relevant manner. 3. Equip lcal cmmunities t grw with glbalizatin. Implement glbalizatin capacity building fr Extensin prfessinals and lcal cmmunities Engage lcal cmmunities in strategic discussins t take advantage f glbal pprtunities. Grw the Pipeline Gal: Expand the pl f students interested in, and prepared fr, careers in agricultural, life and scial sciences Initiatives: General 1. Name a P 14 Crdinatr fr the Cllege f Agriculture, and develp a cmprehensive P 14 strategy which defines and crdinates P 14 activities acrss the Cllege, and links Cllege P 14 activities with the verall Purdue P 14 strategy. 2. Create a Cllege f Agriculture P 14 Advisry Bard t facilitate relatinship building, fster schlarship, enhance targeting f Cllege P 14 initiatives, and cmmunicate availability f Cllege initiatives t the P 14 cmmunity. 3. Expand the Advanced Life Sciences (ALS) curse mdel by grwing the number f schls invlved, including new ALS curses t infrm teachers f pprtunities in the agricultural sciences, explring pprtunities fr ALS like curses fr middle schl students, and leveraging the rigrus science cncepts in ALS curses fr infrmal/nn frmal educatin settings. 4. Develp a natinal reputatin fr schlarship in the area f agricultural, life, and scial sciences educatin thrugh exceptinal schlarship and high impact educatinal initiatives. Develping Educatrs 1. Cnduct teacher preparatin prgrams as a means t bth enhance teaching quality and t braden the perspective f Indiana s P 14 teachers helping them understand that Agriculture is STEM. 2. Partner with the brader University n initiatives such as the I STEM netwrk t make Cllege teaching materials available t educatrs statewide. Building Interest
12 1. Utilize infrmal educatin prgrams such as 4 H and nn frmal prgrams such as Spring Fest t build awareness and interest in the agricultural, life, and scial science disciplines. 2. Build interest in the agricultural sciences in ppulatins wh dn t have mre traditinal agricultural/rural backgrunds thrugh initiatives like the Ag Discvery Camp and Science Wrkshps. 3. Explre pprtunities t wrk mre clsely with FFA, By's and Girl s Clubs, and ther cmmunity rganizatins t build interest in the agricultural, life, and scial science disciplines. 4. Partner with industry t build interest in and supprt P 14 educatinal prgrams. 5. Engage Purdue Cllege f Agriculture students t help deliver the messages arund the imprtance f pst secndary educatin, and the pssibilities in agriculture and STEM mre bradly. Preparing Students 1. Utilize the Advanced Life Sciences curses as a means t prepare students fr success in the STEM disciplines. 2. Develp and facilitate clearly articulated career pathways with Indiana high schls, Ivy Tech Cmmunity Cllege, Vincennes Cmmunity Cllege, and Purdue University. 3. Develp and expand the Cllege relatinship with Ivy Tech Cmmunity Cllege t grw the transfer prgram and t build a cncurrent enrllment prgram with the Ivy Tech Lafayette campus. Mbilizing Schlarship 1. Create an intellectual cmmunity f schlars fcused n P 14 educatin in the Cllege f Agriculture. 2. Wrk clsely with Discvery Learning Center in expanding the quantity and quality f schlarly P 14 activities f the Cllege. 3. Develp expertise and capacity t assess impact f P 14 engagement, and utilize schlarship t guide P 14 strategy fr the Cllege.