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Unit Mission Statement

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The College of Arts and Sciences at Florida = Gulf Coast University is dedicated to providing a quality liberal arts = education that is the foundation for a free and just society. As a = community of scholars, we seek to foster intellectual breadth and depth, = reasoned and civil inquiry, intercultural understanding, an ecological = perspective, and civic engagement in order to prepare students for a = life in the 21^st century that is at once informed, examined, = and engaged. We support scholarly activity that advances teaching and = contributes to the broader intellectual, artistic, and professional = communities. Our college faculty and administration share the belief = that interdisciplinary collaboration and scholarship enhance our = individual disciplines and benefit our students. We further acknowledge = that service to the southwest Florida community is a public trust and a = social responsibility. In all of our activities, we are committed to = celebrating and nurturing human freedom and elevating the human = spirit.

Founded on the university=E2=80=99s = student learning goals and emphasizing the integration of knowledge = across disciplines, our programs in the arts, humanities, natural = sciences, and social sciences offer students the opportunity to develop = the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for success in their = professional careers along with the philosophical, scientific, and = artistic habits of mind indispensable for a democratic society and a = rewarding personal life. We challenge students to express informed = convictions, exercise independent judgment, and make a lifelong = commitment to learning. By encouraging tolerance, generosity, humility, = wisdom, creativity, and courage, we strive to prepare students for a = rapidly changing world, constructive engagement with diverse cultures = and beliefs, responsible participation in their communities, and a = deeper appreciation of the beauty and scope of human experience.

Scholarly activity provides a source for the = creation and communication of artistic insights, fresh ideas, and = current information related to our teaching, our individual disciplines, = and to the integration of knowledge that lies at the heart of our = liberal arts mission. Through scholarship, we interact with colleagues = in the academic community and in the southwest Florida region. Likewise, = in our service, we expand the boundaries of the university and join a = wider community in nurturing a sustainable and enriched society. = (Adopted December 2001)

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University Strategic Plan Goal	Unit Goals, Desired = Outcomes	Assessment = Criteria and Measures	Process for = Using Assessment Results for Continuous = Improvement	Timetable for = Implementation
Goal 4 -- The College will recruit, retain, and support = highly qualified faculty.	Faculty Hiring -- Hire sufficient = faculty to cover courses in undergraduate and graduate programs and to = add new programs. Focus on adding depth and breadth to existing = programs.	Faculty Hiring -- Hire sufficient faculty to cover = courses in undergraduate and graduate programs and in new = programs.	Faculty Hiring -- In order for our = programs to be strong, and for us to attain national prominence in = undergraduate education and to strengthen graduate education, we must = have full time faculty teaching at high levels in the = programs.	Faculty Hiring = -- On an annual basis, collect data on courses taught and on needs in = programs; use data to make requests for faculty = lines.
Goal 4 -- The College will recruit, retain, and support = highly qualified faculty.	Faculty Support -- The College will = create a new faculty mentoring program in order to nurture strong = teaching, service, and scholarship; additionally, the College will = develop support mechanisms for the faculty for = scholarship.	Faculty Support -- Create a new faculty mentoring = program, including connecting new faculty with mentors and conducting = workshops for new faculty. Provide support mechanisms for faculty, = including staff support for grant work, grant initiatives through ORSP, = and grant writing training.	Faculty Support -- developing support = mechanisms for new faculty and for scholarship will assist in faculty = development.	Faculty Support = -- creating a new faculty mentoring program will be created in Fall = 2007; providing support mechanisms for scholarship will occur on an = annual basis.
Goals 1 and 2 -- The College will provide a quality = educational experience for its students.	Undergraduate Programs -- The College = will expand the number of undergraduate programs available to students, = as resources allow.	Undergraduate Programs -- As resources and needs allow, = new undergraduate programs will be started in a timely = way.	Undergraduate Programs -- Expansion of = existing programs and development of new programs meets the mission of = the institution and serves the students; assessment of student needs and = institutional resources will be used to determine how quickly programs = will grow or be added.	Undergraduate = Programs -- New programs and expansion of programs will be explored for = implementation as follows: 04-05: No new programs. 05-06: = New Programs: Anthropology, Chemistry (BA). (Completed) 06-07: = New Programs: Biology (BS), Chemistry (BS), Music, Philosophy, = Sociology. (Completed) 07-08: New Program: History (MA). = (Completed) 08-09: New Programs: Journalism (BA), Mathematics = (BS), Environmental Studies (MA), Environmental Humanities (BA), = Mathematics (MS). 09-10: New Programs: Biology (MS), = Communication (MA).
Goals 1 and 2 -- The College will provide a quality = educational experience for its students.	Graduate Programs -- The College will = provide a quality educational experience for its students through = expansion of its graduate programs and the development of the necessary = resources and supporting infrastructure. See Graduate Enrollment = Strategic Plan for more details.	Graduate Programs -- As resources allow, including = tuition waivers, graduate and teaching assistantships, research = assistantships, and additional graduate faculty and staff, new graduate = programs will be started in a timely way.	Graduate Programs -- Expansion of = graduate programs meets the mission of the institution, and provides = increased learning opportunities for students. With adequate resources, = students will be provided with the ability to matriculate into graduate = programs at FGCU rather than transfer to another = school.	Graduate = Programs -- New Graduate Programs will be started if resources allow as = follows: 04-05: None 05-06: =C2=A0English (MA) = (Completed) 07-08: History (MA) (Completed) 08-09: = Environmental Studies (MA), Mathematics (MS) 09-10: Biology (MS), = Communication (MA).
Goal 4 -- The College will recruit, retain, and support = highly qualified faculty who are outstanding teachers and scholars, in = numbers adequate to fulfill the obligations of the = College.	Full Time/Part Time Faculty -- Hire = faculty sufficient to have 80% of all CAS SCH and of General Education = SCH taught by Full Time faculty, including at least 70% of SCH by Full = Time faculty in Composition I and II and in Gen Ed Social = Sciences.	Full Time/Part Time Faculty -- Having reached the goal of = 70% of SCH taught by full-time faculty in CAS and in General Education, = we will work towards having full time faculty teach a minimum of 80% of = all student credit hours generated in the college and in General = Education in order to be in line with other colleges at FGCU, including = at least 70% of SCH by Full Time faculty in Composition I and II and in = Gen Ed Social Sciences.	Full Time/Part Time Faculty -- = Analyzing the level to which our courses are taught by full time faculty = will allow us to ensure that our students will receive the attention = they need to be successful and engaged. This will increase retention and = provide a strong foundation of learning.	Full Time/Part = Time Faculty -- By Fall 2010, 80% of all SCH generated in the College = and in General Education will be by Full Time faculty and at least 70% = of SCH generated in Composition I and II and in Gen Ed Social Science = will be taught by Full Time faculty.
Goals 4 and 8 -- The College will create a sustainable = organizational structure and work to garner necessary resources that = will nurture the faculty and staff and the culture of assessment that is = the foundation for high quality educational experiences. =	Staff -- Attain sufficient staff = resources to meet the obligations of the college, and review staff = appointments on a regular basis to determine if positions are accurately = described.	Staff -- The following criteria will be used: One = executive secretary for every chair, and sufficient staff for the Dean's = office. Sufficient staff to assist with = advising. Sufficient staff to assist with labs and with scale up = classrooms. Review of staff positions will be complete, and = appropriate changes will be made.	Staff -- Staff are central to the = functioning of the college, including providing support for faculty and = chairs and to provide information and data to the Dean's Office. In = addition, staff are crucial in advising and in teaching. Assessment will = be used to ascertain if appropriate staffing exists in the College; = changes will allow us to fulfill our obligations.	Staff -- = Ongoing, with requests to the Provost's office in the fall and spring = for additional staff lines.
Goals 4 and 8 -- The College will create a sustainable = organizational structure and work to garner necessary resources that = will nurture the faculty and staff and the culture of assessment that is = the foundation for high quality educational experiences. =	Organizational Structure -- = Continuously review the organizational structure of the college, = including the Dean's office and the departmental = structure	Organizational Structure -- Continuous review that = includes task assignment in the Dean's office, number of faculty and = majors in each department, and number of staff assigned to = faculty.	Organizational Structure -- ascertain = that the work of the college, including developing schedules, completing = faculty reviews, FARs, and other paperwork, is being accomplished in a = timely fashion. Providing stronger oversight of the college's programs = will allow for an increase in such activities as assessment and = continuous improvement.	Organizational = Structure -- Review organizational structure on an on going basis in = order to assess how to respond to growth.
Goal 1 -- The College will provide a quality educational = experience for its students.	Program Reviews -- Programs with more = than 40 majors will complete biennial Program Reviews, targeting 1-2 = learning outcomes. Programs with fewer than 40 majors will complete = Program Reviews on a 3 or 4 year cycle.	Program Reviews -- 100% of programs will complete the = Program Review in a timely way. Approximately 6-10 programs will = complete Program Reviews in a given year.	Program Reviews -- Assessment of = student learning will be used to determine areas of strength and areas = that need improvement within academic programs; results will guide = curricular and other changes to academic programs to ensure continuous = improvement.	Program Reviews = -- to be completed by February 1, using direct and indirect measures = from Spring, Summer, and Fall in the previous = year.
Goal 1 -- The college will provide a quality educational = experience for its students.	Seven Year Program Reviews -- Long = term program reviews will be completed as determined by the = state.	Seven Year Program Reviews -- 100% of programs will = complete Seven Year Program Reviews in a timely way.	Seven Year Program Reviews -- Long = term reviews will be used to describe the state of a program, including = an analysis of how the annual program reviews have led to the = improvement of learning, an analysis of the way in which the program has = offered opportunities to meet the ALCs, and an analysis of strengths, = weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.	Seven Year = Program Reviews -- Will be completed as follows: Feb 04: = Mathematics (Completed) June 04: History (Completed) June = 05: Art, Theatre, Spanish (Completed) June 06: No Reviews = due June 07: Environmental Studies (BA), Biology (BA), = =C2=A0Communication (BA) (Completed) June 08: No reviews are = due. June 09: English (BA), Marine Science (BA) June 10: = Psychology (BA) June 11: =C2=A0Anthropology (BA), Biotechnology = (BS), Environmental Science (MS), History (BA), Mathematics (BA), Music = (BA)
Goal 1 -- The College will provide a quality educational = experience for its students.	Academic Learning Compacts (ALCs) -- = ALCs will be developed and reviewed by the Program Review Team and then = revised. ALCs will include Learning Outcomes, methods for Assessment of = Students, and methods for Program Assessment that will be used to = validate the individual Student Assessments.	Academic Learning Compacts -- 100% of programs will = complete an Academic Learning Compact, which will be reviewed and = approved by the Program Review Team.	Academic Learning Compacts -- Faculty = will work to develop, revise, and finalize ALCs.	Academic = Learning Compacts: As the Program Review Team completes their review of = ALCs, faculty in programs will work to revise and finalize = ALCs.
Goals 1 and 2 -- The College will provide a quality = educational experience for its students.	General Education -- Working with the = General Education Director, faculty in CAS will provide assistance as = requested to develop learning outcomes and assessment strategies for the = General Education Program and to participate in the assessment and = review of General Education.	General Education Review -- Faculty will participate as = requested to work towards defining the philosophy and goals of General = Education at FGCU, along with refining specific learning outcomes and = refining and implementing assessment strategies.	General Education Review -- Because = over 95% of the General Education Program is taught in the College of = Arts and Sciences, the faculty in the College will participate in the = oversight and administration of the General Education Curriculum. = Additionally, because the General Education Program provides the = foundation for all majors at FGCU, a strong program will increase = student learning in key skill areas (such as critical thinking, = effective communication, and collaborative learning) and provide a = foundation in essential content areas.	General = Education Review -- Faculty will participate as requested in the = development, review, and refinement of the General Education = Program.