Working draft of UW-Superior Academic Plan 2016-2026
February 2016
Planning and Budgetary Council
INTRODUCTION
UW-Superior is a place where students come first. Our foremost campus goal is to provide an outstanding student experience grounded in learning and personal development. Meeting this goal requires active engagement of the entire campus community. While there are profound current challenges including revenue growth and enrollment, we are committed to maintaining and expanding quality educational opportunities. Over the next several years, our goals will emphasize academic excellence and student development that involves community engagement and experiential learning built from high quality, innovative academic programs.
Purpose of the Plan
Achievement of our campus academic goals requires a sound vision and clear statement of our academic priorities. The purpose of this Academic Plan is to share with our constituencies (UW-Superior campus, Board of Regents, Education Committee, and interested parties) our stated priorities and measurable action steps for institutional undertakings over the next 10 years. We also present a general summary of our academic program array to put future goals and initiatives in context and to link these initiatives with our campus mission. Programmatic intentions include the new programs continuation, modification, elimination, or consolidation of existing programs. This plan covers the period of 2016-2026 and will be next revised in 2021.
The Planning Process
This plan was written in 2015-2016 by members of the UWS Planning and Budgetary Council in collaboration with the Provost and Faculty Senate. The elements of this plan correspond directly to the academic priorities developed and outlined in our campus strategic plan, Superior Visions 2020, and are identified in this document. The campus strategic plan was noteworthy because of the widespread commitment and input from the entire University community, including administration, faculty, academic and classified staff, and students.
WHO WE ARE: A SUPERIOR VIEW
The University of Wisconsin-Superior is a dynamic public university of 2,600 students in the Duluth, MN—Superior,WI metropolitan region on the western tip of Lake Superior. Founded in 1893 as a teachers college, UW-Superior now offers 28 undergraduate majors and 7 graduate programs in the sciences, arts, and professions. It joined the University of Wisconsin System in 1971.
Mission and Values
Mission
The University of Wisconsin-Superior fosters intellectual growth and career preparation within a liberal arts tradition that emphasizes individual attention, embodies respect for diverse cultures and multiple voices, and engages the community and region.
Vision
The University of Wisconsin-Superior will be known as an institution that transforms learners, engages the community, and enhances the vitality of its region.
Values
At the University of Wisconsin-Superior, we are committed to academic excellence, with an emphasis on student-focused learning, intellectual and personal development, continuous improvement, inclusivity, community partnerships, and global awareness.
UWS Campus-Wide Learning Goals and Outcomes
Recently the UW-Superior campus underwent revision and integration of our learning goals and outcomes, resulting in a unified approach to be used campus-wide.
Communication
Students will understand and be understood by others to share meaning through diverse modes including listening, reading, visualizing, speaking, performing/presenting, creating, and writing.
Individual and Social Responsibility
Students will engage in personal development, interpersonal competence, and social responsibility through active learning.
Creative and Critical Thinking
Students will engage in creative and critical thinking and practice based on multiple forms of evidence, processes, and diverse perspectives.
Points of Pride
At UW-Superior, an excellent liberal education at a regionally competitive cost translates to tangible rewards. Indeed, UW-Superior is the most affordable 4-year institution in the Duluth/Superior region and over 95% of our graduates enter the workforce or continue their education. The quality of our academic programs has yielded prominent recognition from several external agencies in the past few years:
· 2016 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, US News & World Report (ranked 23rd overall nationwide and #1 in UW-System)
· 2016 Best in State Online College, by Affordable Colleges
· 2016 Military Friendly School (5 consecutive years), GI Jobs
· 2015-2016 Top 200 College for Native American Students, Winds of Change Magazine
· Among the 25 Safest College Campuses in the Nation, HomeInsurance.com
· 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll from The Corporation for National and Community Service
Accreditation
The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities and has been continuously accredited since 1916.
Several academic programs meet rigorous discipline-specific standards and are accredited by professional and educational bodies:
· Transportation and Logistics program, American Society for Transportation and Logistics
· Social Work program, Council on Social Work Education
· Music program, National Association of Schools of Music
· Teacher Education and Educational Administration programs, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
· Small Business Development Center, America’s Small Business Development Centers
Our Students and Staff
The University strives to achieve a diverse student population by welcoming students of all backgrounds. We have a vibrant International Program that has brought international students from over 60 countries in the last decade. We are currently ranked second in the UW-System in proportion of international students, with 43 countries represented in 2016. Nontraditional students and Veterans are also important to UW-Superior and we actively recruit in both areas. We are proud to be a G.I Jobs Military Friendly School with 5% of our overall undergraduate student body made up of veterans. We also have a robust distance-learning center with 24% of our undergraduates participating in that program from off-campus locations. Many active student organizations, including Black Student Union, Hispanic Organization Latino Americana, Chinese Students and Scholars Association, and Native Nations Student Organization de excellent work to raise awareness and promote dialogue about social, cultural, and diversity issues.
While the majority of our students our undergraduates, we currently offer 7 graduate degrees (Counseling, Data Science, Educational Administration, Instruction, Special Education, Sustainable Management, Visual Arts-Art Therapy) and 3 Certification Programs (Educational Administration, Special Education, School Counseling)..
We are currently in the process of trying to attain a student growth agenda of 3000 students by 2018.
As part of the growth agenda, the Superior Innovation Initiative was created in 2015-2016 to encourage innovations (big and small) that will allow UW-Superior to increase student enrollment (recruitment and retention) and enhance revenue for the institution.
At UW-Superior we have a staff and faculty committed to excellence. Currently there are 315 full-time permanent employees and 157 short-term employees. We strive for a diverse staff, and we are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disability employer dedicated to enhancing equity, diversity and inclusivity. We also actively engage in recruitment activities to broaden the scope of job searches.
Academic Program Array and Initiatives
Undergraduate Education
As Wisconsin's Public Liberal Arts College, UW-Superior provides an undergraduate academic experience that emphasizes the development of the whole person. A liberal arts education is the cornerstone. Students explore all facets of education - art, science, music, history, mathematics, philosophy, politics, writing, literature and more - expanding their perspective, critical thinking skills and intellectual capabilities. Curricular innovation centers on the improvement of the overall student experience and the integration of campus-wide learning goals and outcomes.
We offer majors in 28 academic disciplines, as well as a variety of academic minors and/or concentration emphases, plus several cross-disciplinary certification programs. These major and minor curricula are offered through 12 academic departments and the Distance Learning Center. Students also have the opportunity to develop individualized majors and minors to realize their academic objectives. In 2013-2014, academic programs underwent a review and prioritization process to more effectively utilize campus resources. This process resulted in the discontinuation of several programs with low demand and a renewed commitment continuous improvement and innovation in our existing program array.
Graduate Education
Graduate Studies at UW-Superior includes a diverse and interactive student body from across the state and beyond. The program fosters scholarly growth and reflection that support career development. By providing high quality programs that fit into busy adult schedules, Graduate Studies strives to meet the needs of the underserved adult population of the region. Currently, UW-Superior offers Master’s Degrees in Visual Arts, Data Science, Sustainable Management, Educational Administration, Guidance and Counseling, Instruction, and Special Education.
High Impact Practices
UW-Superior is committed to using well-researched teaching practices that have been shown to have a high impact on college student success. These high-impact practices are how we deliver on our promise to provide students with analytical, creative, collaborative and problem-solving skills whatever their major. Across campus, we have adopted six such practices that are being increasingly worked into program curricula so that all students benefit. Our high-impact practices include Academic Service-Learning, First-Year Experience, Global Awareness, Senior-Year Experience, Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, and Writing Across the Curriculum.
ACADEMIC STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Initiative 1 Student Experience: The University will provide students with transformative, collaborative, flexible and career–relevant learning experiences.
Providing high-quality learning experiences in and out of the classroom has been a longstanding commitment to educating the whole student at UW-Superior. The University will deliver a curriculum that unites learning and practical experience so that students will be steeped in a liberal education providing career preparation. Starting with their very first semester, students will engage in experiential learning activities developed by best practices in higher education that engage students in the campus and local community.
Goal 1 Ensure that all students are engaged in experiential learning
Students learn by doing. Our High-Impact Practices at UW-Superior call for active approaches to student engagement, followed by quality student reflection to foster deep learning. Our HIPs are all experiential in nature. The Superior community has endless opportunities for student involvement in and out of the classroom. The University will provide increased support for faculty and instructional staff to develop experiential learning activities throughout the curriculum.
· Develop standards and guidelines to clarify experiential learning and HIPs to advance their adoption and use across campus
· Provide support for faculty and instructional staff to further develop experiential learning activities and advance the integration of High-Impact Practices into the classroom
· Develop a system within University programs to ensure the entire student body is engaged in experiential learning and exposed to HIPs
Goal 2 Ensure that a student’s curricular and co-curricular experiences are intentionally linked and facilitated
An academic degree is an excellent starting point, but it doesn’t give the full picture of a student’s education. Today’s job market is increasingly competitive and skills and experiences above and beyond the degree are required to give students an edge. Through co-curricular activities, students are able to receive a more well-rounded education that deeply connects them to their peers and the community and results in substantial outcomes both on and off campus. There are numerous opportunities for co-curricular involvement, including athletics, academic and honor societies, internships, volunteering, study abroad, service-learning, student employment, performances and presentations, leadership. Participation in these activities provides students with new friendships and enables them to gain an advantage towards their career goals.
· Explicitly link academic curricula to co-curricular learning activities through increased collaboration between academic programs and non-academic programs
· Explicitly link campus student learning objectives to co-curricular activities
· Develop a mechanism to ensure all students are involved in co-curricular activities
· Coordinate and synergize opportunities for student involvement through a campus calendar and event publication system
Goal 3 Invest in the development of delivery modes that reflect the continuum of learning access options
The University of Wisconsin-Superior was recently named Best Online College in Wisconsin for 2015-16 by Affordable Colleges Online. We will build on our excellent track record of success in online learning to expand educational offerings for a new generation of technologically sophisticated learners that live and learn beyond campus boundaries.
· Create and maintain an integrated sustainable Distance Learning model and increase flexibility of program delivery to accelerate time to degree completion and decrease cost
· Develop academic partnerships and collaborations to offer graduate degrees in select fields
· Expand capacity to offer more Distance Learning courses and degrees
· Increase marketing efforts to develop greater student enrollment
· Further integrate DL curricula into existing on-campus departments
Goal 4 Build strong transition programs from undergraduate study to careers and graduate/professional school
The UW-Superior is proud to support students from a variety of educational backgrounds and our fundamental commitment is to help all students reach their educational goals. Our faculty and staff are not just available in the classroom, but serve as mentors and advisors to help our students navigate their way through college and beyond. UW-Superior offers a variety of robust programs that reach out to our diverse student body, including
ACCESS and BRIDGE programs that support students who do not meet admission requirements but still want to attend college, transitional programs that serve our veterans and non-traditional students, and the McNair Scholars Program serving first-generation and underserved student populations.
· Develop and implement a campus-wide shared advising model
· Create preparation and pathways to strengthen student preparation transitioning into the workforce or graduate/professional school
· Develop campus-wide method for assessing job placements, grad school attendance that is not entirely anecdotal
Initiative 2 Thriving Partnerships: The University will deliver innovative programs that enhance the vitality of the region.
Considering the distinctive location and role within the Northland, the University of Wisconsin-Superior seeks to serve the needs of the region through strategic partnerships. The objective of forming strategic partnerships is to allow effective utilization of our expertise to serve and support the communities surrounding the Northwest Wisconsin and Northeast Minnesota in a more efficient and sustainable manner.
Goal 1 Become the region’s premier institution for community engagement
For our commitment towards regional community engagement, our current outreach and partnerships cover stakeholders like veterans, nontraditional students, regional educators, individuals pursuing legal or social professions through Paralegal and Mediation/Conflict Resolution Certificates, as well as advanced high school students through Youth Options courses. In addition, UW-Superior's Center for Adult Education and Outreach extends university expertise into the community and region through courses, programs, research, and resources.