A Vision for the College
The intellectual heart of the University of Colorado is the College of Arts and Sciences. Its mission, as established by the Faculty, is:
- To preserve, interpret, and convey humane values and learning, while
- Creating, integrating, and applying knowledge in the arts and sciences, by
- Ensuring excellence across a broad scope of liberal arts education,
- Providing a superior learning experience for students, through dedicated teaching, research, and creative work
- Fostering educational exchange within the University, the Colorado community, and society as a whole,
- And maintaining a community of teachers and scholars devoted to the preservation and discovery of knowledge and to the well-being of future generations.
As a liberal arts college within a comprehensive research university, the College of Arts and Sciences offers a unique experience to students in Colorado. The research and creative work of the faculty are essential components in the educational experience of our undergraduates. Students in the College receive instruction from faculty who are actively engaged in the creation of new knowledge and new creative works, not merely passive recipients of the discoveries of others. Undergraduate students in the College learn to read and write, to think, listen, and speak at the highest level. These are the prerequisites of enjoying the freedom our society values. This is what students, parents, and future employers are looking for when they demand that the University provide small class experiences in which students engage in real conversation with their peers and professors. In these settings our students learn to read critically, to reason analytically and quantitatively, and to communicate articulately. While these skills do not themselves provide our students with the practical training necessary to some occupations, they are essential preconditions for success in life as individuals, citizens, and productive employees.
Although the Graduate School is administratively responsible for graduate education, it is the graduate programs housed in the academic units of the College of Arts and Science that provide the professional education of the next generation of teachers and scholars. Increasingly, those who do not pursue careers in education are well prepared to make substantial contributions in other professions. Graduate students play a vital role in the life of the College, both as learners and as teachers themselves.
Change is a constant in the life of the College. The consistent challenge facing the faculty and administration is to manage change in way that enhances the quality of the academic experience of our students. The charge to this task force was to recommend a set of long-range goals that would guide the College over the next five years. We envision a College in 2005 in which:
- Outstanding research, scholarship, and creative work are further integrated into undergraduate education;
- Distinguished programs of research and creative work have been developed in selected departments and programs across the liberal arts disciplines;
- Interdisciplinary programs and cross-disciplinary collaboration are cultivated where appropriate;
- The unique benefits of a major research university are combined with the feel of a small liberal arts college; and
- More diverse students, faculty, administrators and staff are being recruited, developed and retained.
Goals and Strategies
In order to effect this vision, the Strategic Planning Task Force recommends the six goals and supporting strategies described in the pages that follow. Each of these goals will compete for the same resources, the most substantial portion of which resides in faculty lines and salaries. As resources become available through faculty retirement or increased revenues, these funds can be used to support various functions, such as to replace departing faculty members; to increase the number of faculty members; to increase faculty salaries; to hire instructors; to support graduate teaching assistantships or fellowships; to support undergraduate scholarships; and to support infrastructure (e.g. staff, faculty research expenses, library, classroom facilities, information technology etc.). All of these functions, of course, are necessary for the College. The major challenge of our strategic plan has been to develop principles and procedures for allocating resources among them. In evaluating each of the six goals proposed in this plan, we advocate that the College apply the following priorities:
- Meeting our instructional mission.
- Maintaining the quality of our academic programs, especially our most outstanding programs.
- Making further improvements in the quality of our students' experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Enhancing the quality of academic programs with demonstrated potential to move into positions of leadership.
As we were charged, this Task Force also recommends strategies to advance the College toward the six goals outlined in this plan. In pursuing these goals, the College of Arts and Sciences should hold itself accountable to its constituencies both internal and external. Whenever possible it should establish clear standards against which its progress in accomplishing its mission can be measured. We believe that this strategic plan makes a clear case to the University, the State and its citizens, and potential private donors that support provided to the College will be used efficiently. We further believe that the principles and procedures advocated in this plan will create incentives for individuals and units to use these resources in manner that will reward the trust placed in them by their public constituencies.
