Each year CU-Boulder’s program review process begins with a gathering of the community. The annual Academic Forum is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to engage in a collaborative conversation about the units undergoing review. This year's process focuses on a cross section of units involved in the study of the social sciences, including:
- Anthropology
- Institute of Behavioral Science
- Communication
- Economics
- Ethnic Studies
- International Affairs Program
- Linguistics
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences
- Women and Gender Studies
Please join us to talk about the significant ways that these units are shaping CU-Boulder's present and future.
PROGRAM - Wednesday, October 10, 2012: 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Institute of Behavioral Science, Room 155
1:30: Opening the Conversation
Welcome: Jeff Cox, AVC for Faculty Affairs
The Campus Vision: Provost Moore and Dean Leigh
2:00: Panel One: Campus and Broader Roles of the Social Sciences
Moderator: Keith Maskus, A&S
Panel members:
- Patricia Rankin, AVC for Research
- Joyce Nielsen, Sociology
- Nick Flores, Economics
- Tim Kuhn, INVST
- Bryan Taylor, Communication
- Christie Yoshinaga-Itano, SLHS
Discussion topics:
- How are the social sciences perceived as contributors to the campus missions in teaching, research, creative work and outreach?
- What are the actual contributions made, especially in teaching, compared to other divisions of the college and university?
- What problems do units face regarding resources and campus/college investments?
- What do social sciences provide students and the community that cannot be provided by other units on campus?
- What important and unique roles are played by the social sciences in analyzing and addressing local, state and global problems?
- What are we doing currently to advance Flagship 2030 goals?
3:25: Break
3:35: Panel Two: Toward a Future Vision for the Social Sciences
Moderator: Bill Kaempfer, Vice Provost
Panel members:
- David Brown, Political Science
- Bert Covert, Anthropology
- Rob Buffington, WGST
- Jane Menken, IBS
- Andy Cowell, Linguistics
- Daryl Maeda, Ethnic Studies
- Donna Goldstein, CARTSS
Discussion topics:
- How well positioned are the social sciences to meet university Flagship 2030 goals going forward? What needs to be changed to improve that positioning?
- How can we take advantage of interdisciplinary opportunities in teaching and research and creative work?
- Articulating a framework for potential outstanding hiring/research/teaching initiatives:
- A cross-social sciences data research and analytical methods project linked to graduate training.
- Building on existing strengths and relations with other colleges and campuses in the critical area of global health and society.
- Are such initiatives better organized in a school or cluster arrangement?
- What are the anticipated costs and benefits of making such investments?
5:00: Closing Reception
