Liberal Studies Department Strategic Plan 2012-2015

Mission: Engaging in liberal, interdisciplinary, and integrative learning. We champion liberal and integrative learning. Our department provides the framework for student-designed courses of study that inspire lifelong learning and responsible participation in diverse communities.

Vision: The Liberal Studies Department will create a model community of self-directed learners engaged in the transformative process of Liberal Education. We will cultivate leadership in civic engagement, social justice, and sustainability through experiential and integrative learning. We will reflexively integrate diverse intellectual traditions and contemporary perspectives within local and global contexts.

Through collaborative and innovative action, the Liberal Studies Department:  Promotes and develops integrative, interdisciplinary teaching, learning and scholarship culminating in community engagement and diversity of practices.  Cultivates relationships across disciplines in order to deepen commitments to interdisciplinary, integrative and liberal learning.  Connects community partners, businesses, and non-profits with faculty, staff and students to address local and global issues.  Engages with students to promote diversity and equity where structural inequalities exist.  Enables students to develop individualized curriculum plans focused on academic and career goals.  Fosters student research through experiential learning and collaborative student-faculty research.  Provides leadership in liberal and general education regionally, nationally, and globally.  Continues to grow academic programming in Holland, Muskegon, Traverse City and online.  Contributes to national and international scholarship through the praxis of active scholarship.  Models and promotes applied sustainability in curricular and programmatic practices. 1 Guiding Principles We value

 Collaborative teaching, learning and scholarship  Student-centered experiential teaching and learning  Engaged citizenship for students, faculty, and staff  Sustainability through local practices and global understanding  Advancing diversity through global and local perspectives  Democratic equality through social justice  Excellence and innovation in teaching & technology  Accessibility, academic rigor and paths to degree completion

1 Goals and Objectives 2010-2015 Goal 1: Liberal Studies students, staff, and faculty work and learn in a community of integrative interdisciplinary scholarship and practice.

1.1 develops integrative, interdisciplinary learning culminating in community engagement and diversity of practices.

1.2 Increase enrollment in Liberal Studies major at distance campuses

1.3 Advance diversity of underrepresented groups within all ranks of faculty 1.4 Advance diversity through the curriculum 1.5 Annually provide leadership in the general education program

1.6 develops integrative, interdisciplinary teaching culminating in community engagement and diversity of practices.

1.7 By 2013 full-time faculty will increase integrative, interdisciplinary scholarship

1.8 Expand opportunities for integrative interdisciplinary scholarship through high impact practices

1.9 Through collaborative efforts students will engage with faculty in research

1.10 Increase student diversity in Liberal Studies

Goal 2: The Liberal Studies Department delivers high-quality, student-focused, liberal education.

2.1 Increase the number of student credit hours taught by tenure and tenure track faculty to 65% according to university objective 5.1.1

2.2 Increase number of Liberal Studies majors

2.3 Support new academic programs, including Leadership Studies, Religious Studies, Sustainability Studies, Global Studies, LGBTQ Minor, Liberal Studies Minor, and Intercultural Competence and Experience Certificate (ICE)

Goal 3: The Liberal Studies Department connects students, faculty, staff, and communities to address local, regional, national and global issues.

3.1 Develop a prospectus for an innovative Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program with external institutions.

3.2 Liberal Studies students will have the opportunity to participate in high impact experiences related to community social justice issues: internships, service-learning, study abroad etc. 3.3 Liberal Studies maintains formal and informal partnerships with non-profits and local businesses that contribute to meeting community needs.

Strategic Plan Grid 2012-2015

Brooks College Program Goal Prog Metric Baseline Time- Stra Responsible Resources Status Goal 1: ram frame tegy Person/Group Students and faculty Obj Acti work and learn in a ectiv on culture of excellent e integrative, interdisciplinary scholarship and practice. Liberal Studies Rev Chair & Curriculum Department In Progress Goal 1: 1.1 iewi Committee Budget Liberal Studies deve Review Outcome TBD per By Winter ng students, staff, and lops review 2014 pro faculty work and integ gra learn in a community rativ m of integrative e, curr interdisciplinary inter icul scholarship and disci a to practice. plina ens ry ure Conference, Program learn high and Planning Brooks Complete ing Conference Program Fall 2011 imp Committee Budget culm No baseline act Allocation inati exp and AIS ng erie Conference in nces Receipts com are mun inte ity grat enga ed gem in ent core and cour 3 dive ses. rsity of Hos pract t ices. AIS conf eren ce at GV SU to sup port inte grat ive inte rdis cp. lear ning prac tice s

1.2 ½ the core curriculum for Fall 2015 Incr Department Incr distance campuses to be Current online ease Chair & Curriculum Budget Ongoing ease available in online or hybrid offerings onli Committee enro formats. ne llme cour nt in se Libe Once per year Annually offe ral ring Chair Stud s at ies dist Department Ongoing Maj anc Budget or at e dista cam nce pus cam es. puse s Pro vide prof essi onal dev elop men t trai ning to facu lty to teac h onli ne cour ses Liberal Studies 1.3 Stra Personnel Committee Department In Progress Goal 1: Adv 5% 0% By 2015 tegi Budget Liberal Studies ance es students, staff, and dive as faculty work and rsity artic learn in a community of ulat of integrative unde 2 faculty Annually ed Personnel Ongoing interdisciplinary rrepr members in Committee Sufficient scholarship and esen recr practice. ted uit grou men ps t with plan in all Mai rank ntai s of n facul Fac ty ulty repr esen tatio n on Uni 5 vers ity Lev el Incl usio n and Equ ity Co mm ittee 1.4 Diversity in U.S. course moved Currently in GE By fall Mo Curriculum Committee Gen Ed Under Adv to foundations Theme 2012 ving workshop review at ance Div funding UCC dive ersit rsity y in thro the ugh U.S. the Review completed with cour curri recommendations Current By 2015 se Curriculum Committee culu diversity fro Department Ongoing m content m Budget GE The mes to Fou ndat ions

Rev iew core curr icul um to ens ure dive rsity cont ent.

1.5 50 or more sections will be 45 sections Annually Sch Chair Department Ongoing Ann taught in the general education edul Budget ually program e in prov con ide sult lead atio ershi One faculty member will serve n p in on general education committee with the gen gene 30% of faculty will participate ed. ral in general education forums. Enc educ 1 Faculty Annually oura Faculty Sufficient Ongoing ation member ge prog facu ram 2 faculty per year 20% of faculty As gen ed lty As gen ed currently holds part Faculty & Chair Sufficient schedules participate meetings icip forums. atio n in gen ed. Faculty & Chair No Baseline Beginning curr Department Ongoing 2012 ic. Budget dev. wor ksh ops

Elec t facu lty dept rep. 7 Dis cuss with facu lty the rele van ce of gen ed curr icul um to Lib eral Stu dies

Tea chin g for the ICE Pro gra m College (C) Faculty Goal Facu Metric Baseline Time- Stra Responsible Resources Status Objective lty frame tegy Person/Group Obje Acti ctive on

Liberal Studies 1.6 By 2015, peer evaluation by Peer Beginning No Personnel Committee Department Ongoing Goal 1: deve two faculty annually of all observations in 2013 min Budget Liberal Studies lops tenure –track faculty. completed in a ate students, staff, and integ 3 year cycle outs faculty work and rativ Annual Workshop tand learn in a community e, ing of integrative inter No Baseline Beginning facu Personnel Committee interdisciplinary disci 2012 lty FTLC scholarship and plina for funding Planning practice. ry teac teac hing hing awa culm rds inati Personnel Committee ng Annual Review Pro in Existing Peer Beginning vide Department Planning com Review Form 2012 Prof Budget mun essi ity onal enga Dev gem elop ent Increased focus on conference mt and presentation in Workload Plans thro Faculty & Chair dive Existing Annually ugh rsity Workload Plans FTL of C Workload Ongoing pract for Plans ices. peer eval uati ons Faculty & Chair

Maintain Departmental Rev Committee Representatives ise Service Load curr Workload Ongoing Departmental Annually ent Plans Committee peer Representatives eval Service Load uati on for m in ter ms mea suri ng inte 9 grat ive inte rdis cipli nary teac hing .

Pro vide facu lty time for part icip atio n in inte rdis cipli nary conf eren ces or wor ksh ops

Fac ulty Part icip atio n in Uni vers ity Lev el Co mm ittee for Hig h Imp act Prac tice s

1.7 all tenured and TT faculty will Current By 2014 Pro Chair and full-time Current Ongoing By present interdisciplinary participation at vide faculty dept faculty 2013 scholarship at regional, national interdisciplinar thro developme full- or international conference y conferences ugh nt budget time nationally or dep facul Increase applications and letter internationally. art ty of support by 50% men Chair and full-time will t faculty Internal to Ongoing incre 2 faculty Annually prof the ase applications for essi University integ At least 3 nominees per year grants from onal & External rativ Internal dev e, Funding elop inter men Personnel Committee disci t University plina Establish Program 3 nominations Annually fun Budget Ongoing ry for 2011-2012 ding scho Personnel Committee larsh Sup ip By 2013 port establish ing Department Ongoing Expand and Development of TBD formal facu Budget Peer Writing Groups mentoring lty program appl Full-time faculty icati ons for 1 Writing Annually exte Department Group rnal and Ongoing fun external 11 ding sources sour ces

No min ate for Aw ards and Uni vers ity Pub licat ions (e.g. For um)

Me ntor Juni or facu lty

Cre ate Peer Wri ting Gro ups suc h as the Ang ela Dav is Wri ting Gro up

College © Objective Student Goal Stud Metric Baseline Time- Stra Responsible Resources Status ent frame tegy Person/Group Obje Acti ctive on

Liberal Studies 1.8 # of applications per year Zero Annually Sup Chair CSCE and Annually Goal 1: Exp port URS Liberal Studies and facu Budget for students, staff, and oppo lty s3 faculty work and rtuni and learn in a community ties stud of integrative for ent interdisciplinary integ Maintain part scholarship and rativ $1200 Beginning icip Chair and full-time Department Ongoing practice. e Fall 2011 atio faculty Budget with 201 inter n in disci s3. plina ry Mai scho ntai larsh n ip Maintain new Chair & faculty thro 2 workshops Fall 2011 ly Partnership On-going ugh per semester dev with Career high elop Services impa ed ct facu pract lty ices. and stud Chair & faculty Maintain Maintain list of ent Partnership study abroad Fall 2011 eng with programs that age Padnos On-going link with LIB men Int’l emphasis Areas t in Personnel Committee Spe

13 Maintain akin Department 1 Departmental Annually g Budget On-going Rep Out: Wes tern Mic higa n’s Civi l Rig hts Proj ect. Pro vide Car eer Ser vice s Wor ksh op to facil itate stud ent inte rnsh ips

Sup port stud ent part icip atio n in Stu dy Abr oad.

Fac ulty Rep s on UR S com mitt ee Liberal Studies 1.9 Nominate at least one Nominate at Annually Sup Chair & faculty CSCE and Goal 1: Thro student/faculty for the McNair least one port URS Ongoing Liberal Studies ugh Scholarship student/faculty facu Budget students, staff, and colla for the McNair lty faculty work and bora Scholarship and learn in a community tive Maintain stud of integrative effor ent Chair & 201 faculty interdisciplinary ts 200 Oral Annually part Department Ongoing scholarship and stud Histories icip Budget practice. ents collected per atio will year n in enga s3. ge with Sup facul port ty in facu rese lty arch and stud ent part icip atio n in Spe akin g Out: Wes tern Mic 15 higa n’s Civi l Rig hts Proj ect. 1.10 5% increase in online course Current online By Part Chair & faculty Partnership Ongoing Incr offerings continuing Semester ner with ease education with Continuing stud offerings Con Ed ent tinu dive ing rsity Edu in cati Libe on ral to Stud dev ies elop con Chair & faculty nect Department Ongoing Increase budgets proportional to Beginning ions Budget & student involvement $1200 fall 2011 with appropriate und external er- budgets in repr URS, esen CSCE and ted FTLC and und erse rved pop ulati ons in Mic higa n.

Acc eler ate and sup port com mun ity base d lear ning proj ects suc h as Spe akin g Out: Wes tern Mic higa n’s Civi l Rig hts Hist orie s and the GV SU Vet eran s Wri ting Wor ksh op.

17 Brooks College Program Goal Prog Metric Baseline Time- Stra Responsible Resources Status Goal 2: ram frame tegy Person/Group offers high-quality, Obj Acti student-focused, ectiv on undergraduate e education Liberal Studies 2.1 65% of courses taught by University Hire Chair and Dean Provost’s Goal 2: Incr tenure-track faculty Baseline = 54% addi Requests for tenure Office Ongoing The Liberal Studies ease fall 2008 By 2015 tion lines. tenure line Department delivers the al allocation high-quality, student- num 50% of courses taught by tenure Unit Baseline = tenu to focused, liberal ber track faculty 20% courses re department education. of taught by and budget stud tenured or tenu ent tenure-track re credi faculty trac t fall 2011 k hour facu s lty. taug ht by tenu re and tenu re track facul ty to 65% acco rdin g to univ ersit y obje ctive 5.1.1 . 2.2 Increase by 50% Number of By the Inte Chair & full-time Department Ongoing University Incr majors as of end of rvie faculty Budget Objective ease Fall 2011 =240 year 2015 w 2.4 Enrollment num Alu Development Plan ber mni Brooks College of and Objectives 2.3 Libe post Increase enrollment ral thei Brooks College in Brooks College Stud r advising office & Chair Majors ies Complete the hiring and None Winter exp coordination with new Brooks Planned & 2.6 Maj training of Director for Brooks 2012 erie hire. College ors College Advising Office nces Advising on Chair & faculty Office the Budget One training session per year Dep for faculty and senior advisor art mentoring Current Winter men Advising 2012 t Department Planned Processes web Budget site.

Incr ease Adv isin g Sup port by hiri ng prof essi onal advi sors .

Sup port facu lty thro ugh prof essi 19 onal dev elop men t for advi sing . Liberal Studies 2.3 Review Lib Chair & faculty Brooks Ongoing Goal 2: Sup Number of faculty who TBD annually eral College The Liberal Studies port participate as Stu Budget Department delivers new programs dies high-quality, student- acad develop facu focused, liberal emic and lty education. prog faculty are will rams available part , icip inclu Review ate Chair & faculty Department Ongoing ding annually in Budget & Lead # of cross-listings TBD as the Brooks ershi # of faculty exchanges cross- dev College p listings elop Adjunct Stud and men Budget ies, faculty t of Reli exchanges thes giou are e s available pro Stud gra Chair & faculty ies, Review ms. Sust # of cross-listings annually Department Ongoing aina # of faculty exchanges as Pen Budget bilit cross- ding y TBD listings facu Stud and lty ies, faculty reso Glob exchanges urce al are s Stud available and ies, facu LGB lty TQ teac Min hing or, load Libe s, ral LIB Stud facu ies lty Min will or, teac and h in Inter thes cultu e ral pro Com gra pete ms. nce and Exp Wh erien ere ce poss Certi ible ficat Lib e eral (ICE Stu ) dies cour ses will be cros s- liste d with thes e inte rdis cp. pro gra ms or certi ficat es.

21 Brooks College Program Goal Prog Metric Baseline Time- Stra Responsible Resources Status Goal 3: ram frame tegy Person/Group offers high-quality, Obj Acti student-focused, ectiv on undergraduate e education Liberal Studies 3.1 Develop prospectus A prospectus 2012- Dis Chair & curriculum Partnership Planning Goal 3: Dev does not 2015 cuss committee with The Liberal Studies elop currently exist coll Kendall Department connects a abor and other students, faculty, pros ativ area staff, and pect e colleges. communities to us opp address local, for ortu Chair & curriculum regional, national and an Develop prospectus nitie committee Partnership Planning global issues. inno A prospectus 2012- s with vativ does not 2015 with Humanities e currently exist Ken and Social Mast dall Science er’s Coll Units in Prog ege conjunction ram and with the with othe School of exter r Graduate nal area Studies instit coll utio eges ns to . addr ess Wor local k , with regi the onal Sch and ool natio of nal Gra and duat glob e al Stu issue dies s , such hum as aniti susta es inabi and lity soci al scie nces unit s to dev elop grad uate leve l cour se wor k. Liberal Studies 3.2 65% of students participating in Current student 2012- Coll Chair & faculty Department Ongoing Goal 3: Libe at least one high impact participation. 2015 abor Resources The Liberal Studies ral experience related to ate Department connects Stud community social justice issues. with students, faculty, ies exis staff, and stud ting communities to ents stud address local, will y regional, national and have 65% of students participating in abro global issues. the at least one high impact ad oppo experience related to pro Chair & faculty rtuni community social justice issues. Current student 2012- gra Department Ongoing ty to participation. 2015 ms Resources parti to cipat enc e in oura high 15% of students participating in ge impa at least one service learning stud ct project ent expe part Chair & faculty rienc icip es atio University Ongoing relat Current student 2012- n in & ed to participation. 2015 com Department com mun Resources 23 mun ity ity soci soci al al justi justi ce ce stud issue y s: abro inter ad nshi pro ps, gra servi ms. ce- Iden learn tify ing, soci stud al y justi abro ce ad inte etc. rnsh ip opp ortu nitie s in GR, HO L, MU SK, TC, and surr oun ding area s.

Mai ntai n relat ions hips with Hoo p Hou se, Co mm unit y Gar den, Holl and Bee Api ary and othe rs to facil itate serv ice lear ning proj ects for Lib eral Stu dies Maj ors.

Liberal Studies 3.3 Maintain current partnerships Current number 2012- Con Chair & Faculty University Ongoing Goal 3: Libe of partnerships 2015 nect & The Liberal Studies ral with Department Department connects Stud stud Resources students, faculty, ies ents staff, and main with communities to tains non address local, form - 25 regional, national and al prof global issues. and its infor and mal loca part l ners busi hips ness with es non- to profi part ts icip and ate local in busi high ness imp es act that exp cont erie ribut nces e to incl meet udin ing g com inte mun rnsh ity ips, need serv s. ice lear ning proj ects , volu ntee r opp ortu nitie s etc.