Texas Tech University 2016 UPDATE TO THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD Strategic Plan for Research

Submitted by the Office of the President April 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Vision Statement ...... 1 II. Plan to Increase Research Funding and Productivity. . . 3 III. Plan to Improve Undergraduate Education...... 9 IV. Plan for Doctoral Programs...... 14 V. Plan for Faculty and Student Development ...... 21 VI. Other Resources ...... 25

VII. National Visibility ...... 27 Appendix I ...... 29 2016 Strategic Plan for Research

I. VISION STATEMENT The institution’s plan should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. A description of the targeted status of the institution. What kind of university will the institution be if it achieves its goals and objectives? B. Is the plan for the future a natural expansion of the institution’s existing mission, or does it reflect a substantial change in direction?

In the fall of 2008 Texas Tech University’s top administrators met with the university’s Strategic Planning Council to begin a university-wide process that resulted in Making it possible . . . 2010-2020 Strategic Plan. As an outcome of that process, vision and mission statements were developed and approved by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents in May 2010.

Texas Tech is a great public research university where Vision: students succeed, knowledge is advanced, and global engagement is championed.

As a public research university, Texas Tech advances knowledge through innovative and creative teaching, research, and scholarship. The university is dedicated Mission to student success by preparing learners to be ethical Statement: leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. The university is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.

Making it possible… was developed as a plan to achieve Texas Tech University’s goal of becoming a great public national research university. The strategic plan became the road map the university followed to achieve Texas National Research University Fund (NRUF) status in 2012. With that goal achieved, the university then set its sights on achieving Tier One Carnegie Designation. Texas Tech achieved the top Carnegie classification of Highest Research Activity in February 2016, placing the university among the nation’s 115 top doctoral universities. Now, just more than halfway through the university’s 10-year plan, Texas Tech’s ultimate goal remains to develop characteristics that are in line with the nation’s AAU universities. While leadership changes during the first five years of the plan have resulted in some revisions in targets and emphasis, we believe that the original five strategic priorities established inMaking it possible… will continue to serve as the foundation for our growth.

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The five strategic priorities are:

Priority 1 – Increase Enrollment and Promote Student Success We will grow and diversify our student population in order to improve higher education participation and supply a well-equipped, educated workforce for the state of Texas.

Priority 2 – Strengthen Academic Quality and Reputation We will attract and retain the best faculty in the world in order to enhance our teaching excellence and grow our number of nationally recognized programs.

Priority 3 – Expand and Enhance Research We will significantly increase the amount of public and private research dollars in order to advance knowledge, improve the quality of life in our state and nation, and enhance the state’s economy and global competitiveness.

Priority 4 – Further Outreach and Engagement We will expand our community outreach, promote higher education and continue to engage in partnerships in order to improve our communities and enrich their quality of life.

Priority 5 – Increase and Maximize Resources We will increase funding for scholarships, professorships, and world-class facilities, and maximize those investments through more efficient operations in order to ensure affordability for students and accountability to the State of Texas. An important component of Texas Tech’s strategic planning process was identifying a set of peer institutions for comparison and benchmarking purposes. During this process, it was deemed desirable to consider exclusively peers that are public research universities because of the similarities inherent in the vision and mission elements of public institutions and characteristics identified in Texas HB 51 in 2009. Using these criteria, a list of national public research universities, including those in the Big 12 Conference and AAU institutions, was compiled. We also benchmark against the seven other Texas emerging national research universities. These peer institutions are listed in Appendix I.

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II. PLAN TO INCREASE RESEARCH FUNDING AND PRODUCTIVITY The institution’s plan to enhance research activities should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. External funding -- Identify the institution’s targets and how progress will be monitored. Include comparisons with national peers. B. Research priorities -- Define and describe the institution’s targeted research priorities. Describe where and how the institution will focus its efforts. C. Allocation of resources -- Estimate the budget necessary to achieve the targeted goals and describe how the institution will utilize funds, staff resources, facilities, and other assets to maximize its efforts. D. Student participation -- Describe how the institution will enhance student opportunities to participate in research activities at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

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The university’s research success is evident in our achievement of the top Carnegie classification of Highest Research Activity. Our research numbers reflect steady growth, and our accomplishments are also evident in the prestigious body of scholarly work in the creative and visual arts, the humanities and the social sciences. Genuinely effective national universities are those balanced in their commitments to research, scholarship and creative activity. All key research funding metrics have shown steady increases since 2013. This success comes at a time when federal funding is flat or declining. Total research expenditures have increased from $137.5 million in 2013 to $157.7 million in 2015, a 15 percent increase. Restricted research expenditures grew from $40.7 million to $48.7 million, or 20 percent in the same time period. The number of proposals to external funding agencies and sources shows a 19 percent increase from 893 to 1,067. Our total awards are up 40 percent. The university is also showing progress in the number of inventions disclosed and license agreements signed.

Research Metrics 2011–2015

2011 $50,205,458 $142,762,792

2012 $46,106,813 $132,542,194

2013 $40,735,021 $137,563,727

2014 $46,853,386 $153,728,769

2015 $48,774,414 $157,745,568

Restricted Research Total Research Expenditures Expenditures

Proposals Submitted Award Value $67,185,230 $63,486,917

$59,968,055 $49,835,306

1,035 940 893 1,041 1,067 $48,154,346 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

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A. External funding The university has had exceptional success receiving funding from state agencies including the Texas Department of Transportation and CPRIT. The university honed its focus on traditional federal agency funding. Targeted agencies aligned with our research strengths include: • National Institute of Food and Agriculture, • Health Resources and Services including the Agriculture and Food Research Administration at the Department Initiative, at the Department of Agriculture of Health and Human Services • Agricultural Research Service at the • Federal Student Aid Programs and Department of Agriculture Student Support Services Programs • National Science Foundation at the Department of Education • National Institutes of Health at the • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Department of Health and Human Services Service at the Department of Agriculture • Science and Technology at the Department • Food Safety and Inspection Service at the of Defense Department of Agriculture • Office of Science at the Department • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Energy at the Department of Health and Human • Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Services Energy at the Department of Energy

Texas Tech utilizes numerous standard reports, including the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the NSF HERD survey, the THECB Restricted Research Expenditures and the Center for Measuring University Performance to measure our strength compared to peer institutions. Success will be monitored each year in metrics contained in the university strategic plan.

B. Research priorities Texas Tech is consistently working to better focus its funding requests. Since the university’s initial strategic planning efforts in 2010, research priorities have shifted slightly with new leadership and new faculty who through successful proposals have created new areas of excellence. In late 2015 and early 2016, meetings with the deans of each college produced a current set of research priorities. Some areas are long-standing areas of excellence, some are newly emerging areas. Our research priorities include: • Biomedical Sciences • Human Health and Prosperity • Education • Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology • Energy • Water, Climate, and Sustainable Agriculture

The university is also pursuing research partnerships with both public and private entities that correspond with our research strengths. These partners include other universities across the country, governmental agencies, and private corporations. Texas Tech is showing growth in the areas of entrepreneurship education and outreach. The university’s 2014 Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) recognizes the university’s engagement in an array of economic prosperity efforts.

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The opening of the Innovation Hub at Research Park marked a major step forward for Texas Tech’s research and economic prosperity missions. The facility is designed to become a vital resource for the faculty and students of both Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, as well as community members connected to Texas Tech who are interested in launching new ventures.

C. Allocation of resources Since achieving National Research University (NRU) status in 2012, Texas Tech has used the additional state funding to bolster its research and teaching missions. Among the initiatives begun with these funds is the hiring of productive senior faculty in several areas of research strength. NRU funding is also used for enhancing start-up packages for new hires and to assist in the recruitment and retention of top-quality graduate students. The institution will continue to address the needs for new doctoral fellowships, strategic hiring start-up packages, traditional hiring start-up packages, spousal accommodations, faculty retention packages, new faculty lines, and funds to kick start strategic initiatives. The magnitude of these investments is significant.

D. Student participation Undergraduate There is significant undergraduate research at Texas Tech, and it is evident that there are many units and efforts that drive undergraduate research opportunities. The university clearly understands the need for students to be better informed about the value of an inquiry-based opportunity in their discipline. Major groups that are the primary vehicles for organized undergraduate research and include: • the Center for Undergraduate Research • the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Science Education Program at the Center for the Integration of Science Education and Research • the T-STEM Center, and • the Honors College

However, there are many more undergraduate students and faculty participating in a variety of collaborative research, scholarship and creative activities at Texas Tech. The university’s commitment to undergraduate research is noted in its 2011 Strategic Plan for Research prepared for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Several of the direct methods used by the university to promote undergraduate research include broadly promoting undergraduate research, heavily advertising the scholarship of discovery through engaged learning, and underscoring the importance of undergraduate research as both a retention strategy and preparation for post-baccalaureate education. Texas Tech has developed resources to help students prepare for undergraduate research including responsible research seminars and information on how to find a mentor. A system has been established to increase the number of undergraduate research opportunities through the identification of “undergraduate designated” courses or “R course number designation.” An “R” designation on undergraduate courses requires a vetting process similar to that used to designate service learning courses with the “S course number designation.” Marketing of undergraduate research is vital. This information is communicated

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through recruitment programs called Raider Road Shows, during new student acclimation events called Red Raider Orientation, and the Freshman Seminar (Interdisciplinary Studies 1100). The more visible expressions and opportunities to actively promote undergraduate research at Texas Tech include: • Undergraduate Research Conference: Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement • Plains Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Week: Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement • PRISM: Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Math: Department of Mathematics and Statistics • SOWER Scholars - Sustaining Our World through Education and Research: Department of Animal and Food Science • Undergraduate Researcher Project Funding/Undergraduate Researcher Travel Funding: Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement • Southern Plains Undergraduate Agricultural Research Consortium: College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Media and Communication Undergraduate Research Fair: College of Media and Communication • Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science • Undergraduate Research Scholar Program: Honors College

Texas Tech has a long history of undergraduate research and of efforts to enhance opportunities for students in this area. The university is known for the quality education it provides and the excellent and capable students it puts into the workforce every year. Participation in undergraduate research enhances a student’s educational experience.

Graduate As a national research university, Texas Tech recognizes and embraces the central role of graduate education in innovation and in meeting the skilled workforce demands of the state and the nation. A wholly revised strategic plan for graduate education, “Enhancing Graduate Education at Texas Tech University: The Path Forward,” was prepared in 2015 to better align goals and objectives with the university’s strategic plan and to be more responsive to workforce demands. The revised plan focuses on four priority areas and aims to: 1) strengthen academic identity, 2) enhance professionalism, 3) expand globalization, 4) further diversity and inclusion

Academic identity will be increased by implementing a comprehensive enrollment management plan that includes strategic domestic and international recruitment initiatives, establishing guidelines that increase stipend levels to those of aspirational peers, establishing a presidential fellowship program aimed at attracting top-quality applicants, and fostering submission of applications for prestigious individual fellowships (e.g., NSF Graduate Research Fellowship) and training grants (e.g., NSF Research Traineeship Program). Professionalism will be enhanced by establishing comprehensive professional and career development programs to develop skills in communication, leadership and teamwork,

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professionalism, and ethics, which complement disciplinary training, and by establishing a Graduate Center that provides essential graduate student-specific support services (Graduate Writing Center, statistical consulting service, and career services). Globalization will be expanded by increasing the number of agreements with international governments and institutions to foster student exchange and study at Texas Tech via exchange and sponsorship agreements and establishment of joint degree programs. Diversity and inclusion will be furthered by implementing programs that increase recruitment and retention of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. This comprehensive plan will enhance the size, scope, quality, engagement and diversity of Texas Tech’s graduate enterprise and result in producing knowledgeable, thoughtful and ethical graduates who are prepared to tackle complex challenges and to enrich the cultural fabric of our society.

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III. PLAN TO IMPROVE UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION The institution’s plan should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. Describe the institution’s plan to strengthen and improve the quality of undergraduate education, including the student profile. B. Describe what the institution is doing to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded, particularly in the critical fields identified in Closing the Gaps by 2015.

Describe the institution’s plan to strengthen and improve the quality of undergraduate education, including the student profile. The landscape of American higher education is experiencing one of its most significant periods of demographic transformation and structural evolution. Modern colleges and universities are grappling with their institutional relevance in an increasingly global and transdisciplinary marketplace. In the midst of this change and introspection, Texas Tech, as a nationally recognized research institution, has remained steadfastly committed to the goal of undergraduate student success. Areas of focus include: increased enrollment of high achieving students, recognition of emerging student demographics, development of transformative learning experiences, enhanced student support, and greater awareness of the growth and needs of distance learners. Moreover, these goals are intended to produce exceptional graduates of the university who will become key opinion leaders and innovators across Texas and the world. This commitment is demonstrated through immediate and long-term strategies necessary to recruit and support strategic student populations critical to the university’s continued excellence and national reputation as a great public research university. Texas Tech understands the significance of student success. Its approach to undergraduate educational achievement focuses on research-based teaching excellence, academic rigor, personal commitment, and financial resources students need to engage, navigate, and make the most of their university experiences. In keeping with its national research tier one aspirations, Texas Tech has set the goals of achieving a 90 percent first-year retention rate and a 70 percent six-year graduation rate. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the university is focused on raising the caliber of the entering class, enhancing the undergraduate learning experience, emphasizing the importance of excellent teaching across the curriculum and degree programs, capitalizing on the human diversity and experiential differences, and using emerging technologies and delivery modalities to prepare undergraduates for an increasingly dynamic workplace. The following illustrates a few of the units and innovations that help to improve the quality of undergraduate education at Texas Tech. Student Success and Retention is a unit whose work supports undergraduate success, retention, and increased graduation outcomes. Established as part of the Provost’s Student Success Initiative, this team works across the university by bringing data insights to light, facilitating dialogue on possibilities for improvement, and catalyzing institutional innovations. The unit: • Helped establish the Task Force on Student Success and Retention, engaging 32 faculty and staff members in examining Texas Tech’s challenges and proposing solutions in four primary areas: academic enhancement and intervention, analysis and technology ecosystem, academic advising, and assessment and accountability • Introduced the Student Success Collaborative Campus, a new online support platform, to provide advising management, faculty documentation, administrator analysis, and student engagement

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• Implemented an enrollment calling campaign to engage administrators, faculty, and staff members in personally communicating by phone with all unenrolled students following the close of the 2014 spring and fall terms • Utilized Visual Schedule Builder and Time Trade to provide online appointment scheduling for more than 18,000 advising appointments

Several years ago Texas Tech invested in student advising and retention programs to improve the quality of undergraduate education. In the areas of increased student retention, persistence, and graduation, the university has already seen results of these investments: • An online appointment system that allows students 24-7 access to schedule appointments with participating support personnel, instructional faculty, academic advisors, and college administrators • Creation of a collectively-owned and continually-improving Academic Advising Handbook, a blog for advisor communications and repository of germane research • Advising Academy (an innovative variation on advisor training and professional development) that brings together advisors from different parts of campus for self-assessment and collaborative conversations

The Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Engagement serves as the centralized location for undergraduates interested in participating in active learning programs, such as service learning, undergraduate research, professional internship, and study abroad. The center is committed to supporting and increasing undergraduate participation in active learning at Texas Tech through the following: • Alternate service breaks with three week-long trips and three weekend projects • Assisting in the offering of 58 service learning courses, a record high • Annual Undergraduate Research Conference had a record involvement in 2016 with more than 225 undergraduate presenters and 100 faculty and staff reviewers and volunteers • Awarding more than $31,000 in travel funding for 53 undergraduate students to travel to state, regional, and national conferences • Awarding more than $25,000 in Undergraduate Scholar Project funding to support 35 projects across campus

RaiderReady: IS 1100 serves the university by acclimating and preparing first-time undergraduates for the academic rigor of the university. RaiderReady guides students through their first year by developing a sense of academic conscientiousness and honing student skills in areas such as: note- taking, time management, critical thinking, and diversity awareness. RaiderReady allows students to become engaged in their first year by educating them on the academic and social support services offered by the university and the program described below: • Forty-four cohort-specific sections, including expanded partnerships with the International Student Office, Student Disability Services, and the Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery • Student wellness curriculum in collaboration with areas of Risk Intervention & Safety Education • Half-day faculty training with lead author of “College Experience,” the primary text used in the RaiderReady freshman seminar course • Focus on at-risk students who come from the 50th percentile and below of their high school class; students who enroll in RaiderReady have a one-year retention rate of 80.5 percent, compared to a 71.8 percent rate for those that do not take the course

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Other general areas that assist in improving undergraduate education at Texas Tech include: • Transition and Engagement Office provides a collaborative collection of programs and services that assist students in the transitions inherent to college and academic life and enhances opportunities to help students engage in the academic community and navigate successfully to graduation. • Support Operations for Academic Retention increased course offerings for supplemental instruction; in particular, challenging courses that dramatically influence students’ progress toward graduation. • The Learning Center offers undergraduates the resources needed to obtain academic independence and success. Through positive interaction and effective communication, a peer tutor is able to create an educational environment that prepares students to develop autonomous learning strategies.

Texas Tech is capable of identifying barriers to undergraduate success quickly and, in turn, achieving higher retention rates. Improvements to undergraduate education help the university to anticipate a student’s likelihood to succeed and graduate in a wide range of majors. Predictions are generated by comparing key academic factors for each student against historical patterns of persistence and retention at Texas Tech. This is especially helpful because these risk indicators are not broad generalizations of success at the institutional level; they provide specific risk/success indicators at the level of the academic major. The opportunity to use data, pedagogy, and personal relationships to improve undergraduate education is not limited only to student and faculty, but shared by the highest reaches of Texas Tech administration. These new undergraduate success efforts provide leaders across campus with their own opportunity to enhance undergraduate educational efficacy to further improve student retention, persistence, and success. Texas Tech’s commitment to improving the quality of undergraduate education begins, in part, in the quality of the incoming class to the institution. Texas Tech endeavors to cultivate a class annually with strong academic qualifications. To this end, we are purposeful in our student recruitment and outreach. In our search strategy for recruiting students to the institution, academic performance is among the primary criteria. Creating a pool of prospective students based upon their academic achievement strengthens the quality of admitted students to the institution. Additionally, academic quality is upheld in our assured admission criteria for entrance to the institution. The assurance of admission meets strong objective academic quality measures. We endeavor to shape the admission of the class of incoming students by proactively recruiting some of the best academically qualified students that can be identified. A few of the specific efforts and initiatives used to improve the student academic profile include, but are not limited to: • Partner with the Honors College to host recruitment receptions for academically talented students • Actively recruit National Merit Semi-Finalist students through print and electronic campaigns • Actively recruit National Merit Finalists by providing scholarships that cover the entire cost of tuition, room and board for four years • Utilize predictive modeling to target specific populations and provide customized messaging • Assign an admissions counselor to every student to provide personalized recruitment services

Describe what the institution is doing to increase the number of baccalaureate degrees awarded, particularly in the critical fields identified inClosing the Gaps by 2015.

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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has identified the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as critical for baccalaureate degrees. The Whitacre College of Engineering (WCOE) at Texas Tech has implemented numerous strategies to increase the number of degrees in the engineering fields. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to address retention in the college as retention is a step to increasing the number of degrees. A few of these strategies implemented in the last two to three years include: • An enrollment management plan has been put in place. The key elements of the enrollment management plan include the following o Grade point average requirement above 2.0 to enter engineering degree and science degree programs and o A minimum 2.5 grade point average to remain in the WCOE o A maximum repeat of a number of classes • The WCOE has increased the academic support students need to succeed in their classes We have implemented a tutoring program using doctoral students and have maintained undergraduate student tutoring for lower-level undergraduate classes • The ConocoPhillips Bridge Program has been maintained to provide a math review for incoming freshman students • An academic recovery workshop for students on engineering and Texas Tech academic probation has been developed • We have added a swing advisor to help with degree programs seeing an increase in enrollment and to provide a connection to WCOE dean’s office • Continual revision to degree program flow charts has been enhanced to ensure they are up-to-date • We provide educational resources to graduate students and faculty to increase teaching effectiveness in the classroom

The College of Arts and Sciences has engaged in numerous efforts over the last five years to increase the number of undergraduate majors and degrees produced. Notably, many of these efforts focus on recruiting, retention, scholarships, program enrichment and learning enrichment; all of which lead to increased numbers of degrees awarded. Major efforts focusing on increasing the number of baccalaureate degrees in critical areas identified byClosing the Gaps include the following:

Chemistry • Chemistry Bridge Program – Provides additional instruction that bridges the gap and learning between high school chemistry courses and Texas Tech chemistry courses. Students who go through the bridge program are more successful in university chemistry courses. GPA and pass rates have increased significantly as a result of this program. • Student chemistry organizations – Promote student belonging and focus in chemistry activities leading toward a chemistry degree. Each group is supervised and sponsored by a senior chemistry faculty member. • Increased use of undergraduate students in faculty research labs -- Some of these students have gone on to receive NSF Fellowships • Recruiting -- Senior chemistry faculty have visited every high school and most middle schools in Lubbock, showcasing chemistry and recruiting for the department. • Quality Instruction -- Seasoned tenured faculty are assigned to teach majors classes. • Scholarships -- Department scholarships are available for chemistry majors.

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Mathematics • PRISM Grant – The Proactive Recruitment in Introductory Science and Math program supports scholarships for math majors; enables faculty mentoring for undergraduate research; supports a two-week summer experience for high school students from under- represented groups to come to the Texas Tech campus for math and university experiences. • TexPREP – The Texas Pre-Freshman Engineering Program is a summer program designed to motivate and prepare middle and high school students for success in advanced studies leading to careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields. The Department of Mathematics has hosted TexPREPs for the past 27 years as part of a statewide program. Since 1986, more than 1,500 students have completed one or more levels of the program. Special emphasis is placed on recruiting students who are minorities or female, because they traditionally have been underrepresented in math, science, and engineering areas. • Cohort Approach -- Mathematics students are clustered together in cohorts who move through various programs together such as IS 1100, calculus, and meet with mentors.

Biology • CISER Program -- The Center for the Integration of STEM Education and Research is designed to capture and recruit students with high aptitudes in biology. It also focuses on retention and enrichment toward degree completion. • STEM Program – The program is designed to capture and recruit students with high aptitudes in biology, the program also focuses on retention and enrichment toward degree completion. • Departmental Scholarships – About $100,000 was spent on Department of Biological Sciences student scholarships last year. • Undergraduate Research – The department offers undergraduate research assistantships.

STEM Initiatives • There are STEM initiatives for increased degree production that include other science departments such as physics and geosciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. • Increased College Scholarships -- Over the last five years, the College of Arts and Sciences has weighted more of its college scholarship awards toward students who are majoring in physics and geosciences. This practice has been implemented with a goal of increasing the number of students in and graduating with degrees from these programs. It has led to significant increases, particularly in physics, in the number of majors and degrees produced. • The College of Arts and Sciences regularly attends and supports: STEM Girl Scouts Events for elementary girls on campus, the STEM mother-daughter events for middle school students organized by the Department of Geosciences, and community engagement events based on organized high school visits at Texas Tech. • The College of Arts and Sciences strategically selects student ambassadors and recruiters from chemistry, mathematics, and biology. These ambassadors and recruiters are very valuable in recruiting students to our STEM programs.

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IV. PLAN FOR DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

1. Existing Doctoral programs The institution’s plan for existing doctoral programs should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. Summary of existing programs -- Using past reviews, provide an evaluation of the institution’s existing doctoral programs and how they fit into the institution’s near- term and long-range plans. Include an assessment of strengths and weaknesses. B. Quality control -- Describe plans to close, consolidate, and/or improve existing doctoral programs with low graduation rates (based on Coordinating Board standards for low- productivity) or that do not meet other standards of excellence. C. Quality enhancement -- Describe plans to raise the level of existing doctoral programs from the level of strength to the level of national prominence. D. Comparisons with national peers -- For programs the institution plans to retain, identify nationally-ranked programs against which each of the institution’s existing doctoral programs will be benchmarked.

A. Summary of existing programs As of April 1, 2016, the THECB Program Inventory lists the following number and type of doctoral degrees offered at Texas Tech University:

Degree Title Number of Degrees Offered Doctor of Musical Arts 1 Doctor of Education 5 Doctor of Philosophy 50 Doctor of Jurisprudence 1 Total Doctorates Offered 57

As with all graduate programs, doctoral programs are reviewed on a six-year rotation led by the Graduate School. The review process is described in depth here. The main objective of periodic six-year program reviews is to provide a mechanism for improving the quality of graduate programs at Texas Tech. These reviews give administrators important information about the size and quality of a program, the program’s future resource needs, recruitment, strengths and weaknesses and its contributions to the mission of the university. The results of the program reviews are used to give direction, to set goals for the future, and to ensure that general academic plans and budget decisions are based on solid information and priorities and match closely those of the university. Periodic program reviews also provide a mechanism for faculty to evaluate the effectiveness, progress, and status of their program. The six-year graduate program review consists of the following steps: Gathering Preliminary Information: The staff of the Graduate School assists the academic unit in the preparation of a self-study document by gathering necessary data on the academic unit. Internal

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information is gathered from the Office of Institutional Research, the Office of Research Services, and Graduate School records. Examples of information include the following: • Number and type of degrees awarded • Scholarships and fellowships awarded • Undergraduate and graduate semester to students by the Graduate School credit hours • Course enrollments by academic year: • Number of majors in the department for fall, spring, and summer the past five fall semesters • Teaching resources • Demographics of applicants and enrolled • SCH/FTE generation students • Departmental operating funds • Test scores of students and applicants on • External and internal grants and contracts GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL awarded • Graduate GPAs

Peer Institution Information: The Graduate School also gathers information from peer institutions that are recommended by the unit under review. That information is included in the self-study. Examples of information include: • Number and type of degrees awarded faculty as well as of other teaching staff, • Enrollment figures at all levels including TAs • Number of tenured and tenure-track • External and internal grants and contracts awarded

Preparation of the Program Self-Study: The chairperson of the academic unit under review is responsible for the content, accuracy and completeness of the self-study. It is expected that all faculty members will be involved in the preparation of the self-study. Participation of enrolled students, alumni and professional staff is highly encouraged. The self-study should be evaluative rather than simply descriptive. The document should be more than just a collection of data. It should be a document of academic judgment about the program, student curriculum, resources, and future directions of the academic unit. The self-study should not be a document that describes a budget request, but one that describes administrative information of the unit’s strengths, areas to strengthen, plans, and goals. It should be noted that a self-serving document, in some measure, loses credibility. The Graduate School has a number of self-studies available for review. Components of the review that the department/college provides include: • Scope of Program(s) • Department efforts to retain students • Strategic plan • Department operating cost • Program enrollment and degree information • Summary of number of proposals written • Summary of number of publications and and accepted creative activities • Source of internal funds (TTU) • Responsibilities and leadership in • Departmental resources for research and professional societies teaching (i.e., classroom space, lab facilities) • Faculty workload • HEAF expenditures (laboratories, • Types of financial support available for classrooms, etc.) graduate students • Graduate course offerings • Number of students receiving national • Recruiting materials and university fellowships, scholarships • Graduate student association(s) and awards • Graduate faculty information – from • Graduate student publications and creative application and confirmation/ activities reappointment forms • Program for mentoring and professional preparation of graduate students

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The self-study is reviewed by a committee of experts outside of the state and, if appropriate, by faculty at AAU institutions. The results of doctoral program reviews are incorporated into the respective department and college’s strategic plan and annual assessment reports. In addition to the six-year program review, the Graduate School reviews program performance on a recurring annual basis in order to assess performance, alignment with workforce and university strategic priorities, and growth capacity. Information reviewed every year includes: • Faculty productivity in relation to all other doctoral-granting institutions (includes information about scholarly works, grants, and awards; provided by Academic Analytics) • Program demand (application data) • Program productivity (Ph.D. production rate, time to degree, etc.) • Growth capacity (number of graduate faculty, funding availability)

All of this information is reviewed in the context of national trends as reported by the NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, the Council of Graduate Schools Enrollment surveys, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Based on the six-year program reviews and the annual performance assessments, all of the doctoral programs at Texas Tech are vibrant and make valuable contributions to society through innovation or expansion of creative capital and are responsive to the skilled workforce demands of the state and the nation. Moreover, each program is aligned with the core mission of the university and with one of the long-term strategic research themes. A summary of the collective strengths and weaknesses of the university’s doctoral programs is as follows:

Strengths • Clear vision and mission • Strong alignment with university priorities • Faculty qualifications and productivity • Meets workforce demands • High student retention • Curricular offerings

Weaknesses • High student to faculty ratio • Stipend levels • Facilities • Career counseling • Use of assessment information to inform and improve program

The program review and annual performance assessments inform strategic resource allocation decisions by the president and the provost to support high-quality programs targeted for growth and enhancement that contribute to realizing the university’s research priorities and elevation of its stature.

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B. Quality control Texas Tech is committed to academic excellence, and the preceding section that outlines the processes for the six-year program review and the annual performance assessment demonstrates the quality assurance steps that have been put in place since the last THECB update to the Strategic Plan for Research in 2011. As a result of the steps taken over the last five years, there are currently NO low-producing programs or programs that do not meet minimum expectations. All programs are required to address weaknesses identified during their six-year program and to submit a 1, 3, and 5-year action plan. If necessary, an interim review at 3 years is conducted to assure that required corrections are implemented. Although there are no low-producing programs at present, the annual performance assessment is aimed at identifying programs that may be at risk of falling into this category. Should a program be identified as at risk, it will be required to submit an action plan for each of three years, focusing on: 1) assessing workforce demand 2) enhancing student recruitment 3) increasing student financial resources

Programs that do not meet performance expectation will be phased out.

C. Quality enhancement Given the importance of graduate education to research, Texas Tech has aggressively sought to increase the size, scope and quality of its graduate programs. Following a capacity analysis in 2013, a comprehensive graduate enrollment management plan has been developed and implemented with the aim of reaching 8,000 graduate students by 2020. In addition to strategic domestic and international recruitment initiatives, substantial effort has been placed on increasing the number and amount of graduate assistantships/fellowships in order to attract top-quality students. New resources have been added from NRU funds and increased philanthropic gifts. Details of the recent initiatives appear below.

1. Graduate Enrollment Enhancement Program. Each year $150,000 is dedicated to match departmental initiatives to recruit high-quality graduate students to Texas Tech. Some of these funds are directed at bringing prospective doctoral students to campus for 2- or 3-day recruiting visits. In some cases, departments (e.g., chemistry, English, psychology) invite 20-30 or more of their prospective graduate students to participate in structured recruitment weekends that include the opportunity to engage with faculty and meet with current graduate students. In other instances, and depending on departmental organization, the recruiting efforts are less structured and, instead, are conducted with only 1-2 students at a time, but with the same focus on faculty research interests and current graduate student interaction. The effectiveness of this program, coupled with other aspects of our comprehensive enrollment management plan, has resulted in a 38 percent increase in applications and a nearly 12 percent increase in graduate enrollment to a record 6,045 students since 2013; Texas Tech graduate fulltime enrollment ranks 68th in the nation, placing it in the top 16 percent.

2. Recruitment fellowship. One of the major challenges faced by graduate programs is the ability to offer competitive stipends. The Graduate School provides recruitment fellowships of $4000 per year for four years that can be used by departments to augment stipends in order to make competitive offers to Ph.D. students. Theses fellowships are funded from the proceeds of the Graduate School endowment, which has increased 25 percent since 2012, now totaling approximately $47 million. The total number of recruitment fellowships has increased by 200 percent since 2013 to 450 or $1.8 million annually.

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3. Presidential Fellowships. This program was started in 2014 and is aimed at attracting the highest-quality applicants. Stipends are set at the level of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the most prestigious graduate fellowship in the U.S. (currently $34,000 year), and include tuition and a research allowance. The Graduate School provides funds for the first three years, and the home department of the fellow must guarantee support for at least an additional two years. The program is funded by a combination of the NRU funds and the Graduate School endowment. Ten new fellows are supported each year, and the total at any time will be 30, representing $1.4 million annually.

4. Doctoral dissertation completion fellowships. This program is aimed at doctoral candidates in their last year and provides support so that the students can work exclusively on completing their dissertation. Funds previously used to support the student must be used to recruit a new student. This program is aimed at fostering degree completion, reducing time to degree, and increasing overall carrying capacity. Approximately 40 students are supported each year, totaling about $1 million annually.

5. General Fellowship Program. Each year the Graduate School has an open competition for fellowships ranging from $1,000-$30,000. These fellowships are funded from the Graduate School endowment and support up to 250 students, totaling about $1 million annually.

6. Graduate Program Enhancement. Each year the dean of the Graduate School works with the provost to solicit proposals for targeted new investment in high-quality graduate programs that have the capacity to grow. This program is aimed at increasing the number of assistantships as well as increasing stipend levels to make them competitive with peer institutions. A total of $5 million in new funding for graduate education has been made available since 2014; the breakdown is as follows: FY15-$2 million; FY16-$1millon; and FY17-$2 million.

7. Professional and career development. Increasingly, students require “soft” skills in addition to their disciplinary training. A hallmark feature of Texas Tech’s graduate experience is a comprehensive professional and career development program that complements disciplinary training and develops skills in: a) communication b) leadership, project management, and teamwork c) professionalism d) ethics

The program is delivered through a combination of workshops, camps, and short courses. The number of events has increased more than 50 percent since 2013, with more than 350 events held during the 2015-2016 academic year. Examples of topics include the “So you want to be a professor?” series, which focuses on getting an academic job, balancing teaching, research and service, writing, establishing a teaching philosophy; thesis and dissertation preparation, formatting and writing; research and literature review; and career opportunities outside of academe. A Graduate Center, established in 2014, is the nexus for the professional and career development activities; it also provides conference and networking space for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on a 24/7/365 basis. The Graduate Center offers academic support services including the graduate writing center, a statistical consulting service, and library research support. Also present are student support services such as the counseling center and international affairs that provide graduate student-specific services. The Graduate Center provides students a number of opportunities to present and showcase their work, including the Arts and Humanities Conference held during the fall semester with about 300 participants in 2015; a poster competition during the spring semester with about 200 participants in 2016; and the 3-minute thesis competition in the fall

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and spring semesters with about 200 participants in 2016. The work of the students is evaluated by judges comprised of business leaders, research faculty, and community representatives. Recognition of top work occurs during a spring award ceremony held in conjunction with National Graduate Student Appreciation Week every April. Quality control and improvement occurs through several means, including: open forums with faculty, regularly scheduled meetings with the Graduate Student Advisory Council, Exit Surveys of all graduating students, and alumni surveys. In addition, a Dean’s Advisory Council for the Graduate School was formed in 2015. This body, made of distinguished alumni and friends, provides advice on the strategic plan of the Graduate School, its programs, and feedback on progress toward goals.

D. Comparisons with national peers The quality of all of our graduate programs as determined by the six-year program reviews and annual performance assessments mentioned above will be benchmarked against our peers, which include Big 12 schools and AAU institutions. In addition, as Texas Tech attained the elite Carnegie classification of Highest Research Activity in 2015, we will also be making comparisons with this group of 115 schools. Comparisons that will be made include faculty productivity, as revealed by Academic Analytics, and program productivity such as degree production, Ph.D. production rate, and time to degree.

2. New Doctoral Programs The institution’s plan for new doctoral programs should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. Areas of emphasis -- Identify the areas the institution plans to focus on in the development of new doctoral programs. Emphasis should be placed on high-need areas, such as STEM, with sufficient documentation to support selection decisions. The plan should also demonstrate how the institution will build upon existing strengths. B. Assessment -- Provide a plan for the rigorous, periodic review of proposed programs using external evaluators. C. Regional Impact -- If applicable, describe the ways in which the development of doctoral programs and enhancement of research will enable the institution to better meet the needs of the region it serves and explain how the institution will monitor and assess its impact.

A. Areas of emphasis New academic programs are proposed by colleges and schools through their strategic planning processes. As each college and school develops new strategic plans that align with the Texas Tech strategic plan, the relevance of these doctoral programs with respect to the strategic research themes and national workforce trends will be considered. Texas Tech requires continuous strategic planning, and assessment and improvement of planning implementation (Texas Tech University, Operating Policy 10.13: Strategic Planning and Assessment for Texas Tech University, Including All Academic Programs and Support Operations).

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B. Assessment The present graduate program review structure includes the review of each program by external peers from comparable institutions. This program will continue, with any necessary modifications, to coordinate with reviews being proposed by the THECB. These reviewers are selected from the peer institutions that we use to benchmark our performance (see Appendix I). Further, we are asking these reviewers to address their views as to the elements described in the research priorities section.

C. Regional Impact Texas Tech continues to work with our external partners to ensure that we are meeting their needs. Making it possible...2010-2020 Strategic Plan includes recommendations for specific partnerships with the federal and state governments, federal delegation, governor and Texas legislature, corporate sector, local, state and national foundations, K-12 and community college sectors, Lubbock and regional municipal and county governmental sections, Texas Tech community, alumni, and benefactors and friends. Texas Tech’s economic presence extends beyond the South Plains and across the state. The university contributed more than $6 billion to the state economy in 2012, a number projected to grow to $10 billion by 2020. An economic impact assessment done in 2012 shows that for every dollar the state of Texas invests in the Texas Tech University System, the state’s economy sees more than $23 returned. One priority of the Texas Tech strategic plan is geared to expanding our community outreach to promote higher education and continue to engage in partnerships in order to improve our communities and enrich their quality of life. The university continues to build on our substantial history and commitment to outreach and engagement as we seek to increase the institution’s role in addressing societal needs and impacting the lives of communities across the region, state, and the world. Texas Tech’s unique history was first recognized nationally in 2006 when the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching created a new classification of Community Engagement for higher education institutions, which it defined broadly as: …the collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. Texas Tech received the initial designation and received re-designation in 2015. Our tradition of engagement was further recognized by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in 2014 when Texas Tech was designated as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University. Through the IEP application process, the university surveyed community partners and held a town hall meeting to discuss workforce and research-related needs. The process spawned a Presidential Luncheon Series, which brings together specific community groups such as agriculture-industry representatives, bankers, and members of the media with specific colleges for more in-depth discussions on how the university can best meet partner needs.

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V. PLAN FOR FACULTY AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT The institution’s plan for faculty and student development should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. Faculty research -- Describe plans to assist faculty in becoming more productive, more innovative, and more effective in their work. B. Faculty recognition -- Describe plans to assist faculty in achieving recognition as leaders in their field. C. Collaborations and Partnerships -- Describe plans to foster cooperative efforts amongst faculty at the institution and with faculty of other institutions. D. New faculty -- Describe plans to recruit additional faculty who can contribute to the institution’s goal of maintaining or achieving national recognition. E. Student awards -- Describe initiatives to increase the number and prestige of undergraduate and graduate student competitive research awards. F. Student Diversity -- Describe plans to recruit and graduate doctoral students who can contribute to the State’s goal of diversity in Closing the Gaps. Indicate the institution’s contributions to the development of a future professoriate that reflects the population of Texas.

A. Faculty research The success of our faculty naturally increases the university’s national prominence. It is incumbent on the institution to provide the support necessary for faculty to win competitive funding awards. Federal agencies are now more interested in funding proposals from multi-disciplinary research groups and/or multi-institutional proposals that focus on solving major societal problems, rather than the traditional single-investigator proposals that typically center on making incremental progress in a single discipline. The university has created a number of new programs to assist faculty as they prepare competitive proposals to major funding agencies, often with the assistance of dedicated grant editors who have recently been hired by the colleges. A review of workload issues is underway to identify needs and barriers to increased external funding of proposals. An Institutional Review Board-approved campus-wide faculty survey was recently completed. The results are now being shared across campus to gather further input. Two institutional committees have instituted procedures that will make the submission and review of human subjects and animal use protocols more efficient. • The Institutional Review Board moved its protocol submission system to the Cayuse electronic system. This is the same system the Office of Research Services uses for all proposal submissions. The new electronic process is expected to be easier and faster for faculty and students. • The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee developed on-demand video generic training to allow animal users to complete the training in a more timely and user-friendly manner. The committee has also developed a new user-friendly, fillable form to ease animal use protocol submissions.

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There are continuing efforts to facilitate multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations among the universities of the Texas Tech University System. • The Presidents’ Collaborative Research Initiative is designed to enhance collaboration and expand funded interdisciplinary federal research across Texas Tech, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

Programs have been put in place to assist faculty in submitting successful competitive grant proposals. • The Scholarship Catalyst Program • The Proposal Review Program offers promotes faculty research, scholarship, feedback on grant proposals to improve and creative output in the arts, humanities, quality before submission to agency. and social sciences. • The Proposal Support Program provides • The Early Investigator Faculty Proposal funds to support collection of pilot data, Development Workshop provides tailored travel to a funding agency, and required instruction on writing grant proposals. agency matching funds.

The Research Development Team (RDT) works with Texas Tech researchers to form new on-campus research working groups, facilitating proposal development, as well as assisting collaborations across campus, the state, the nation, and internationally. RDT also meets one-on-one with new faculty to assist with finding grant opportunities and identifying collaborative opportunities as well as resources and tools through the OVPR. The team has also established Swift Critique and Appraisal Notation (SCAN) sessions to assist faculty with revision and resubmission. A team of grant editors is also available through RDT to help fine-tune proposals.

B. Faculty recognition Faculty recognition plays an important role in increasing the national prominence of the university. The Targeted External Faculty Awards Program was created to encourage and support faculty nominations for selected national and international awards to increase the visibility and reputation of the both the faculty members and the university. The 34 awards selected for this program are recognized by the Center for Measuring University Performance, the American Association of Universities and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The institution offers incentives for receiving these awards. Texas Tech faculty have received awards including: • Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards • Newberry Library Long-Time Fellow • NSF Career Awards • American Law Institute Membership • National Academy of Inventors Fellows • Robert Wood Johnson Policy Fellow • National Humanities Center Fellows • American Council of Learned Societies Fellow

Internally, the Barney Rushing Jr. Outstanding Research Award and the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research, Teaching and Commercialization Awards are considered by faculty to be an important internal recognition of the quality of the teaching, research, and innovation. An Open Access Publication Initiative has been created to increase Texas Tech publications and research found in open access journals as well as promote future collaborations and research advances. The funding available will be used to help authors and colleges/departments defray the cost of open access publication fees.

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C. Collaborations and Partnerships There are continuing efforts to facilitate multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations, and strategic research advancement. The Research Development Team (RDT) works on major grant opportunities that require collaboration across departments within Texas Tech as well as with other universities, agencies, and corporate partners across the country. The President’s Collaborative Research Initiative is designed to enhance collaboration and expand funded interdisciplinary federal research across Texas Tech, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. The Faculty Research Club hosts monthly meetings to provide a social setting to stimulate interdisciplinary research collaborations. The Transdisciplinary Research Academy has already produced interdisciplinary groups that are submitting grant proposals and promoting education and research efforts.

D. New faculty Texas Tech’s plans to recruit additional faculty have been developed with two primary objectives in mind: 1) achieve a lower student-faculty ratio and 2) achieve a level of research expenditures that reflects the standards of aspiring national research universities. Based on a careful analysis of recent university hiring trends, enrollment patterns, and research expenditures per faculty, Texas Tech has developed hiring projections that will emphasize faculty additions in those disciplines with the greatest enrollment pressures and in those research areas with significant potential for generating research expenditures. Enrollment increases across all disciplines, but in particular in those academic areas with the more favorable CIP funding levels, will maximize the general revenue derived from formula funding. Additional increases in revenue will be realized from tuition dollars generated from a recently adopted differential tuition model that will capitalize on areas with greatest enrollment demand. These resources will support the proposed hires of additional faculty.

E. Student awards Undergraduate Undergraduates at Texas Tech University are informed of competitive research awards through a number of institutional units, but primarily initiated by the Center for Active Learning and Undergraduate Education, the Honors College Office of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships, and the Center for the Integration of Stem Education Research.

Graduate The Graduate School established the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowships (OGPF) to assist students in finding, writing, and submitting applications for external grants and awards such as the Fulbright and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. The activities of OGPF are complemented by professional and career development activities on grant and fellowship writing.

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F. Student Diversity The comprehensive enrollment management plan of the Graduate School includes aggressive recruitment strategies for enhancing diversity through activities at conferences attended by students from underserved populations (e.g., Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science) and making campus visits to minority serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions. Beginning in 2009 and continuing through fall 2015, the graduate population displays gender parity (50 percent male, 50 percent female). By 2013, significant progress was also being made with the representation of Hispanic students, for which the percent of the total graduate population outpaced national trends (8 percent vs. 5 percent).

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VI. OTHER RESOURCES The institution’s plan should address, at a minimum, the following elements: A. Research facilities -- Describe significant projected additions to the institution’s facilities related specifically to research, including timelines for completion. B. Library resources -- Describe plans to enhance the libraries, including facilities, equipment, digital resources, and collections. Describe specifically how the plans to enhance library resources are related to improving existing doctoral programs and supporting new doctoral programs. C. Graduate student support -- Describe plans to provide competitive financial support to graduate students including teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships for the targeted doctoral programs identified in the strategic plan.

Research facilities In order for Texas Tech to continue its research success, it is strategically vital to examine the need to build new and renovate existing facilities. The current Experimental Sciences Building (ESB) has undergone restructuring and is now fully utilized. Approximately 9,000 square feet of space in the ESB is currently in use by engineering faculty members who are awaiting a return to refurbished laboratory space along the Engineering Key. Planning is underway for a second Experimental Science Building to provide new, state-of-the-art research space. The opening of the Texas Tech University Innovation Hub at Research Park provides research and office space for start-up companies, and to expand our existing public-private partnerships with industry. The Innovation Hub also is designed with students in mind with the new Raider Base Camp, a space for students involved in entrepreneurial groups on campus or interested in starting their own businesses. Space and meeting areas are provided for programs such as the 3-Day Startup weekends, student organizations, and the Texas Tech Accelerator. Financed in part by a major gift from Bayer CropScience, the new $14.3 million Bayer Plant Science Building opened in late 2015, providing students and faculty with a state-of-the-art facility to learn and excel in this important area of research. Bayer CropScience also opened its new Seeds Innovation Center on the campus in September. The facility also is now home to the company’s global cotton business operations. This $55 million public-private partnership, equally funded by Bayer CropScience and the state of Texas, provides unprecedented opportunities and an excellent environment for our researchers to excel, and for our students to learn cutting-edge techniques. Renovations for designated research space along the Engineering Key are underway with construction in progress on the new Engineering and Materials Research Center. The Reese Center, once a USAF Base, is now home to cutting-edge Texas Tech research, ranging from wind energy and wind hazard mitigation, to new non-woven cotton technologies, to advanced research in infectious disease mitigation and prevention. A new Rawls College of Business Building has been built in the last five years to provide more space and top-of-the-line facilities for research and teaching. A new addition is now under construction to meet rapid growth in student population and faculty research efforts. The existing business building was renovated and the College of Media and Communications moved into space geared to teaching and research in the ever-changing communications field.

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Library resources The Texas Tech University Libraries are members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). ARL is a nonprofit organization of 124 libraries in North America. Membership is based on the research nature of the library and the parent institution’s aspirations and achievements as a research institution. The libraries’ membership in ARL is a sign of the quality of Texas Tech University. Member libraries are distinguished by the breadth and quality of their collections and services. They are well known for their distinctive research-oriented collections and resources of national significance. Each ARL library is ranked relative to the other member libraries using the following criteria: volumes held, volumes added, current serials (subscriptions), total library expenditures and total professionals plus support staff. In the late 1990’s when the Texas Tech Libraries were accepted for ARL membership they were ranked 80th among the 102 members. The libraries have worked diligently to improve this ranking and are currently ranked in 40th among the now 124 member libraries, up from the mid-50s for this last report in 2011. The Texas Tech Libraries strive each year to improve their ranking as this is a reflection of the research capabilities of the university. The mission of the libraries is to support the research and teaching of the university. This is achieved by providing researchers and students high quality, high impact resources and support services. Consequently, we support the strategic research initiatives of the institution. A strategic priority for Texas Tech is to expand and enhance research and creative scholarship. The libraries created a scholarly communications program to assist faculty and students with research publication efforts in any media; in addition, the Texas Tech University Press now reports to the dean of libraries, and has begun publishing and promoting peer-reviewed online e-journals created by college departments. The libraries plan to support institutional research themes cited by expanding the depth and breadth of our collections. Most of the expansion will be for new electronic resources in the above mentioned areas, such as journals, books, databases and datasets, when appropriate. This will allow researchers and students access to research collections 24/7 from their desktops from any location with an internet connection. The additions include, but are not limited to, prominent scholarly resources such as enhanced Web of Science content 1900 – current, Derwent Innovations Index, Zoological Record, Data Citation Index, Early American Imprints Series I-II, MADCAD, JSTOR Arts & Sciences Collection XII-XIV, and Films on Demand Master Academic Package. Additionally, we are increasing the size of our e-book collections in all disciplines as we continue to transition toward an online book collection. The libraries have initiated patron-driven acquisitions for e-books, allowing a patron to download a needed e-book for which the library is later invoiced. Electronic resources, however, are not the only area of planned growth for the libraries. To support the growing enrollment we will increase the expenditures in the computer hardware, printers, scanners and software offered by the libraries. Since no library can provide access to every journal or book published, the libraries will selectively increase expenditures for interlibrary loan service to provide Texas Tech researchers and students with research materials that we do not own.

Graduate student support As noted above, Texas Tech is taking aggressive steps to increase stipends to competitive levels through its various fellowships programs including recruitment and presidential fellowships as well as graduate program enhancement initiatives. A particular effort of the FY17 graduate program enhancement initiative is to raise stipends by adding $1 million to the teaching assistant pool.

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VII. NATIONAL VISIBILITY Identify any existing or projected programs and resources, not already identified above, to increase the national visibility and research reputation of your institution.

Texas Tech continues to seek national visibility and enhance its academic and research reputation by implementing a strategic communications and marketing effort highlighting areas of research and academic excellence. Student and faculty excellence is communicated using news releases, news conferences where appropriate, Web, and social media. In addition to concentrated national earned-media efforts, paid advertising is used to raise the university’s visibility with different audiences. Advertising has focused on recruiting both faculty and students as well as promoting general reputational concepts. Media relations efforts concentrate on placing university successes in major regional, state and national news outlets. Notable recent media successes include stories on: • research into how the physical layout of a room may contribute to patient falls • how meditating could help smokers quit • how alcohol can stimulate women’s appetites

Texas Tech media placements include major international and national print media as well as national television news and science-oriented publications. Placements include: • The Boston Globe • U.S. News & World Report • The L.A. Times • NBC News • The Guardian • ABC News • The New York Times • The Today Show • The Scientist • Good Morning America • Scientific American

Paid advertising is strategically placed in a variety of publications determined to raise the university’s visibility with varying audiences. The ads focus on key academic and research successes and often feature students. Publications include: • Texas Monthly • Inside Higher Education • The Texas Tech University Alumni • Latino Leaders Association magazine • University Business • The Chronicle of Higher Education

A variety of billboards have been placed in major Texas markets including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, El Paso, and San Antonio. The ads focus on key academic and research successes and often feature students. Airport advertising has been placed at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and the San Antonio airport. The ads focus on key academic and research successes and often feature students. A bi-annual electronic magazine, “Texas Tech Discoveries: Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity,” debuted in May 2011. The magazine is distributed in the fall and spring to more than 65,000 alumni, about 800 top administrators at universities across the country, about 300 regional

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business and community leaders, and about 200 subscribers. Recent efforts with paid Facebook ads show an increase in readership. The spring 2015 Discoveries had a reach of 108,854 as compared to the reach of the previous fall 2014 issue reach of 27,145. A new quarterly electronic magazine focused on entrepreneurship and innovation on the campus debuted in April 2016. Distribution is to 300 regional business leaders, economic development entities, 65,000 alumni, and all faculty and staff. The inaugural issue of Eureka had an open rate 11 percent over the industry average for email publications. Texas Tech Today, a monthly electronic newsletter featuring research and academic successes, is distributed to more than 65,000 alumni. Texas Tech Today features research and academic successes. In addition to university-wide social media efforts, separate research and academic social media platforms focus specifically on research and academic achievements. Current user statistics for the Office of the Vice President for Research are: Facebook, 1,575 likes with a reach of more than 39,000 over the last 90 days; Twitter, 1,264 followers with 27,000 impressions over the last 90 days. Statistics for the Office of the Provost show: Facebook, 317 likes with 18,751 views over the last 90 days; Twitter, 317 likes with 18,750 views.

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APPENDIX I National Peer Institutions

Arizona State University University of California - Berkeley University of Pittsburgh Auburn University University of California University of Rhode Island - Los Angeles Clemson University University of South Carolina University of Colorado at Boulder - Columbia Florida State University University of Connecticut - Storrs University of South Florida Georgia Institute of Technology University of Florida University of Tennessee Indiana University - Bloomington - Knoxville University of Georgia Louisiana State University University of Texas - Austin - Baton Rouge University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign University of Virginia Michigan State University University of Iowa University of Washington Mississippi State University University of Kansas - Lawrence University of Wisconsin - Madison North Carolina State University University of Kentucky Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Ohio State University - Columbus State University University of Louisville Oklahoma State University Washington State University - Stillwater University of Maryland – Pullman - College Park Oregon State University West Virginia University University of Massachusetts Pennsylvania State University - Amherst - University Park University of Michigan Purdue University - West Lafayette University of Minnesota Emerging Research Institutions Rutgers University University of Mississippi - Oxford Texas State University - New Brunswick University of Missouri - Columbia University Of Houston Texas A&M University University of Nebraska - Lincoln University of North Texas University of Alabama University of North Carolina University of Texas – Arlington - Tuscaloosa - Chapel Hill University of Texas – Dallas University of Arizona University of Oklahoma - Norman University of Texas – El Paso University of Arkansas University of Oregon - Fayetteville University of Texas -- San Antonio

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