Elon University - Office of the Provost

Academic Affairs Priorities 2006-07

TEACHING AND LEARNING INITIATIVES

1. Plan for and conduct a successful summer 2007 ANAC Conference

• Prepare a program on teaching-learning issues to showcase CATL
• Explore simultaneous meetings of ANAC affinity groups

2. Reemphasize innovative and engaged teaching/learning practices

• Create more opportunities to be public about teaching and learning practices and innovations, both through University-wide programs and through department/school-based initiatives

3. Enhance peer mentoring for teaching/learning

• Explore and publicize current practices and experiences with peer mentoring at Elon
• Highlight effective models of peer mentoring – from Elon and around the country
• Design and implement department and/or school-based mentoring programs
• Expand and deepen interdisciplinary peer mentoring programs/opportunities

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING INITIATIVES

4. Implement recommendations of the Academic and Social Honor Code Study Groups regarding the Honor Code

• Prepare a fall pledge-signing ceremony for all new students
• Revise honor pledge, combining academic and social into one pledge.

5. Implement external 5-year reviews for Education; Health Education; Physical Education; Art/Fine Arts/Digital Art; Biology; English; Human Services; Psychology; International Studies; Women and Gender Studies

6. Revise the current assessment plan of General Studies. In preparation attend Summer 2006 AAC&U Institute on General Studies

7. Develop and implement effective departmental assessment policies and procedures related to student learning outcomes

• Identify 5 to 7 departments to investigate their assessment procedures related to learning outcomes
• Conduct workshop with department faculty that clearly defines goals, objectives, and assessment instruments
• For each department, establish direct forms of measuring learning outcomes

8. Re-envision the ELR by exploring ways to deepen and expand the Elon Experiences

9. Continue to internationalize the campus

• Further develop Costa Rica as an Elon center including program development and physical location possibilities
• Investigate potential future international Elon centers (e.g., Australia and Italy)
• Pursue development of financial aid for study abroad (grants, scholarships, gifts)
• Develop student-learning outcomes for study abroad

10. Establish a sound and innovative first-year Law Program

• Incorporate leadership development experience into first-year student orientation
• Develop and conduct Winter Term mastery program based on fall law classes
• Develop the country’s first preceptor program (mentoring by practicing attorneys)
• Prepare for 2007 ABA accreditation inspection visit

o Conduct self-study; provide responses to ABA inspection questionnaire; conduct mock ABA inspection

• Recruit six additional faculty
• Enroll the second law school class of 100-110 students with 153 LSAT average
• Continue to pursue integration of Elon and Greensboro campuses
• Conduct successful SACS substantive change visit – Spring 2007

11. Continue steps toward national recognition of academic programs

• Continue the journey to earning Phi Beta Kappa

o Submit application – October 31
o Explore new ways to increase students with a major or minor in the Arts and Sciences

• Host successful NCATE/SDPI accreditation visit, spring 2007

12. Develop new academic programs and strengthen existing ones

• Submit curriculum proposals for new majors in Music Technology and Crime and Justice Studies
• Continue to explore development of new majors or programs in Arts Administration, Engineering Management, Sport Communications, and Master of Science Accounting
• Improve Pre-Med and Pre-Health Professions Program – enhance brochure and web page; investigate need for MCAT prep course
• Launch a prestigious Pre-Law program that includes specific completion requirements, a mock-trial team, a living learning community
• Develop an Academic Service Learning Scholars Program in concert with the Kernodle Center

13. Strengthen the academic climate and the first-year experience by continuing to develop living learning communities

• Work to meet the immediate needs of existing communities (such as space and budget)
• Obtain action plans from all current living learning communities
• Work to enable some living learning communities to have a common GST 110 class in the fall of 2006
• Send team to a national conference to learn more about effective living learning communities
• Work with deans to develop long-term plans for substantive upgrades to and development of new and creative living learning communities

14. Foster increased intellectual and scholarly activity of faculty

• Increase funding to FR&D for additional sabbaticals and summer research stipends
• Propose a plan for allocating start-up resources for new faculty
• Work with CATL to propose course development funding opportunities
• Support and reward grant writing efforts of faculty

15. Prepare for and conduct a campus-wide academic summit in fall 2006. Use responses to produce an “academic action plan” for enhancing the academic challenge at Elon

16. Enhance the quality of student learning by investigating the reduction of class size from 33 to 30 and reducing part-time from approximately 25% toward 15%

17. Pilot a plan for student-taught co-curricular courses during Winter Term

• Identify possible range of topics and time frames (2-5 days; 1-1½ hours/day)
• Recruit students to offer the mini-courses
• Promote the program in the Winter Term booklet

18. Clarify the criteria and develop a process to achieve a top 50 undergraduate Business School ranking

ACADEMIC SUPPORT INITIATIVES

19. Review recommendations of consultant related to composition of the deans’ and AAC, discuss options, and determine appropriate actions

20. Prepare formal proposal to raise number of SURE students to 60 over 5 years; present feasibility study for an online journal of undergraduate research

21. Re-envision the structure of Elon 101

22. Develop acquisition/replacement cycle for instructional equipment

• Inventory existing equipment and estimate remaining useful life
• Prioritize acquisition/replacement needs
• Develop budget proposal plan based on priorities

23. Explore development of alternative engagement and learning spaces

• Survey departments, programs, deans, advisors of living learning communities, etc. about customizing/enhancing both formal and informal spaces to strengthen student engagement and learning

24. Re-envision the role of Numen-Lumen

25. Develop a proposal to create a Conference and Events Coordination Office that would:

• Serve as a central information point for conferences/events at Elon
• Assist with planning and logistics of summer camps, conferences and workshops held at Elon
• Assist with planning and logistics of fall/winter/spring on-campus conferences

26. Maximize effectiveness of relationships between academic entities and Institutional Advancement

• Clarify and define role of liaisons and deans
• Investigate such relationships at aspirant schools
• Clarify roles of advisory boards and deans with respect to fund raising

27. Develop a plan for support and operation of domestic travel courses

• Define “domestic travel course”
• Determine office support needs

28. Develop plan to strengthen programs and practices related to the Senior Year Experience, including raising the profile of Career Services to maximize its effectiveness.

29. Develop an academic affairs pandemic flu plan.

30. Work with the Center for Leadership Development to enhance the ODK Awards Ceremony

31. Explore funding opportunities for graduate student research support.

32. Clarify the criteria and develop a process to achieve a national reputation for Belk Library