HONORS COLLEGE

STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION STATEMENT

The Honors College recruits, retains, rewards, and enriches the intellectually curious and the academically capable student—through a variety of services and benefits, and serves as a catalyst for innovative growth and change on campus.

VISION STATEMENT

The Honors College will be a leader at Texas Tech University in the effort to provide outstanding undergraduate education; the Honors College will continue to attract more and better students to Texas Tech University by focusing on quality undergraduate education and opportunities, as well as by focusing on initiating, developing, and supporting collaborative initiatives, particularly within the Texas Tech system at the graduate and professional levels.

The Honors College will

· broadly educate students in preparation for their role as citizens and in preparation for work or further study in their chosen fields;

· encourage, stimulate, and support learning, teaching, research, and citizenship;

· foster the development of innovative classes both within disciplinary boundaries and across those boundaries;

· champion the undergraduate educational mission within the larger university context;

· provide the benchmark for outstanding teaching;

· afford leadership opportunities for students; and

· be a national role model in the Honors movement, including promoting a new style of Honors education and service.

GOALS, CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND OBJECTIVES (including Strategies and Assessments)

Goal 1. Access and Diversity: Recruit, retain, and graduate a larger, more academically prepared, and more diverse student body.

Critical Success Factors

Enrollment of 1,107 students.

Retain 87% of freshmen admittees.

Graduation rate of 70% for Honors College graduates.

Contribute to university-wide graduation rate of 60% for undergraduate students who do not remain in the college.

4.0 average score (on a 5.0 scale) in the student satisfaction surveys.

Enrollment comprised of at least 15% under-represented students.

Objectives:

Objective 1.1: Attract more and better students in general.

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year for recruitment, with responsibilities for working with high school counselors, prospective students and their parents, and with the Honors College Ambassadors.

· Refine recruitment procedures by creating an Honors College associate program, whereby students have an opportunity to experience and evaluate Honors opportunities.

Assessments:

· Number of Honors students.

· Average SAT at least 1330.

Objective 1.2: Focus on quality undergraduate education and opportunities, placing this

function in the center of campus attention and public perception about

TTU.

Strategies:

· Establish Honors faculty positions whose primary function is to develop excellence in undergraduate teaching, a new model for faculty hires at TTU.

· Enhance existing opportunities within the Honors College for students and faculty.

· Develop new opportunities within the Honors College for students and faculty.

· Increase visibility of the Honors College through development of undergraduate programs, services, and opportunities for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Assessments:

· Student satisfaction surveys.

· Faculty participation within Honors initiatives.

Objective 1.3: Continue to provide (and enhance) a “one stop shop” for students to learn,

grow, discover opportunities, and solve problems (and thus increase satisfaction).

Strategies:

· Establish new staff and faculty positions to serve student needs in a fashion that corresponds to growth and demands.

· Implement new initiatives and services as needed.

· Continue semesterly assessments of Honors services.

Assessment:

· High marks from student feedback in semesterly assessments.

Objective 1.4: Increase the diversity of the Honors student population through legal and appropriate recruiting strategies.

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year for recruitment with responsibilities for working with high school counselors, prospective students and their parents, and with the Honors College Ambassadors.

· Dovetail Honors efforts at recruitment with the efforts of Enrollment Management to reflect Texas high school graduation population diversity by recruiting actively within that pool.

· Recruit from the current student population of Texas Tech University.

Assessment:

· Enrollment statistics.

Objective 1.5: Improve Honors recruitment and retention efforts to ensure that students who are recruited and accepted into Honors are those who will embrace and benefit from the philosophy and ideals of Honors.

Strategies:

· Implement the Honors College associate program, whereby students have an opportunity to experience and evaluate Honors opportunities before becoming full members of the College.

Assessments:

· Retention rate.

· Graduation rate.

Objective 1.6: Develop innovative and unique degree programs.

Strategies:

· Successfully launch the Natural History and Humanities degree program.

· Develop and launch the new Honors College “liberal arts” degree program.

Assessments:

· Natural History and Humanities degree implemented.

· Liberal Arts degree implemented.

Objective 1.7: Develop a first year experience program that will introduce students to the philosophy, ideals, and opportunities in Honors and at TTU.

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year for the first year experience program with responsibilities for working with first year course development and implementation, residence life and residential student learning communities, and the Honors College Mentor Program.

· Implement the Honors College associate program, whereby students have an opportunity to experience and evaluate Honors opportunities before becoming full members of the College.

Assessments:

· Student recruitment and success rates.

· “First Year Experience” program functioning.

Objective 1.8: Substantially enhance the Honors College Mentor program.

Strategy:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year with responsibilities for working with the Mentor Program as part of the first year experience program.

Assessment:

· Mentee and mentor evaluations of the program.

Objective 1.9: Continue to grow as a program in a planned and orderly way, as institutional support allows.

Strategy:

· Continue to develop lines of communication with upper administration in order to facilitate streamlined advancement of Honors initiatives and their intersection with University goals.

Assessments:

· Student satisfaction rates.

· Staff turnover rates.

Goal 2. Academic Excellence: Achieve regional and national recognition for outstanding Honors programs and opportunities, as well as the high quality of Honors College graduates.

Critical Success Factors:

· Average SAT for all incoming freshman Honors admittees at the 1330-1345 level.

· At least ten valedictorians and ten salutatorians per year in the admitted class.

· All professors who teach Honors score at least a 3.5 on the university administered, student evaluations of teaching.

· An interdisciplinary liberal arts degree program.

· Continue to produce national scholarship winners, having at least one Goldwater winner each year, and at least one other winner in the categories of Rhodes, Truman, Marshall, Mitchell, Udall, Madison, etc.

· Inaugurate a “Special Scholars” program including ten students in the first cohort and increase by five each year.

· Develop a first-year experience program for Honors students.

· Increase the number of programs with the TTU/HSC for early admission and/or early acceptance.

· Develop the “3+3” program with the School of Law.

· Begin advertising the Natural History and Humanities degree and recruit a cohort of ten students to begin the degree program.

· Increase the number of undergraduate research fellows by five per year.

· Increase the number of participants in the Honors-sponsored study abroad programs by two per year.

· Participation of students in at least one academic competition per year.

Objectives:

Objective 2.1: Focus on quality undergraduate education and opportunities by initiating and/or enhancing unique programs that are targeted to serve the needs of the high-achieving undergraduate.

Strategies:

· Expand Honors course offerings across under-represented disciplines.

· Add interdisciplinary seminars from disciplines which are unrepresented in Honors seminar offerings.

· Expand Honors study abroad offerings into other countries—especially countries where a language other than English is necessary.

· Enhance the existing Honors living-learning communities, especially for first year students.

· Inaugurate a “Special Scholars” program linked to an Honors liberal arts degree.

· Make a study abroad experience part of the “Special Scholars” program requirements.

· Enhance the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and/or collaborate with colleges and units across campus to develop undergraduate research opportunities.

· Create service-learning opportunities within Honors courses.

· Increase the number of students pursuing a Humanities minor.

Assessments:

· Number of students participating in the various Honors opportunities and activities.

· Number of interdisciplinary seminars.

· Number of Humanities minors.

· Number of Honors study abroad programs.

Objective 2.2: Continue to be a leader in the national and state Honors areas.

Strategies:

· Participate in local and national meetings.

· Take part in the national “evaluation of other Honors programs” consulting activity.

Assessment:

· Enhanced visibility.

Objective 2.3: Increase our numbers of national and international scholarship winners.

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year to assist our current coordinator of national and international scholarships.

Assessment:

· Number of highly competitive candidates for national and international scholarships.

Objective 2.4: Continue to contribute substantially to activities that will enhance our Phi Beta Kappa prospects.

Strategy:

· Provide detailed information to the coordinator of the campus Phi Beta Kappa application.

Assessment:

· Progress towards the acquisition of a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

Objective 2.5: Continue to serve as a focal point for interdisciplinary work at the university towards the end of enhancing undergraduate educational experiences.

Strategies:

· Develop the Humanities minor.

· Initiate and develop the Natural History and Humanities major beginning Fall 2002.

· Offer incentives to faculty to collaborate in the creation of interdisciplinary courses.

· Possibly place General Studies under Honors auspices by Fall 2002.

Assessment:

· Number of interdisciplinary classes.

Objective 2.6: Enhance Honors international study options and scholarships.

Strategies:

· Continue and enhance the Honors Summer London program.

· Expand Honors study abroad offerings into other countries—especially countries where a non-English language is necessary.

· Work to secure an increase in study abroad scholarship funds.

· Implement a student assistant position or professional staff position to coordinate study abroad efforts.

Assessments:

· Number of students participating in Honors-sponsored study abroad programs.

· Student evaluations.

Objective 2.7: Have students participate in academic competitions of various types, both in leadership and participation capacities.

Strategies:

· Sponsor TTU student participation in a college bowl or similar academic competitions.

· Sponsor high school academic competitions on the TTU campus.

Assessments:

· Numbers of high school and TTU students who participate in academic competitions.

· Variety of academic competitions.

Goal 3. Engagement: Provide programs and services that disseminate knowledge and skills and that enhance the quality of life.

Critical Success Factors

At least 1 major service project opportunity for Honors students each year.

At least 3 honors classes that incorporate a service component.

A community-based, Honors Advisory Council.

Expand the “Shadow Day” experience by 3 high school students per year.

Objectives:

Objective 3.1: Introduce a more systematic service-learning component into the Honors educational process.

Strategies:

· Produce at least 1 major service project opportunity for all Honors students per year.

· Develop more classes with a service-learning component.

· Add at least 1 additional class with a service/learning component each subsequent year.

Assessments:

· Number of service-learning opportunities and classes.

· Number of students participating.

Objective 3.2: Develop a K-12 outreach program.

Strategies:

· Grow the existing “Shadow Day” (opportunity for high school students to experience both Honors and the TTU experience) to add 3 more participants each year.

· Continue to collaborate with IDEAL to offer programs to gifted area students.

· Develop collaborative programs with IDEAL.

Assessments:

· Number of “Shadow Day” participants.

· Number of Honors students serving as “mentors” for IDEAL programs.

· New programs with IDEAL.

Objective 3.3: Continue classes in Integrated Science with a high school outreach component.

Strategy:

· Work through a collaborative effort with HHMI on campus, which has an established outreach program.

Assessment:

· Number of students participating in the programs.

Goal 4. Technology: Maximize the use of technology in the delivery of services.

Critical Success Factors

Increase the numbers of laptop computers so that computer programs may be incorporated into classroom presentations.

Ensure that each Honors professor, working through the TLTC, is given the chance to develop sophisticated presentations that incorporate electronic presentation elements.

Secure two classroom sites that would be fully wired for computer access, and that would have a full complement of electronic and audio-visual equipment.

Objective 4.1: Provide incentives to faculty to assist them in developing technologically based pedagogies as resources allow.

Strategies:

· Publicize to Honors professors opportunities to participate in TLTC training sessions.

· Make it part of the evaluation procedure in Honors that participating in training sessions be accomplished, and that sophisticated, electronically based presentations be incorporated into classroom work, increasing student satisfaction with Honors classes.

Assessment:

· Student evaluations of Honors classes.

Objective 4.2: Implement a fully interactive Honors website to serve current students and faculty, as well as prospective students.

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year with responsibilities for working with website development and computer support.

· Provide appropriate support for each Honors professor to develop websites so that the professor can produce a comprehensive display of and presentation of course materials.

Assessments:

· Upgraded Honors website.

· Number of Honors professors with websites.

Goal 5. Partnerships and Collaboration: Build strategic partnerships and alliances with entities external to Honors.

Critical Success Factors:

Promote a sense of interdisciplinary work and opportunities on campus by fostering initiatives, courses, faculty mentor-student mentee relationships (especially in research), and a seamless transition for Honors undergraduates to TTU and TTUHSC graduate and professional opportunities.

At least 10 students in the 3+3 program at the Law School by 2004.

Increase the number of Honors students applying through the Early Acceptance program by 1% each year.

Increase the number of Honors students applying to the TTU Graduate School by 1% each year.

Objectives:

Objective 5.1: Provide a home for interdisciplinary work.

Strategies:

· Augment the interdisciplinary Humanities minor.

· Launch the Bachelor of Arts in Natural History and Humanities.

· Establish a true “liberal arts” degree.

· Possibly assume responsibility for the Bachelor of General Studies degree.

· Possibly assume responsibility for the interdisciplinary Master’s degree.

Assessments:

· Number of Humanities minors.

· Number of Natural History and Humanities majors.

· Development of liberal arts degree.

· Assumption of General Studies degree.

· Assumption of interdisciplinary Master’s degree.

Objective 5.2: Develop more departmentally based Honors classes.

Strategies:

· Increase the stipend paid to departments for offering classes.

· Work with Provost’s office to ensure that new faculty lines are tied to an offer of Honors classes within the department.

Assessments:

· Number of Honors classes within each department.

Objective 5.3: Develop more interdisciplinary seminars.

Strategies:

· Provide faculty financial incentives to develop seminars.

· Work to implement a change in the faculty workload OP to allow appropriate credit for faculty teaching within interdisciplinary programs or courses.

Assessments:

· Number of interdisciplinary seminars.

· Policy changes within the OPs to streamline the offering of interdisciplinary courses.

Objective 5.4: Continue to develop the relationship between Honors and the TTUHSC

Strategies:

· Establish a position within the Honors College staff by the 2002-2003 academic year to serve as a liaison between the Honors College and the HSC with responsibilities for working with the various initiatives pertaining to the Honors College-HSC partnership and for assisting the Honors College-HSC faculty member donated by the HSC.

· Continue to use Honors semesterly advisement to encourage students to think about their educational objectives, particularly as they pertain to professional school.

· Continue and enhance the Honors College Early Acceptance to Medical School program.

· Develop more Honors courses with the HSC.

· Develop more mentor-mentee opportunities for Honors students and HSC faculty.

· Continue and enhance the “Shadow a Doctor” program, and develop opportunities for Honors students to shadow across the health professions represented within the HSC.

· Continue the “Honors College at the HSC day” each semester.

Assessments:

· Number of Early Acceptance students.

· Streamlined and effective policies for Early Acceptance program that serve both Honors’ and HSC’s needs.

· Number of Honors-HSC courses.

· Number of students participating in the “Shadow a Doctor” program.

· Creation of more “shadow” opportunities within the health professions outside of the M.D. area.

· Number of students participating within the shadowing program.

· Student and faculty evaluations of “Honors College at the HSC Day.”

Objective 5.5: Continue to develop the relationship between Honors and the TTU School of Law.

Strategies:

· Use Honors semesterly advisement to encourage students to think about their educational objectives, particularly as they pertain to professional school.

· Develop the 3+3 program with law.

· Continue to offer the “Survey of the Legal Professions” class on a regular basis.

· Develop Honors seminars using the law and legal framework with an interdisciplinary focus with faculty from TTU and the School of Law.

Assessments:

· Number of students participating in 3+3 program.

· Continuation of Survey class and evaluations of course.

· Number of seminars.

Objective 5.6: Serve generally as a feeder program into the graduate programs of the institution.

Strategies:

· Use Honors semesterly advisement to encourage students to think about their educational objectives, particularly as they pertain to graduate work.

· Work with the Graduate School to target appropriate candidates for recruitment into graduate programs.

· Work to develop more graduate scholarships specifically for Honors students.

· Encourage students to use their fifth year of scholarship support for TTU graduate work.

· Encourage students to think about obtaining a Master’s degree in the same way they think about securing a baccalaureate degree.

Assessments:

· Number of Honors students moving into TTU graduate programs.

· Number of graduate scholarships specifically for Honors students.

Objective 5.7: Enhance the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.

Strategies:

· Secure more on-campus funding, as well as external funding, for the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.

· With an increase in funding, launch a campus-wide program of advertising the availability of this program.

· Develop a cadre of faculty who will mentor students, and/or who will act as liaisons for their disciplines for locating mentors.

Assessments:

· Number of students involved in Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

· Number of faculty involved in Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

· Number of disciplines represented within Undergraduate Research Fellowship faculty and students.

Objective 5.8: Continue to serve as the primary voice for the portability of scholarships between TTU and TTUHSC.

Strategy:

· Encourage system officers to achieve this goal.

Assessment:

· Achieve full portability of scholarships between campuses.

Goal 6. Human Resources and Infrastructure: Maintain a quality workforce and work environment.

Critical Success Factors:

· Quadruple the amount of space available for Honors functions.

· Increase by 25% the number of staff whose mission it is to serve Honors students.

· Insure that no Honors staff member works more than 45 hours per week, as computed on a monthly basis.

Objectives:

Objective 6.1: Hire, promote and retain excellent faculty and staff; hire two new faculty members within the next 18 months.

Strategies:

· Pay particular attention to recruiting faculty whose scholarship reflects outstanding teaching.

· Pay particular attention to recruiting faculty from under-represented populations.

Assessment:

· Faculty members hired within appropriate time frames.

Objective 6.2: Pay particular attention to professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Strategies:

· Make time available for faculty to develop new courses.

· Make time available for faculty to add to areas of expertise and interests.

Assessment:

· Number of new Honors course offerings.

Objective 6.3: Boost faculty morale by bringing to their classrooms and their research environs the more motivated students with whom faculty typically enjoy working.

Strategies:

· Increase Honors enrollments.

· Develop undergraduate research initiatives.

Assessments:

· Honors enrollment.

· Honors admittee strengths.

Objective 6.4: Build Honors faculty confidence in the college and the university.

Strategies:

· Assess Honors course/faculty evaluation forms to ensure most valid data.

· Implement opportunities for Honors faculty to observe other Honors faculty members’ courses and provide feedback or ask questions.

Assessment:

· Honors faculty retention rate.

Objective 6.5: Maintain morale within staff, and provide a maximum level of service for students because of staff commitment to the college.

Strategies:

· Ensure that no staff member works more than 45 hours per week dealing with their jobs by increasing number of staff positions by at least 25% over the next 36 months.

· Continue to enhance communication in the Honors College through staff meetings, memos, and periodic social and retreat functions.

Assessments:

· Evaluations of staff time expenditures.

· Staff turnover.

Goal 7. Institutional Advancement and Accountability: Strengthen fiscal stability and accountability.

Critical Success Factors:

· Increase the discretionary monies available to the college to $10,000.

· Continue to add incrementally to the amount of money remitted to the departments for offering Honors courses, achieving a minimal level of $2,500 per course.

· Work with the Office of Development to build scholarship endowments.

Objectives:

Objective 7.1: Develop a list of Honors alumni and work to bring them into greater contact with Honors and potentially secure them as donors.

Strategies:

· Search university records for lists.

· Search Honors records for names.

Assessment:

· Completeness of alumni list.

Objective 7.2: Work with Development to increase scholarship endowments and to use Development resources more effectively.

Strategies:

· Work more closely with Development to cultivate potential donors to demonstrate the importance of the scholarship endowment program.

· Develop communication links with Development in order to provide Honors-controlled information to donors.

· Dean continues to allocate time to scholarship endowment solicitation.

Assessment:

· Level of scholarship endowments as a direct result of Honors efforts in conjunction with Development.