Texas Tech University
The Graduate School Strategic Plan -- 2007
Mission Statement
The Graduate School facilitates graduate education by insuring standards of excellence, promoting diverse programs, and assisting and supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation of quality students.
Vision Statement
The Graduate School aspires to be nationally recognized for the quality and diversity of its programs and students; to promote an environment that is technologically advanced and professionally staffed; to provide quality service, stimulate creativity, and engage in intellectual exploration; and to be a strong force in the university’s decision-making process.
Core Values
- Service to the diverse population of Texas Tech University and surrounding community;
- Adequate funding for scholarships and endowments;
- A national reputation and clear position among the top tier graduate schools;
- Adequate and attractive facilities;
- A clearly recognized voice in the decision-making process of the university
GOALS, CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS, and OBJECTIVES
(including Strategies and Assessments)
Goal 1: Access and Diversity: Enlarge the enrollment in the Graduate School and increase the diversity in the graduate population.
Critical Success Factors
- Increase graduate and professional enrollment to 20% of the student body;
- Achieve more diversity in the student body and in the mentors that guide students;
- Increase student diversity graduation rates to exceed the baccalaureate diversity graduation rates for Texas Tech Univerisity -- approximately 15 percent.
Objective 1.1 Recruit more graduate students for Texas Tech University.
Strategies:
- Increase campus visits by prospective students and increase support to departments for recruiting efforts;
- Increase assistantships, scholarships and fellowships;
- Decrease processing time for admissions and improve departmental access to prospective students;
- Be supportive of conferences that bring large numbers of potential graduate students to the campus;
- Establish an education program to support graduate advisors with recruitment and to timely processing of applications.
Assessments
- Enrollment and recruitment patterns each semester;
- Number of departments that receive monetary recruitment support and the amounts they receive;
- Number of admitted students who do not attend Texas Tech regardless offers of financial support;
- Survey students who were admitted but choose not to attend.
Objective 1.2: Increase the retention of graduate student.
Strategies:
- Increase administrative staff in retention activities to insure timely completion of graduate degrees by students;
- Increase funding for retention activities to dynamically retain qualified graduate students;
- Increase training of staff on how to retain graduate students and complete their programs of study.
Assessments:
- Evaluate retention rates for all graduate programs;
- Compare retention rates with peer institutions.
Objective 1.3: Diversify the graduate student body.
Strategies:
- Involve students and faculty in workshops and conferences pertaining to diversity (such as the National Black Graduate Student Conference);
- Solicit membership in organizations such as the HBCU Executive Dean's Council to help increase the diversity of faculty;
- Increase the focus on Hispanic Serving Institutions and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities;
- Build upon relationships established at the National Black Graduate Student Conference in 2001;
- Develop Graduate School relationships with organizations that serve underrepresented groups;
- Recruit at universities with diverse student bodies;
- Support minority students and faculty who are already at Texas Tech. Support networking through annual receptions and other fellowship efforts;
- Improve mentoring program by utilizing educational consultants for diversity;
- Target special markets by establishing summer teaching and research programs.
Assessments:
- Enrollment patterns for diversity among graduate students;
- Number of special summer teaching and research programs;
- Number of recruitment programs that target underrepresented groups;
- Number of regional workshops organized on campus for underrepresented populations.
Goal 2: Academic Excellence: Achieve nationwide recognition for excellence in Graduate Education and prepare leaders for industry, government, and education.
Critical Success Factors
- Flagship status in Texas and reach tier one status in the nation;
- Among the top 50 public universities in awarding doctorates (we are now 65);
- Place graduates in colleges, universities, government, and the private sector throughout the area and nation;
- Competitive TA and RA stipends and tuition and fees.
Objective 2.1: Provide an enhanced environment that will attract and retain the best new faculty.
Strategies:
- Encourage the hiring of more graduate faculty;
- Advocate that faculty salaries be equal to or better than those of other universities in the Big XII;
- Make extra efforts to accommodate potential faculty;
- Make certain proper workloads are given for graduate teaching and service on thesis and dissertation committees;
- Invite leadership for HBCUs, HSIs, and HACUs to visit the campus.
Assessments:
- Student-teacher ratio from semester to semester;
- Periodic reviews of faculty productivity in research and teaching of core graduate faculty;
- Program reviews;
- Number of seminars the highlight unique organizations that benefit campus enrichment.
Objective 2.2: Prepare graduate students for their roles in industry, government, and academia.
Strategies:
- Encourage and, when possible, support departmental colloquia and graduate student conferences;
- Provide support for graduate students to participate in regional and national conferences;
- Support university-wide programs that are devoted to instruction improvement for graduate students (such as TEACH);
- Aid the Graduate Student Association in its efforts to promote professional development among graduate students;
- Support workshops for new teaching assistants;
- Recognize outstanding teaching by graduate students by providing annual awards.
Assessments:
- Status of graduates at the institutions where they are employed;
- Teaching evaluations as a measurement of graduate teaching;
- Number of graduate students supported to present papers.
Objective 2.3: Strengthen graduate studies within individual departments.
Strategies:
- Conduct periodic program reviews with outside peer reviews of all Ph.D. programs;
- Conduct periodic reviews of graduate faculty;
- Support departmental recruiting efforts;
- Present workshops for graduate advisors;
- Assist departments in preparation of new degree program proposals.
Assessments:
- Effect of program reviews upon departmental funding, facilities, and resources;
- Publication record of graduate students.
Objective 2.4: Make clear and meaningful efforts to retain graduate students once they enroll at Texas Tech.
Strategies:
- Increase the numbers of students who receive financial support;
- Make available various types of enrichment programs (e.g., seminars concerning the writing of theses and dissertations);
- Afford networking possibilities through such groups as the Graduate Student Association;
- Provide special events for underrepresented groups of students;
- Advocate competitive salaries and workloads for Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants;
- Work with the Office of International Affairs to support international students, particularly during their first year;
- Add a Director of Retention and Support Services to the Graduate School.
Assessments:
- Retention rate;
- TA and RA salaries, by field, compared with those of peer institutions;
- Tuition and fees, compared to those of peer institutions.
Goal 3: Engagement: Foster Graduate School programs that reach into the community and extend beyond, including international locations.
Critical Success Factors
- 100 students enrolled in Continuing Professional Educational Development (CPED);
- Number of graduate programs delivered by distance education;
- Number of graduate programs offered abroad;
- Number of graduate certificate programs.
Objective 3.1: Expand the operations of the graduate school to reach beyond the campus while maintaining ties with the campus that will benefit students inside and outside the campus.
Strategies:
- Establish streamlined registration procedures for distance education students, including automatic waiver of certain fees, simplified readmission procedures, and extended GTMP status;
- Assist departments in publicizing those graduate programs that require internships in the community, including other campuses of Texas Tech University;
- Investigate establishing consortial arrangements with other universities.
Assessments:
- Number of distance education programs;
- Number of distance education classes being offered;
- Number of students who are taking distance education classes;
- Number of professors who teach distance education courses;
- Number of graduate certificate programs.
Objective 3.2: Expand the international connections of the Graduate School.
Strategies:
- Identify and set in motion the means by which graduate students may study abroad for a semester, and the means by which international students can study here;
- Continue to support and develop existing joint programs, such as the one with Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico;
- Begin to offer graduate courses in the newly developed Texas Tech Center in Seville, Spain;
- Seek funding for more scholarships like the Arthur J. Waterman Scholarship, which was established to recruit superior graduates of Mexican universities who plan to return to Mexico after completion of their graduate degrees.
- Establish funds that allow graduate students to present research at international conferences.
Assessments:
- Number of Texas Tech graduate students who study abroad;
- Number of international students who study at Texas Tech;
- Number of joint programs with other universities;
- Number of students involved in joint programs (both within and outside the United States).
Goal 4: Partnerships: Create new alliances and partnerships for the Graduate School and to evaluate and nurture those that already exist.
Critical Success Factors
- Increased number of undergraduate-graduate linked programs;
- Increased formal consortia with other universities;
- Increased numbers of joint programs with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center;
- Increased graduate student participation in joint programs with foreign universities.
Objective 4.1: Build relationships and ties between the Graduate School and other segments of the university.
Strategies
- Foster and nurture relationships between the undergraduate and graduate programs (e.g., the 150-hour programs);
- Sustain and enrich joint degree programs in the graduate school;
- Work with the Honors College to encourage students from that college to enroll in graduate programs at Texas Tech University;
- Find financial support for the growing number of students in the Interdisciplinary Studies masters degree.
Assessment:
- Annual assessment of changes that have taken place between the Graduate School and other segments of the university.
Objective 4.2: Build relationships and ties outside the university.
Strategies:
- Develop other multi-disciplinary programs directed toward public schools;
- Develop programs with other universities in efforts to enhance minority recruitment;
- Work with other universities in order to inform lawmakers of the goals and purposes of the universities’ graduate research and education efforts;
- Encourage degree programs that involve Texas Tech and other universities.
Assessments:
- Number of graduate degree programs between Texas Tech and other universities;
- Number of joint graduate degree programs with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Objective 4.3: Build upon and create new partnerships and alliances with universities in other countries.
Strategies:
- Nurture programs that already involve partnerships with foreign universities;
- Increase scholarships that are earmarked for foreign exchanges;
- Provide outreach assistance to universities in other countries;
- Publicize the foreign agreements that are in existence.
Assessment:
- Number of partnerships and alliances with universities in other countries.
Goal 5: Human Resources: To maintain quality in the office staff and the work environment in the Graduate School.
Critical Success Factors
- Enough workspace to make it possible for the staff to accommodate approximately 5,000 graduate students;
- A modern, state-of-the-art student information system that will accommodate the Graduate School’s needs;
- Effective service to departments;
- Funds for staff to attend workshops and professional meetings.
Objective 5.1: Create an attractive, efficient work environment in the Graduate School office.
Strategies:
- Maintain an adequate staff; one that can carry out the work in an effective, productive manner;
- Make certain that the facilities are large enough to house the staff and the equipment;
- Encourage joint training programs to enhance understanding of team building.
Assessments:
- Annual review of the work that is being carried out, including overtime and compensatory time;
- Annual survey of the Graduate School to determine whether the space available is adequate;
- Annual evaluation of staff.
Objective 5.2: Assist staff in working at a satisfactory, effective level.
Strategies:
- Provide training sessions to assist new staff in learning their duties;
- Provide periodic training sessions to enable seasoned staff to upgrade their skills;
- Do periodic review of job classifications to determine whether they are at the appropriate levels.
Assessments:
- Annual reviews of staff members concerning their training needs;
- Number of staff attending training sessions;
- Number of training sessions.
Objective 5.3: Provide an atmosphere in the Graduate School that will be inviting to graduate students.
Strategies:
- Make certain the offices have a professional and appealing quality for students who must do business there;
- Offices should be spacious enough so that students will have enough room to be comfortable while discussing their work with the graduate staff.
Assessment:
- Post-graduate survey concerning the Graduate School.
Goal 6: National Recognition: Establish a national image for the Graduate School.
Critical Success Factors
- Increase the numbers of graduate students who attend and graduate from Texas Tech;
- Increase the numbers of graduate students who receive national awards;
- Increase the number of doctorates awarded each year.
Objective 6.1: Encourage the research efforts that are being carried out by graduate students at Texas Tech University and publicize them.
Strategies:
- Establish a fund that is adequate to assist graduate student researchers to attend national and international conferences;
- Publicize Texas Tech’s research activities while on recruiting trips;
- Sponsor regional and national conferences that will enhance the Texas Tech graduate experience;
- Collect and publicize alumni achievements.
Assessments:
- Exit evaluations of all conferences;
- Number of students supported to attend conferences;
- Alumni achievements.
Objective 6.2: Cooperate with other universities and, by doing so, enhance the image of Texas Tech University.
Strategies:
- Through interaction with administrators and faculty members from other universities, garner goodwill and search out common goals;
- Be active participants in the Council of Graduate Schools, the Council of Southern Graduate Schools, The Association of Texas Graduate Schools, and the Big Twelve Graduate Schools.
Assessments:
- Number of meetings attended and participation in workshops;
- Maintain membership in the Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools.
Goal 7: Institutional Advancement and Accountability: To enhance the Graduate School’s fiscal stability and public accountability.
Critical Success Factor
- 15 million endowment funding.
Objective 7.1: Promote Graduate School development efforts.
Strategies:
- Actively write proposals to foundation to support increases in endowment and to support enrichment programs;
- Send the Graduate School Newsletter to alumni and invite alumni to return to the campus for appropriate receptions;
- Stage annual receptions for graduate school recipients of fellowships and include donors.
- Identify external fellowships for graduate students and assist them in applying for the fellowships.
Assessment:
- Endowment levels and types;
- Number of proposals submitted to foundations.