Strategic Plan
(Revised May, 2006)
Mission Statment
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is a multidisciplinary department that applies contextual and systemic frameworks to the study of individual development and relationship processes across the life span through research, teaching and service.
Vision Statement
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies will
Be a department of nationally known scholars and educators in our core discipline of Human Development and Family Studies;
Integrate diversity into every aspect of the departmental mission including; faculty, students, curriculum, and research;
Create and maintain nationally-recognized programs grounded in the core discipline;
Publish and disseminate exceptional research in each program;
Promote the optimal growth and development of individuals and families;
Provide meaningful outreach and service to our surrounding community;
Develop socially responsible students who can apply their substantive knowledge and critical thinking skills to their own lives, to the profession and to the wider community.
Core Values
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is committed to the values of
Excellence in the advancement of knowledge
Highest educational standards in teaching at all levels
Academic integrity
Respecting and fostering diversity
Collaboration and mutual respect
Service to the university and the profession
Outreach and community partnerships
Shared governance and academic freedom
GOALS, BENCHMARKS and OBJECTIVES
(including Strategies and Assessments)
GOAL 1. Access and Diversity: Recruit, retain and graduate an academically prepared and diverse student body in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
Benchmarks (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):
1. Student diversity more closely reflects the high school population of Texas.
2. Increase the percentage of students in HDFS from under-represented groups for each year for the next five years to more closely reflect the population of Texas.
3. Optimal undergraduate enrollment for each program.
4. Pool of 50 completed graduate applications each year.
5. Graduate enrollment of 75 students.
Objectives:
Objective 1.1: Implement an enrollment management plan to achieve optimal enrollment in all undergraduate and graduate programs.
Strategies:
1. Determine for each academic program the optimum numbers that can be served as undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students.
2. Admit the number of top candidates as appropriate for each program.
3. Monitor progress of students.
Assessment:
Percent of optimum enrollment achieved.
Objective 1.2: Implement a recruitment and retention strategy for students in underrepresented groups.
Strategies:
1. Maintain a standing Diversity Committee at the Department level to plan retention and enrollment strategies for under-represented groups.
2. Identify the current paths our minority students take to reach the department. Widen these paths and add additional missing paths that are likely to bring success.
3. Maintain a Student Ambassador Program to identify strong minority students who can assist freshmen and sophomore students as they transition to college.
4. Participate in programs with area high schools where minority enrollments are high to increase awareness of HDFS programs.
5. Interface with Texas Tech programs which target underrepresented student groups.
Assessment:
Departmental diversity in relation to the Texas high school population.
Retention rates of minority students.
Number of minority students from new sources.
Objective 1.3: Recruit, retain, and graduate academically prepared undergraduate and graduate students.
Strategies:
1. Develop organized and aggressive recruitment efforts including well-organized and professionally prepared materials.
2. Improve the pipeline from the undergraduate to the graduate programs.
3. Increase the amount of participation in research by undergraduate students.
4. Increase the expectation and training for faculty members to recruit and retain graduate students.
5. Make recruiting and retention a priority for all members of the departmental community.
Assessments:
Undergraduate enrollment.
Number of completed applications for HDFS graduate programs.
Number of graduate students in the department.
Number of graduate students from the HDFS undergraduate programs.
Objective 1.4: Increase financial support for undergraduate and graduate students.
Strategies:
1. Increase research funding for graduate and undergraduate students.
2. Work actively with the Development Officer to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors for scholarship/fellowship gifts.
3. Make cultivation of current and potential donors a priority for all members of the departmental community.
4. Utilize all available mechanisms to disseminate information related to external support available from professional and industry groups.
Assessments:
Amount of scholarship funds available for the department.
Level of scholarship endowment.
GOAL 2. Academic Excellence: Achieve program excellence at the national level.
Benchmarks (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):
1. Demonstrated teaching effectiveness through teaching awards, selection to teaching academy, and participation in teaching improvement activities.
2. TEXAS Exam passing rates for the Early Childhood Education students will continue to be 80% or above.
3. Increase the percentage of undergraduate student credit hours that are taught by tenure track faculty.
4. Retain recognized national program accreditation/registration.
5. All programs that have subject matter accreditation receive and maintain that accreditation.
Objectives:
Objective 2.1: Improve the national and international ranking of the undergraduate and graduate programs in HDFS.
Strategies:
1. Update curriculum offerings to include current research.
2. Increase faculty and graduate students participation in state, regional, national and international professional conferences.
3. Increase the number of published papers by faculty and graduate students.
4. Network with professional colleagues at potential funding agencies to stay current with opportunities related to specific disciplines.
5. Encourage and assist students in applying for nationally recognized scholarships.
6. Increase the number of students affiliated with honor societies.
7. Evaluate scores on professional examinations.
Assessments:
ACT/SAT scores of incoming freshmen and transfer students.
GPA of incoming freshmen and transfer students.
Number of publications and presentations by undergraduate and graduate students.
Faculty participation in the presentation and publication process.
Number of national scholarships.
Success on professional examinations.
Student participation in programs and conferences.
Objective 2.2: Improve the quality of teaching and learning in the HDFS Programs.
Strategies:
1. Institute a teaching practicum for all new instructors in HDFS.
2. Conduct annual teaching workshops for new faculty, part-time instructors and graduate student instructors.
3. Include regular classroom visits for new instructors.
4. Continue the utilization of the TEACH program by graduate students.
5. Improve utilization of the TLTC by faculty.
6. Systematically evaluate the curriculum to delineate course objectives and course overlap.
Assessments:
Number of faculty members participating in teaching enhancement programs.
Student evaluation of faculty teaching.
Number of teaching awards.
Objective 2.3: Maintain accreditation/certification status of the programs in the department.
Strategies:
1. Encourage involvement by faculty in national offices of the accrediting agencies.
2. Complete accreditation reviews in a timely manner with high quality dossiers.
3. Review degree plans and syllabi for adherence to accreditation/certification requirements.
4. Support faculty attendance at annual conferences for professional organizations who are responsible for accreditation.
Assessments:
Accreditation approval from accrediting agencies.
Objective 2.4: Increase service-learning options in each major.
Strategies:
1. Consider giving extra credit for volunteer work.
2. Increase the number of connections with community agencies.
3. Solidify current relationships with agencies through a more consistent placement of students.
4. Increase the number of courses that include service-learning requirements.
Assessments:
Number of courses with volunteer or service-learning component.
Number of faculty offering volunteer or service-learning opportunities.
Number of students participating in volunteer activities or service-learning.
Objective 2.5: Continue tracking of graduate student placement and maintain appropriate and useful records.
Strategies:
1. Conduct regular surveys of graduates.
2. Document the placement settings of graduates.
Assessment:
Percentage of graduate student graduates for whom we have placement documentation and current addresses.
GOAL 3. Engagement and Partnerships: Develop collaborations and partnerships within the university and within the broader community.
Benchmarks (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):
1. Maintain and expand existing programs with community agencies and establish new outreach programs in areas of need.
2. Formalize HDFS relationship with Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
3. Increase the number of articulation agreements.
Objectives:
Objective 3.1: Establish multidisciplinary relationships among programs within the college, university, the Health Sciences Center, and the broader community.
Strategies:
1. Hold cross-discipline meetings of faculty to discuss multidisciplinary opportunities for collaboration.
2. Faculty participation in multidisciplinary research.
Assessment:
Number of multidisciplinary grants and projects.
Objective 3.2: Enhance existing partnerships and create new ones with community colleges and post secondary educational institutions.
Strategies:
1. Submit expansion grants for Child Development Research Center (CDRC), Early Head Start (EHS), and other service programs.
2. Develop relationships with the HDFS equivalent at South Plains College.
3. Explore the possibility of dual credit courses and course equivalencies with South Plains and other community colleges.
4. Support developing grants being written with Agriculture Extension.
5. Enhance existing relationship with College of Education.
Assessments:
Successful maintenance and expansion of grant awards.
Successful grants with agriculture extension.
Number of articulation agreements
Objective 3.3: Apply departmental expertise to community needs through grants and contracts.
Strategies:
1. Maintain high level of grant and contract activities between HDFS and granting/funding agencies.
2. Consider expansion possibilities of grant activities with other school districts.
3. Incorporate the expertise of new faculty and graduate students into continuing grant projects.
4. Educate the community regarding the expertise of HDFS faculty in the area of program evaluation.
Assessments:
Number of grants and contracts that are community oriented.
Number of agencies that are being served by grants or contracts.
Number of faculty working on community grants or contracts.
Objective 3.4: Extend and maintain relations with business and governmental entities.
Strategies:
1. Identify potential business, state, and federal partners that could provide benefits to the university.
2. Establish collaborative partnerships with identified entities.
3. Identify partnerships with other educational institutions or organizations that provide opportunities for external funding.
4. Maintain positive relationships with current and potential partners.
Assessment:
Number of partnerships.
GOAL 4. Technology and Facilities: Maximize the appropriate use of technology and facilities in the delivery of programs and services.
Benchmarks(measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):
1. Use advanced technology to support the delivery of departmental courses where appropriate.
2. Increase expertise and utilization of technology in HDFS teaching/learning, research, and administration.
3. New distance education courses.
4. Apply technology tools for the allocation of classrooms.
5. Additional classroom, lab, and faculty offices.
6. Maintain and provide for environmentally safe, adequate, and functional workspaces for all faculty and staff.
Objectives:
Objective 4.1: Increase financial support for technology applications.
Strategies:
1. Encourage faculty to seek external sources to support equipment purchases, in-kind gifts, and operation budgets.
2. Increase involvement with the College Associate Dean for Operations for funding to support equipment needs.
Assessments:
Amount of funding.
Number of external funded proposals / requests.
Number of in-kind gifts.
Objective 4.2: Establish guidelines to assist faculty members in developing and using technology in teaching, research, and other professional activities.
Strategies:
1. Compile user instruction manual for generally shared equipment.
2. Provide support in the form of release time and TA assistance when financially possible to assist faculty members in integrating technology, including the development of courses for web delivery.
3. Direct faculty members to utilize the services of TLTC to provide guidance when incorporating new technology into their teaching, research, and service activities.
4. Encourage faculty members to utilize the services of the ATLC for skill training when planning to implement new software programs.
Assessments:
Creation of user instruction manual for equipment.
Support provided during the development of new distance courses.
Faculty participation in TLTC and ATLC workshops, classes, and other events.
Objective 4.3: Implement extended learning / distance education as an academic priority.
Strategies:
1. Emphasize extended learning and/or distance education in undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
2. Utilize services of TLTC to provide training in development of distance education courses.
3. Support faculty and students involved in extended learning and / or distance education courses.
4. Ensure all extended learning and distance education courses are in compliance with the Principles of Good Practice.
Assessments:
Number of distance education or extended learning courses.
Number of faculty and students participating in distance education courses.
Number of courses in compliance with the Principles of Good Practice criteria.
Objective 4.4: Develop a plan to evaluate, update, and maintain technology in laboratories and offices.
Strategies:
1. Work with COHS Technology Users Committee to plan for technology maintenance in labs and offices.
2. Utilize college policy in assigning new equipment and software based on user needs and abilities.
3. Develop a schedule for upgrading technology in offices and on mobile computer carts.
4. Assess faculty user needs.
5. Provide faculty members with the best hardware equipment that the department can afford.
Assessments:
Implementation of technology plan.
Application of college policy to new technology purchases and assignments.
Schedule for upgrading technology.
Objective 4.5: Increase utilization of professional development opportunities in the area of technology.
Strategies:
1. Survey faculty and staff to identify areas for professional technology development.
2. Encourage faculty and staff to participate in professional technology development training activities.
3. Encourage faculty and staff to use technology applications for communication.
Assessments:
Number of faculty and staff participating in professional technology development and training activities.
Percent of department business conducted on-line.
Objective 4.6: Optimize the use of space, facilities, equipment, and other fixed assets of the department.
Strategies:
1. Survey existing faculty and directors of centers regarding their ideal needs for space.
2. Consistently update the administration regarding HDFS space needs.
3. Acquire and/or renovate additional space for classrooms, faculty, research centers, and graduate students as appropriate.
4. Maintain departmental facilities according to university’s policies and environmental safety guidelines.
Assessments:
Space (office, research and laboratories) available for faculty in the department.
Annual review of space requirements.
Compliance with COHS and TTU operating policies for asset and space usage.
Usage statistics on classrooms and labs.
GOAL 5. Research: Increase HDFS participation in cutting-edge research that positively impacts individuals, families, and their environments.
Benchmarks(measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):
1. Every faculty member in the department will be regularly involved in submitting or managing a grant.
2. Increase external funding from federal and other nationally competitive sources.
3. Increase research visibility through the number and quality of publications.
4. Increase participation in multidisciplinary research.
5. Increase undergraduate and graduate student participation in research.
Objectives:
Objective 5.1: Increase graduate and undergraduate student participation in research.
Strategies:
1. Increase the number of published theses and dissertations in peer reviewed publications.
2. Evaluate the efficacy of the 7000 course for increasing student publications.
3. Include funding for at least one graduate student in all research grant proposals.
4. Employ graduate students as part of externally funded projects.
Assessments:
Number of publications including graduate and undergraduate students as authors.
Number of research conference presentations by students.
Number of graduate students supported by funded projects.
Objective 5.2: Increase multidisciplinary research.
Strategies:
1. Sponsor multidisciplinary research exploratory sessions.
2. Compete for college and university multidisciplinary seed grants.
3. Register all faculty members on Community of Science funding locator.
4. Include faculty members from other disciplines on thesis and dissertation projects as appropriate.
5. Work with faculty members in other TTU Colleges/Schools to submit research proposals.
6. Collaborate with Texas Cooperative Extension Service on research projects.
Assessment:
Number of multidisciplinary research submitted and funded.
Objective 5.3: Increase the level of external research funding.
Strategies:
1. Increase the level of external funding by each faculty member.
2. Encourage/expect attendance at professional development sessions offered by the university.
3. Develop research proposals that generate indirect costs.
4. Leverage all internal and seed grants into major grant proposals.
5. Increase accountability by faculty for seed money.
6. Utilize college research office to seek assistance in finding funding sources.
7. Provide training to staff members regarding proposal preparation, routing, and submission.
Assessments:
Number of proposals submitted.
Level of external funding and indirect costs generated.
Level of funding by faculty member.
Objective 5.4: Enhance the research culture in the department by providing numerous opportunities for all faculty to be involved in grant and publication activities.
Strategies:
1. Provide rewards for faculty excellence in research.
2. Assist the establishment of relationships between new faculty and existing faculty who have been successful in the research area.
3. Provide graduate assistantships for new faculty and for those who demonstrate consistent excellence in research.
Assessments:
Number of publications.
Dollar amounts and number of grants.
Number of faculty involved in funded grants.
Objective 5.5: Maintain and establish externally funded centers and institutes that contribute to the HDFS research agenda.
Strategies:
1. Strengthen the relationship between existing institutes/centers and the department.
2. Collaborate with current and new research centers and institutes to explore other funding opportunities that contribute to the department mission.
3. Mentor faculty in the process of establishing and maintaining centers and institutes.
Assessments:
Number of Institutes and Centers.
Funded Amounts of Institutes and Centers.
Contribution to the research culture of the department (publications, conference proceedings, etc.).