College of Arts & SciencesStrategic Priority One

Key Performance Indicators

By 2030, we aspire to:

• Increase first-year retention rate to 84 percent.
• Increase four-year graduation rate to 58 percent.
• Increase six-year graduation rate to 70 percent.

High-Impact Practices

• The Department of Economics runs a weekly Economics Teaching Workshop focused on pedagogy and classroom preparation for graduate students interested in teaching-focused careers. Participants deliver short lessons on core economic concepts and receive structured critiques from seasoned instructors and faculty. This initiative has been transformative in elevating their pedagogical skills, communication, and classroom effectiveness, both at Texas Tech and beyond.
• The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry & Biochemistry, have partnered with TTU’s Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center to create a Learning Assistants Program for several introductory core courses. This program embeds high-achieving students with prior experience in these courses (Learning Assistants) to support currently enrolled peers through structured, small-group learning. Learning Assistants attend lectures alongside these students and later lead evening discussion sessions that reinforce key concepts and clarify challenging material. Through tutoring and guided review, Learning Assistants help strengthen understanding, encourage collaboration, and provide timely academic support that deepens engagement with course content.

Highlighted Initiatives

• The Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management has developed a Teaching Plan based on its commitment to continuing improvement. Each instructor responds to any 4 of 12 questions developed by a committee most relevant to their teaching for each three-hour course taught, with their responses incorporated into the Annual Faculty Review. Each faculty member completes one peer observation of a class for a colleague or graduate part-time instructor annually or invites a colleague to complete a peer observation of one of your classes. Also, each faculty member attends at least one professional development workshop or conference sponsored by the Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Center or its equivalent (e.g., a national teaching conference or a minimum of a one-hour webinar or podcast on enhancing teaching). 
• With the goal of improving student success, retention, persistence, and knowledge transfer, the Department of English has continually revised and refined ENGL 1301 and 1302. Recent revisions include more opportunities for students to learn practices and skills transferable to upper-division courses and to civic life; pilot experiments in assessment to support student ownership of learning; revised assignments that promote reflection on language practices; and opportunities for students to make intentional choices about the media and modalities for their projects. 

Key Perfomance Indicators

By 2030, we aspire to:

• Document and increase the number of students participating in study abroad opportunities.
• Document and increase the number of students participating in internship opportunities.
• Document and increase the number of students participating in undergraduate research. 

High-Impact Practices

• CAS participates in the university’s broader global education mission by offering specialized study-abroad programs that integrate experiential learning into academic study. Students will directly engage in international events, allowing hands-on experience with global industries, and cross-cultural communication. TTU’s study abroad infrastructure is managed centrally through the Office of International Affairs. Students from CAS will benefit from experiential learning approach based on the commitment to opportunities such as field-based learning, research abroad, service-learning components, and faculty-led programs, representing core elements of the study abroad framework. These experiences are designed to enhance academic learning with real-world, multicultural engagement.
• The Department of History’s Online MA program offers a flexible, convenient path to an advanced diploma from anywhere in the world. The focus of the online MA is on providing a platform for developing critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills (reading, writing, and oral) within a historical framework. In their final semester, students design a capstone project in conjunction with a faculty advisor that may include curriculum and lesson plan development, museum or library exhibit design, digital or documentary projects, or an article-length research paper.
• The Departments of English and History work closely with Texas Tech University Press to provide internship opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience with acquisitions, editing, production, marketing, promotions, and public relations. Students majoring in History, English, or in Writing, Design, and Technical Communication can earn internship credit to apply to their degree in these programs.
• The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has developed a series of capstone laboratories designed to require knowledge from multiple courses. For example, students will synthesize a chemical ligand, perform characterization and analysis, and finally apply their synthesized molecules in a real setting. The process is inquiry-driven and requires students to master concepts and techniques across their education in our department. 

Highlighted Initiatives

• The CAS Undergraduate Research Academy (CASURA) is designed to strengthen undergraduate engagement in multidisciplinary research. Its primary mission is to promote integration, collaboration, and partnerships across departments within CAS and research centers such as the Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experience (TrUE). The academy offers a 13-hour Multidisciplinary Research Certificate, provides research opportunities, and supports students through initiatives in rural West Texas. Overall, CASURA aims to build a vibrant undergraduate research culture and enhance student academic and professional development.
• The CAS Office of Student Success (OSS) empowers students to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals. The advisors and specialists of the OSS meet with all CAS students who need academic support, offering holistic advice and personalized success plans. Additional support services include time-management guidance, life coaching, career coaching, and outreach events throughout each semester. 
• The Center for the Integration of STEM Education & Research (CISER) merges science education and research through undergraduate research opportunities to cultivate innovation in STEM education. Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) engage in various research projects, travel for presentations, and participate in events to enhance their skills and knowledge in STEM fields.

Key Performance Indicators

By 2030, we aspire to:

• Expand student and departmental participation in the Career & Leadership Academy.
• Sustain number of students participating in the Student Ambassador Program.
• Increase the number of meaningful connections between students and alumni. 

High-Impact Practices

• The Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures (CMLL) provides students with opportunities to integrate academic learning with professional experience in multilingual and intercultural engagement through internship programs. Through partnerships with Lubbock ISD, Literacy Lubbock, the TTU Career Center, and others, this course helps students enhance their teaching skills and intercultural understanding, explore career pathways, and contribute to community-based educational initiatives.
• In his graduate Human Factors Psychology courses, Dr. Keith S. Jones pairs his students with alumni who provide micro-internship opportunities. For example, alongside their alumni, student teams tackle challenges such as how to design 3D maps for video games, how to evaluate whether vestibular stimulation prevents motion sickness, or ways in which AI can be leveraged in user experience research. They complete the project and report out, just as they would on the job. 
• In coordination with Texas Workforce, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the college’s Renewable Energy program has developed a grant-funded training initiative to build data science and critical infrastructure security skills for energy, water, and agriculture sectors. Hands-on sessions, real control-room scenarios, CEUs, and stackable micro-credentials prepare participants for immediate impact in alignment with state and national priorities. 

Highlighted Initiatives

• The Career & Leadership Academy is a multi-year program designed to establish and support principles of individualized leadership for students to utilize when pursuing career choices. It was established in 2024 to provide CAS with an exclusive leadership program designed to elevate students’ best qualities into transferable skills. This extracurricular program integrates seamlessly into the four-year bachelor’s degree as a powerful supplement to continued education.
• Since 2013, the Student Ambassador Program has focused on enhancing the visibility of CAS by providing students with an opportunity to interact professionally with the public and peers, and to serve the College and the community. Ambassadors for CAS primarily serve as a direct representative for the College to promote its visibility and be role models to other students and prospects. By interacting with prospective and current affiliates of the College, ambassadors become a valuable part of the information chain from the University to key audiences. To those not associated with the College, ambassadors provide information about the College regarding concerns, requests, or issues raised by prospective students, current students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other constituents.
• Established in 2023, the CAS Dean's Advisory Board Mentorship Program focuses on professional readiness and support for undergraduate students entering the work force and/or graduate programs. Current Dean's Advisory Board members mentor junior and senior College of Arts & Sciences Student Ambassadors; students who directly represent the College through service to the campus and community. Mentors and mentees regularly meet throughout the fall and spring semester to review topics such as resumes, interviews, networking, and other important points of professionalism to assist students in pursuit of a successful future.
• In the Department of Psychological Sciences, Dr. Alyssa Clements-Hickman has developed and implemented the PATHS (Preparing Aspiring Therapists for Health Services) Program. This is a 6-week non-class-based learning opportunity, which helps prepare undergraduates for graduate school, teaches them foundational helping skills, and builds their confidence.