Max Seel, Dean
Summer 2000

1. MISSION AND VISION

1.1. Mission

We prepare students to create the future.

The College of Sciences and Arts provides the foundation, the fundamental principles, and the areas of creativity and enrichment which are at the core of all university learning. The College educates undergraduate and graduate students to have a global perspective and prepares them to reach their full potential in a technologically rich and ethnically diverse society.

1.2 Vision

Michigan Tech will be a national university of choice.

The College of Sciences and Arts will be a college with exciting programs, scholarship, and research in the science and technology niche. It will be an integral part of a university which is ranked in the top research tier by the Carnegie foundation. The success of our students will always be the most important measure. To that end, faculty and students will learn together in nationally prominent undergraduate and graduate programs which blend teaching, research, and scholarship; anticipate critical emerging directions; and cross the disciplinary boundaries.

1.3 Key Features

In order to accomplish our vision, we need a plan that is informed by the following general, overarching themes:

@ Science and Technology

This century is characterized by the rapid translation of science into technology and by the almost instant practical application of a new discovery. Michigan Tech will be successful if it can transform its traditional narrow technological core competency into a science and technology competency. New high demand areas are in communications, computing and information technology, biotechnology, smart materials, environment and resource sustainability reflected by fast-growth industries in e-commerce, internet, web applications, micro- and nano-technology, industrial ecology and sustainability.

@ Unique Characteristics

Our programs and scholarship will be noted for their disciplinary and interdisciplinary strength. That is, we desire to move into cutting edge interdisciplinary relationships across the College and the University through our "Sci/Tech Plus" initiative (see below under strategy 1.3.1). At the same time, we recognize that strong interdisciplinary programs are contingent upon strong disciplinary foundations.

@ Carnegie I

Michigan Tech is at the threshold of moving from a regional university to that of a Research I university. Since reputation is based on scholarship and research, we will become a university of choice in science and technology only if this transition is achieved. Therefore, the College of Sciences and Arts supports this goal as being fundamental to the overall strategy.

@Success of our Students

The Carnegie I goal is mutually consistent with high-quality undergraduate education. Scholarship and education are inextricably linked. Knowledge is key. The education of leaders requires faculty who are leaders. The education of students to be innovative demands faculty who are innovative in teaching and research. The education of students to unleash their creativity needs faculty who are creative.

@ Internet

Our strategic plan needs to take into account the impact of the internet, web-based instruction, and for-profit education. The College must provide an education that prepares students for an internet-based economy and a networked world as well as for social interaction. The College needs to address where it sees its competitive niche in an environment where the e-commerce market tries to segregate "knowledge delivery", "knowledge creation", and the "social aspects" of a traditional college education.

@ Globalization and Diversity.

The explosion in global electronic communication and the removal of political obstacles for collaborative research and education has impacted every department in the College of Sciences and Arts. Modern research groups are truly global. We need to take advantage and incorporate this into a meaningful experience for our undergraduates: global interconnectedness of markets and economies demand educated persons who can function in a global and diverse environment.

@ Art: A Counterpoint to the Science and Technology Focus

Science and technology are not value-free. In an environment focused on science and technology, the College's programs in the arts -- for education, participation, and enrichment -- provide opportunities to nurture high values. "For art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgement" (J.F. Kennedy).

2. CURRENT CONTEXT

2.1 CURRENT STATUS

Profile:

Sci&Arts majors = 21 % of total student body.
Overall College ratio between undergraduate/graduate: 84/16.

(note:

some departments have no majors (Phys Ed; Fine Arts; ROTC)

one has secondary education certificate (Education)

some have majors and MS programs (CS, Social Sciences)

some have majors, MS and PhD programs (Bio, Chem, HU, Math, Phys)

The College has the "right" mix of majors in current high-demand areas: 33% in Computer Science, 22% in Biology , and 10% in Technical Communication. This provides a good base to grow in the information and biotechnology areas.

The College is in the process of preparing and updating faculty and program profiles. Departmental details will be available for analysis, assessment, and comparison. The following quantitative and qualitative performance indicators are currently under consideration:

Quantitative Productivity Factors

	College	University	%	per t-t faculty S&A
Ranked Faculty (t-t)	151	344	44
Credit Hours (fiscal 98/99):	4,461.5	11,067.5	40	29.5
SCH:	83,810	176,093	48	555
Weighted SCH:	135,166	316,744	43	895
All Faculty:
Credit Hours	7,029.8	14,912.6	47
SCH:	145,146	263,051	55
Weighted SCH:	212,686	436,082	48
Bachelors Degrees:	188 (1997-98)			1.25
MS Degrees:	41			0.27
PhD Degrees:	20			0.13
Research $:	$3 million			$20,000*)

Quality Measures

Publications:	358			2.37 (per faculty)

Other measures (in progress): Offices held in national professional societies, NSF career awards, prizes for scholarship/pedagogy from professional societies, editorial board memberships.

Other Visibility Factors and Special Areas with National Recognition

Numbers and numerical measures alone don't tell the whole story. Various departments within the College have exploited opportunities to establish national recognition in selected niches and these provide areas of basic strength on which we can build.

Biology faculty contributed to the establishment of Michigan Tech's tree biotechnology program, is engaged in cutting edge research in ore extraction through bacteria, and in multi-departmental environmental research. Biology also places 70% of applicants into medical schools (national average 38%). Chemistry faculty are known for the development and testing of new polymers for high-tech applications, lead a large-scale integrated scientific study of the Lake Superior ecosystem, and have an international reputation in the area of optical probes of chiral molecular and biomolecular structure. Computer Science conducts nationally recognized research in compilers - as demonstrated by federal funding and support by multiple industry partners (TI, HP, Compaq) - and in high-performance, parallel, and distributed computing. The Humanities department competes consistently with the best programs in the country - RPI, Purdue, Ohio State, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State - as one of the leading programs in technical communication, both on the undergraduate and graduate level. It produces and edits four international journals. Its Center for Computer-Assisted Language Instruction is nationally recognized as one of the oldest and consistently cutting edge centers for the use of electronic technology in educational environments. The department of Mathematical Sciences has assembled an internationally known group in discrete mathematics. At the same time, its faculty has received repeatedly state-wide recognition for its excellence in teaching. Physics faculty have leadership roles in the Pierre Auger Observatory (the world's largest cosmic ray observatory), the Astronomy Picture of the Day (25 million page hits per year), and in the design of instruments for major international collaborations as well as spacecraft payloads. The department of Social Sciences is considered the primary center for the graduate study of the sub-discipline of industrial archaeology in the US. It serves as the national headquarters for the Society of Industrial Archaeology and edits its journal.

Some of these examples rest heavily on a specific faculty member. We need to develop programs that are sustainable independent of individuals.

2.2. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS

Internal Strengths

Quality of faculty; quality of student body; science and technology niche; selected facilities; small enrollments in many junior and senior level courses and doctoral programs permitting close faculty-student interaction; potential to draw diverse gender and ethnic faculty and student body; rich environment for interdisciplinary work; location.

Internal Weaknesses

Low proportion of undergraduate majors in Sci&Arts; small alumni (and hence small donor) base and endowment; lack of diverse student and faculty body; small enrollments in many junior and senior level courses making course delivery expensive on a per student basis; small enrollments in doctoral programs; facilities.

External Opportunities

Enrollment growth in most majors; attract top transfer students into sciences and arts programs; science and technology key driving forces of the present and future; attractive niche for international students; internet.

External Threats

Engineering-school-only reputation impediment to recruitment; limited resource base and faculty lines; isolated geographic location; while MTU's tuition is low for an engineering school, it is not low for students who wish to study in traditional sciences and arts areas; funding base; internet; for-profit skills providers.

3.1 The University Goals

The University Plan, approved by the Board of Control, adopts the following six goals:

The University Plan also states, that "at any given time, one goal might require more immediate attention and focus. However, it is imperative that we make progress across all of the six goals."

In the following, it is shown how the objectives and strategies of the College of Sciences and Arts support the university goals and objectives. Specific action items for the next year(s) including measurable outcomes are given in the appendix

This current draft needs at least one more iteration to address the question of resource allocation and the link to the budget for the next year(s).

3.2 The Objectives and Strategies of the College of Sciences and Arts

To achieve the university goals requires FOCUS. The College distinguishes itself in two fundamental ways from the arts and sciences colleges at other institutions. First, we focus our curriculum, scholarship, and research on a technology and science niche that drives the content and the spirit of the College. Second, we weave our diverse disciplinary interests and strengths through this technology and science focus to create unique, innovative interdisciplinary programs that continually explore and, ultimately, expand the boundaries of learning for both students and faculty.

To build strong interdisciplinary programs requires a strong disciplinary core. Currently, the College of Sciences and Arts provides the essential core in mathematics, the sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. While assessment might provide indication of relative under- or over-performance of individual programs, and, therefore, suggest some reallocation of resources, downsizing or elimination will not provide a major source of new resources. We already provide a smaller number of degree offerings than any other college in Michigan and, as a university, have the bare minimum number of PhD programs to qualify for Carnegie I.

The size of most of the disciplinary departments places limits on their ability to secure broad-based national recognition, i.e., recognition for the unit as opposed to outstanding individuals within the unit. Thus, meeting the goal of national recognition will require identifying and promoting programs that cross disciplines, drawing on strength of multiple departments in new ways.

GOAL 1: Provide an outstanding and relevant learning environment, consistent with a national university of choice.

Strategy 1.1. Continue to provide the foundation, the fundamental principles, and the areas of creativity and enrichment which are at the core of all university learning.

A strong foundation in the sciences and arts is central to every professional degree offered at Michigan Tech. This is independent of whether the degree is in mining or in bioinformatics.

The "traditional" general education areas including not only the Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and the Humanities, but also the mathematics and the sciences are clearly areas we must have.

Physical education and intramural programs will continue to provide a comprehensive package of opportunities for participation in sports activities and wellness concepts for students, faculty, and staff.

Strategy 1.2. Be a recognized innovator in the effective and appropriate application of technology in undergraduate instruction.

The College of Sciences and Arts will provide students access to modern educational technology. The College will continue its tradition of effective and caring instruction based on personal contact by dynamic educators. However, the classroom setting will be constantly changing as faculty develop and implement new teaching strategies and new technologies aimed at providing a world-class environment for the success of all learning styles.

Areas to be de-emphasized: Always looking to the future, but continually aware of the past, we recognize the need to find a balance between the desire to produce web-based instruction and to maintain the personal contact with students that is so vital to a broad-based educational experience. Thus, we will continually reexamine our areas of emphasis related to web-based curricula to insure that we do not lose the intimate social experience we feel is key to our College's well being.

Strategy 1.3. Focus on programs with national recognition and in areas of critical need

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Areas we must have: The role that Michigan Tech plays in the economic health of the State of Michigan requires that we continue to provide highly qualified graduates in "traditional" disciplines. The state will need for the foreseeable future broadly educated biologists, chemists, computers scientists, mathematicians, physicists, etc. to assume the variety of roles required in a wide variety of research and production laboratories. However, major growth areas are to be expected not so much in disciplinary majors, but in interdisciplinary degree options since much of the excitement in science and technology and many of the new industries will be at the interface of the traditional disciplines. That is, the areas with a strong base that need to be expanded are in emerging areas of science and technology that are interdisciplinary.

Strategy 1.3.1. Launch several cutting-edge interdisciplinary undergraduate programs under the Sci/Tech Plus umbrella

Under the "Sci/Tech Plus" umbrella program we will launch new degree programs which represent a combination of two or more disciplines, most commonly computing plus a second discipline, biology plus a second discipline, or communication plus a second discipline. This will lead to highly attractive degrees in the information technology, biotechnology, and communications arenas. Three examples follow:

Cheminformatics

The department of Chemistry in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science will initiate a new B.S. degree program in Cheminformatics. This degree is at the true interface of these two disciplines, and will prepare students with the skills necessary to be able to interpret results from combinatorial chemistry, computer modeling, and other techniques, and integrate these results into modern scientific databases for far-reaching applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Bioinformatics

Launch a B.S. degree in Bioinformatics that will integrate strength in the biological analytical sciences (biochemistry and molecular biology) with strong computational science expertise

Computer Engineering, a more traditional program between two disciplines, which has been introduced recently, needs to be reexamined (see Anita Jones report). Software Engineering can be introduced relatively easy by Computer Science. Note that the new options in the area of computing and information technology rely to a great extent on discrete mathematics. Our strength in this area provides strong support for these curricular options.

Strategy 1.3.2. Provide a model secondary teacher education program

The quality of schooling in America has been judged to be inadequate for the current times. Strengthening the way universities prepare teachers has become a key element on both national and Michigan presidential agendas with major funding opportunities. 2 million new teachers will be needed. Michigan Tech already has a strong foundation in the area of mathematics and science secondary teacher education (8-12), with new options in Social Studies and English which have become highly successful due to a "technology-rich" curriculum. While nationally 40% of math/science teachers do not hold a major/minor in the discipline they are teaching, at Michigan Tech teacher candidates are required to major or minor in the disciplines they will teach. The integration of the education department into the College of Sciences and Arts puts us on the cutting edge. New options with technology and forestry will be proposed. To make the new options successful, some additional support to teach the necessary methods courses is required.

Areas with no current base that ought to be started:

There are no resources to start something brand-new.

Areas to be de-emphasized:

As pointed out before, the College of Sciences and Arts provides the essential core in mathematics, the sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. This needs to be maintained. In order to accommodate the anticipated new interdisciplinary programs, smaller growth in traditional sciences and arts majors and a smaller number of traditional engineering majors is expected.

Replacement faculty positions in departments will be filled if they are necessary to maintain the critical core disciplinary knowledge and/or to support the interdisciplinary growth areas identified above. New faculty lines will follow the same principle.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Growth in research and research funding requires growth of graduate programs. We don't have PhD programs to eliminate - university-wide there are only 15. With limited resources, the introduction of new PhD programs needs to be carefully analyzed. Two new programs are proposed. It will be essential for all programs that the university is competitive in the areas of graduate student stipends, health insurance and workload.

Strategy 1.3.3. Create a Computer Science PhD program

The CS department has a growing research program, but its research productivity is, or will be, severely hampered by not having a PhD program. Research projects are best accomplished when graduate students stay with a project for some years. Currently, the CS department is using the Computational Science and Engineering program for a few select students. It is time to create a CS PhD program.

Strategy 1.3.4. Create a PhD program in Applied Engineering Physics

Taking advantage of overlapping research areas and faculty appointments, especially in materials and electronics/ instrumentation, a new PhD program in Applied Engineering Physics offers exceptional institution-wide prospects. It supports a vision of Michigan Tech being nationally recognized for its science and technology competency and rapid translation of science into technology.

Strategy 1.4. Strengthen the international aspects of our programs for a diverse community

Many individual departmental resources, programs, and initiatives promote international communication and provide an international learning experience, e.g., the Humanities' modern languages programs, the College's efforts to implement and improve "World Cultures" courses, international performance tours, international scientific exchange. One innovative initiative is highlighted because it benefits both international graduate and US undergraduate students from departments and colleges across the university. The College is committed to strengthening the university's commitment to international students through expansion of the Humanities GTA preparation program which currently provides instruction for international GTAs: drawing on the experience and pedagogy gained in the Writing Center and by partnering US undergraduates with foreign graduate students, graduate students become immersed in the US culture and undergraduates become acquainted with world culture. Consistent with the expectation that the university's graduate programs will grow, this program needs to grow to accommodate 150 international graduate students by 2003.

Departmental diversity plans: Departments developed in their individual departmental plans specific initiatives which reflect the need to have a faculty and student body representative of an increasingly diverse world.

GOAL 2: Expand our scholarship and research activities, sustaining successful existing programs while pursuing new endeavors in carefully targeted areas.

National recognition and reputation is based on scholarship and research. The size of most departments limits their ability to achieve high national rankings. Therefore, the goal of reaching national prominence can best be achieved by selecting and promoting a few strategic research areas which are supported university-wide. The University Plan introduced the concepts of platforms.

Strategy 2.1 Identify and align with the university-wide strategic research areas.

A matrix structure will be useful to identify how the departments of the College of Sciences and Arts can contribute to strategic research areas. The university-wide discussion on Areas we must have, Areas with a good base that must be expanded, New Areas, Areas to be de-emphasized, will identify the research foci. Areas which have been mentioned are: Environment, Materials, Manufacturing, Biotechnology, and Information Technology. The following matrix shows the expertise of Sciences and Arts departments in these research areas.

GOAL 3: Identify the best size and blend for our educational programs, which have a diverse student body, faculty, and staff.

By 2010, the College of Sciences and Arts should accommodates 400 more undergraduate students for a total of 1650. Many of these new students will probably be in new programs like Cheminformatics or Bioinformatics. These options should be available by 2000 to 2002. Students in these programs are listed under "SciTech Plus". Fast growth in these interdisciplinary areas will probably lead to some reshuffling in traditional majors. PhD students will almost double from currently 114 to 215, with a small increase in MS students from 103 to 140 (82/18 undergraduate/graduate ratio).

Undergraduate majors to faculty ratio is one quality factor. To bring the current ratio of 40:1 in Computer Science to 20:1 would require 10 new faculty. At the same time, any absolute increase in undergraduate majors (except transfer students) increases the service load of all departments in Sciences and Arts.

Additional faculty lines are necessary to cover the additional service load and to reach the goal of doubling the number of PhD students and raising research expenditures from currently $3 million to $10 million annually. For the sciences, we propose a "challenge faculty line": 2 new research faculty will be matched by 1 new tenure track line. We estimated, that 10 - 15 new tenure track faculty lines (in addition to the 10 new CS faculty) and 20 research faculty are necessary to reach the targets given below.

GOAL 4: Be the residential campus that provides a sense of diverse community and studentexperiences that develop the whole person.

Strategy: Make art a counterpoint to the science and technology focus

In the age of "internet speed" and "connectivity" where time and space shrink with the advent of the web, beepers, and desktop video-conferencing, we are in danger of losing touch with the importance of human interaction and basic human truths. We believe it is important and a competitive advantage in the for-profit education market that Michigan Tech provides the sense of community, family, and enriching experiences that encompasses a truly well-rounded and well-founded education. The College's programs in the arts -- for education, participation, and enrichment -- provide opportunities to nurture these values.

The completion of the Rozsa Performing Arts Center will provide the university and the community with an acoustically superb and visually beautiful facility in which to experience, perform, and learn about the arts. It will elevate the quality of the College's music, theatre, and visual arts programs through its performance and exhibit spaces and its specialized rehearsal, recording and computer labs.

GOAL 5: Provide an optimized administrative framework with sound physical, technological, and financial resources that are consistent with a national university of choice.

Strategy 5.1: Provide a strong financial base

The College supports a university budget model that combines positive feedback, internal quantitative productivity measures, quality measures, and benchmarking. The model should be informative and allow for adjustments based on unit reviews and strategic planning. It needs to be transparent enough so that college budget allocation to departments can be rationalized. It should reward performance, quality, and progress towards goals. Benchmarking will allow comparing departments with their peers. Most of the points addressed below need further university-wide discussion before college-specific targets can be specified more precisely.

The state operating funding has been more or less steady. It is the largest segment of the General Fund revenue, but its share is declining. It is unrealistic to expect a significant increase to support the increase in resources necessary to achieve the goals described above.

Research funding, particularly that generated from external sources, is an important component of the University budget. While the amounts and sources of funding vary widely according to discipline, we anticipate that overall growth of external grants and contracts will average 10% -15% per year.

In order to reach Research I status, grant proposals need to emphasize PhD graduate student support. The percentage of externally supported graduate students must increase (see benchmark data below). In order to grow our research enterprise, we should consider increasing the number of research faculty. The position needs to be an attractive alternative to a regular tenure-track appointment, with health benefits, bridge funding if their funding temporarily slips while proposals are being reviewed, and attractive salary options. To reach the specific goals outlined in the departmental plans, research faculty needs to make up approximately10% of total faculty. Several departments have specific departmental plans to expand corporate partnerships.

Private funding is anticipated to grow. As a result of Michigan Tech's first capital campaign, we anticipate growth in scholarships and tuition support to ease the pressure on the general fund, matching funds for a building without which the necessary expansion in information technology and growth in research will not be possible, and endowed chairs in many departments.

Strategy 5.2: Provide well-maintained physical facilities with up-to-date technological features

Fisher Hall is at capacity. Faculty from computer science and physics already had to be moved to other buildings. The projected growth depends crucially on the State of Michigan funding the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology as next capital project.

The university must also recognize that many of the older teaching and research laboratories are deteriorating, and the necessary funds to maintain or renovate the existing university physical plant must be secured.

GOAL 6: Support economic development, public sector outreach, and distance education appropriate for a technological university.

Strategy: Develop off-campus partnerships with other universities, federal laboratories, and industry

Individual departmental plans specify specific plans and partnerships. We will establish 1-2 new corporate research (educational) partnerships at the level of $100,000 each year for the next three years. One general area which needs to be improved is the use and marketing of intellectual property. For example, the paperwork required for one to accept small amounts (<$10k) of industrial support for short-term seed projects should be reduced or eliminated. The patent royalty policy also needs to change. Currently, colleges receive no return on royalty revenues, yet deans are often asked to share financial support for projects in the initial phase. Departments share only 1/3 of the revenues generated up to $180,000. The royalty sharing agreement should be amended so that a portion of the university's share above $180,000 is distributed to the appropriate departments and colleges.

Strategy: Support distance education partnership with GM, specifically the Design Engineer and the Technician 2000 program

In each of these 2 programs, up to 5000 people become possible distance learners. The coordinated effort should provide a high-quality distance ed program and, at the sam time, generate extra resources for on-campus inititatives.

3.3 TIMELINE, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, MEASURABLE OUTCOMES

In the appendix, specific actions, time tables, and performance metrics for the next year(s) are given. The summary table below presents an estimate for the College profile in 2010 if these actions are successfully implemented.

Estimated Profile of the College of Sciences and Arts in 2010:

Department	UG	MS	PhD	tt Fac	new ResFac	Res$(x1,000)
Biology	350	20	25	15	4	1,500
Chemistry	100	15	45	20	2	1,000
CS	500	40	30	20	10	2,500
Edu				5		500
FA	20			10
HU	150	20	50	32		100
Math	100	20	20	32		1,000
Phys Ed				2
Physics	100		45	22	6	4,000
SS	100	25		18		200
Sci/Tech Plus	230
College Total	1650	140	215	176	22	10,800

4. ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS

The College's ambitious goals reflect a vision for Michigan Tech in which we will develop and sustain nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs in our science and technology niches. Success in reaching these goals is based not only on the success of our own efforts within the College, but also on our success in forging and sustaining critical cross-institutional linkages. These cross-institutional, trans-portfolio links and planning iterations include recruiting and retention at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, faculty), our contributions to the success of the Capital Campaign, new strategies of Intellectual Property management and research support development, partnerships concerning infrastructure development, and alignment with broad institutional activities such as the proposed Technology Park. Indeed, success in becoming one of our nation's premier technological institutions within the top tier of research institutions will require not just the best efforts of MTU's individual units, but a coordinated strategy that combines all aspects of the university, our vision and accomplishments, our excellent faculty and students, and our resolve to succeed.

BENCHMARKS

Benchmark data are currently collected. NSF's WebCASPAR database ( http://caspar.nsf.gov/ ) provides access to a large body of statistical data resources dealing with science and engineering (S&E) at U.S. academic institutions and is being utilized..

Possible departmental benchmarks include (RPI emerged with the broadest base): Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Missouri Rolla, Colorado School of Mines; California Polytechnic State University, Carnegie Mellon, Clarkson University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Lehigh University.

Other possibilities are Case Western Reserve, University of Illinois, Purdue, New Jersey Institute of Technology, U. of Virginia, Cornell, Iowa State, U. of Minnesota, Texas Tech, and New Mexico State.

APPENDIX: Links to Departmental Portfolios

Biology

Chemistry

Computer Science

Education

Fine Arts

Humanities

Mathematics

Physics

Physical Education

Social Sciences

Army ROTC:

AirForce ROTC:

APPENDIX: Specific Actions, Performance Measures, and Time Table