From: "Glover, Joe" To: "'glover@math.ufl.edu'" Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 11:11:46 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM APRIL 26 TASK FORCE RETREAT The recommendations below were given "preliminary approval" by the Task Force at its recent retreat (except for items in italics, which have yet to be considered/approved). "Preliminary approval" means the Task Force subscribes to the idea expressed, but reserves the right to prioritize/modify/approve after reviewing precise language in the draft report at its next retreat. 1. The President should continue to raise the standards for tenure and promotion at an appropriate pace. These standards should be documented by Academic Affairs, discussed with deans, department chairs, and faculty, and reflected in college and department documents. 2. UF must strengthen its recruitment and retention of its productive faculty in high priority areas through attention to critical elements, such as: salaries, counteroffers, mentoring, flexibility and sensitivity in family concerns and issues, shared faculty governance. 3. UF should continue to expand and strengthen graduate education, especially at the doctoral level, and specifically address the issues raised below. In units where these considerations apply to postdoctoral opportunities, these comments apply as well. Issues: recruiting, mentoring, retention, doctoral vs. master's enrollments, tuition waivers. 4. All Colleges should improve mechanisms to develop leadership skills among faculty. 5. Interdisciplinary research and education are fundamental components of a comprehensive university. UF should develop administrative structures/mechanisms/rewards to promote and expand interdisciplinary research and scholarship. In particular, develop a mechanism to facilitate information flow, coordination and cooperation among colleges and departments, especially in the biological sciences and the physical sciences. 6. Appropriate administrators, including the Provost, Deans and Department Chairs, should examine the use of dedicated teaching/clinical/supervisory positions to address specific situations. 7. Deans of colleges must specify and prioritize the departments most critical to enhancing the scholarly reputations of the College and the University. The Dean must insure that each Chair has appropriate leadership skills and motivation to implement the vision and mission. The Provost and Dean must provide appropriate resources to the most critical departments. (i) The University's reputation is critically affected by the reputation of CLAS. In particular, the following areas need major attention in strengthening CLAS: physics, chemistry, biological sciences (in coordination with IFAS and COM), mathematics, English, history, psychology, political science. Serious consideration should be given to forming an economics department in CLAS. (ii) The University's reputation is greatly affected by the reputation of the College of Engineering. In particular, the following areas need major attention in strengthening this college: biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. 8. CLAS should share leadership responsibility in the training of secondary school teachers in mathematics, foreign languages, and the physical sciences with the College of Education. CLAS and CALS should share leadership responsibility in the training of secondary school teachers in the biological sciences with the College of Education. 9. The Provost should look to the UF Research Foundation for support in advancing the university's strategic priorities. 10. UF has no lower division and upper division writing programs. Interested Deans and the Provost should marshal university resources to create such a program. 11. The College of Engineering should work with SFCC to establish a degree program in Computer Science on the SFCC campus. The College of Nursing should work with SFCC to expand degree options in nursing. CLAS and the College of Education should work with SFCC to establish degree programs in teacher preparation. 12. [not currently approved; tabled for future discussion] IFAS should increase its integration with other colleges to maximize the use of resources for undergraduate and graduate education and the initiation of novel directions in interdisciplinary research. 13. A new college should be formed from HP and HHP, but not by simply combining all of the parts. A Task Force should be charged to explore the formation of a new college based on the consolidation of these two colleges. 14. A mechanism to unite the campus units in psychology into a virtual or real school or institute should be considered. 15. The President should consider the following two options in restructuring CNRE: (i) A School of Natural Resources and the Environment should be established with a director responsible to the IFAS VP and to the deans of CLAS and the College of Engineering. The Provost shall assure that the director has the support of the VP and the deans to carry out the mission of NRE. (ii) CNRE becomes a School in IFAS. The deans of CLAS and the College of Engineering share programmatic authority with IFAS in setting policies and implementation of the school. 16. The College of Medicine should continue its interdisciplinary effort in areas of critical concern including: genetics, neuroscience, cancer, biotechnology, and diabetes. The following recommendations address COM's relationship with the rest of the university: (1) Increase investments in the Department of Health Policy and Epidemiology; explore offerings in Public Health; (2) Increase integration of the Institute on Aging with other colleges; and (3) Encourage COM faculty participation in undergraduate and graduate education in other colleges, especially in the biological sciences. 17. Special College Considerations. [These recommendations have not yet been ratified/prioritized by the entire Task Force.] (i) The College of Business Administration should be encouraged to increase admissions requirements into the BABA program, improve the learning environment for undergraduate business majors and increase graduate enrollment in selected programs. (ii) The Colleges of Dentistry, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine have as their fundamental mission the education of professional students. All enjoy high national rankings and contribute in fundamental ways to the state and consequently bring important attention to the university. The university should continue to sustain these valuable programs. (iii) The College of Law should improve its student/faculty ratio and be given tuition flexibility. (iv) Serious consideration should be given to the formation of a School of Public Health. (v) College of Journalism and Communications: Sustain the program and encourage graduate growth. (vi) College of Design, Construction and Planning: Retain current structure, transition to higher professional expectations, more emphasis on graduate education. (vii) College of Fine Arts: Retain current structure and sustain the program. (viii) College of Education: Focus resources on research, outreach to public schools, and doctoral programs.