A Vision and Plan for Future Development of Washburn’s Academic Programs—October 24, 2003

Introductory Remarks and Plan Overview

The road to graduation from Washburn University should not merely be a series of transactions by which a student completes an assemblage of courses and is then rewarded with a diploma. Every graduate should not only have transacted with the University, but every graduate should also have been transformed by those transactions. The goal of a higher education institution is not to turn out graduates. The goal is to graduate students who turn out to be highly principled citizens who make a difference in society.

The most powerful role the University plays is to facilitate important transformations in the lives of our students. While many of these life-changing moments occur in the classrooms, some incredibly rich transformational experiences transcend the traditional classroom experience. At Washburn University, we have demonstrated excellence in at least four types of transformational experiences:

(1) Scholarly and creative activity: Students who have engaged with faculty members in extra-classroom settings to advance knowledge, to create music or art or literature, or to participate in other experiences that require a high level of intellectual stimulation or achievement graduate from the University prepared to solve increasingly complex problems and to sort through complex and sometimes contradictory information in order to gain fresh insight.

(2) International education: Students who have studied abroad, learned a foreign language or been thoroughly exposed to the richness of history and culture beyond our shores graduate from the University ready to contribute to a fast-paced global society in which information is delivered instantly around the world, while understanding too often stops at the borders.

(3) Leadership: Students who participate in leadership activities are transformed by the power of leadership's examples and experiences and graduate from the University as citizens who see the abundance of opportunities to lead and are ready to accept the responsibilities that come with those opportunities.

(4) Community service: Students who have engaged with faculty members and other students in significant, meaningful community service, and who have been guided to reflect on the power and purpose of these experiences, graduate from the University as citizens who are not resigned to accepting the community as it is but have a vision for how they can help make the community what it could be.

These experiences are available to our students now, but we will enhance them so that every baccalaureate student will have engaged in at least one of these transformational experiences before graduation.

As important as these transformational experiences are, their success is dependent on a solid educational foundation for each undergraduate student. The value of the experience is in direct proportion to the readiness of the student to engage with it. Meaningful general education, coupled with modern major programs, provides this foundation. Washburn's general education curriculum, while sound, is not all that we hoped for when it was last revised some eight years ago. It is time for the University to rethink the goals and purposes of general education and to develop a purposeful, powerful, and principled general education core. And, of course, successful major programs must regularly be updated and improved as knowledge and pedagogy advance.

In this context, and with recognition of the history, tradition, and culture of Washburn University, we propose the following as an outline for the development of our academic programs over the next five years.

Vision

Washburn University will be widely recognized for academic excellence, evidenced by student and faculty achievement, leadership development, community commitment, and global understanding.

Core Values of Washburn University

Washburn University values high quality instruction in the
      learning/teaching process.

Washburn University values diversity, is dedicated to equality,
      and is committed to serving a diverse population including
      residents of Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, the nation
      and the world.

Washburn University values the fundamentals of a general
      education.

Washburn University values helping individuals reach their full
      academic potential.

Washburn University values a collegial and interactive process
      in planning and decision making, promoting civility,
      understanding, and mutual concern.

Washburn University values improvement, continuously
      assessing undergraduate and graduate programs to meet
      community needs and professional expectations.

Washburn University values both tradition and innovation.

Washburn University encourages growth and development of
      all learners and those who facilitate these processes.

Washburn University values integrity and ethical behavior in all
      matters.

Washburn University provides a professional and supportive
      work environment where our employees enjoy freedom of
      conscience and the right to refuse to engage in actions that
      violate ethical principles, professional standards, or
      provisions of law.

Washburn University values transformational experiences in
      leadership, community service, international education and
      scholarly and creative activities for all baccalaureate students.

Washburn University values its role in the community and is
      closely engaged with the community beyond the campus,
      providing services and outreach activities that enhance the
      social and economic vitality of the region.

Select Mission of Washburn University

Washburn University shall prepare qualified individuals for careers, further study and life long learning through excellence in teaching and scholarly work. Washburn University shall make a special effort to help individuals reach their full academic potential.
(The Select University Mission was approved by the Washburn Board of Regents in 1999 to more concisely describe the comprehensive mission of the university approved in 1996.)

Strategic Goals and Objectives of Washburn University

A. Student and Faculty Achievement

1. To enhance student ability and achievement we will:

• Require every baccalaureate student to take part in at least one of the following four transformational educational experiences: (a) Leadership Program, (b) service learning, (c) international education, or (d) scholarly and creative activity (individual mentorship by a faculty member)
• Develop a general education program that, along with the transformational experiences, becomes a signature of a Washburn education
• Significantly expand support for student scholarly and creative activity and further develop the University Apeiron
• Foster from admission to graduation a culture of academic integrity among students, faculty and administration
• Create a full-time “Scholarship Advisor” position to assist students who wish to seek scholarships of national reputation
• Raise the standards for unconditional admission; create policies to require students at risk of academic difficulties to avail themselves of services to improve their likelihood of success; address the learning needs of the least well-prepared segment of the student body
• Consider an overall admission standard
• Develop admission requirements for most of our academic programs to improve the likelihood of success
• Provide additional assistance with credentialing examination preparation (bar exam and others)
• Step up efforts to increase the diversity and retention of our student population (especially among Hispanic and Latino populations).

2. To attract and to develop outstanding faculty and staff, we will:

• Continue to emphasize competitive salaries and benefits as a University priority
• Further enhance the faculty development program, including the development of means to help faculty stay current in their disciplines
• Provide opportunities for more collaborative teaching arrangements (team-taught interdisciplinary courses)
• Provide additional resources for faculty travel to professional meetings or faculty involvement in study abroad programs
• Create a full-time grants facilitator position
• Foster a culture of cooperation, mutual respect and scholarly collaboration across academic units of the University through the creation of special events (e.g., colloquia) that bring faculty from different academic units together for scholarly and social activities
• Regularly recognize and reward the scholarly achievements of our faculty (and students)
• Step up efforts to increase the diversity of our faculty and staff
• Develop a program of individual development contracts with faculty that would allow faculty, in consultation with the department chair/dean, to adjust teaching, scholarly activity, and service expectations to match the talents and interests of the individual faculty member with the goals and needs of the academic institution and the University.

3. To provide strong support for a high quality learning environment, we will:

• Complete the classroom furniture enhancement project; provide media capabilities (Internet access, video, etc.) in all classrooms; provide wireless network access to all faculty and students
• Evaluate and respond to campus space needs, including classroom, laboratory, office and meeting spaces
• Plan for improved science facilities
• Improve breadth, depth and accessibility of information resources and library collections required to support instruction and scholarly activity
• Develop, deliver and assess reference, instruction and information literacy programs that support learning and instruction

4. To ensure appropriate programmatic development and assessment, we will:

• Develop an MSN program that meets the health care needs of this community
• Establish the School of Law as one of the Midwest's top law schools and gain a national reputation for excellence
• Continue to take strategic steps necessary for a positive accreditation decision by AACSB-International
• Perform a comprehensive analysis of the MBA program and make necessary changes to insure a high quality program
• Strengthen the Entrepreneurship curriculum
• Expand the role of the BIS or similar curriculum
• Evaluate and implement other advanced degrees that meet community needs and are appropriate to the University's mission, including joint programs with the law school and other academic units
• Evaluate and implement undergraduate programs that meet community needs and that are appropriate to the University's mission
• Increase continuing education offerings in Social Work and Human Services (to fill the void left by Menninger)
• Continue to require assessment of student learning in all programs and to take steps to ensure continued success and continued improvement
• Continue to assess the effectiveness and impact of library collections and services in meeting user needs

B. Leadership Development

• Continue development of the Leadership Program to increase the number of students participating in leadership activities
• Promote other avenues for student leadership development

C. Community Commitment

• Create a full-time Director of Community Service Programs position, the director to work with faculty to develop service learning course projects and with existing service outreach programs (for example, LINC and the Bonner Scholars/Leaders program)
• Provide more community-based health services to at-risk populations
• Increase the positive interaction of the School of Business faculty and students with the WU Small Business Development Center to provide students with more hands-on experience with new venture creation
• Further develop the facilities and functions of the University's public television station and art museum to provide excellent educational and artistic programs for the community
• Further develop science outreach programs
• Establish centers or institutes to take advantage of the strengths of Washburn's academic programs and location.

D. Global Understanding

• Substantially increase funding available to assist students who wish to study abroad and to recruit international students to attend Washburn
• Encourage and enable more majors to add language requirements and to add additional language opportunities at Washburn (for example, Chinese and Arabic languages)
• Increase the number of direct exchange programs to provide additional opportunities for students and faculty
• Along the lines of international exchange programs, develop a program of exchanges with other US institutions to provide students the opportunity to study in other parts of the country and to expose students to different cultures within our own borders
• Increase international exchange opportunities for nurses in Hungary, Northern Ireland, Finland, Mexico, and Canada
• Strengthen the International Business curriculum

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