October, 1, 2009
NSU’s Focused Mission Statement: We empower students to be socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.
NSU’s Vision Statement: We will be the partner of choice in eastern Oklahoma, embracing the educational, cultural, and economic challenges and opportunities of our global society.
NSU’s Core Values: Integrity, Excellence, Creativity, Leadership, Collaboration
College of Education’s Mission Statement: The mission of the College of Education (COE) is to prepare educators, professional school personnel, and other allied professionals to have a positive impact on the lives of all students, families, and communities with whom they come in contact. The College of Education is committed to continual program improvement by providing and maintaining high quality faculty, program content, and utilization of resources, thus creating the context for effectively facilitating the transformation of candidate to professional.
First COE Strategic Goal: By creating and supporting a dynamic culture of learning and discovery throughout the College of Education and sharing that experience at every opportunity, the COE will expand our role as one of the primary driving forces to initiate and sustain educational, social and economic improvements in the region.
Second COE Strategic Goal: By strengthening our system of shared leadership and modeling civic engagement, inclusion and collaboration, the COE can improve communication, build trust and empower all the members to lead.
Third COE Strategic Goal: By working to move beyond minimum standards set by accrediting bodies, we can become the college that establishes the benchmark of “best practices” in all academic and administrative areas.
To reach these goals, special attention must be given to the places, the people and the programs.
Place Matters: (Incorporates Goals 4 and 5 from NSU’s 2006/2007 Strategic Plan)
1. Improve the academic environment in which programming is delivered.
A. Have faculty, students and alums nominate rooms to be chosen for a complete makeover. Commit to set aside funds or seek new funding to totally renovate at least one classroom each year with paint, flooring, window treatments, lighting, storage, furniture and technology.
B. Establish and maintain landscaping for buildings and create other outdoor gathering areas.
C. Keep all academic and office areas neat, organized, efficient and professional.
D. Pursue funding to finish Bagley Hall third floor and establish a high tech area (moving and expanding COE computer lab, ITV, material production resource and enclosed storage areas). This move would also free up spaces for additional classrooms on the first floor.
2. Expand collaboration and partnerships with tribes, area schools, clinics and community groups.
A. To create innovative field and clinical experiences
B. To seek funding for projects
C. To become the “gathering place” for the delivery of high quality professional development
D. To conduct research
E. To expand the COE’s Center for Excellence to coordinate the activities
3. Participate in university and community efforts to recycle and reuse materials as well as reduce travel through use of technology.
People Matter (Incorporates Goal 2, 3 and 5 from NSU’s 2006/2007 Strategic Plan)
4. Create the time and opportunities for faculty, staff, students, alums, and administrators and community partners to interact in new and different ways.
A. Scholarly events:
i. Chautauqua presentations
ii. “Brown Bag luncheons” regular forums for discussing topics, sharing of research, scholarly papers or conference presentations
iii. College wide meetings to share data and set priorities
iv. Highlighting student diversity initiative and academic service learning projects
B. Creative events:
i. Provide brainstorming sessions for new ideas or solutions to challenges
ii. Provide places to collaboratively create instructional materials: Create a Resource room at each campus to produce and share innovations in technological and print materials for instruction.
C. Social events:
i. Building Rededication
ii. Homecoming Open House
iii. Beginning of semester party
D. Civic Engagement projects:
i. Continue to expand Minority Teacher recruitment with Celebration of Teaching
ii. Choose an annual group service project for each campus
iii. Track and report services that faculty and student organizations currently provide
iv. Provide training and opportunity to become advocates for children and families
E. Shared Leadership opportunities
i. COE Second Century Advisory Council
ii. Create COE Student Advisory Council
iii. Maintain Teacher Education Council
F. Expand ways to communicate information to wider audiences.
i. Newsletter (print and electronic)
ii. Regular press releases
iii. Marketing and development campaign
5. Expand ways to recognize and reward the modeling of integrity and efforts toward excellence in scholarship, leadership and service to others, creating a set of new annual awards and seek nominations. Create an event to announce and distribute those awards.
A. Alums
B. Current students
C. Faculty
D. Staff
E. Administrators
F. Programs
G. Student Organizations
6. Support the recruitment and retention of high quality faculty and staff.
A. Seek venues to recruit more candidates from underrepresented populations
B. Seek or create appropriate ongoing training
C. Seek or create appropriate professional development
D. Support sabbaticals
E. Support travel for professional conferences and presentations
F. Provide mentoring and support with promotion and tenure process
7. Expand opportunities for our faculty and students to experience other cultures and viewpoints.
A. Visitors coming to campus (short or long term scholars or students)
B. Travel to other areas of US or internationally
C. Continue and expand efforts to recruit more underrepresented candidates into all programs
8. Strengthen the advising process.
A. Training for faculty and staff
B. Explore use of technology
C. Explore creation of advising centers for Broken Arrow and Tahlequah campuses
Programs Matter: (Incorporates Goals 1, 4 & 5 from NSU’s 2006/2007 Strategic Plan)
9. Support programs so that they can continually improve.
A. Seek reassigned time or stipends for program chairs to prepare program reviews.
B. Work with teacher education programs in the other colleges to provide support.
C. Expand and strengthen partnerships with two year institutions to facilitate transfer of students into programs.
D. Create data base to assist programs and unit to collect, analyze and maintain data for reports.
E. Encourage and support innovation, collaboration and creative solutions to challenges at all levels.
F. Seek funding to enhance programming.
10. Promote new programs or initiatives
A. Move forward with proposal for Ed.D. in Community Based Leadership
B. Pursue BS in Recreation
C. Develop Counseling Centers for both BA and Tahlequah campuses
D. Develop a Reading Clinic for Tahlequah campus
E. Develop program for preparing Urban Educators
F. Develop early childhood education/child care programs for both BA and Tahlequah campuses
G. Develop dual certification programs for Special Education to become highly qualified
H. Develop more programming to prepare those who work with autistic children and their families