At the end of December, all CALS’s academic departments submitted five-year plans delineating departmental strategies in the following areas:
Goal 1: Strengthen the Research Portfolio
Goal 2: Strengthen Academic Programs
Goal 3: Strengthen Extension Programs and Outreach Activities
Goal 4: Foster Diversity and an Inclusive Climate
Goal 5: Strengthen Advancement Activities
Goal 6: Enhance Administrative, Service and Governance Efficacy
Goal 7: Enhance Collaboration on Shared Priorities
Goal 8: Increase Revenue Generating Activities
The development of departmental five-year plans was recommended by the CALS Organizational Redesign Committee. The plans support the college’s five-year overall goals to:
- Increase undergrad enrollments to 4,000 students by 2023
- Grow faculty numbers by 10% by 2023
- Reduce the number of majors, while increasing the reach, impact and quality of those we offer
- Optimize the number of departments based on shared priorities
Adding the projections from each departmental plan yields these compiled totals:
| Current (FY18) | 2023 combined goal | Percentage increase | |
| Research portfolio: grant expenditures | $44M | $55M | 25% |
| Academic programs: enrollments | 3,177 | 4,230 | 33% |
| Academic programs: Degrees | 1,026 | 1,360 | 33% |
| Academic programs: credits follow instructor | 63,500 | 76,000 | 20% |
| Academic programs: summer session revenues | $1.4M | $2.2M | 57% |
Individual plans include a number of proposals for new courses—including those online and offered during summer session—research collaborations, outreach programs, professional degree programs and initiatives to strengthen diversity and equity. One example of a commonly mentioned department project was conducting a climate survey, so CALS Human Resources is exploring the possibility of administering a college-wide survey.
The CALS Dean’s Office has reviewed all of the five-year plans and is in the process of discussing them with departments in their annual meetings. After each meeting, Dean VandenBosch will send a letter to departments outlining next steps, to-do items and feedback for the department to consider when revising the five-year plan for next year. The plans are considered living documents and are expected to be updated annually.
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