Commitment to Excellence
2003-04 Annual Report
May 4, 2004
Background
Using a faculty review process in 2002-03, IUPUI assigned priorities to proposals for major improvements in response to a request for proposals. As a result of extensive planning and project development, 21 Commitment to Excellence (CTE) projects were funded. The plan was presented to and approved by the IU Trustees in June 2003. Separately, an additional project was funded entirely through campus reallocation funds and four CTE projects have been augmented with campus reallocation funds. Funds were awarded over a three year period with some projects receiving funding in all three years while others may have received funding in only one or two years. Seven of the 21 programs were scheduled for implementation in the second year; each program developed planning and prepared for implementation without funding being assigned. The remaining programs had partial implementation during 2003-04. The results are summarized below. All funded projects achieved their primary objectives although three had late starts and were not able fully to meet the original objectives for the first year.
Project Summaries
Each of the 21 CTE projects has made progress in implementing plans although several will not receive funding until the second year.
IUPUC: In 2003-04, $200,000 was committed to help with the leadership transition including the recruitment of a new Dean and Vice Chancellor. Additionally funds were used to help with the implementation of new undergraduate degree programs, specifically with the retention of faculty in education and the augmentation of library resources.
Bepko Scholars: A total of $360,000 was allocated to the Bepko Scholars program for scholarship support. In the first year, most of this money was used for program start up, including the development of materials, marketing, and student recruitment. Scholarships have been extended to 12 outstanding students for the first cohort beginning in fall 2004, all of whom are expected to accept. The students have an average SAT score of 1312 and 95th percentile in their graduating classes; they have completed an average of 23 college-oriented high school units. A full cohort of 20 students is expected for fall 2005. The scholarships will provide a guaranteed minimum of $5,000 of support for a total of weight years—thus allowing students to begin at IUPUI as undergraduates and continue their graduate or graduate professional education. The program is designed to attract some of the state’s very best talent and to retain them in state by connecting undergraduate work with graduate professional education in the units where IUPUI offers unique opportunities, such as law, dentistry, medicine, nursing, social work, engineering, and so forth. Most students will have their scholarships augmented, and the total value of the Bepko Scholarship is estimated to be between $100,000 and $150,000 over eight years.
Research Scholars: Funds will not be allocated to the program until fall 2004. However, the program was revised somewhat to comply with recent Supreme Court rulings regarding qualifications and criteria for selection. The program’s name has been changed to “Diversity Scholars Research Program at IUPUI.” Marketing and recruitment materials have been prepared in anticipation of recruitment in 2004-05.
Jones Community Scholars: No new funds were committed in 2003-04. Funds will be added in 2004-05. This program creates merit scholarships for IUPUI undergraduates using community service as the basis of merit. In 2003, the program was dedicated to the memory and spirit of long-time community leader and IUPUI supporter Sam Jones. Eighty-four scholarships were awarded in 2003-04; with the increase in funds, approximately 110scholarships will be awarded in future years contingent on plans to gradually increase the amount of the awards.
Other Undergraduate Financial Aid: No new funds were committed in 2003-04. Funds will be added in 2004-05. This money will augment existing undergraduate scholarship programs at IUPUI.
Graduate Fellowships: Although $180,000 was allocated for graduate fellowships in 2003-04, all of the cash was reclaimed for other purposes. The funds will become available for award for the first time in 2004-05. Due to changes in the funding assumptions, no further graduate fellowship funds will be committed from CTE after this initial installment. The funds were originally planned for this purpose because of the positive impact of graduate students on undergraduate research and program quality.
Comprehensive
Retention Programs: A total of
$550,000 was awarded through CTE to enhance undergraduate retention. Of this sum, $210,000 was designated for
faculty development and $340,000 was designated for
Campus Visitation: $140,000 was allocated in base funds to develop a campus visitation program for prospective undergraduates. However, only $100,000 was assigned for use in 2003-04, and these funds were fully committed and used in the first year to hire staff, develop on-line self -service programs, and to create a video that helps prospective students understand the rich opportunities available at IUPUI. A special emphasis has been placed on working with middle school teachers and parents since many of the most important decisions about college attendance are made at the transition from middle school to high school.
Shared Advisors: $50,000 was allocated to the program for the
first year; the full base commitment of $100,000 will be made available in
2004-05. Due to slow implementation,
only $30,000 will actually be used in 2003-04.
However, two advisors have been hired, shared with nursing and general
studies. This approach to sharing
academic advising between
Peer Scholars: $50,000 was allocated in cash for the first year with the full base commitment of $150,000 becoming available in 2004-05. Due to a slow start in recruitment, the position will not be filled until fall 2004. The search is currently underway for a program director and recruitment of participating students has begun for next year. The cash allocation, therefore, will be reclaimed by the campus for other uses and the program will actually begin at full implementation in the second year.
Learning Through Work: $50,000 was allocated in cash for 2003-04; the full base commitment of $100,000 will be made available in 2004-05. During the first year, 37 undergraduates were supported in a program that connects working on campus with their academic objectives. Three students were in economics, three in physics, and 31 in biology. The program will extend the work-study opportunities during the summer to use fully all of the initial cash allocation.
Conversion of
Part-Time Lecturers: IUPUI completed
the third of four planned installments of converting part-time lecturers into
full time positions. A total of $570,000
in base funds were committed for this purpose.
Eighteen new full time lectures were added, bringing the total to 89
since 2001-02. Nineteen positions will
be added in 2004-05. The 18 positions
for 2003-04 were assigned as follows:
IUPUC (2), liberal arts (6), science (2), engineering and Technology
(2),
University Library: CTE base funds of $300,000 were added to the University Library budget for materials acquisitions: $240,000 was assigned to discipline-based collections, $30,000 for new electronic resources, and $30,000 for copyright and other related expenses. All of the funds have been fully committee but due to the billing for materials, some bills for commitments may not be paid until the following year.
Internationalization: $100,000 in CTE base funds were dedicated to
internationalization projects in 2003-04, including the hiring of a new
associate dean (whose position was increased from half-time to full-time); a
study aboard coordinator position was made full-time and admissions staff were
augmented. International Affairs will
move from the
Faculty Diversification: $100,000 in CTE base funds were added to the existing fund used to assist schools in recruiting and retaining under-represented faculty. These new funds were used to permit the Herron School of Art hire two new minority faculty. The fund provided full salary and benefits for the first year and decreasing amounts over the next two years until Herron assumes full responsibility.
Forensic and Investigative Science: No funds were allocated in 2003-04, but base funds will be assigned to the program in 2004-04. Active planning and program implementation proceeded nonetheless. A new faculty member has been hired and will begin in August 2004. The BS degree is scheduled for ICHE approval at their May meeting.
Bioengineering: A new BS in Biomedical Engineering was approved and will be implemented in fall 2004. Base funds will be added to the program for fall 2004, and three faculty and a professional staff member are being recruited to begin next year.
Honor Scholar Program: $150,000 in base CTE funds was assigned to the Honors Program specifically to provide staff support for the Bepko Scholars program. A half-time faculty director was appointed along with a full-time program directors and secretarial staff. The funds will provide for office and program expenses as well as salaries. The staff for the Bepko Scholars program is now fully in place and students have been recruited for the initial cohort.
Undergraduate Research: Although no funds were allocated in 2003-04, plans for developing the Center for Undergraduate research were completed; the Center will be implemented in fall 2004. The program served as the host for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, an event in April that drew several thousand faculty and undergraduate students to IUPUI from around the nation. Planning included incorporating the McNair Scholars Program and the Diversity Research Scholars Program into the Center. A program assistant has been hired to begin in July 2004.
Civic Collaborative: $200,000 in CTE base funds were allocated for the civic collaborative project, but only $100,000 was made available in 2003-04. Three interdisciplinary civic partnerships were funded to engage undergraduate students in community-based learning: (1) a project sponsored by Physical Education and Nursing with the Cold Spring Elementary School focused on wellness and specifically obesity education; (2) a project sponsored by SPEA, the Center for Earth and Environmental Science and Liberal Arts in partnership with the Central Indiana Water Resources Partnership; and (3) a partnership of Engineering and Technology with several local nonprofit organizations to establish internships. Plans were completed for adding additional staff to manage the community-based work-study program, the American Democracy Project, and the Conversations on Civic Engagement. Two senior Scholars were appointed to the Center on Service and Learning. Searches for two additional professional staff are underway, one to manage service learning and the other to assess student learning and program effectiveness. This program will play a major role in addressing the challenge to double the campus’ civic engagement through internships, service learning and other forms of community based learning.
Public Scholars: No funds were allocated in 2003-04, but two
searches were conducted for faculty. One
position will be filled in collaboration with Herron and will focus on
exhibition planning and design; the other position will be filled jointly with
the
Course Transformation: Although not funded with CTE funds, the course transformation project was approved in the same competitive process. This project developed a prototype of the student electronic portfolio in collaboration with UITS and the Office for Professional Development. Two sections of learning communities using the e-portfolio were offered on an experimental basis to help assess the portfolio. Ten faculty were sponsored for participation in the Jump Start program to help them adapt technology to meet course-specific learning objectives. One department (physics) was selected for a major course transformation project to be gin in summer 2004 and continue through the 2004-05 year.