Scholarship, Creativity and Research Strategic Plan Implementation: May 2014 Update

Scholarship, Creativity & Research

CAD Strategic Plan Implementation Committee

May, 2014 Update

 

Discussions in April and May meetings centered on the following key categories:

 I. Grant Writing Support

 II. Specifically student-focused initiatives

 III. Communication / optimization of existing and established activities

 IV. Other germane areas

 

I. Grant Writing Support:

It is believed that the Institute-wide grant writing support is focused more on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and less on the humanities. As such, CAD should take a leadership role in proactively promoting and supporting grant writing in the humanities area. Specific action items here include:

  • Coordinate with existing Institute grant writing resources
  • Benchmark existing grant writing boot camp with the goal of CAD hosting a grant-writing workshop more specifically designed for the humanities
  • Provide funding for incidentals such as postage for both faculty and students in the grant submission process
  • Include students in the process of seeking grants for their scholarship

II. Specifically student-focused initiatives:

While the academic and creative needs of students permeate all of the topics discussed, some areas are specifically germane to encouraging student engagement in this area. These include:

  • Possibility of a special computer lab for senior-use only
  • Critique for digital humanities
  • Student publishing: CAD Journal
  • Coordination of teaching with research to better engage students

 

 

III. Communication / optimization of existing and established activities

The current offerings of CAD in the areas of Scholarship, Creativity and Research are wide-ranging, and many may be underutilized and underpublicized. Work in this area includes:

  • Encourage interdisciplinary work
    • Interdisciplinary nature of proposed work should be considered for release time/internal funding concerns
    • Common foundation: foundational semiotics course for all CAD majors
    • Pass/fail
    • Computer lab for seniors only
    • Continue and expand symposia, perhaps model after Imaging Science (one minute research symposia)
    • Creative course design
    • Communication Issues
      • Underutilization of CAD events calendar
      • Coordinate calendar with college blogs
      • Install video ‘calendars’ in common areas to better publicize existing events

 

 

IV. Other germane areas:

Other relevant topics for the SCR committee moving ahead include:

  • FEAD Grants: recognized as a valued and needed resource. It would help, however, if the cycles for FEAD application were designated and the same each Fall and Spring, e.g.: September 15 and February 15 (or the first business day immediately following).
  • Travel funding: Existing funding for faculty travel to conferences is part of development funds, however conference participation goes beyond development and is integral to scholarship. Additional structured funding for both faculty and student travel should be discussed and advanced.
  • Publishing support: faculty publishing support in the form of copyright funding for intellectual property use should be recognized as a worthy use of funding for scholarship support.
  • Library resources: in some areas library resources are underrepresented, CAD should take a more active role in supporting the influence on library resources by professors.

Concluding statement: At the close of the 2013-2014 academic year, the CAD Scholarship, Creativity and Research committee looks forward to fulfilling its charge with tangible actions and coordination with College and Institute resources in 2014-2015.

 

 

 

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