SCR Strategic Plan Implementation 11/13 Notes Update
The Scholarship, Creativity and Research Strategic Dimension from the CAD Strategic Plan is reproduced below, followed by ideas and actions from the initial meetings of the Committee
Introduction:
Scholarship, creativity and research are pivotal components for faculty, students and staff in our College. CAD’s strategic plan looks to the following goals as defined in RIT’s Strategic Plan:
- Achieve 100% student participation in innovation, creativity, and scholarship activities
- Increase sponsored research awards
- Achieve 100% faculty participation in research
Goal 1 Support
All CAD faculty will have support in their development, implementation and dissemination of scholarship, creativity and research.
Action C1.1. CAD will review and assess how it currently supports faculty in the development, implementation and dissemination of research, creativity and scholarship. This includes the areas of: workload, funding, definitions of scholarship, creativity and research and recognition and value.
Goal 2 Engagement
All CAD students will engage in scholarship, creativity and research throughout their academic career in CAD. Students with identified special learning needs will be respected and accommodated with the goal of consistent learning opportunities for all students regardless of possible disability.
Action C2.1. CAD will review and assess how students are currently engaged in scholarship, creativity and research.
Action C2.2. CAD will support curriculum development to meet this goal.
Action C2.3. CAD will be committed to supporting and providing opportunities for this cgoal to be met within current curriculum and alternative learning spaces and experiences such as co-ops, internships and experiential learning opportunities.
Action C2.4. CAD will strive for a spirit of interdisciplinary collegiality to permeate all aspects of the College, which will manifest itself in a meaningful manner to students. This includes encourangeing and facilitating students to explore areas of academic interest beyond their chosen major. Further, CAD students should have access to learning opportunities from all CAD faculty.
Goal 3. Culture
CAD will foster a culture supportive of scholarship, creativity and research.
Action C3.1. Driven by College leadership, the robust and diverse scholarship, creativity and research activities will be acknowledged and recognized. Areas in which this goal/objective can be supported to include: evaluation process, symposiums and events, on-campus conference opportunities; nurturing synergy across schools and disciplines in CAD; and recognition that the diversity of CAD is its strength.
Action C3.2. CAD will support curriculum development to meet this goal.
Action C3.3. CAD will continue to support and foster its academic research centers such as theImage Permanence Institute and the Cross Media Innovation Center.
Action C3.4. CAD will support opportunities for cross-disciplinary scholarship, creativity and research with the M.A.G.I.C. center at RIT.
Action C3.5. CAD will review and assess current communication channels and evaluate how to best communicate the academic and creative achievements of relevant CAD stakeholders.
Action C.3.4. CAD will support the development of research initiatives that are geared to the specific disciplines of the college including support of grant writing development
It is recognized that many of the aforementioned action items are currently being addressed, but may be underpublicized. An inventory of current resources together with a review of how to best publicize them is an important initial action for this committee.
Inventory of current resources:
Gallery Space:
An inventory of available exhibition space as well as instructions on how to access these is required. Hallway display cases are largely maintained by individual schools, however not all access to spaces is clearly defined to all stakeholders (one example here may be the Neblette conference room). Such spaces may be utilized informally for students to show and engage in work.
Centralize information and scheduling of visiting lectures and special events:
Discussion: The CAD Website already has an Events and News Section; however this itself is viewed underutilized.
Example: On November 14, 2013, exactly two events were displayed on this site, namely, the Toby Thompson memorial exhibition at the RIT University gallery and the SPAS Holiday Auction. There were no listings under American Crafts, Art, Design, Film and Animation, Media Sciences, Foundations Department, Dean’s office and Staff. The Bevier, Gallery r and William Harris galleries have separate listings on the CAD website, however these are not cross-linked to the events section of the website.
Action: Effort should be made to publicize and encourage the use of this resource, as a one-stop for interested individuals.
In addition, a clarification of scholarship expectations for faculty, together with a quantification of scholarship and creative endeavors in relation to teaching workload is necessary.
Support for Faculty Scholarship, Creativity and Research:
FEAD Grants: A needed resource, however more standardization in terms of when these are due could assist faculty.
Other requested sources of support include:
Publication support, in the form of grants, grant writing, and assistance with copyrighted materials, as well as assistance with first book completion. Included in such support can be faculty symposia centered on relevant themes.
Cross disciplinary events for students, faculty and staff:
Events such as a film series followed by a panel discussion would be welcome. The panels could be comprised on faculty from relevant schools, and after the screenings the panel discussion would ensue, and the audience would be encouraged to ask questions. Films can include the Gary Hustwit films (Objectified, Urbanized, and Helvetica), Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight, and Linotype The Film, as well as others relevant to all CAD colleges. Costs will be minimal (cost of the film, perhaps Webb Auditorium, some light refreshments) and would move toward cross-disciplinary goals. This particular project could overlap with actions from the Global Engagement and Community and Culture Strategic Plan Implementation committees.
A Pass/Fail option could be added to a limited number of undergraduate courses to encourage students to take classes outside of their comfort zone. Such an initiative would allow the student to opt for the pass/fail grade, and the professor would not be aware of that particular students’ grade status. Such classes would be treated like transfer credits (the credits transfer, not the grade.)
Encourage schools to increase the number of minors within CAD.
Policy changes to allow students to participate in courses from CAD outside of their chosen major.
Faculty could be encouraged to offer intersession classes and seminars that could be open to all CAD students.
Next action items include refining, categorizing and prioritizing the aforementioned ideas and organizing them in terms of cost and bureaucratic involvement.
CAD Scholarship Creativity and Research Strategic Dimension Implementation Committee:
Bruce Leigh Myers, Chair
Peter Byrne, Michael Peres, Marla Schweppe, Sarah Thompson, Len Urso
November 14, 2013