Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Provost’s Task Force
Present: Scott Brown, Barb Kruger, Karen Patterson, Krista Paulsen, Alex Schonning, Behrooz
Seyed-Abbassi, Mike Wiley, Mark Workman
1. Mark updated the task force on the current uncertainty regarding the budget and
the need for strategic planning.
2. Discussion first focused on what strategies the task force might implement in
order to gain input from the campus community as we begin to develop goals,
values, and benchmarks.
3. The group considered different methods for engaging the faculty and it was
determined that a good start would be to use a web survey similar to the web
survey used to gain input on the QEP – using focused questions.
4. It was decided to present the provisional goals reviewed at the meeting in the
survey and ask for reaction to those goals and feedback on other goals which
might be missing from the current list.
5. Mark reminded the task force that we must keep the goals and values at an
institutional level so that all units might find resonance with at least some goals.
There was discussion on whether to invite feedback on both the goals and the
values or to defer the latter for a subsequent survey.
6. Mark noted that he will invite the Vice President for Student and International
Affairs, Mauricio Gonzalez, to the next meeting of the task force for a more
extended discussion on institutional values.
Meeting adjourned at 2:00. It was decided that the next meeting would be on Tuesday,
1/29 at 12:30 since most members can make that time.
Below are changes to the vision and mission statements and the provisional goals and
values:
Vision
The University of North Florida, a preeminent public institution of higher learning, will
serve its metropolitan region at a level of national quality. The university will provide
distinctive programs in the liberal arts and professional fields whose graduates will make
vital contributions to the intellectual advancement of Jacksonville, North Florida, and the
world beyond. UNF faculty will be equally accomplished both in the production and
dissemination of new knowledge and in the engagement of their students in the process of
discovery through transformational learning opportunities; a UNF education will provide
the foundation for lifelong inquiry and civic purpose. UNF will be regarded as the
institution of choice by its diverse student body that will benefit from the university’s
unreserved commitment to student-centered learning. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors
will enjoy a campus noteworthy for its communal spirit, cultural richness, and
environmental beauty.
Proposed Mission (1-15-08)
The University of North Florida prepares its students intellectually, socially civically, and
culturally to make significant contributions to their communities, local and distant, as
UNF graduates alumni. UNF is dedicated to supporting an exceptional transformative
learning environment in which students and faculty engage together in the discovery and
application of knowledge in the context of distinctive academic programs. UNF is
committed to sustaining a diverse campus culture centered upon inquiry and
understanding. In the course of fulfilling its mission UNF seeks to achieve a national
reputation as an institution of exemplary focus and quality.
Strategic Goals
To fulfill its mission and advance toward realization of its vision, UNF will pursue 7
strategic goals. Specifically, the university will
1. recruit, mentor, and foster growth and learning in a talented and diverse student body;
2. recruit, retain, and support a faculty whose excellence will be confirmed by its deep
dedication to teaching and sustained scholarly inquiry;
3. strategically develop and enhance quality academic and co-curricular programs
consistent with the scope of the university and its primary commitment to an environment
of transformational student-centered learning;
4. be especially attentive to the academic, civic, and cultural needs of the North Florida
region and the State;
5. maintain a vibrant and diverse campus community rich in intellectual and cultural
opportunities open to everyone served by the institution;
6. be sensitive to the natural environment in which it is situated and that it impacts; and
7. seek resources, public and private, commensurate with its needs and aspirations.