UMass Lowell
College of
Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Strategic Planning Retreat
June 4th, 2013
Luis M. Falcón, Dean
Julie Nash, Associate Dean
Frank Talty, Assistant Dean
Learning with Purpose
Original College Goals outlined in
2011-2012
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Recruitment of students
Retention and student services
Program development
Internationalization
Research
Community Engagement
Revenue Generation
Space
Learning with Purpose
Key Strategic Priorities
Implementing initiatives around improving retention
Reorganize advising activities within the College
• Establish a College-wide advising center (9/13)
• Move the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (250 students) from
Cultural Studies and into Dean’s office
• Will bring together a set of related and student-centered
activities
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Advising
Service Learning
Co-op
Undecided students
Bachelor in Liberal Arts
Staffed by full-time faculty (lecturers)
Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Student Success
Learning with Purpose
Key Strategic Priorities
Implementing initiatives around improving retention
Redefine the existing Language requirement (4 courses)
within the College so it aligns with University’s mission and
with requirements at peer institutions
• Establishment of the FAHSS “World Ready” requirement
– Language requirement (2 courses)
– Three additional courses in areas relevant to the language
studied—including study abroad.
Strengthen study abroad and faculty led courses to partner
institutions.
• Prioritize on countries where we have proven faculty
synergy and/or institutional support for activities.
– Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Prague, and others.
Emphasize experiential activities
• Emergent scholars, Service-Learning, Research Coops,
placements in area businesses
Learning with Purpose
World-Ready Curriculum
A re-definition of the existing language requirement within
the college
• Changes the language courses requirement from 4
courses to 2 with a new definition of expected
competence
• Introduces a “World Ready” requirement that builds 3
additional courses on top of the 2 course language
requirement
• The three additional courses will be culturally,
historically, politically, or socially relevant to the
language chosen by the student.
Implementation by fall of 2014
Learning with Purpose
Key Strategic Priorities
Faculty Recruitment
Strategic hiring of faculty to address
• Over-emphasis on adjunct faculty
• Need to grow areas where there is strength and additional
hires would bring added visibility
7 new TT or Tenured Faculty, 3 New Lecturers
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Criminal Justice
English
History
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Top quality hires from top programs—Brown, Michigan,
Penn, UC-Santa Cruz, etc.
Increased diversity in recruitment 2 Hispanics, and 1
African American.
Learning with Purpose
Key Strategic Priorities
Graduate Education
Strategically expanding Graduate Education within the
college
• Increasing interdisciplinary activities across departments
and colleges
• Faculty groups currently working on
– Interdisciplinary MPA
– PhD program Applied Psychological and Prevention Science
– MA in History
Masters degree in Security Studies in place
PhD program in Interdisciplinary PhD program in Global
Studies implemented and first class in fall of 2013
Learning with Purpose
Other Activities
Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Partnerships
Reorganization of the Office of the Dean
• Increase the focus on advising, recruitment, and
retention
• Increase the number of interdisciplinary activities and
the of research initiatives.
Learning with Purpose
Thank you!
Questions or Comments
Learning with Purpose