Projects and Updates
COMPLETED
- College SWOT Analyses: Prepared SWOT templates for each college and library for their use. Each college and library completed their SWOT, which has been used by the college deans as they work with the provost in determining future plans.
- Academic Programs Gap Analysis: Tech Tomorrow Working Group completed this analysis, which was presented to the provost and the college deans. This has led to multiple brainstorming sessions involving the provost and the deans, and it has been used by some deans to lead internal discussions about academic programs in their colleges.
- eTranscript: electronically submitted transcripts are sent securely and populate Banner without manual entry.
- Electronic course substitution form: replacement of paper forms to ease graduation process, originating from advisor.
- Workforce Stats Database: First phase (Tech student information) has been populated and is now available through TechExpress (or directly at https://workforcestats.tntech.edu/Default). Next phase is to add information from outside of campus.
- Chief Diversity Officer: Marc Burnett named CDO; at December 2019 Board of Trustees meeting, it was communicated that Burnett would stay in this role part-time after his retirement (however, Burnett wanted to take a few months off after his retirement from his vice president of student affairs role).
- ePortfolio: Considered a high-impact practice, digital repositories of student work are designed to be owned and developed by student learners with guidance from faculty. This initiative is already serving the campus. Information at https://www.tntech.edu/provost/ureca/eportfolioproject.php.
- Grand Challenge: Tech publicly launched the Rural Reimagined grand challenge in spring 2019. Rural Reimagined has an existing steering committee, and is led by Michael Aikens, director of the Tennessee Tech Center for Rural Innovation. In its year of existence, more than 400 students have taken part in a RR event, more and more faculty are incorporating the challenge into their courses, and some faculty are coming to the challenge with specific ideas and projects to serve rural communities. This spring, the grand challenge will announce the partnering community program.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Study Abroad: RFP being prepared to provide greater service options to faculty in arranging and facilitating study abroad opportunities. According to Tech’s Office of Purchasing, the RFP should be out for response in April/May 2020, with expectation to start Fall 2020 with these new options.
- CAFÉ: The Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence will provide services, resources and training to help Tech’s teachers improve their craft. Currently in development, with Dean Doug Bates heading up committee made up of entirely of faculty members.
- Online Education: Formed Online Advisory Committee, led by Mark Stephens. Creation of a new position within the provost’s office (Associate Provost of Online and Faculty Development; currently finalizing position description) and increase of number of full-time instructional designers in CITL (from one to two) to help faculty members transition their courses to online.
- University Advising Center: Currently with implementation team. In order to provide consistency to first-year and general curriculum student advising, the university will establish a central advising center for first-year and undeclared transfer students, since these students have specific needs that differ from sophomore-to-senior students: financial aid, counseling and mental health resources, and study habits, for example. Our advising for these students needs to be focused on making choices that lead to general success in studying and decision making so they are well grounded and ready to take up the challenges of upperclassmen as their proceed in their final majors.
- Tenure & Promotion Electronic Submission: Using a second D2L server already in place to house electronic dossiers, the tenure and promotion process is being formed to flesh out details and logistics of implementation of electronic tenure and promotion dossiers. In addition, this server will be used for development of continuing education and professional development courses.
PLANNING
- DegreeWorks: To simplify graduation process and help with curricular advising, Tech is reviewing its use of DegreeWorks to better utilize this tool.
- Online Student Orientation: This will be a resource repository of information and training videos for completely online students.
- Continuing Education and Professional Development Courses: Using a second D2L server already in place, the university will have a system in place for use in developing continuing education and professional development courses.
UPCOMING for Working Groups
- First-Year Experience Courses: Ed Lisic; held first meeting and are developing a survey to faculty members who teach FYE courses
- Facilities Processes and Asset Management: Ann Davis; held initial meeting with Dan Warren
- Humanitarian Makerspace (refocus): Bedelia Russell; held initial meeting to discuss refocusing to remove community engagement portion as community work fits better with Rural Reimagined grand challenge.
- University Fellows Program: Bedelia Russell; program to engage more broadly the faculty community with senior administration and each senior administrator’s respective leadership teams
- Research and scholarly activities and intellectual and creative contributions: Jason Beach; review and refine existing practices to support research and scholarly activities and intellectual and creative contributions
- Departmental agreement on responsibilities: Jason Beach; Review and refine departmental agreement on responsibilities to integrate substantive engagement activities and better reflect overall workload
- Tech-infused Curriculum: Jason Beach
- Learning Villages: Ed Lisic
- Math and Science Teacher Education Marketing, Recruitment, and Partner Engagement (refocus): Bedelia Russell; Work to help increase science and math teacher education graduates
RELATED (things that are related to Tech Tomorrow goals, but didn’t come up through working groups)
- Career Readiness Certifications (Center for Career Development)
- LinkedIn Learning, TechExpress (Information Technology Services)
- Handbook about new program creation (Provost)
- Various new undergraduate and graduate certificates
