Bridging the Silos

Bridging the Silos
Creating sustainable research
infrastructure
with implications for digital scholarship
Educause MARC 2010Baltimore MD
January 15, 2010

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Who we are
Rosemary Wander
Vice-Provost for
Graduate Studies and Research
Bill DeLone
Director, Center for
Research, Teaching and Learning
Bill Mayer
University Librarian

Roadmap for Today
Setting the Stage
Current environment for research at AU
Understanding the “Strong College” model
Seizing the opportunities
New leadership = moments for movement
New strategic plan
New focus on faculty development
Making change happen
Redefining the role of research at AU
Building the infrastructure we need
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Setting the Stage
Private, coeducational, liberal arts curriculum, doctoral institution
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SchoolsCollege of Arts and SciencesKogod School of BusinessSchool of CommunicationSchool of International ServiceSchool of Public AffairsWashington College of Law
591 full time Faculty
Student-Faculty Ratio =14:1
Class Size Average22.5 for UG courses16.9 for graduate coursesEnrollment (Fall 2008)Undergraduate: 6,023Graduate: 3,297Law: 1,667Non-degree, certificate, Washington Semester, AU Abroad: 1,19911
Academic ProgramsBachelor’s: 57Master’s: 51Doctoral: 9
A few more joint degrees and certificate programs

The Strong College Model
Recognizes local strengths of each academic unit
Allows for increased flexibility within an academic unit
Highlights specific communities of learning based in academic units
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The Strong College Model
Endorses silos
Confuses collaboration
Develops decentralized functions
Fragments core IT systems
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How can this change?

Seizing the Opportunities
Since 2007
Changes in leadership mean new moments for change
Traditional Positions
New President
New Provost
New CIO
New University Librarian
New Director of Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning
New positions to accomplish research goals
Vice-Provost for Graduate Studies and Research
Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Studies
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Seizing the Opportunities
New President in 2007 – Dr. Cornelius Kerwin
New Strategic Plan
Developed by cross-campus committee with input from faculty, staff, students, administrators and alums
Approved by Board of Trustees – Nov. 2008
Strategic plan is the organizational guiding force for next decade
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Key elements of Strategic Plan
Goal 1: Epitomize the Scholar-Teacher Ideal
“Our faculty will epitomize the ideal of the scholar-teacher by blending research, teaching, and service into an inspiring whole. They will influence their fields with respected scholarly, creative, and professional work; inspire students to attain the highest levels of excellence; and raise the university’s academic stature to new heights.”
Goal 3: Demonstrate distinction in graduate, professional and legal studies
“….we will be known as a world-class institution for legal and advanced graduate studies”
Goal 4: Engage the Great Ideas and Issues of Our Time through Research, Centers, and Institutes
“… Our strong interdisciplinaryfocus will be enhanced by our centers and institutes, many of which engage in the great issues of our time. …we attract external funding for research, nurture our faculty’s professional growth, and maximize our potential through interdisciplinary work, ..”
Six Enabling goals include
Employ technology to empower excellence
Enhance University Library and research infrastructure
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Strategic Plan Implementation
Two year budget aligned to strategic plan and approved by Board of Trustees, February 2009
University units develop actions steps and measures
New position - Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and Research – filled
Community building event - All faculty retreat – initiated, fall 2008, 2009
Mission for the Center for Teaching Excellence expanded to include Research
10

Making Change Happen
New directions for research, scholarship, and creative activities
New vigor to research infrastructure
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Research trip to Galapagos Islands with faculty from 3 disciplines

New directions
for research, scholarship, and creative activities
Research is responsibility of all faculty
New hires bring to or have the potential to create a strong research program
Extramural funding is highly valued
Competitive start-up packages are offered
Research clusters provide a supportive, mentoring environment for faculty
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New vigor
to research infrastructure
Created Research and Grants Infrastructure Task Force
Offering workshops on grant writing
Bringing program officers from funding agencies to campus
Updating research-related compliance support, e.g., using humans and animals in research
Established a Technology Transfer Office
Establishing a competitive program to support graduate student research
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IT-based research tools
Research administration enterprise system
Faculty electronic annual reporting system
Electronic submission of theses and dissertations
Institutional Repository for access and preservation
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Center for Teaching, Research and Learning
Mission
To facilitate, support and celebrate excellence in teaching, research, learning, and academic leadership.
Works collaboratively with the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research
Supports research software and computing labs
Provides faculty networking opportunities
Junior faculty forum – Nov. 2009
Ann Ferren Teaching Conference with research component – January 2010
Manages Faculty Corner
Supports collaborative technologies: Blackboard and Wimba
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Academic Technology Changes
Established Academic Technology Steering Committee for enterprise planning and decision-making
Committee includes CTRL, Library, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Research, Office of Information Technology, faculty/IT staff from 6 colleges and schools
“…will help guide and promote the use of technology for instruction, research and academic needs throughout the University…”
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Guiding Principle
We are building a community of teacher-scholars
Everyone contributes to the changes that are happening
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Bridging the Silos

by Bill Mayer

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