Chapter 4: SMSU as a Learning-Focused Organization

Strengths, Challenges, and Recommendations

Strengths

• A revised general education program was implemented in 1997. The educational goals of this new program are comprehensive and consistent with the University’s mission. The program also includes a continuous review of each general education course using a three-year sequence. The accompanying administrative and committee structures that were created have facilitated the program.
• The Faculty/Advisor Resource Center on the Web provides easy access to student records and advisement data for authorized users. This electronic resource facilitates registration and advising actions involving faculty, students, and administrators.
• Current learning-related computer systems and projection units are available in many classrooms, and from the Educational Technology Center. Faculty have access to software such as Blackboard and course Web pages for teaching. The Information Technology Council provides continuous review of these teaching technologies to ensure that they are updated and included in university planning and mission development and are supported by the Student Computer Usage Fee.
• Numerous faculty development opportunities assist faculty in enhancing their knowledge and skills to meet changing educational trends. These include
  • The Showcase on Teaching
  • Master Advisor Workshops and related advising “refresher” courses
  • The Teaching Fellowship Program
  • Workshops and programs sponsored by the ADC and the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  • Funding for Results grants
  • International travel grants
  • Sabbatical leaves
  • Informational Technology courses.
• As part of the assessment process, many academic units undergo regular external review. As a result, most eligible academic programs are accredited or certified by their respective national or state agencies.
• A decentralized system of assessment is coordinated through a network of activities embedded throughout all levels of the university. Processes and results are open for review by internal and external groups and are facilitated by the Assessment Council. The Council serves as a communication vehicle for colleges and departments and acts in an advisory capacity to the Director of the Center for Assessment and Instructional Support. Multiple assessment results are available for faculty and departments to use in planning and initiating program improvements.
• Faculty drive curricular development, often as a result of assessment processes. Although the Board of Governors must approve new programs, curricular matters originate with the faculty. Faculty-comprised College Councils, the Graduate Council, and CGEIP act on course and program proposals before forwarding them to the Faculty Senate for approval.
• Quality faculty contribute to high quality research and teaching, thus contributing to the development of educated persons.
• Missouri State provides various services to help students of all backgrounds succeed. These services include
  • Advisement centers for undecided majors, as well as for Business and Professional Education majors
  • TRIO
  • The Honors College
  • Career Services
  • Disability Services
  • Multi-cultural Student Services
  • Citizenship and Service-Learning Office
  • “Diversity in the Classroom: Inclusive Teaching in a Multicultural Environment,” a faculty seminar offered by the ADC.
• Missouri State promotes life-long learning for faculty, students, and the community through such resources as
  • College of Continuing Education and the Extended University
  • Graduate programs
  • Faculty research that incorporates or involves students
  • Grants
  • Outreach programs such as the Management Development Institute, Small Business Development Center, and the Worldwide Innovation Network
  • Distance learning via Ozarks Public Television and KSMU Public Radio.
• Graduate programs accommodate student needs:
  • Missouri State is the largest provider of graduate education among all the Missouri public institutions that are not a part of the University of Missouri system.
  • Since 1995 the number of graduate programs and graduate students has doubled. This growth was planned and responsive to market demand (e.g. teacher education and health care).
  • Graduate degrees include academic master’s degrees, professional master’s degrees, specialist in education, and applied master’s degrees. In addition, a doctorate in Audiology was introduced in 2002.
  • Special formats are used in a number of programs—for example, the online MS in Administrative Studies and the online/on-campus blended MS in Computer Information Systems.
  • The number of accelerated master’s programs and specialized graduate certificate programs has expanded over the past decade.
  • Globalization of graduate programs is evident; for example, a dual-degree Plant Science program has been established with collaboration of Missouri State, China Agricultural University, and Liaoning Normal University.
  • Graduate assistantships provide practical experiences as well as financial support for graduate students. Some graduate assistants function in teaching roles or research, while others work in administrative or clinical settings.
  • Research is strongly encouraged as is evidenced by the annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum in which graduate students from all colleges across campus present oral and poster presentations.

Challenges

• Faculty members do not always take advantage of the numerous opportunities for professional development, such as programs made available by the ADC and internal grants.
• Once significant challenge associated with encouraging faculty to achieve distinction emerges from the multiple tasks asked of faculty. As Daring to Excel states: “The current standard for teaching—a  goal of a nine-hour assignment—is not appropriate given the complex and varied teaching tasks that different faculty face (e.g., clinical supervision, internship supervision, thesis supervision, studio courses versus large sections). A more accommodating standard is needed. That standard should recognize that, while it is a goal that all faculty be productive scholars, not all faculty will be for a variety of reasons.”
• The mentoring of newly hired faculty needs improvement. 
• While the University offers a series of faculty and staff workshops on using tools and techniques for instructional technology, more attention needs to be given to using technology for enhancing teaching and learning.  
•  Some centers that are ineligible for Student Computer Usage Fee support do not have a budget for technology.
• For some colleges and departments, facilities need expansion or renovation. 
• While technological advances have allowed the library to operate more efficiently and have increased access to resources via systems such as SWAN and MOBIUS, a static library materials budget for the past six years has drastically reduced the number of book purchases and journal subscriptions.  Furthermore, staffing in the library is below the standards of the Association of College and Research Libraries. 
• The steadily decreasing level of state funding for higher education has created immense challenges.  Maintaining the status quo is difficult; trying to improve and expand educational initiatives while avoiding prohibitive tuition increases requires substantial increases in external funding and improved efficiencies. 
• Given budget constraints, increasing admission standards, and some aspects of regional demographics, the University remains challenged in meeting its goals to increase the enrollment of ethnic minorities. 
• Budget limitations make it difficult to recruit and retain high quality faculty. These limitations especially impact the University’s efforts to increase faculty diversity. 
• Alumni data gathered by departments, colleges and Career Services is not always shared and compiled in a summary report.  This makes it difficult for the University to assess the degree of success achieved by graduates, especially in terms of certification, licensure, and professional exams. 
• Some instructors and academic units inadequately apply the results of their assessment strategies when making course and programmatic changes.   
• The curricular approval process is too cumbersome and slow.  As a result, it is difficult to respond to changing conditions and the need to make course and program improvements in a timely manner. 
• Graduate College challenges include
  • Outside competition is increasing and includes new technology and distance education from institutions in and outside of Missouri, plus satellite campuses from other institutions.
  • Rapid growth has occurred in graduate education.  As a result, the Graduate College, faculty, and facility resources have been stretched.
  • The unique workloads associated with graduate education have not been recognized adequately (e.g., thesis research mentoring is not credited as part of the teaching load).
  • Other than graduate assistantships, little financial support (e.g., scholarships and fellowships) other than student loans is available.
• Steps need to be taken to incorporate the concept of globalization into the University’s public affairs mission.

Recommendations

• Achieve more widespread and effective use of professional development opportunities such as those of the ADC, perhaps by providing a system for recognizing and rewarding participation.
• In accordance with the recommendations of Daring to Excel, “Given the integrated, complementary nature of teaching, scholarship, and service, a new standard for productivity should be developed in the Faculty Handbook.  A new reward system is called for, and should be addressed over the next year.”
• The faculty mentoring system should be strengthened.  In addition to departmental mentors, the University should offer newer faculty a coordinated program of dialogues, workshops, and other similar activities designed to help the faculty become acclimated to the University and its culture.
• In working with other offices and academic units, the Academic Development Center should create expanded opportunities for faculty and staff to research, develop, and apply technology that provides evidence of enhanced student learning.
• Alternative funding sources (i.e., increased operating funds) need to be identified for centers not benefiting from Student Computer Usage Fee support.
• Improve the learning environment by upgrading facilities.  As noted in Daring to Excel, the University should continue to seek funding to complete the items designated for renovation and/or construction in the University’s Master Plan with continued annual assessment.
• Enhance budget allocations for the Library in order to address inadequate acquisitions and staffing.
• Increased external funding in the form of grants, fellowships, contracts and fundraising is needed to offset the steadily decreasing level of state funding.
• Diversity in student recruitment and faculty hiring needs to be given a higher priority, including allocation of additional funds to make the attempts more successful.
• As a part of the assessment process, the University should develop and implement a comprehensive, coordinated plan to survey and track graduates, at both the undergraduate and graduate level.  This information should be compiled and published in an annual report.
• Evaluate the curricular review and approval process with the goal of streamlining and speeding up the process while maintaining quality assurance.
• Continue to improve graduate programs through the following:
  • Remain competitive through the quality of programs, as well as such means as increased flexibility of course delivery, scheduling, fee structure, and cooperative programs.
  • Increase resources for graduate students, graduate faculty, graduate programs, and the Graduate College.
  • Recognize the differences in workload associated with graduate programs so that uncompensated overload is not the expectation for faculty mentoring graduate student research or supervising clinical settings and teaching environments.
  • Increase resources for graduate fellowships and scholarships.
  • Improve international programs with an emphasis on globalization.
  • Enhance participation in international awareness for students, faculty, administrators, and interested community members by participation in study abroad programs (semester, summer), study tours (short term), experiential programs, and sponsored global issue events on campus and in the community.