Graduate Education Work Group

Members

Gary Bleeker - Chair Khaled Al-Share Julie Cayton
Anita Davis Andy Houchins Mariah Laver - Student
Jean Morrow Pierina Parise Paula Sauder - Community
Matt Seimears Betsey Whited - Student  

 

ROLE AND PURPOSE

Graduate education is critical to our continued success as a comprehensive institution. Since the number of graduate students and graduate programs already distinguish us from our regional competitors, the purpose of this work group is to define what the University should do to expand and enhance graduate education at ESU.

Keeping in mind that teaching, learning and research and creative production are the essence of graduate education, this work group will:

  • Identify existing strengths in graduate education at ESU. Indicate how these strengths could be nurtured in the future and determine which ones are, or could, provide the University with enhanced distinctiveness, distinction and comparative advantages.
  • Determine what new possibilities or opportunities exist for enhancing the University’s graduate mission, its distinctiveness, distinction, and comparative advantages.
    • Offer recommendations regarding the strategic purpose and scope of graduate education at Emporia State University. This should include suggestions for defining distinctive roles or niches in graduate education that would be appropriate for ESU and would enable us to achieve academic distinction.
    • o Determine the highest priority demands for new programs at the graduate level within and beyond Kansas that should inform our decisions regarding the graduate mission.
  • Using the supplied format, recommend to the Strategic Planning Task Force one statement of “strategic direction” (i.e., one goal), and three to five strategic initiatives and action steps (for each initiative) that should be pursued in order to make progress toward the recommended strategic direction.
  • Determine the mechanisms and criteria which should be used to monitor, assess and validate our progress in achieving our graduate education aspirations.

 

PROCESS GUIDELINES

The work group will collect data from a variety of sources including available documents and should invite expert witnesses to present relevant information.

The work group will sponsor open forums and/or focus groups as a means of collecting additional data and advice regarding their charge.

The work group should communicate and coordinate its deliberations with other task forces so as to promote constructive “cross fertilization” of ideas and recommendations.

The work group will maintain appropriate records of its proceedings and communicate widely with the various constituencies of the University.

OUTCOMES

  • Progress reports delivered at bi-weekly Steering Committee Meetings
  • Preliminary Report due February 1, 2008
  • Revised Report due March 3, 2008