2006-2007 COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION STATEMENT

The College of Architecture educates students for future design practice and advances knowledge of the discipline for the benefit of society.

VISION STATEMENT

We envision a College of Architecture that bridges the aesthetic concerns of the discipline of Architecture with the problems of future practice by educating students to be engaged designers and technologically astute professionals, by fostering a unique connection to the profession, and by encouraging scholarship in design, technology, historic preservation, community development, land-use and visualization.

The College of Architecture is committed to the values of

• mutual respect, cooperation and communication;
• creativity, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence;
• community service, leadership, and public accountability;
• diversity and the "1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure" of the AAUP;
• Hanover principles – Design for Sustainability

GOALS, OBJECTIVES, and STRATEGIES

1. GOAL #1: FUTURE PRACTICE: Provide a strong and instrumental relationship with the profession to educate our students for future practice through increased technical and design acumen.

(PARTNERSHIPS)

1.1. Objective: Recover and emphasize Technical Acumen of Graduates. (NAAB 1.3 Registration)

1.1.1. Strategy: Revamp Construction Curriculum to respond to future practice.

1.1.2. Strategy: Make formal but modest connections between construction and environmental systems courses and the design studios.

1.2. Objective: Increase the design culture awareness and sophistication of our students. (NAAB 1.3 Registration)

1.2.1. Strategy: Maximize exposure of students to global design culture.

1.2.2. Strategy: Demonstrate a value for design within the College.

1.2.3. Strategy: Design is a priority for every course in the curriculum.

1.3. Objective: Establish Research Based Design as a core value in the curriculum. (NAAB 1.3 Registration)

1.3.1. Strategy: Make Research-Based Design a concept that is accepted throughout the curriculum.

1.3.2. Strategy: Raise the analytical skills of the students.

1.3.3. Strategy: Establish a writing overlay for the college.

1.4. Objective: Incorporate the latest analogue and computer-assisted design methods into the curriculum. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

1.4.1. Strategy: Use Base Building Design Methods in the Technology Courses.

1.4.2. Strategy: Overlay of contemporary drawing skills performance criteria in the curriculum.

1.4.3. Strategy: Continue to develop high-definition survey technology.

1.5. Objective: Incorporate integration as a core value in the curriculum. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

1.5.1. Strategy: Make formal but modest connections between construction and environmental systems courses and the design studios.

1.5.2. Strategy: Create opportunities for taking visualization and conceptualization into fabrication.

1.5.3. Strategy: Provide every student an opportunity for service learning.

1.5.4. Strategy: Respond to Program Learning Outcomes Assessment (PLOA) by requiring all third year studios to have at least one documented team assignment each semester.

1.6. Objective: Establish a research-based design partnership with the profession. (NAAB 1.4 Profession)

1.6.1. Strategy: Take advantage of resources of the firms that have our graduates.

1.6.2. Strategy: Develop firm-sponsored research program including professionals on papers and symposiums.

1.6.3. Strategy: Have all our students participate in a professional practicum before they graduate.

1.6.4. Strategy: Facilitate Growth of local Chapter AIA & AIAS.

1.7. Objective: Technology and Design. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

1.7.1. Strategy: Plan for the joint occupation of the metal shop.

1.7.2. Strategy: Actively build an industry-based technical library.

1.7.3. Strategy: Actively build an image resource center for the college.

1.7.4. Strategy: Respond to PLOA by restructuring technical courses and strengthening the teaching or design required for passing the first MDS Review II.

2. GOAL #2: KNOWLEDGE: Build a nationally-recognized scholarship agenda in technology and design, historic preservation, community design, land use planning & visualization.

(RECOGNITION)

2.1. Objective: Establish a CoA position on scholarship and professional practice. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

2.1.1. Strategy: Provide general support for facilitation to the faculty to advance their scholarship.

2.1.1.1 Task: Establish seed monies and release time policy for faculty scholarship enhancements.

2.1.2. Strategy: Respond to PLOA by reviewing each final MDS submission for evidence of critical thinking. Release of diploma will be held until critical thinking criteria are addressed.

2.2. Objective: Increase sponsored scholarship in the CoA. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

2.2.1. Strategy: Increase sponsored grant applications in the College by 10% each year for the next 5 years.

2.2.2. Strategy: Train the staff to assist faculty in finding sponsorship opportunities and applying for them.

2.2.3. Strategy: Train faculty to apply for scholarship opportunities.

2.3. Objective: Establish a productive relationship between the M.S. programs, students and scholarship. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

2.3.1. Strategy: Build a culture of collaboration between faculty member's & students' scholarship.

2.4. Objective: Create centers of Excellence for collaborative scholarship. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

2.4.1. Strategy: Establish complimentary research Laboratories for each of the M.S. Certificates with one paid R.A. assigned to each laboratory, which is collaborative.

2.4.2. Strategy: Establish a M.S. certification area in Design and Technology with a very specific focus that reflects the mission of the College.

2.4.3. Strategy: Encourage the establishment of other collaborative groups to create programs and laboratories of excellence.

2.4.4. Strategy: Create a Design and Technology B.S. option, certificate, M.S. program & laboratory.

2.4.5. Strategy: Encourage inter-certificate collaboration.

2.5. Objective: Increase peer review scholarship in the College of Architecture. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

2.5.1. Strategy: Provide Merit reward to faculty for their scholarship.

2.5.2. Strategy: Identify and Establish alternative peer-review forums for faculty scholarship.

2.5.3. Strategy: Establish a Faculty Scholarship Colloquia.

2.6. Objective: Increase the national recognition of our scholarship. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

2.6.1. Strategy: Increase national and international publications.

2.6.2. Strategy: Host Symposiums on scholarship reflective of the mission of the College.

2.6.3. Strategy: Increase our faculty member's profile through conference participation.

2.7. Objective: Establish a public relations program. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

2.8. Objective: Incorporate undergraduate students into the scholarship initiatives of the College. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

2.8.1. Strategy: Establish a mentoring program between faculty and undergrad students.

3. GOAL #3: BENEFITING SOCIETY: Establish a humanistic understanding of architecture and related disciplines and their relationship to a broader world view.

(ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE & ENGAGEMENT)

3.1. Objective: Incorporate aesthetic sophistication as a core value informed by history and theory. (NAAB 1.5 Society)

3.1.1. Strategy: Codify the design studio coordinator and team teaching policy in order to establish a more overt set of teaching objectives.

3.1.2. Strategy: Reinforce connections between design studios and theory/history content.

3.2. Objective: Incorporate ecological sustainability as a core value in the college. (NAAB 1.5 Society)

3.2.1. Strategy: Overlay of ecological sustainability performance criteria and the curriculum.

3.2.2. Strategy: Develop a "Green Building" Plan and integrate it into the facility and equipment program.

3.2.3. Strategy: Promote the greening of the university campus.

3.3. Objective: Engage the community. (NAAB 1.5 Society)

3.3.1 Strategy: Promote the pedagogy of service learning.

3.3.2 Strategy: Apply scholarship and research to the needs of society, professionals and individuals.

3.3.3 Strategy: Maximize community and professional participation in college lecture series, exhibits, workshops, seminars and symposia.

3.3.4 Strategy: Support faculty and staff participation in community, professional and volunteer efforts through recognition and merit awards.

3.3.5 Strategy: Third year second semester must explicitly indicate design to meet accessibility issues and clearly note accessibility issues on the presentation documents.

3.4 Objective: Provide opportunities for students, staff and faculty to experience and appreciate diverse world views through international studies. (NAAB 1.5 Society)

3.4.1 Strategy: Provide a variety of international studies summer programs to engage a broad perspective of students with varied economic means.

3.4.2 Strategy: Promote collaborations and exchanges with international architectural programs.

3.4.3 Strategy: Assist international entities in establishing quality architectural programs.

3.5 Objective: Provide opportunities for students, staff and faculty to experience and appreciate diverse perspectives through collaborations with other campus entities. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

3.5.1 Strategy: Offer a variety of collaboration studios each year.

3.5.2 Strategy: Seek partners in scholarship and research from other campus units.

3.5.3 Strategy: Promote and encourage participation in university committees and events.

Goal #4: INSTITUTION: Build the Culture and Resources of the College.

(CULTURE AND RESOURCES)

4.1 Objective: Establish a vibrant and diverse College culture. (NAAB 1.1 Academic Context)

4.1.1 Strategy: Establish a visiting critics studio.

4.1.2 Strategy: Establish funding for a signature lecture series.

4.1.3 Strategy: Hold a symposium in the college each long semester.

4.1.4 Strategy: Publish a journal 4 times a year.

4.1.5 Strategy: Insure that at least one lecture from a female architect and one lecture from an architect who represents a diverse cultural perspective.

4.2 Objective: Define and provide physical facilities and equipment commensurate with our mission statement. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.2.1 Strategy: Engage a process of facilities programming.

4.2.2 Strategy: Establish a strategic plan for instructional technology.

4.3 Objective: Recruit the best students. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.3.1 Strategy: Develop an "honors" early admit program.

4.3.2 Strategy: Establish a recruitment plan.

4.3.3 Strategy: Establish a four year degree program in El Paso.

4.3.4 Strategy: Increase merit scholarship pool for architecture.

4.4 Objective: Progressively develop communication structures within the College.(NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.4.1 Strategy: Embed learning organization principles in the College.

4.4.2 Strategy: Continue faculty workshops in culture, research and college goals.

4.4.3 Strategy: Develop an effective studio culture.

4.5 Objective: Achieve a funding level appropriate for an architecture program in the top half of the Big 12. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.6 Objective: Pursue continued development of faculty and staff. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.6.1 Strategy: Set a development goal for each member of the faculty and staff.

4.6.2 Strategy: Find funding for the development of each member of the faculty and staff.

4.7 Objective: Increase the proportions of graduate students to undergraduates. (NAAB 1.2 Students)

4.7.1 Strategy: Develop and expand access to the certificate and M.S. programs.

4.7.2 Strategy: Consider the development of a 3½ year first professional MARCH for students with undergraduate degrees from other disciplines.