Academic Planning Work Group
Charges and Membership

Common Charges to all Work Groups:

• Work groups should work intensely during January and February 2008 and submit their recommendations to the Steering Committee by March 1, 2008.

All work group leaders must work with the Thread Leaders to ensure that the following issues are adequately discussed and considered:

• Diversity (Roland Williams, College of Liberal Arts)
• Technology (Robert Aiken, College of Science & Technology)
• Ethics (Joan Shapiro, College of Education)
• Balance of central versus de-centralized control

• Work Groups should utilize knowledge gained from reports of previous task forces as appropriate (e.g., Faculty Senate Committee on Community Based Learning, Sustainability Task Force).

GROUP 1: Developing the Academic Community

Focus:  Strategies, investments, organizational arrangements necessary to preserve and enhance the academic and intellectual life of Temple University in research, scholarship, and creative activities; within and across disciplinary boundaries develop strategies for recruiting and retaining a new generation of world class faculty.

Task 1:  Define what is special and unique about the academic community of scholars at Temple University.  Identify the current set of issues that Temple must address as it seeks to strengthen the university as a community of scholars and learners.

Task 2:  By way of example, propose two to three strategic initiatives/investments that would directly enhance the recruitment and retention of faculty.

Task 3:  By way of example, suggest two strategic initiatives/investments that would enhance research, educational and/or creative collaborations within and across disciplines. 

Task 4:  Following the completion of Tasks 1 through 3, consider the metrics that Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how Work Group 1 might interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 2:  Strengthening the Infrastructure for Research and Education

Focus: Strategies, investments, and organizational arrangements necessary to support expanded strength in research and educational programs in the physical, computational, natural, clinical and social sciences and in the arts and humanities; making Temple a world class environment for faculty and students.

Task 1:  Define the challenges and issues that must be addressed if Temple is to strengthen its research and educational infrastructure in the context of the breadth of the disciplines.

Task 2:  By way of example, suggest three to five strategic initiatives/investments that would enhance the research and educational enterprise at Temple.

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would support strengthening the infrastructure for research and education.

Task 4:  Define strategies for better integrating research and learning opportunities at all educational levels.

Task 5:  Upon completion of tasks 1 through 4, consider the metrics that Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 6:  Consider how Work Group 2 might interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 3:  Temple as a Destination Campus

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements necessary to enhance Temple University as a “Destination Campus.” This Work Group should consider this question from both the internal and external perspectives (e.g., what would attract world class students and faculty to Temple and what can Temple do to integrate itself within the cultural, civic and business communities of Philadelphia).

Task 1:  Provide a concise definition of what is special/unique about Temple’s environment and culture that can make it a “Destination Campus.”

Task 2:  By way of example suggest three to five strategic initiatives, beginning with physical investments and including complementary programming and amenities, that would that would directly enhance Temple University as a destination campus for students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors (local, regional and global).

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would best support Temple’s commitment to being a “Destination Campus.”

Task 4:  Having completed tasks 1 through 3, consider metrics that Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how Work Group 3 can interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 4:  Globalizing Temple

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements necessary to preserve and strengthen Temple’s current commitment to global engagement at all levels.  This work group should include development of campuses and programs overseas; linking Temple to an emerging network of international universities; and helping to lead the transformation of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as major contributors to a global society.

Task 1:  Provide working definitions for “Globalizing Temple” and “global impact” taking into consideration the fact that Temple already has a global presence and that, Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are important global regions.

Task 2:  By way of example suggest two to three strategic initiatives/investments that Temple might make in the next two years to extend its global impact.

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would best lead to a focused strategy that supports those units and individuals engaged in extending Temple’s global impact. As part of this definitional process, delineate a set of criteria and a process for establishing/selecting University-wide initiatives that would promote global impact.

Task4:  Following completion of Tasks 1 through 3, consider metrics that Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how Work Group 4 can interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 5:   Building Temple’s Entrepreneurial Culture

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements necessary to encourage new endeavors, new academic programs, new pedagogies, and greater risk taking in general.

Task 1:  Identify the sets of challenges that Temple must face as it seeks to encourage innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to academic programs, new pedagogies and other entrepreneurial activities.  This Work Group should take into consideration the breadth of activities and disciplines represented at Temple so as to not limit its vision of entrepreneurialism to a single type of activity (i.e., tech transfer).

Task 2:  By way of example, suggest three to five strategic initiatives/investments to encourage and strengthen the entrepreneurial culture at Temple.

Task 3:  Describe the organizational arrangements that would best support Temple’s commitment to building its entrepreneurial culture.

Task 4:  Following the completion of Tasks 1 through 3, consider the metrics Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how Work Group 5 can interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 6:  Enabling Temple as an Urban-Serving University

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements necessary to preserve and strengthen Temple’s mutually beneficial partnerships with its immediate community, apply knowledge generated at Temple to serve its immediate community and region, and to fulfill its obligation to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a state-related institution.

Task 1:  Define what is special/unique about Temple’s engagement with its immediate community.  In performing this task Work Group 6 should consider how Temple’s commitment to community engagement integrates student learning, research, and service/outreach. It should also draw upon the Faculty Senate Committee on Community-based Learning and the Temple Community Programs Inventory Workgroup, as appropriate.

Task 2:  By way of example, propose three to five strategic initiatives/investments that would directly enhance Temple as an Urban-Serving University.

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would best support Temple’s commitment to community-engagement at all levels.

Task 4:  Following the completion of Tasks 1 through 3, consider the metrics Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how Work Group 6 can interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 7:  Defining Temple’s Student Profiles for the Future

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements to answer such questions as: who should Temple teach; what types of students should be recruited and retained in an increasingly competitive market; how will Temple position itself in the national and regional market; how and where should students be enrolled; the role of international students; how students should be supported financially; what strategies will Temple adopt to better serve an adult population.

Task 1:  This Work Group should be divided into subgroups. One subgroup will focus on the 18-24 yr old undergraduate student body; a second subgroup will focus on the continuing education, degree completion adult market. Each subgroup should define its student populations taking into account the larger Temple academic community, and task force reports such as the report of the Ambler Task Force.

Task 2:  By way of example, each subgroup should suggest two to three strategic initiatives/investments that would directly enhance Temple’s ability to attract and retain its desired student body as defined in Task 1.

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would best support attracting and retaining Temple’s future students.

Task 4:  Define criteria by which undergraduate students should be admitted to Temple and by which they should be evaluated once enrolled at Temple.

Task 5:  Following completion of Tasks 1 through 4, consider the metrics Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 6:  Consider how Work Group 7 can interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 8:  Strengthening the Environment for Student Success

Focus:  Strategies, investments and organizational arrangements to preserve and enhance curricular and co-curricular support for students with the aim of better preparing students for both their personal and professional lives after leaving Temple University.  This focus includes enhancing Temple’s capacity to successfully educate students from a range of economic, cultural, racial and educational backgrounds; and improving the mentoring and support students receive as they transition through Temple.

Task 1:  Define the current set of issues that Temple must address as it seeks to strengthen its community of students in preparation for personal and professional life challenges.  In performing this task the committee should consider Temple’s mix of residential and commuter students; the importance of mental health and personal growth in addition to professional preparation and the role of co-curricular activities in the pedagogy and learning environment at Temple.

Task 2:  By way of example, suggest three to five strategic initiatives/investments that would directly strengthen the environment for student success at all levels (undergraduate through professional/graduate school).

Task 3:  Define the organizational arrangements that would best support Temple’s commitment to strengthening the environment for student success.

Task 4:  Following the completion of Tasks 1 through 3, consider the metrics Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 5:  Consider how the work of Group 8 might interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

GROUP 9:  Enabling the Bureaucracy to Serve the Academic Mission

Focus:  Examining the processes, procedures and organizational arrangements that will support Temple’s evolving academic missions.

Task 1:  Describe a set of criteria whereby processes/procedures can be judged with regard to their support of these academic missions.

Task 2:  By way of example, suggest two university processes that could be enhanced or modified through application of the criteria described in Task 1, to better serve the academic mission.

Task 3:  Following completion of Tasks 1 and 2, consider the metrics Temple should use to track progress in this area once the Strategic Plan is finalized.

Task 4:  Consider how the work of Group 9 might interface with the other Work Groups established as part of the strategic planning process.

return to top

Academic Planning Home