The following synopsis is based on content from Jamboards used in break out rooms during the listening sessions on Sept. 29, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2021 and from the post-listening session feedback form.
Student Success and Retention
Themes
- Advising and awareness of resources
- Community building for students
- Mentorship
- Experiential learning and undergraduate student research opportunities
- Articulating degree to career connections and community networking
- Mental health as a major student barrier
Synopsis
In the areas of advising, community building, and mentorship, some departments feel they are succeeding, and others view these areas as significant challenges. The main challenges associated with these areas are faculty and staff workload, burnout, and the desire to support students without the resources to do so in a meaningful way. Access to experiential learning, research opportunities, and community connections were highlighted as important and lacking. When these opportunities are available and utilized, students thrive. Mental health was mentioned numerous times as a barrier to success and retention, and relates to the need for more robust systems of advising, community building, and mentorship.
Research and Creative Activity
Themes
- Space/infrastructure
- Funding limitations and lack of time and resources for grant writing
- Non-financial support: Administration and knowledge of available resources
- Cross campus collaboration
- Student involvement: Undergrad, grad and equity of opportunities
- Faculty workload and recognition/equity across faculty types
- COVID: Impacts on travel and experiments
Synopsis
The lack of workable office and lab space, available funding, and administrative and informational support were highlighted as major challenges.. Some noted that student involvement in research is going well, and others feel it is a challenge that could be addressed, in part, by restructuring degree plans to incorporate more credit for research. Faculty workload and time present an additional challenge to research and creative activity, especially in the case of non-tenure track faculty, who aren’t equally recognized or compensated for their contributions in these areas. COVID has presented a challenge in many ways, but particularly in the area of research due to travel restrictions and quarantines.
Operations and Budget
Themes
- HCM
- Bronco Budget
- Cross campus collaboration
- Budget cuts/holdbacks
- Low wages considering workloads and overtime expectations
Synopsis
Challenges were identified around system changes (HCM/BroncoHub) and the implications of Bronco Budget, specifically the barrier to cross campus collaborations that surface under the current budget model. Previously mentioned concerns around wages and high workloads contributing to difficulties with hiring and retention resurfaced.
Graduate Programming
Themes
- Capacity: Program admin support and faculty workload/burnout
- Access: Recruitment, funding and facilities
- Programming: New programs and collaboration across departments, colleges and units
- Advising and mentorship as key to success
- Research wins and challenges
Synopsis
Capacity and access emerged as common themes. Many programs are lacking the staff support, faculty capacity and infrastructure needed to support students and their research. Recruitment of quality candidates has been a challenge without increased stipends, especially considering the continually rising cost of living combined with the lack of housing in the area. There is a common desire for new programs, program improvements, and further cross campus collaborations. Research emerged as both a success and a challenge, some challenges included lack of funding and lack of credit for VIP research projects.