High-Impact Service Initiative
College of Arts and Sciences High-Impact Service Initiative
The College of Arts and Sciences finds itself in a period of acute sustainability challenges. The causes of these challenges are diverse in their nature and distribution; however, the effects are felt across the entire college.
Our new initiative is a call to action in “resisting the template.” High-impact service is meant to designate service activities that are responsive to the underlying causes of our shared sustainability challenges. Such service activities might focus on student recruitment, retention and success at the program level or beyond; on operational efficiencies within the unit or the college; or on novel approaches to revenue generation. These examples are meant to spur, not to limit, your imagination.
Moreover, high-impact service is by its very nature a team effort. That team might comprise all or most faculty and staff members in the unit, or it might comprise several faculty members working in coordination with others outside the unit. In any event, high-impact service is not, and cannot be, the work of a lone individual working in isolation.
How will the initiative work?
A call for proposals will be issued the week of August 26, with a deadline of September 11. A form will be available to submit your proposal.
Associate Dean Roark will convene regular cohort or individual team meetings throughout the fall and early spring semesters to monitor progress, address challenges, provide course correction and bring projects to completion.
The cohort of team leads will present their projects and outcomes to the Dean Team and Chairs Council in early March, where the next steps will be discussed and defined.
What resources will be made available?
- Up to two team leads from participating units will each receive $1,000 in professional funds or one-time supplemental pay.
- Participating units may request up to $10,000 in one-time funding for expenses related to their proposed project.
- Team leads will receive ongoing logistical support from the Dean’s Office and practical support from other team leads in the cohort.
Process and timeline
- Aug. 15: Dean Durham announces initiative at the college fall meeting.
- Aug. 21: Associate Dean Roark sends a communication to chairs and directors with more detailed information about the initiative and a request to activate their faculty.
- Aug. 26: The college’s communications team posts a call for pre-proposals linked to a Gravity form that solicits the names of 2-3 faculty in the unit to lead the project and a brief description of the project’s goals, methods and milestones.
- Sept. 13: Associate Dean Roark presents the slate of pre-proposals at the Dean Team meeting and the cohort is selected.
- Sept. 16: Associate Dean Roark notifies cohort members and schedules a kick-off meeting.
- Week of Sept. 23: Associate Dean Roark convenes the cohort for a kick-off meeting and sets the agenda and expectations.
- Oct. 1 – March 1: Associate Dean Roark convenes regular cohort or individual team meetings to monitor progress, address challenges, provide course correction and bring projects to completion.
- March 7: Cohort leads present to the Dean Team and Chairs Council and the next steps are defined.