UMASS AMHERST

Strategic Action Plan For

Transformative Growth & Success

2016 - 2018

Process overview

Current situation

Mission & Vision

Objectives

Strategies

Metrics

Financials

Threats & risks

Ability to deliver results

Call to action

What keeps me up at night

Cost of quality education

Teaching and advising capacity

Teaching lab renovation

Cost of quality research

Hiring new faculty

Retention of good faculty

Research lab renovation

Upcoming Big Opportunities

Rolling out Advanced Manufacturing and

Materials

Finding synergies across Big Data

Infusing Energy, Climate, and Sustainability

across the college

Catching the wave in Neuroscience and

Cognitive Science

Strengthening discovery to translational research

in Life Sciences

Mission

Provide a best in the nation education in

science and math

leading to rewarding and impactful careers

Featuring:

Mentoring from exceptional and accessible faculty

Participation in authentic learning experiences for all

students

Involvement in innovative research and entrepreneurship

Vision

Students receive a nationally recognized, premium

science and math education

This education is provided through mentoring from

exceptional and highly accessible faculty

The underpinnings of this education is based on

providing students with a wide range of authentic

learning and research experiences

This vision is achieved through a cost and quality-

oriented approach to teaching, research, and societal

impact.

Our academic reputation outside

of our scholarly disciplines

Objectives

1. Transition to a better understanding of and a more sustainable approach to cost/quality decision-making

2. Identify and implement viable ways to improve the academic reputation of CNS

3. Make the value proposition of a UMass Amherst science education more visible and more tangible for students

4. Expand external relationships with industry, government, alumni, K-12

Improving quality/lowering costs of

instruction

Section offerings

Course offerings

Course completion rates

Curricular complexity

Faculty course loads

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

CNS undergrad majors and instruction

Undergrad Total Majors

FTE Instructed Students

Student credit hours and

organized class sections / FTE

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

2004 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

#

S

e

c

t

i

o

n

s

/

F

T

E

Tenure Track Non-Tenure Track Teaching Associates

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

2004 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

#

S

e

c

t

i

o

n

s

/

F

T

E

Tenure Track Non-Tenure Track

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2004 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

#

S

t

u

d

e

n

t

C

r

e

d

i

t

H

r

s

/

F

T

E

Tenure Track Non-Tenure Track Teaching Associates

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2004 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

#

S

t

u

d

e

n

t

C

r

e

d

i

t

H

r

s

/

F

T

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Tenure Track Non-Tenure Track

Departmental variation in organized class

sections per tenure system faculty

0.97

0.71

1.23

1.77

1.101.31

1.51

1.73

0.98

1.54

1.17

1.93

0.48

Maximizing every possible minute of tenure-track class

sections and credit hours is not optimizing the balancing

act of delivering an exceptional CNS educational

experience.

# Class

sections

Exceptional

Education

# Student

credit hours Advising ResearchMentoring

Faculty contribution to the student experience

1A. Transition to a more sustainable cost- & quality-oriented

approach to teaching, research & societal impact

Restructure the college by creating a School of Earth, Sustainability, & the Environment by fall 2016

Reorganize across the life sciences

Reorganize the graduate programs by Jan. 1, 2016

Create a unified first-year curriculum by spring 2016

Initiate discussions about opportunities in physical sciences & math with appropriate participants by Jan. 1, 2016

Create more reasonable teaching loads across all levels in AY15/16

Consider alternatives to current advising (have tentatively budgeted $1MM)

1B. Transition to a more sustainable cost- & quality-oriented

approach to teaching, research, & societal impact

Develop a plan by July 1, 2016, with a target to save $2MM in budget efficiencies within the first two years. Adding efficiency in running the college and executing actions within the university Reduce duplication of courses

Allow us to make more broadly impactful hiring decisions

Develop more CPE classes including online with a target of 10 new courses per year.

Facilitate successful implementation of the new budget model. Help everyone understand what the new process means, how it

is intended to work, and why it is a benefit to them.

Develop cost / quality as a management tool to make good decisions and have an efficient use of resources.

Accomplish all actions with an efficient use of resources & defensible priorities

Objectives

1. Transition to a better understanding of and a more sustainable approach to cost/quality decision making

2. Identify and implement viable ways to improve the academic reputation of CNS

3. Make the value proposition of a UMass Amherst science education more visible and more tangible for students

4. Expand external relationships with industry, government, alumni, K-12

2A. Improve academic reputation

Make a commitment to a continuing upgrade of teaching laboratories at

$1MM a year within three years

Expand the off-campus opportunities for students to develop and practice

research-centered skills, professional practice, and habits of mind

Define the data to track number of students by Jan. 1, 2016

Double the number of students with this experience in three years.

Provide unique authentic residential learning experiences beyond just the

exceptional students including research projects, discovery labs, and

honors theses

Define the data to track number of students by Jan. 1, 2016

Double the number of students with this experience in three years.

Get all stakeholders together by Jan. 1, 2016, to determine priorities and

process of promoting targeted high profile programs

Environment and sustainability

Neuroscience

Institute of Applied Life Sciences

2B. Improve academic reputation

Assess advising at the college and departmental level in the

AY15/16 to identify strengths and areas needed for

improvement. Analyze & take appropriate action on

advisor/student ratio, counseling, and mentoring at an added

cost of $1MM a year. Ensure consistency with provost’s

campus- wide approach.

Improve all department websites on a three-year rotating

basis to provide a comprehensive consistent message to

undergraduates and make them more informative by

including FAQ sheets, model pathways for advancement, etc.

Establish college-wide learning goals by June 2016

Increase the participation and perseverance of women and

URM in STEM majors

2C. Improve academic reputation

Utilize funds from CNS restructuring, strategic investment,

new donor relationships, & grants to upgrade faculty, labs,

and research.

Make a commitment to a continuing upgrade of research

laboratories

Increase funding for retaining our best faculty.

Rebuild faculty numbers to be nationally competitive in the

departments of Mathematics and Statistics, Physics,

Chemistry, and Psychological and Brain Sciences. Achieving

net increase of five new faculty per year by fall 2017

Objectives

1. Transition to a better understanding of and a more sustainable approach to cost/quality decision-making

2. Identify and implement viable ways to improve the academic reputation of CNS

3. Make the value proposition of a UMass Amherst science education more visible and more tangible for students

4. Expand external relationships with industry, government, alumni, K-12

3A. Make the UMass tuition cost advantage more

visible and more tangible for science students

Identify and be listed in all appropriate college ranking

sites by Jan 1, 2016

Research: studies, surveys, and any other credible

analyses of career income and success related to the cost

and debt of private versus state university educations by

September 2016.

Work with University Relations on some “science

specific” initiatives

3B. Make a stronger connection between a CNS

education and the student priority of “good jobs”

Establish an office of professional development within the

college for undergraduate students by December 2016.

Promote visibility of alumni who have impressive

business and personal success and credentials and

continually connect alumni to undergraduates and

graduates. Work with the university alumni group

(Evisors) as pioneers in the new advisor network.

3C. Prepare graduate students for multiple

career options

Career preparation:

Identifying and exploring career paths; job search

Communication:

Writing, publishing, presenting, and applying for

grants and fellowships

Leadership and management:

Entrepreneurship, science policy, business skills

Teaching strategies:

Understanding and carrying out best teaching

practices; developing a teaching portfolio

Objectives

1. Transition to a better understanding of and a more sustainable approach to cost/quality decision-making

2. Identify and implement viable ways to improve the academic reputation of CNS

3. Make the value proposition of a UMass Amherst science education more visible and more tangible for students

4. Expand external relationships with industry, government, alumni, K-12

4A. Expand external relationships with

government, industry, alumni, K-12

Increase development of external partnerships in

research and funding with targeted businesses &

organizations.

Reach out to state government as honest brokers

of ideas and information

Grow involvement & visibility in Springfield.

Expand participation in STEM Ed Institute

Increase philanthropic giving

4B. Expand external relationships and funding

Increase pre- and post-award grant support across

the college

Build research and donor opportunities with

business

Develop a process for exploring leading edge

research directions for eventual faculty recruiting

Increased collaboration with TTO and UMII.

Follow up with ‘I-Corps’-like activities.

On-line science education training

Science Education On-line

Develop blended programs for teacher training

Pre-service science education training for current

student

On-campus science activities

Science Quest

Jump start programs for high school students

Student group outreach, coaching and mentoring in

the school system

4C. Science and Math Literacy and Learning

Expansion of the interactions with alumni and the Advisory

Board to focus on:

Relationships with companies who benefit from the students we

train. Listen carefully to their needs; deliver candidates who can

become contributing professionals faster; save them money in

training; and ramp up and earn incremental donations to fuel

the program.

Broad development of the internship program

Relationships with students, parents and guidance

counselors. Influence destination of choice at the right age

4D. Expand external relationships and funding

Process Overview

Current situation

Mission an Vision

Objectives

Strategies

Metrics

Financials

Threats & risks

Ability to deliver results

Call to action

2015 CNS sources & uses profile 2015 year-end data

Engage Michael

and Ceil on

data

$-

$20,000,000

$40,000,000

$60,000,000

$80,000,000

$100,000,000

$120,000,000

$140,000,000

Sources Uses

2015 - College of Natural Sciences

Continuing Education

Gifts/Endowment

Allocations

Sales and Services

Indirect Cost Recovery

State Appropriation

Grants

Reconcile to Sources total

Equipment

Information Tech

Operational

Scholarships

Facilities

Administrative

Payroll

DRAFT from Michael Fahey July 3..

2015 Actual CNS

Sources & Uses

Plus forecasted GAP

In transformation to

additional staff, lab

upgrades and support

in 3-year strategic plan

GAP Expenditures appear

in CAPS in the legend

7/10/15 $-

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

$140

$160

$180

Sources Uses

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

OTHER RENNOVATAIONS

TEACHING LAB UPGRADES

RETENTIONS

NEW FACULTY FACILITIES

NEW FACULTY STARTUP

NEW FACULTY SALARIES

REPLACEMENT FACULTY FACILITIES

REPLACEMENT FACULTY STARTUP

Continuing Education

Gifts/Endowment

Allocations

Sales and Services

Indirect Cost Recovery

State Appropriation

Grants

Reconcile to Sources total

Equipment

Information Tech

Operational

Scholarships

Facilities

Administrative

Payroll

$38MMGAP

GAP EXPENDITURES $M/YR.

REPLACEMENT FACULTY STARTUP REPLACEMENT FACULTY FACILITIES

NEW FACULTY SALARIES NEW FACULTY STARTUP

NEW FACULTY FACILITIES RETENTIONS

TEACHING LAB UPGRADES OTHER RENNOVATAIONS

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

GAP expenditures to enhance the student

experience, education, & outcome

Closing The Revenue GAP

Growth in SCH

Savings from Organization

Growth in CPE

Strategic Investment

Increased Philanthropy

Saving from Efficiency

The new budgeting process

New Strategic Budget Allocation System intended to improve sound

decision-making

Will bring more fiscal control to the college level

Encourages cost containment, greater productivity, entrepreneurial

ideas, development, fundraising, and more

Will position credit hour and enrollment shifts to better inform the budget

allocation process.

Will run parallel budgeting in fiscal 2016 and transfer to new model in

2017

We need to put in place a cost /quality budgeting and decision making

process that works for us regardless of the campus system

THANK YOU

ANY QUESTIONS?