An academic strategy is an expression of chosen academic
directions – for curriculum, for pedagogy, for investments in
specific research interests, and for a scholarship of
engagement.
This strategy must also encompass consideration of changes in
enrollment size, mix by program, by level, by geographic origin
that may be necessary or desirable based upon curricular or
pedagogical directions. The manner in which we plan for students to
distribute across our program offerings is an important expression
of our academic character. And, finally the academic strategy is
enabled by the choices we will make in the hiring and replacement
of faculty by rank, by program, by type – ladder, and
non-tenure track (clinical, instructors, adjuncts).
Over the past few months, a new strategic concept is emerging
within the university community that may combine the best features
of the very successful Strategic Strength Initiative and the
Undergraduate Academies program with new notions for the purpose of
interdisciplinary teaching, research and service.
This is the concept of the theme as a large scale
interdisciplinary framework that integrates cross-disciplinary
research, teaching and engagement programs around the content of a
broad thematic area. Where the Strategic Strength areas focus on
building research strength in particular areas and the
Undergraduate Academies focus on supplementary learning
experiences, a chosen theme, for example, Health, would be very
broad, enabling participation from many Schools and departments in
research, education and service activities conducted under that
umbrella.
The chosen theme areas would distinguish UB’s academic
strategy in the originality of this concept, the integration of the
teaching, research and service effort, the creation of new
pedagogical innovations and in the signaling to the larger academic
world where UB intends to be global thought leaders around the
world in these areas. The theme concept, properly advertised,
supported and embraced will differentiate UB from other
universities and will attract good students intrigued by our
emphasis in these areas.
The notion of the theme as the organizing framework for
UB’s academic strategy must be tested, structured and
discussed carefully within our university community in the months
ahead. We will articulate the purpose and element of the
theme concept and develop funding plans and governance structures
that will enable the theme idea to fulfill its intended purposes
fairly quickly. Most importantly, we must determine what themes we
will choose to guide our plans.
The choice of theme areas could be a time consuming process or
it could be done very quickly. The important considerations are the
following:
When considering all of these factors with particular emphasis
on where the Strategic Strengths have led us and what our region
and our ambitions tell us about where to focus, four theme areas
have emerged as the best choices for our future.
Each of the Strategic Strength areas will contribute to the
development of one or more of these theme areas. Table 6 below
identifies the obvious primary connections but it is likely that
the strength areas will connect to each of these broad themes in
exciting ways.
We are in the midst of the creation of an Academic Medical
Center in downtown Buffalo. Western New York is endowed with an
abundance of water resources that must be protected and used in new
ways for the region and beyond in our soon-to-be challenged
future.
UB and Western New York have made a great investment in the
theater, the arts, the humanities, in cultural expression, and
these investments have built a lasting and impactful cultural
infrastructure in our region. Governance, equity and how
cultures express and accept differences lie at the heart of social
issues, wars, labor relations, and economic instability locally and
around the world.
Thus, it becomes self-evident that organizing themes centered in
health, the environment, creativity and justice are consistent with
UB’s and the region’s history, strength and
uniqueness. Accordingly, we are proposing to move forward
aggressively with these four themes and evaluate this decision on a
continuous basis as this concept and the plans for these areas
mature.
The theme concept is one of two core elements of the academic
strategy. The second core element is the definition of the
characteristics we will instill in every UB student. UB will train
tomorrow’s leaders, a new kind of leader who thinks for
themselves, who can formulate new directions for a country, a
corporation, a college of a community; leaders who have vision.
These students can focus rather than let themselves be dispersed
everywhere into a cloud of electronic and social input. UB will
give these students the experiences and the guidance to find their
authentic selves, their own unique reality. Students will leave UB
with the specific character traits listed below and they will know
and remember the many encounters at UB that produced them.
Below presented is a matrix that describes the objectives and
initiatives of UB’s proposed academic strategy. This matrix
contains proposals that will, when viewed together, present a very
extensive agenda.
We will engage in robust conversation about all of these topics
to learn about what is possible and what will be our priorities for
action. We will find the capacity to do more if we challenge
ourselves. But, in the end, we must define an implementable
academic strategy and move forward.
