Addendum to the NCA Reaccreditation Self-Study Report: Office of Research and the Graduate School (September 24, 1997)

Because organizations are dynamic in nature, both the passage of time and the self-study process have led to shifts in focus and understanding.

I. Clarification of the nature of mission and vision statements led to the revision and drafting of both (item 2 of the Action Plan, Chapter Seven):

Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Research and the Graduate School is to serve as a progressive and innovative unit of Michigan Technological University, enhancing the University's continuing role as the technological institution of the State of Michigan by:

• preparing its graduate students to embark on a life-long process of learning and exploring new knowledge;
• assisting them in acquiring the skills necessary to become responsible leaders in society;
• providing opportunities for graduate education to qualified individuals from all racial, ethnic, and gender groups;
• providing our faculty with a full range of encouragement and support for research and scholarly activities;
• stimulating research to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to enhance the application of knowledge for the betterment of society;
• safeguarding the highest level of integrity in the conduct of research the University.

Vision Statement

The University's research and graduate programs will be a home in which students and faculty are encouraged to pursue and create knowledge at its cutting edge; and a working laboratory in which knowledge is put to useful application for the benefit of society. The Graduate School will expand programs in areas outside of our technological emphasis and thereby contribute to the social and cultural enrichment of our students and our community. It will reach out globally with teaching, training, research, and service. It will strive for continued growth in ethnic, gender, and racial diversity. Through these accomplishments, it will be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in graduate education supported by vigorous research.

II. The persistent decrease in graduate enrollment that became apparent with the beginning of the 1997/8 academic year makes us aware of the urgency of continued improvement in recruitment efforts discussed on page 3 of this Self-Study report. This is consistent with item 3 on the Action Plan of Chapter Seven: Graduate Education.

III. The move among first-class universities to respond with innovative programs to the needs of nontraditional students is a trend that affects our own ability to draw students and must be addressed as we think about our future direction (item 8 on the Action Plan).

IV. Graduate programs across the country are increasingly aware of the importance of retention of students. The self-study process has been quite valuable in pointing to needs with regard to this issue. Action Plan items 1, 4, 7, 9, and 10 draw our attention to concerns with "climate" issues. While we have made and continue to make efforts to assess problems (e.g. the climate study done by the President's Commission on Women and the Graduate Student Council's in-process workload survey), and while programs have been initiated to enhance the quality of our graduate students' experience here (e.g., TA training and mentorship programs), we have become aware through the self-study process that implementation is inconsistent.

Recommendations need to be carefully tracked to insure their implementation and departments need to be supported and encouraged in the implementation of support programs. In this light, the scope of Action Plan item 10 ought to be expanded to include reviews of progress in these other areas as well.

V. The apparent inconsistency in the perceived nature of our programs (the SWOT analysis points to innovative programs while the this Self-Study report points out their rigidity) is an issue that needs to be addressed. Rigidity of programs may well be of concern in further growth of inter- and multidisciplinary collaboration (a strength noted in the September 12, 1997 report to the Board of Control); it may also prove detrimental to efforts to expand the availability of our programs to non-traditional students and to increasing the diversity of our student population (weaknesses noted in the same report as well as in the SWOT analysis). The internal/external review of programs called for in Action Plan item 6 should be structured so as to provide some sense of the origins of this inconsistency.

VI. Overall, we have had a high rate of approval for research and development proposals submitted. We could improve, however, particularly in the area of larger (between $100–500K) Federal awards, especially given that Carnegie status is determined in part by the amount of Federal research and development dollars received. The climate of competitive external research funding noted in the SWOT Analysis demands increased efforts that are not fully addressed by the Action Plan for Chapter Eight: Research. Increased faculty presence in Washington, D.C., (a recommendation made in the Board of Control report) would improve the success of proposals submitted to federal agencies.

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