Academic Plan 2011-2015 (PDF 524kB) - SUNY Empire State College

28 SUNY Empire State College: Academic Plan 2011 - 2015Indeed, educational planning, both in terms of the process of individualized degree program planningfor students and in terms of the study itself, remains a foundational value of the college, even aseducational planning practices raise issues and concerns that must be addressed in an academicplan. The Academic Planning Task Force recognizes and applauds the ongoing work by the Office ofCollegewide Academic Review, directors of academic review, the directors of academic support workinggroup and the Center for Mentoring and Learning, aimed at strengthening and improving educationalplanning for undergraduates. In recognition of these various and important initiatives, the academicplan calls for enhancing educational planning for those centers and programs that require educationalplanning of their students.Objective B3.1: Analyze the impact of enrollment growth on effective educationalplanning through data-driven analysisThere are broad concerns across the college as enrollment growth has created pressures on faculty,professional and support staff as they strive to meet the needs of their students. Discussions across thecollege have raised concerns that this growth has impacted the provision of educational planning toour students. An analysis of institutional data is needed to determine whether, for example, students’completion rates in educational planning studies have been affected. Also, research is needed todetermine whether, and if so how, enrollment growth has affected mentors’ practice with regards toeducational planning. The goal of these analyses is to inform a review and strengthening of educationalplanning policy, a task that will be undertaken by the Committee on Undergraduate Studies andPolicies within the timeframe of this plan.Objective B3.2: Work toward consistency and transparency to enhance academic qualityEnhancing students’ ability to understand and engage with the process of educational planning –such that it adds value rather than becoming a barrier – is a desirable outcome. Effective and timelyachievement of the educational planning sequence (from completion of the study to completion ofthe portfolio and its submission, evaluation of PLA requests, faculty review and concurred degreeprograms) are all critically important outcomes. There are proposals to review current models and beginto identify best practices across centers, by mentors as well as directors of academic review. The Centerfor Mentoring and Learning and the Office of Collegewide Academic Review will provide leadership forthis effort.Objective B3.3: Explore and disseminate diverse models of delivery of educationalplanningMultiple ways of delivering educational planning exist and should continue to exist across thecollege, but in a more planned and shared environment. In particular, the college will benefit from anexploration of the complete range of educational planning practice, including individualized, semistructuredand almost fully structured degree plans. Again, the Center for Mentoring and Learning willprovide leadership in the effort to identify which models of delivery meet the criteria of supportingcore values, supporting student academic success and utilizing innovative approaches. An extendedorientation that transitions to educational planning falls within these efforts, and, as noted in othersections of this plan, ePortfolios are effective tools for both delivering educational planning andassessing student learning and college practice.