President MJ Saunders’ Self-Report to Board of Trustees on 2010-11 Goals

Once again, the strategic planning process is designed to be inclusive, incorporating input from the University’s key constituencies, including academic, administrative and support units

President MJ Saunders’ Self-Report to Board of Trustees on

2010-11 Goals

August 29, 2011

These accomplishments would not be possible without the committed team of Vice Presidents and the talented faculty, staff and students at Florida Atlantic University working in concert toward the goal of making FAU a great university

Goal 1 Initiate Strategic Planning and Focus University Mission

 Re-initiated strategic planning process to build on 2006 plan Focus on increasing

academic excellence, establishing University-wide signature themes, ensuring student success.

The strategic planning process has been re-engaged through appointment of a new Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC) co-chaired by Dr Gitanjali Kaul, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Information Technology, and Dr Timothy Lenz, FAU Trustee and

Professor of Political Science The committee’s 12 members include key University

administrators and faculty members and, from the greater community, Dr Claudia Hillinger, President of the Max Planck Foundation The group’s mission is to revisit the 2006-13 Strategic Plan in its entirety, retain all aspects of it that are serving the University well, revise and refine goals that require updating, and develop new goals to address today’s opportunities and

challenges Once again, the strategic planning process is designed to be inclusive, incorporating input from the University’s key constituencies, including academic, administrative and support units throughout the University

To facilitate this process, I retained The Learning Alliance for Higher Education, a consulting firm that provides valuable research and leadership support services to college and university presidents Members of The Learning Alliance came to FAU in February 2010 to facilitate the Campus Roundtable, a forum promoting dialogue on the University’s strategic goals and

priorities Interviews conducted with faculty members representing many diverse academic units yielded a list of key issues that was presented for general discussion during a full-day roundtable

on March 15

In April a memorandum signed by the SPSC co-chairs was widely disseminated to the

University’s internal constituencies It provided details on how units and individuals could provide input to the planning process Attached was a set of carefully formulated questions that were to be addressed by all units of the University by May, with reports due by June 30

The questions in the survey were as follows:

1 What does FAU do well?

2 What should FAU do in the next five years to become a distinctive and distinguished institution?

3 What should your unit do in the next five years to become a distinctive and distinguished department?

4 What challenges does FAU face today?

5 What challenges does your unit face today?

The SPSC included a list of some attributes often associated with successful units and suggested that those responding to the survey incorporate some or all of them in their discussions and subsequent responses The attributes are:

Accountability

Collegiality

Community and public service

Entrepreneurship

Ethnic diversity, cultural and global

perspective

Faculty success

Financial support of excellence and

stewardship of resources

Interdisciplinary inquiry and collaboration Recruitment and retention of faculty Recruitment and retention of students Scholarship and research

Student success Teaching and learning Working across campuses and with non-university partners

Responses to the survey were synthesized over the summer into overarching, University-wide goals to be presented in a report to be distributed by the SPSC in September Ongoing

opportunities for individuals and units to provide additional input will continue to be provided

As we re-engage the strategic planning process, we are focusing our efforts on continuing the University’s development in all three core areas of its mission: education, research and creative activities, and civic engagement In each area, we will seek to build upon existing strengths and move toward new frontiers of achievement that will increase FAU’s value to the students and communities it serves Our intention is to make mid-course corrections and additions to the strategic plan that will enable the University to take advantage of new opportunities and frame new challenges for the future

Emerging from this process is the opportunity to set direction for the University utilizing

signature themes to support research, educational programming and community outreach Three themes are being proposed: Marine and Coastal Issues, Biotechnology and Contemporary Societal Challenges

 Exploiting new opportunities and starting mutually beneficial community partnerships.

We undertook this effort from a position of strength and well demonstrated institutional value FAU’s designation as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching provides an impressive outside endorsement of its growth as a center

of important 21st century research, particularly in the areas of biomedicine, biotechnology, marine science and ocean engineering FAU has become a powerful engine of growth and prosperity in South Florida, with a current regional economic impact of about $2 billion

annually This impact will increase dramatically with the advent of the stadium and the medical

school FAU is committed to the concept of stewardship of place and is working in the

community in many ways, from operating healthcare clinics that serve low-income families to providing thousands of student volunteers to a large variety of non-profit and public service organizations FAU’s campuses are vibrant cultural centers that offer members of the public a wide array of personal enrichment experiences, including Lifelong Learning classes, plays, concerts, art exhibitions and film showings All of these aspects of the University’s mission have been conscientiously developed over a period of many years, and they are all receiving my close attention and active support

I have had a very busy speaking schedule during my first year in office, addressing more than 45 outside organizations and University groups throughout our service area, always stressing FAU’s rapid maturation as a comprehensive university and its growing stature in the academic arena

I was the keynote or featured speaker at several high-profile events presented by economic and civic organizations that included the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the South Palm Beach County Bar Association, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance Board of Directors, the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale and the Martin County Council of Chambers

Additionally, I made presentations to the Broward, Palm Beach and Treasure Coast legislative delegations, and I visited Tallahassee to speak with individual legislators

I became a founding member of the Life Tech Corridor Executive Committee, Board member of MedUTech, elected member of Broward Workshop, Chair Broward Educational Alliance,

Member HBOI Foundation Board, and Trustee of Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce

I officiated at the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 commencement ceremonies, reviving the practice of awarding honorary doctorates to persons of outstanding achievement and continuing the practice

of awarding President’s Distinguished Service Medallions to special friends of the University Expressions of thanks such as these are very meaningful to the recipients and serve to reinforce the University’s relationship with them

I spoke at many student events, including the Freshman Convocation, the Phi Kappa Phi

Initiation Ceremony, the FAU High School graduation ceremony, the Student Government Inauguration Ceremony, the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the University Honors Program event, the Graduate Student Owl Awards and the Student Leadership Conference

When addressing any audience, I take pride in celebrating FAU’s status as the most diverse institution in Florida’s State University System, with 46 % of our students classified as African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, multi-racial or international All

50 states and more than 130 countries are represented in our student body We celebrate the rich diversity of our student body in many ways, including presentation of the annual Festival of Nations and observance of Black History Month, Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Month

In addition to face-to-face interactions, I maintain contact with the University community in a number of ways, including Inside FAU webisodes on subjects of current interest, monthly

MyFAU columns and mass email messages to make important announcements such as new academic and administrative appointments

Goal 2 Increase Student Success and Affinity to FAU

This goal lies at the very heart of what both Florida Atlantic University and my presidency are all about The institution exists to offer superior academic opportunities to students, who deserve to

be given the tools they need to excel Every other enterprise undertaken by the University, from facility construction to fundraising, serves the ultimate goal of creating a place where students can enhance their lives by acquiring a world class education in the fields of their choice

 Create e-learning opportunities to increase access and diversity of offerings.

I made creation of a Center for eLearning and hiring of a Center Director/Assistant Provost for eLearning top priorities during my first year in office Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Task Force for eLearning, the Center was brought into existence in record time with a well-defined mission, and a highly qualified Director/Assistant Provost was found through a national search

Dr Monica DeTure, formerly Director of Distance Learning and Outreach Technology at Auburn University, began her duties at FAU in April She is responsible for leading our efforts to

implement eLearning across all academic disciplines and programs eLearning has tremendous potential, not only from the point of view of responding to students’ need for ease of

accessibility, but also as an evolving educational environment in its own right

In 2008-09,503 course sections were offered online, which reflected a 12 % increase over the previous year In 2009-10, 591 sections were offered, reflecting a 17 % growth rate In 2010-11,

686 sections were offered online, representing a 16 % growth rate For 2011-2012, Dr DeTure anticipates a growth rate of 15 to 20 % for fully online sections%

 Improve retention rates by increasing academic support, creating a culture of success

and improving student life.

In pursuit of this objective, I have engaged in the following activities during the first year of my presidency:

 Completed establishment of the Center for Teaching and Learning, a multi-departmental initiative designed to ensure the academic success of every student and provide faculty with teaching tools and resources

 Appointed the Honors Task Force, headed by Dr Edward Pratt, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Dr Jeffrey Buller, Dean of the Harriet L Wilkes Honors College, to explore creative ways to build and enhance all of FAU’s undergraduate research, creative

activities and scholarship experiences and thus embed honors education in the entire curriculum of the University

 Announced selection of the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan topic: “Integrating and expanding a culture of research and scholarship at FAU through the framework of an honors program.” Stressed the importance of University-wide support for this initiative in

a detailed email message to all faculty and staff

 Supported and encouraged all activities of the Center for Learning and Student Success, including Living-Learning Communities, Supplemental Instruction, the Success Series

and Tutoring Services Programs such as the Learning Communities and classes in

Supplemental Instruction are having a marked effect on overall student success Last fall our Living-Learning Communities were the strongest ever, with 200-plus students

studying under the guidance of more than 20 faculty members During its 11 years of existence, the Learning Community program has impacted more than 4,000 students and raised the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate by 10 %age points In fall 2011, more than 700 students are expected to enroll in Learning Communities The Supplemental Instruction program, which focuses on more than two dozen courses that are historically difficult for students to pass, has helped increase the success rate in College Algebra and Methods of Calculus to more than 75 %, up from less than 50 % two years ago

Programs such as these will continue to receive my strong support.In August 2011 all academic support services offices moved to a beautiful redesigned space on the second floor of General Classrooms South This new facility is the premier learning support center in the state and also houses offices to support teaching pedagogy

 Oversaw implementation of a $1.6 million Title III grant from the U.S Department of

Education to support second-year at-risk students With this five-year grant, the

University created a program called Academic and Career Enhancement for Second-Year Students (AcCESS), which is designed to get students back on track academically and reduce choice-of-major and career indecision, an important factor behind second-year attrition The grant allowed FAU to create five full-time positions to implement

programs, including vigorous advising, tutoring, major and career counseling, and time management and study skills workshops The AcCESS program welcomed its first cohort

of students in spring 2011 Of the 71 students who participated, more than two-thirds achieved term GPAs over 2.0, and one student earned a 4.0 In the past, most of these students would have been dismissed from FAU

 FAU’s individual colleges are crafting plans aimed at advancing student success,

including increased emphasis on faculty mentoring and the creation of new majors for students who are unable to get into their majors of choice, such as nursing

FAU students were awarded $158.8 million in financial aid in 2010-11, up from $136.7 million the previous year – an increase of 16 % We also implemented a textbook rental program to help ease the financial burden on students in this age of rapidly escalating textbook prices

 Enhance residential life and academic programs with new facilities

Recognizing the important role that the physical environments of our campuses play in attracting and serving students, faculty, staff and members of the greater community, I took pride in cutting the ribbon on these major new facilities, which all came in under budget and with high LEED certifications (approval pending on several):

 Engineering East Building; LEED Platinum; $46,385,563 (Certification awarded)

 Culture & Society Building; LEED Gold; $25,594,000 (Certification pending)

 Henderson School Expansion; LEED Gold; $5,991,800 (Certification pending)

 Davie West; LEED Gold; $36,222,560 (Certification pending)

 HBOI Link Building Renovation; LEED Gold; $9,450,000 (Certification pending)

Gave full support to strategically important new construction:

 Innovation Village, Phase I; LEED Silver; $99,056,915 (Occupancy 100%)

(Certification pending)

 FAU Stadium; LEED Silver; $63,490,418 (Opening October 15, 2011) (Certification pending)

 Harbor Branch Research Lab II: LEED Gold; $19,300,400 (Opening October 2011.) (Certification pending)

This year the Division of Student Affairs continued to be thoroughly immersed in student life on all campuses, assisting students with everything from academic support and healthcare to social activities Recent achievements include the following:

 The Weppner Center for Civic Engagement & Service was named to the Presidential Honor Roll for Community Service

o 1,887 FAU students completed 65,832 volunteer hours from Summer 2010 through Spring 2011

o Once again, the Weppner Center coordinated Alternative Spring Break, which this year saw 23 students and 4 advisors travel to Tallahassee to work with the

homeless in two shelters and a church

o 25 new student organizations were created this year, including six new sorority and fraternity chapters, bringing the total number of active student organizations

to 228

o Leadership training is also on the rise, through programs such as the Learn 2 Lead Institute, the Presidents’ Leadership Experience and the Leadership Conference, which this year attracted 550 student participants

o The University’s first Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allied students opened in January This Center is staffed by a paid graduate assistant and more than 30 volunteer students It is attracting from

50 to 100 visitors per week

o U.S News and World Report’s 2010 Trojan Sexual Health Report Card ranked

FAU’s sexual health programming 18th nationally and 2nd in Florida

I will continue to support the development of student life enhancements of all kinds, from encouraging the initiative to bring fraternity and sorority housing to the Boca Raton campus to expanding student activities and services on all campuses As FAU grows in stature as a

university of choice for students of traditional age, availability of the full range of enrichment activities becomes increasingly important The quality of campus life is a key factor in attracting students, motivating them to become deeply involved in the college experience and retaining them through graduation

I have spent this year enjoying one-on-one and group contact with students at every opportunity, including at the array of inaugural events, freshman orientation sessions, the Freshman

Convocation, the Phi Kappa Phi initiation ceremony, receptions at the Baldwin House and the Forkas Alumni Center, classroom visits, research symposia, athletic events including traveling with the football team to away games, academic conferences and forums, volunteer activities such as the March for Babies, and Conversations with the President

I am a strong believer in the value of international experiences for students and stand firmly behind the proactive efforts of our Office of International Programs Last year, Florida Atlantic University was one of 10 universities selected to join the Institute for International Education’s International Academic Partnership Program to develop relationships with universities in

India The 2010-11 set of activities led to new ties in India that will undoubtedly produce

Agreements of Cooperation in the future FAU is now a member of the United States-India Education Foundation and, as such, will be able to more actively recruit students from India

We have also entered into a partnership with the American Council on Germany, a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization dedicated to enhancing transatlantic dialogue and

collaboration Some of our activities with this organization may also involve the Max Planck Florida Institute

FAU has renewed its membership in the European Union Network, which links Florida public universities to the European Union Center of Excellence based at Florida International

University and the University of Miami Funded by the EU, the Network gives FAU faculty and students access to grants, speakers and travel awards as it promotes expanded knowledge and understanding of the EU and EU-US ties

New Agreements of Cooperation have been established between FAU and London South Bank University, the American University of Rome, Nirma University (India), Chulalongkorn

University (Thailand), IQS Barcelona Business School, Angelos University Foundation

(Philippines), Guayasamin Foundation (Ecuador) and ESSEC Business School (France) In addition, we have renewed the University’s agreements with the Federation of German American Clubs (representing a consortium of nearly 20 German universities) and Silla University in South Korea

 Fall ‘11 enrollment success

Another theme that I have returned to again and again in presentations to both campus and community audiences is that of FAU’s emergence as a university of choice, as evidenced by

soaring freshman enrollment and campus housing applications By late May, the Admissions office had received 3,519 FTIC applications for summer and 24,600 FTIC applications for fall Together this is an increase of 88% over last year’s FTIC applications (2,330 summer and 12,610 fall) In line with the BOT projection, we have welcomed 3,360 first-time-in-college students in the fall, FAU’s largest-ever freshman class an increase of 555 freshmen students

Our transfer applications were also up, but not nearly as dramatically By late May we had received 3,613 transfer applications for summer entry, or 6% over last year (3,424) and 5,485 applications for the fall, 4% more than last year (5,287) Overall student credit hours are up 6% for fall 11

In the same timeframe, fall housing applications totaled a record-high 3,688 (3,473 for the Boca Raton campus and 215 for the Jupiter campus), up 44% over last year The residence halls opened with 100% occupancy, including Innovation Village, and 84 students were housed at the Boca Raton Marriot until rooms opened for them on campus

The academic credentials of our incoming students are on the rise as well Last fall’s incoming

class of 2,772 first-time-in-college students had an average high school GPA of 3.4, a combined SAT score of 1620 – up 18 points over the previous year – and a composite ACT score of 24

Our incoming Honors College students had even more impressive academic credentials, boasting

an average high school GPA of 4.0, a combined SAT score of 1950 and a composite ACT score

of 28 Included in their number were 13 International Baccalaureate graduates, four recipients of Cambridge University’s advanced international certificate in education, two National Merit Finalists, a valedictorian and a salutatorian

Even greater cause for celebration is the fact that the Honors College enrolled 147 students, achieving a growth rate of 380% over last year The Wilkes Medical Scholars Program has accepted its first four students, with provisional early acceptance by the Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine Honors enrollment for the program for the first two years on the main campus also more than doubled

Eighty-three of our student-athletes graduated this year, and 210 of them (42%) earned GPAs of 3.0 Additionally, the FAU women’s golf team was honored at the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Golf Championship for posting the highest GPA among all 2009-10 women’s teams I take great pride in the academic achievements of all of our students and take advantage of every

opportunity to congratulate them publicly Also, every semester I host a luncheon for the teams with the highest GPAs teams

I have made a concerted personal effort to encourage, recognize and reward academic

achievement in students through activities such as the following:

 My husband, Dr George Newkome, and I established the President’s Scholarship

Challenge with a $50,000 pledge that has grown to $240,618 to date from 1,452 donors and will provide financial assistance to more than 60 students in the fall

 I created a Presidential Award for the student-athlete with the highest GPA

 In my commencement addresses I make it a regular practice to showcase students of special achievement, particularly those who have overcome obstacles to obtain their degrees

Goal 3 Establish a Culture of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

FAU’s research enterprise experienced significant growth as the number of awards funded rose

by 21%, from 277 in 2009-10 to 335 in 2010-11 Eighteen awards were funded at $500,000 or more Funding sources include the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Naval Research, NASA, the U.S Department of Energy, the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State of Florida We reported $56.473 million

total R&D expenditures to the National Science Foundation for FY2010

I named Dr Barry Rosson, Dean of the Graduate College, to the additional position of Vice President for Research, thus facilitating closer interaction between our graduate and research programs During his four years at FAU, Dr Rosson has worked to create a synergistic

relationship between the Graduate College and the University’s research activities That initiative will derive great benefits from his joint appointment as Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate College

A Mentor/Mentee Program designed to pair tenure-track faculty with senior colleagues on joint research projects was launched in September 2010 with 15 teams All teams have submitted at least one research proposal

Last fall, the U.S Department of Energy designated FAU’s Center for Ocean Energy Technology

a national center, naming it the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center Annual funding from the DOE increased from $250,000 in 2008 to $1.189 million in 2009 to $2 million

in 2010 Including state Center of Excellence funding and funding from industry, the center has received $17.36 million since 2007 in support of its efforts to generate energy from Florida’s offshore ocean currents

FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has claimed much of my attention this year I have spent a considerable amount of time familiarizing myself with the personnel, mission, achievements and challenges of this remarkable institute, which is known around the world as a leader in ocean-related innovation, exploration, research, education and conservation I am a member of the HBOI Board of Directors

In December 2010, I appointed Dr Margaret Leinen to the dual position of Director of HBOI and Associate Provost for Marine and Environmental Initiatives – a new office at FAU She brings a

wealth of experience to FAU in the critically important field of environmental science, having served in leadership positions at the University of Rhode Island and the National Science

Foundation as well as in private industry We are indeed fortunate to have the benefit of her great knowledge and skills as we work to take Florida Atlantic University to a position of international leadership in ocean-related environmental science education and research

Recently, HBOI established a formal research and education partnership with the Georgia

Aquarium that is designed to focus their combined expertise and resources in ocean sciences and conservation on the ecosystems of the southeastern United States, with eventual expansion to other regions The plan calls for research and education collaborations in the areas of marine mammal research and conservation, coral reef research and conservation, and marine species husbandry/aquaculture

I have also been involved in getting an important new regional economic development initiative off the ground The Life Tech Corridor (LTC) is a multi-member project that is working to establish an industry cluster in South Florida focused on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,

diagnostics and information technology Plans call for the LTC to partner with the Florida High Tech Corridor in Central Florida and with public and private institutions throughout South Florida under a long-term innovation and high technology growth strategy

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are demonstrating significant interest in locating in South Florida, and in recent years the state has invested more than a billion dollars in the life sciences High performance information technology has joined biotechnology to greatly advance informatics, drug design, image analysis and clinical record-keeping The research capabilities of the region’s universities are rapidly expanding The time is clearly at hand to launch a regional effort to establish South Florida as one of the world’s most productive centers of scientifically and economically important research activities, and that is what the LTC is all about

Spade work to set this initiative in motion began in August of 2010 I am a member of the LTC, representing FAU Other institutions and organizations with representation include Florida International University, the University of Miami, Enterprise Florida, the Beacon Council, Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, Miami Dade College, the Broward Alliance, the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, the Economic Development Council of St Lucie County and other entities in both the public and private sectors State Senator Jeremy Ring

is a strong supporter of this broadly based collaborative undertaking

MedUTech is a related initiative focused exclusively on the Boca Raton area and actively

supported by FAU and some of the University’s strongest allies, including Dick Schmidt, who heads the Schmidt Family Foundation, Kelly Smallridge, President and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, and Jerry Fedele, CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital The MedUTech initiative is aimed at growing the city’s healthcare, education and technology clusters MedUTech kicked off in November 2010 at a well-attended program held at the Boca Raton Resort & Hotel I am a member of the MedUTech Board

I demonstrate my sincere interest in and deep respect for the work and concerns of faculty in a number of ways I have reinstituted the practice of bringing the Eminent Scholars together for an annual lunch at the Baldwin House I have also hosted recognition events at the Baldwin House