The core of any university is its academic programs; it is on that base that everything rests. The enhancement of curricula across all campuses is essential. Assistant Provost Veera Sarawgi will work with all our academic leaders to attain and maintain excellence in all programs, nurture high-quality instruction, re-engineer experiential education (ExEd) with Career Development, and ensure we remain current by pursuing new program development and cutting-edge delivery mechanisms that are mission-centric.
Having said this, the interconnectivity between the various areas of FOCUS 2011 cannot be overstated. Robust academics and an engaged university community will enable us to recruit and retain students who are demonstrably capable of success at J&W, and launch them on successful careers. Every department, function and person at J&W affects the success of the institution as a whole.
J&W is a leader in career-focused education, and justly proud of the quality and variety of its offerings. But, there are always opportunities for improvement, and improvement is essential if we are to elevate our position. “Ongoing improvement-oriented program reviews will help us reallocate resources not by cutting back in operational areas, but by directing our attention to only those programs which continue to be supported by industry and provide our students an appropriate ROI (return on investment) as evidenced by career attainment and progression,” says Veera. “The academic community is enthusiastic. We know stronger, industry relevant programs mean being more attractive to the students we wish to serve. It means better retention and it means graduates with enhanced career opportunities.”
Experiential education is a core value of J&W and key to our mission. Academics and Career Development will work to ensure consistent and high-quality ExEd opportunities for all students, in all programs. This is a significant strategy within FOCUS 2011, it is essential, and excelling at it is our only option.
Our degree programs are only as good as those who teach them. As a former culinary faculty member, I am adamant that we continue to increase student learning through faculty evaluation and development. Clif Boyle, vice president of academic affairs at the Providence Campus, has been working on this effort along with others since the fall of 2005. J&W’s commitment to faculty and instructional excellence is underscored by our hiring of Raoul Arreola, a nationally recognized consultant. Raoul has been working with faculty across all our campuses since last year to create a supportive faculty evaluation and development system.
As a career university, we need to be unrelenting in addressing the emerging needs of the marketplace, and pursue new program development and delivery mechanisms that have a strong student and employer market. Today’s graduates work in technologically-rich environments; the university that educates them should be no less rich. “These are long-term investment goals…” says Veera, “and to ensure these developments meet a high-level of quality, rigor and excellence they will require time and patience. We will engage in significant research to ensure that our decisions are data-driven and not clouded by short-term trends.”
Classroom encounters are a critical part of a students’ experience on campus—but student life also plays an extremely important role in the overall experience. Our students must feel connected to their campus and to our university, and it is our obligation to provide them with the educational and student life experiences that will allow them to flourish as strong citizens and prepare them for productive careers. Student affairs and student services departments across the system will be developing and implementing campus life programs to facilitate the personal growth and civility of our students.
“As we become more selective in the admissions process, students entering J&W will arrive with higher expectations of us. We are not changing who we are, but we will have to raise the bar on an ongoing basis and continually exceed their expectations in everything that we do … because our internal data and outside research confirms that engaged students stay,” concludes Veera.
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