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Draft Environmental Scan for
College of Applied Arts
Initiative 1: Enrollment Management
External Environmental Factors:
• "Closing the Gaps" presents a challenge and opportunities
for departments.
• Academic programs have reputation for training, internships
and job placement.
• Partnerships with state and community agencies.
• Opportunities for student internships.
• Opportunities for study abroad.
• Limited state funding for faculty/facilities.
• High costs (time and money) in managing distance education.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Continue to target recruitment for Agriculture Department.
• Continue to reconfigure Criminal Justice degree to increase
upper division and graduate course offerings.
• Manage the growth of Family and Consumer Sciences by reviewing
standards (admissions) and program capacity.
• Expand the delivery of e-courses.
• Faculty are currently involved in upgrading their technology
training.
• Continue good regional reputation to attract students and new
faculty in Criminal Justice.
• Expand the delivery of e-courses through Occupational Education.
• Expand the e-counseling options for students.
• Lack of funding to stimulate departments outside the college
to develop e-courses.
• Relations with high school agriculture teachers need to be
improved.
• Current Occupational Education facilities in need of repair.
• Need to increase size of faculty/tenure-track faculty.
• Limited amount of graduate student stipends.
Initiative 2: Research grant and contracts
External Environmental Factors:
• Current funding opportunities with state and federal agencies.
• Have faculty expertise to compete.
• Opportunities to achieve and leverage HSI status.
• Foundation funding getting tighter.
• Limited resources to work with (labs, equipment, personnel,
space).
• University does not automatically allow department chairs to
use grant surplus to assist department.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Faculty are applying for external RFP's.
• Faculty are able to buy time.
• College supports administrative travel for grant or professional
presentations.
• No additional financial incentives for faculty.
• Grant administrative procedures are unclear and burdensome.
• Lack of a full-time development officer.
• Teaching workload higher at SWT than at some other state universities.
Initiative 3: Graduate Education
External Environmental Factors:
• The "Closing the Gaps" initiative.
• The population growth and demand for programs.
• Interest in Distance Education.
• Evening courses appeal to working students.
• Insufficient scholarships and assistantships to offer.
• Inadequate state formula funding.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Increase in graduate fees.
• Graduate student enrollment is growing.
• Departments have qualified graduate faculty.
• Existence of some graduate assistantships and scholarships.
• Academic programs are in place or being developed.
• Accessibility of evening programs and multiple locations.
• Freeman Ranch is an asset that is being leveraged.
• Interdisciplinary opportunities to collaborate.
• Other university competition.
• Lack of significant graduate stipends.
• Lack of agriculture science program.
• Limited office space for graduate students.
• Limited classroom space.
• Lack of funded grants for the Freeman Ranch.
Aerospace Studies
Initiative 1: Maintain the Cadet Corps at its current level.
External Environmental Factors:
• Congress failed to provide additional manning slots resulting
in a decrease of non-technical degreed officers.
• AFROTC has over-produced officers in FY03 and FY04 in the non-technical
degree program.
• AFROTC is short in its technical degreed officer program.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• SWT is largely a liberal arts college and has a smaller population
in technical degree programs.
• Focus recruiting efforts in the programs that are technical
in nature…physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science
• Focus recruiting efforts in the target market high schools
in the technical arena.
• Work to promote supporting scholarships from SWT for AFROTC
scholarship winners in technical fields.
Initiative 2: Inadequate indoor facilities for cadets to practice
drill and ceremony.
External Environmental Factors:
• Currently the only available facility is the Aqua Sports Center,
which isn't large enough for the entire Corp to practice.
• Another problem that occurs is a scheduling conflict with the
Strutters, who have priority.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Attempts have been made to reserve the LBJ Ballroom or Strahan
Coliseum, but AFROTC is pre-empted by other organizations.
• SWT intervention is requested to increase the priority of AFROTC
in reserving these facilities.
Initiative 3: Establish cross-town agreement with Park University
at Randolph and Lackland AFB.
External Environmental Factor:
• SWT currently has cross-town agreements with TLU and Wayland
Baptist that has helped AFROTC enrollment; however, only a handful of
students are taking advantage of the opportunity.
Internal Environmental Factor:
• Park University has satellite campuses throughout the Air Force
and the agreement has the potential of attracting several new students
to AFROTC and SWT.
Agriculture
Initiative 1: Freeman Ranch/Horticulture Center - Establish managerial
control for research and teaching to facilitate collaboration among
departments at SWT, other universities, and with private business and
industry.
Environmental Factors:
• Competition with other universities - SWT Department of Agriculture
is the only Texas institution offering a four-year degree in agriculture
that does not operate an agriculture farm.
• Regional application - Provide opportunity for students to
gain 'hands-on' experiences in managing range, animal, wildlife, and
horticultural plants in Central Texas.
• Unique location in the Texas Hill Country - no Agricultural
Experiment Station with similar geographic location or similar focus
• Potential for collaboration with other departments in teaching,
research, and service, including, but not limited to: Biology, Geography
• Relationship with Water Resource Center and Aquatic Biology
PhD program
• Collaboration with Physical Plant (Grounds and Landscaping)
for Native Plants
• Potential for Equine Science/Equestrian Program
• Opportunity for developing campus-based Arboretum
Initiative 2: Food Biotechnology Initiative
Environmental Factors:
• No similar program in Texas
• Need to establish a biotechnology program campus-wide to prepare
students for competitive job market in the rapidly growing field of
biotechnology
• SWT is centered in growing population centers of Austin and
San Antonio (San Antonio is a center for food distribution and Austin
is poised to become a center for biotechnology)
• Good opportunities for extramural funding in biotechnology
• Internal collaboration with Family & Consumer Sciences,
Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Health Sciences
Initiative 3: Master of Science program Initiative
Environmental Factors:
• Complement existing M.Ed. in Agriculture
• Increase graduate enrollment that will complement
faculty expertise and research interests
• Provide assistance to faculty to expand research
programs
• Better prepared students for ever expanding job
markets in the agriculture sector
• A high visibility program will assist with undergraduate
recruiting efforts
• Complement graduate programs in FCS, Biology and
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Criminal Justice
Initiative 1: Increase graduate enrollment in the MSCJ program.
External Environmental Factors:
• RRHEC provides an off campus location for graduate courses
but it is too far north to access those students that work professionally.
For most criminal justice professionals working in south or central
Austin it is easier to commute to the main campus than the RRHEC.
• The employment market for justice professionals is very strong
and that creates limited pressure to upgrade credentials at the M.S.
level to be competitive in the job market, particularly for students
who might enroll part-time.
• A relatively smaller but newer Masters program in criminal
justice at UTSA may in the future siphon off demand for graduate credits
from students in the San Antonio area, especially as UTSA goes forward
with plans to offer a doctoral program in criminal justice.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• The limited size of the faculty makes it difficult to increase
graduate offerings with out adversely affecting the undergraduate program.
• Limited numbers of graduate stipends and stipends that are
too low make it difficult to attract full-time students who ordinarily
would comprise the core of a strong graduate program.
• Limited classroom space of an appropriate nature for graduate
seminars detracts from the graduate teaching and learning experience.
• Limited office space for graduate students to work and/or congregate
detracts from an optimal graduate student working environment.
• While it is likely that great demand exists for doctoral education
in criminal justice in central Texas (the only current Ph.D. program
in this area is located in Huntsville), there appears to be little university
support for expanding necessary resources to establish such an emphasis
at SWT.
Initiative 2: Change the balance between upper division and lower
division SCH generation.
External Environmental Factors:
• The commitment of the state to a single set of transferable
courses (FOS) makes it possible to focus the department on more upper
division course offerings with out making significant problems for transfer
students. Earlier transfer agreements included 21 hours at the lower
division while the newer agreement includes only 15.
• The execution of 2 plus 2 agreements with local community colleges
allows the more effective transfer of students who should provide for
completion of most or all of their lower division course work.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Most upper division classes are writing intensive and consume
more faculty time and effort per student than lower division courses.
• Caps on writing-intensive courses make it difficult to generate
SCH on a per course basis at the upper division.
• Limited resources to hire full-time graduate students who could
significantly assist faculty in the delivery of classroom instruction
and grading of writing intensive course work has meant that a single
teaching assistant must be shared by as many as 3 faculty who may be
teaching as many as 9 different courses in one semester.
Initiative 3: Increase departmental academic and service grant
activities.
External Environmental Factors:
• Shrinkage in state available funding will endanger some of
our service and academic based grants.
• Service grants based in court service funds may see a growth
of available funds if the legislature does not readjust funding categories.
• Funding instability impacts staff continuity and employee stress
levels.
• Abbreviated funding cycles are a challenge to long-term planning.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• The University is very space challenged and quality locations
for service type grants are a significant problem.
• In particular, space in the department for grant-supported
graduate research assistants and adjunct faculty will teach in place
of regular faculty whose time has been bought out by grants is severely
limited.
• Constraints on faculty time in teaching writing-intensive upper
division courses or large sections of lower division courses without
adequate graduate student support adversely impacts the degree to which
faculty have time to seek out and prepare requests for external funding.
• Poor financial reporting information and procedures and the
lack of timely reporting from university accounting make it difficult
to effectively administer grant projects.
• Administrative procedures regarding grant funding are cumbersome
and tend to change without notification.
• Lack of university resources to support a grant specialist
at the department or college level.
• University-imposed limitations on faculty remuneration for
grant activity that would motivate faculty to seek external funding.
Family & Consumer
Sciences
Initiative 1: Increase scholarly/creative activity by department
faculty.
External Environmental Factors:
• We may gain more faculty positions due to the "Closing
the Gaps" initiative.
• We have opportunities to collaborate with private and public
entities.
• We are burdened by administrative red tape when applying for
and receiving/managing grants.
• The university has inadequate state funding.
• SWT has a heavy teaching workload requirement for faculty.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• We can apply for internal funding through the Faculty Enhancement
Grant program.
• Our faculty have opportunities for collaboration with faculty
across campus.
• We need more tenure-track faculty positions.
- Increasing ratio student:faculty
- Dependence on adjuncts doesn't result in scholarship, assistance with
advising, committee responsibilities, course development
• Faculty have increased workload responsibilities (administrative/clerical).
Initiative 2: Manage our student enrollment.
External Environmental Factors:
• We will continue to gain additional majors as a result of "Closing
the Gaps".
• Distance learning is a popular option for students.
• We will see continued growth in Austin-San Antonio corridor.
• Distance learning is not economically or time efficient.
• We must comply with more stringent accreditation standards
and other areas of accountability.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• We have an increase in the number of students majoring in FCS
programs.
• We are gaining more majors as the admission requirements for
other majors increase.
• We have increased diversity of students majoring in FCS who
have diverse needs.
• We are currently known for our high quality programs and graduates.
• We will need additional classroom space as our enrollments
grow.
• We need more tenure-track faculty positions and full-time lecturers
(FM, ID).
• We need more flexible class scheduling policies on MWF.
Initiative 3: Enhance Academic Programs (e.g., Food Biotechnology,
Dietetic Internship, Family and Child Studies Masters program, additional
career options for NF majors, teacher certification for Family and Child
Development majors).
External Environmental Factors:
• We can collaborate with external entities to develop academic
program options, practica and internships (e.g., area hospitals to develop
a child life specialist program).
• We can implement the new teacher certification options for
Nutrition and Foods majors and Family and Child Development majors.
• We need to involve faculty and students in international experiences
due to the globalization of economic, social, etc. interests.
• Our students may be unwilling to study abroad due to the unstable
global economic and political situation.
• We must meet more stringent accreditation standards and other
areas of accountability.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• We can collaborate with other academic departments and programs
(e.g., Agriculture, Education, Psychology, Casa Esperanza).
• Our students are interested in international study experiences.
• We need more tenure-track faculty positions (NF).
Family & Consumer
Sciences, Child Development Center
Initiative 1: Complete our National Association for the Education
of Children reaccredidation and meet the recommendation of the validating
board.
External Environmental Factors:
• The economy, parents are unable to pay for quality childcare.
• More stringent accreditation guidelines.
• CCMS quality improvement scholarship funds for full-time staff
have been discontinued and training funds are a minimal part of our
budget.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Well-trained, degreed teachers who have a history with our
program. Provide model classroom environments.
• Staff have benefits and our turnover is significantly lower
than the national average.
• Observation booths for each of the classrooms, which allow
a number of university students the ability to observe and record development
without disrupting the classroom.
• Well-maintained building with adequate space for the program.
• Large number of work study appointments that assist Financial
Aid department in meeting their community service requirement as well
as provide the Center with needed student assistants.
• Our staff child ratios for full-time staff are higher than
the minimum standards. We use student assistants and lab students to
provide better ratios.
• We have lowered our turnover rate for full-time staff but still
have inconsistencies with part-time student assistants.
• One of our classrooms does not meet minimum space requirement
of 35 square feet per child but we need to have that number of children
to meet our minimum budget requirement.
• Teachers have a dual role of mentoring university lab students
and providing education and care to the children. This requires additional
time outside the classroom.
• Our operating hours are 7:30 to 6:00 Monday through Friday
year round. This does not provide adequate time for training and planning
of the lab setting and requires more than one full-time staff member
per day. The additional hours are staffed with part-time student assistants.
Initiative 2: Establish an advisory board and increase collaboration
with Family and Consumer Sciences Department, other university departments,
and the community. New partnership with Casa Esperanza and the nurturing
program.
External Environmental Factors:
• Finding people who have additional hours to dedicate to an
advisory board.
• Coordinating schedules.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Building location.
• Collaboration requires additional job responsibilities.
• Funding is through the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.
• Funding sources for collaborations.
Initiative 3: Budget stabilization and increased salaries for
full-time teaching staff.
External Environmental Factors:
• The economy, parents are unable to pay for quality child-care.
• More stringent accreditation guidelines.
• CCMS quality improvement scholarship funds for full-time staff
have been discontinued and training funds are a minimal part of our
budget.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Child-care tuition will not cover the cost of hiring qualified
degreed staff.
• Our operation as a lab school and a full-time accredited child-care
center requires additional administrative and teaching responsibilities.
• Operating year round, 10.5-hour days to meet child-care needs
strains budget. Staff can only work a 40-hour workweek and earn an average
of 10 hours of leave time per month. Substitutes must fill in the additional
hours.
• Budget is dependent on soft money such as parent tuition and
grants.
Military Sciences
Initiative 1: Obtain a high cost dollar Army ROTC scholarship
for a Texas Lutheran University student interested in ROTC at SWT.
External Environmental Factor:
• Currently the SWT ROTC program has approximately 15 scholarships
allocated to ROTC cadets enrolled. These are all low cost scholarships.
We must obtain authorization from Cadet Command in Fort Monroe, Virginia
for a high cost scholarship for a TLU student. Estimated cost is $12K
- $18K.
Initiative 2: Restrictions on Active Duty Authorizations
External Environmental Factor:
• Currently all cadets who request active duty military service
after commissioning and graduation receive it. The Army is predicting
to make their quota of approximately 4000 Army Lieutenants in school
year 2004-2005 across the nation. This will force some of the Lieutenants
that want to go on Active duty military into the Army Reserves and Texas
National Guard. Rather than a full time military position with an estimated
starting salary of $40K a year, some may be forced to find civilian
employment, and consequently incur some financial difficulty.
Initiative 3: Army ROTC department growth
Internal Environmental Factor:
• Although the Army ROTC program has no current classroom space,
the program does have enough office to effectively operate. However,
if the ROTC program continues to grow with the number of cadets as anticipated,
office space will be a problem. Higher headquarters man ROTC programs
based on their success and the number of cadets in the program. Within
the next 3 years I anticipate gaining two additional Army officers to
serve as instructors for the ROTC program.
Occupational Education
Initiative 1: Occupational Education will provide all documentation
and information requested to justify moving Occupational Education to
an active department in the College of Applied Arts. Note: This initiative
relates to scholarship within the university in that quality and prestige
is associated with placement and status of an academic unit.
External Environmental Factors:
• Nationally the trend is toward serving nontraditional students
and improving the status of Occupational Education will enhance this
goal.
• Credibility of Occupational Education's degrees in the competitive
educational market is enhanced by being a department.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Occupational Education can assist in the major initiatives
of the university such as "closing the gaps" in a stronger
manner if it is a department.
• Faculty and staff often miss information and opportunities
because Occupational Education is not a department.
• Occupational Education has graduated close to 6,000 students
in its 30-year history (celebrates 30 years in 2003) and has functioned
as an administrative unit without recognition as a department.
Initiative 2: Occupational Education will expand and improve
the delivery of e-courses and implement additional e counseling for
adult working students. Note: Relates to the university area of teaching
and advisement of both nontraditional and traditional students.
External Environmental Factors:
• The adult learner desires to have more courses without time
and space boundaries.
• Increased competition from other institutions requires SWT
and Occupational Education to improve and increase its delivery.
• Students need counseling at times and locations unavailable
for traditional advisement.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• SWT and the College are supporting the concept of distance
learning initiatives.
• There is a lack of funding to stimulate departments to develop
e-courses in support of their degrees and the degrees through Occupational
Education.
• There is a shortage of faculty and staff in Occupational to
assist in the development of e-courses and e counseling.
Initiative 3: Occupational Education should be moved to the renovated
Tech I Building as soon as possible. Note: This initiative
is related to providing service to the students.
External Environmental Factors:
• Adult students will be served in a more professional manner
with better facilities.
• Occupational Education will not be respected in the university
community and other educational areas without a permanent home.
Internal Environmental Factors:
• Plans have been drawn and approved for the renovation.
• The current building is in great need of repair and is currently
a health hazard.
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