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Updates on the Progress of Key Developments at the University
October 2011
Academic Program Renewal Progress
In concert the Board of Trustees' adoption of President Ribeau's recommendations for the renewal of Howard University's academic programs, we have begun to construct a foundation upon which to offer programs that meet the needs of a 21st century agenda for a research university. Approximately 30 degree or certificate programs were identified for discontinuation. Admissions to those programs have been closed and no new students have been admitted since Fall 2010. These programs will be formally closed in 2014, 2015, and 2018, which are the deadlines that currently matriculating students have been given for program completion. A list of discontinued programs can be reviewed at http://www.provost.howard.edu/docs/Academic_Renewal_Progress.pdf .
Planning has commenced for most programs that were targeted for development or redesign. In addition, the impact of the Faculty Retirement Program on General Education requirements and existing and new programs is being assessed. A major goal is to undergird all programs with an infrastructure to support the critical mass of students and faculty that will constitute viable and robust programs. See http://www.provost.howard.edu/docs/Academic_Renewal_Progress.pdf for the status of all developmental and transitional initiatives.
International Affairs
An international affairs unit has been established in the Office of the Provost to serve as a reporting structure in Academic Affairs for all international programs involving students and faculty. Key functions of the office include the provision of leadership, operational direction, and oversight of the international programs of the University; collaboration with the University's colleges and schools to develop strategic plans, fund raising for, and direction of, the international programs of the academic units; interaction with external international bodies, federal agencies, foundations, and business and industry to keep abreast of the trends and opportunities in international affairs that will help guide the sustenance and evolution of the international research, education, and service activities of the University. To find out more information about the initiative to internationalize the campus, you may contact Dr. Kofi Bota (kofi.bota@howard.edu) in the Office of the Provost.
New Academic Facilities
Ground breaking for the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering (ISE) STEM Building and the Biomedical and Joint Computational Sciences Building—will take place in 2012. Active faculty researchers have developed the following concepts for some of the interdisciplinary research activities for the new facilities: water research, diamond devices, biofuels, MicroLab prototype, stem cell cancer research, high performance computing, and biomedical research. While the ISE Building will house STEM projects, the Joint Computational Sciences facility will be designed to accommodate the array of disciplines impacted by high performance computing including the humanities, social sciences as well as the natural, physical, and health sciences. Additionally, we will embrace additional faculty input for other concepts for interdisciplinary projects.
Research
In FY 2011, HU faculty researchers submitted a total of 140 new research proposals that were successful and received external funding. I commend those faculty members for their contributions the University's research portfolio. Howard University is capable of increasing the size and scope of its research endeavors across all disciplines in both the academic affairs and health affairs divisions especially through interdisciplinary collaborations. Significant funded research projects will provide much needed resources that can be used to support cutting-edge research by faculty and stipends for graduate students. A new quick reference guide for proposal development is now available both online at www.provost.howard.edu/docs/proposalguide.pdf and in the Office of the Associate Vice President for Research. This guide gives a concise summary of the necessary steps for developing and submitting successful grant applications. With a goal of increasing the number of funded research projects, I encourage all faculty to contact the Office of the Associate Provost for Research for assistance with proposal development and submission.
Revised Indirect Cost Recovery Policy
Principal Investigators (PIs) on sponsored grants and contracts that receive the university's full negotiated indirect cost rate of 48 percent will soon begin having access to a portion of the recovered indirect cost to support research. As is the norm at most research universities, the faculty member's home department and school or college will also receive a share. In most cases the shares will range from 5 percent to 7.5 percent of the total recovered indirect cost. The revised policy will become effective by the beginning of FY 2013.
Graduate School
Electronic Admissions. The University is exploring the acquisition of the ApplyYourself software to expedite an electronic process for graduate admissions. The electronic graduate admissions process will be available in AY 2012-13.
Key Performance Indicators. There has been a continuing decline Graduate School enrollment and the relative position of most of the University's graduate programs in national rankings. The Office of the Provost will meet with members of the PCAR Graduate Work Group to review the group's recommendations and discuss viable approaches to improving enrollment and program quality of Graduate School programs.
Deanship. A national search for a new dean of the Graduate School, with input from the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, will be undertaken immediately with the appointment of a search advisory committee.
Founders Library
Repairs are currently under way in Founders Library to fix the damage caused by the earthquake and the heavy rains during August and September. Founders will reopen on November 14 . Meanwhile, several initiatives are being undertaken to upgrade the facilities and improve the services provided by University Libraries with a view toward enhancing their value as learning spaces. The University was recently admitted into the Washington Research Library Consortium, an alliance of library directors and other key university officials among nine research universities in the Washington metropolitan area. Beginning in January 2012, Howard University faculty and students will be able to access the more than 9 million volumes held by the participating universities via an on-line catalogue and have borrowing privileges both on-line and on site at the member libraries.
Improving Undergraduate Retention and Graduation Rates
A University-wide committee consisting of faculty, staff and students drawn from the undergraduate-serving schools and colleges and from appropriate academic support units has begun to work on revising the current framework of general education. With an ultimate goal of improving retention and graduation rates, the committee is focusing on ways to improve student learning in essential skill areas and measuring results in terms of competency-based outcome assessments. A projected timeline for the committee's work as well as reports on progress toward achieving the committee's goals may be found at www.provost.howard.edu. In concert with the committee's efforts, all schools and colleges are being asked to consider adopting a 120 credit-hour standard for bachelor's degrees. We have also begun to explore incentives for on-time degree completion.
Enrollment Management
As of November 15, the Office of Enrollment Management will return to the oversight of the Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer. A major priority for Enrollment Management will be the amelioration of issues associated with the management of undergraduate and graduate financial aid.
T he
Office of the Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs (ODPAA)
provides administrative oversight for the schools, colleges,
and academic support resources of Howard University. The
Deputy Provost's network includes the following Schools and Colleges:
Kurt L. Schmoke,
Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs
Kurt L. Schmoke,
