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School of Education and Human Development

Strategic Plan

School of Education & Human Development Strategic Plan 2020-25


Vision

We transform lives through leadership and innovation in education and human development. The transformational leaders of today and tomorrow start here.

Mission Statement

Our mission is bound by our commitment to students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders as we take on challenges in all our affiliated fields of education, sport management, and kinesiology:

    1. For our students, our mission is to ensure that learning experiences transform and prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow through meaningful learning experiences in and outside the classroom, student involvement in research, a rich and diverse learning environment, and robust opportunities to experience leadership.
    2. For our faculty, our mission is to provide a supportive environment that allows them to ask the next generation of research questions, expand the impact of their work to relevant communities, mentor the next generation of leaders, and work collaboratively and cooperatively to address society’s larger challenges.
    3. For our staff, our mission is to ensure that the work environment supports their growth, provides opportunities for leadership and meaningful work, and becomes a place where strengths and achievements are celebrated.
    4. To our external stakeholders, we pledge through our teaching, research, and service to use our collective wisdom to support communities in providing a superior education and quality of life.

Core Values

Excellence – We commit to excel in our core mission areas of teaching, research, and service.
Leadership – We lead by example. We are courageous and forward thinking about the challenges of tomorrow. We embrace change. Leaders do not lead by fiat but by collaboration.
Integrity – We commit to establish and maintain trust with ourselves and others
Respect – We care, value, and treat others with compassion, empathy, civility, dignity, and fairness. We listen to understand and respect the opinions of others.
Loyalty – We are stronger and better together and all that we do represents the School and the University.
Selfless Service – We work and help others; we do so without expectations of personal reward or recognition.

SEHD Strategic Plan Goals


For our students, our goal is to ensure that our learning experiences transform and prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow. We build on our strengths in teaching, we involve them in our research, and we provide opportunities and support for them to navigate our programs, experience leadership, engage with the community, and be enhanced by a meaningful college learning experience. We advance teaching and learning – at both the graduate and undergraduate education levels.

Goal 1Goal 2Goal 3Goal 4Goal 5

Goal 1


Advance teaching and learning by placing high value on a collaborative, diverse, democratic, and global leadership training environment for graduate students.

Goal 1 Benchmark Info

Strategy 1

Attract, recruit, and advocate for graduate students from diverse backgrounds.

Tactics
  • Develop further funding opportunities for graduate student fellowships and/or continuing education opportunities that might entice someone back to or into graduate school
  • Support all PhD students financially via assistantships for a minimum of 3 years (ideally 4 years similar to some of our peer institutions)
  • Develop a set of strategies and tactics used consistently across the college to attract and recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds to enhance our commitment to equitable excellence
  • Consider creating pipelines from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) to our graduate programs
Metrics
  • Number of PhD, EdD, and MS students receiving funding
  • Number of years promised in initial offer letter for PhD students
  • Track percentage of graduate students from diverse backgrounds, especially typically underrepresented minorities

Strategy 2

Incorporate high-impact teaching practices (HIP), based on evidence from research on best practices, into graduate level courses and co-curricular opportunities.

Tactics
  • Identify HIP for graduate students and how they differ from HIPs for undergraduate students.
  • Provide faculty professional development opportunities and support/incentives to acquire teaching skills associated with HIPs and incorporate them across the curriculum
  • Expand opportunities for graduate students to engage in HIPs (e.g., service-learning, internships, capstone courses, study abroad, learning communities, mentoring for the professoriate)
  • Create opportunities for graduate students to play a leadership role in undergraduate or graduate student research or service-learning teams
Metrics
  • Number of students participating in HIPs from college reports
  • Review course syllabi to assess student learning outcomes and course assignments that might promote high impact learning
  • Number of students engaged in research and service-learning projects within the campus and B-CS communities; number led by graduate students

Strategy 3

Create a rich environment for those in the PhD program, balancing immersion in one’s area of expertise, real life research experiences, and a rich and supportive mentoring experience.

Tactics
  • Integrate faculty members’ research/scholarship into the teaching and learning environment. Find ways to truly share with our community all the great work here.
  • Create and implement peer coaching and graduate student mentoring programs; consider whether programs like the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) or the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars program are appropriate
  • Provide more face-to-face courses for doctoral students, especially PhD students
  • Explore the feasibility of a residency year for PhD students to truly immerse them in the culture of graduate school and research
  • Create a document on best practices in doctoral advising
  • Set aside additional financial support to allow graduate students to attend professional conferences for professional development
Metrics
  • Support the importance of mentoring by establishing awards and other accolades for faculty who excel at mentoring
  • Track the number of online vs face-to-face courses for MS, Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs.
  • The number of graduate students involved in our SEHD mentoring programs or national programs like the NCFDD
  • Have programs track student satisfaction with doctoral advising and mentoring in program reviews
  • Track the number of professional conferences attended by graduate students and the amount of financial support they receive

Strategy 4

Review graduate curriculum to examine the need for required core courses. Consider carefully the importance of individualization and group science skills in training given that most grants are relying on interdisciplinary expertise

Tactics
  • Reduce the number of required core courses for doctoral students to allow for greater flexibility and interdisciplinary work
  • Purposefully create shared “group science” opportunities to cross-pollinate ideas across labs, research projects, content areas and departments
  • Increase the availability of advanced quantitative and qualitative research methodology courses, support opportunities (labs with mentors available), and software
Metrics
  • A reduction in the number of core courses required on degree plans
  • Number of interdisciplinary grants
  • Number of interdisciplinary publications with graduate students
  • Number of students taking 18 hours of statistics, measurement, evaluation, and qualitative inquiry courses

Goal 2


Provide all undergraduate students with the transformational learning experiences needed for responsible citizenship, lifelong learning, and productive contributions to a globalized society.

Goal 2 Benchmark Info

Strategy 1

Invest in physical infrastructure (e.g., building/classrooms) to ensure courses and other high-impact experiences have the necessary facilities for transformational learning and teaching to occur.

Tactics
  • Ensure laboratory-based courses are scheduled in appropriate laboratory spaces.
  • Work with the Academic Advising and Academic departments to ensure that courses and seats are available for students’ curriculum plan and room assignments are matched to the size and expected pedagogy for the course
  • Equip classrooms with movable and flexible furniture (chairs and desks) that supports innovative teaching and learning environments.
Metrics
  • Percent alignment between course description/pedagogy and facility in which the course is taught
  • Percent of SEHD students satisfied with facilities and equipment in classrooms and labs
  • Percent of facilities that align with professional organization guidelines (e.g., NSTA)
  • Support continual process of curriculum mapping to explore unintended overlap
  • Consider using space usage statistics
  • Amount of money raised for new building

Strategy 2

Increase the percent of undergraduate students engaging in at least 3 High Impact Learning Practices (HIPs) by graduation.

Tactics
  • Increase the size and diversity of students engaging in at least 3 HIP: Field experiences, capstone courses, writing intensive courses, service learning experiences, learning communities, first year seminars, study abroad, and undergraduate research
  • Increase participation in HIP learning through Transformational Learning Fellows Program. The program recognizes students who complete certain academic, professional, and personal learning experiences throughout their undergraduate career
  • Update SEHD global initiative plan to drive increased student enrollment and participation in study
  • Increase philanthropic and university support for first generation and low income students to engage in study abroad
  • Increase resources to support undergraduate students to engage in research.
  • Expand and encourage advice on internship and career exploration earlier in the students’ academic career.
  • Maintain a formal faculty oversight body that ensures high quality courses/experiences for First Year Seminar (FYS).
  • Encourage faculty, staff, and students to participate in campus-wide FYS efforts for student achievement and retention.

Goal 3


Produce excellent initial teachers for the state of Texas while continuing to enhance, support, and engage educator and leaders in schools and communities as we tackle the education challenges of tomorrow

Goal 3 Benchmark Info

Strategy 1

Recruit new teachers from different linguistic and culturally diverse groups, specifically with an eye on high need fields in education to match the demographic character of the state.

Tactics
  • Create an overall recruitment plan that focuses on recruitment of a diverse set of individuals to match the demographic character of the state
  • Create possible interview profiles for the entry level candidates we are seeking to screen for dispositions necessary for teaching
  • Evaluate our Prospective Teacher Camp that includes teacher candidates, high school students and transfer students interested in teaching. If we are not recruiting those that match the demographic character of the state, those interested in high need fields, or if the camps do not entice them to enter Texas A&M, we need to consider different recruitment strategies
  • Consider innovative methods to recruit culturally diverse students including pipeline programs with high schools or community colleges, faculty “residencies” in high schools, etc.
Metrics
  • Track the cultural and ethnic diversity of our teaching candidates over time
  • Create and track whether those with the identified dispositions are more likely to complete their programs and/or more likely to stay in teaching
  • Track cultural and ethnic diversity of participants in our camps, teaching fields, and ultimate enrollment in Texas A&M
  • Evaluate most promising practices for effects on outcomes of cultural and ethnic diversity of our students enrolled in teacher preparation programs

Strategy 2

Design and execute a teacher induction program.

Tactics
  • Research the kinds of supports early career teachers need to feel prepared and sustained in their careers
  • Conduct a study of exemplary teacher induction programs nationally and internationally
  • Work with principals and teachers to address the most pressing local needs
  • Design a teacher induction program that can be tailored to the recruitment pathways elaborated in Strategy 1 above
  • Explore ways to support teachers financially during intensive teacher induction programs
  • Create a designated line of teacher education research around our teacher induction program that will become known nationally and internationally
Metrics
  • An increase in the number of students involved in induction programs
  • Long term – an increase in the percentage of our students who are retained in the teaching field for at least 5 years
  • Gather superintendent and principal feedback on the quality of our candidates and our ability to help support local needs
  • A decrease in student financial aid required during student teaching or residencies
  • More faculty publishing on the subject of innovative teacher induction programs

Strategy 3

Create more authentic, meaningful two-way partnerships with our area school districts.

Tactics
  • Create an advisory committee from area superintendents/HR representatives to:
    • Get regular feedback on our preparation
    • Identify and anticipate upcoming local school staffing and leadership needs
    • Identify training needs for cooperating teachings so they are aware of and an integral part of our teacher and leader training programs; solicit their regular feedback on our candidates
    • Explore other meaningful partnership ideas
Metrics

Increased evidence of two-way partnership where area school districts and TAMU partner in preparation, placement, and support of teacher candidates and first year teachers.

Goal 4


Develop new understandings through research, foster innovation and development, and influence policy and practice. Support our faculty as they ask the next generation of research questions, expand the impact of their research to relevant communities, mentor the next generation of research leaders, and work collaboratively and cooperatively to address society’s larger challenges.

Goal 4 Benchmark Info

Strategy 1

Strategically recruit and retain highly productive and diverse faculty in each department.

Tactics
  • Fund the participation of assistant and associate professors in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) to enhance time management, writing, and grant collaborations
  • Participate in the University’s ACES Fellows program design to recruit and support early career individuals focused on diversity and inclusion issues
  • Participate in the Provost Investment Hires program specifically focused on faculty from diverse backgrounds and cross-college collaborations, particular as these hires will strengthen our areas of expertise and increase our ability address real world problems
  • Modify faculty annual review to better incentivize grant activities
  • Strengthen faculty development leave support for proposal writing, implementation, and evaluation. Consider additional financial needs individuals may have while on FDL.
Metrics
  • Number of faculty participating in the Faculty Success Program offered by NCFDD
  • Level of faculty satisfaction with the Faculty Success Program
  • Number of faculty hired through the ACES Fellows or through a college-financed program
  • Number of diverse and cross-college faculty hired through the Provost’s faculty investment program
  • Number of faculty who apply and qualify for FDL; Research output from faculty who successfully complete FDL

Strategy 2

Strengthen the impact of SEHD scholarship through increased publications and subsequent citations in top-tier journals for our respective disciplines.

Tactics
  • Modify faculty annual evaluation processes to ensure that high impact journals are valued more than lower impact journals and take into account the impact of all faculty scholarship
  • Find ways to make existing lines of research in the college known so that new cross-disciplinary work can happen spontaneously across departments.
Metrics
  • Average total number of citations in the last five years, increasing over time
  • Average total value of external grant dollars increasing over time
  • # of peer reviewed SCOPUS-indexed publications for TT faculty increasing over time indexed to AAU peers; % of boundary spanning publications

Strategy 3

Strengthen the college’s in-house research methodology expertise and available software (both quantitative and qualitative) to enhance advanced research methodologies and increase the expertise of faculty and PhD students

Tactics
  • Increase the number of tenure track faculty with advanced methodological skill
  • Leverage the methodological and statistical skills of our faculty most effectively for graduate training
  • Expand support for the EREL lab in educational psychology which provides statistical advice for graduate students
Metrics
  • Number of publications using advanced research methodology (either qualitative or quantitative) or statistical procedures
  • Number of graduate students using EREL as a resource; surveys on effectiveness of support

Goal 5


Enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities by promoting physical, psychological, intellectual, mental and spiritual health. We lead this goal by example, concentrating first on our own work environment, committing to create a culture of engagement where our diverse employees and students thrive and next through our research and outreach to communities in Texas and beyond.

Goal 5 Benchmark Info

Strategy 1

Allow our faculty and staff to refresh and enhance our organization. This includes providing “health break” time during the day (e.g., for meditation) for our staff; encouraging Faculty Development Leave for tenure-track faculty; and considering professional development enhancement grants for clinical faculty.

Tactics
  • Allow SEHD employees 30 minutes per day for physical exercise. TAMU allocated 30 minutes three times a week, SEHD will support the other two days. (TAMU/SEHD has exercise/rehab facilities at the Human Clinical Research Facility and the Physical Education Activity Program)
  • Flexible work schedules should be offered for staff but carefully evaluated by the unit to ensure that we are serving our constituents
  • Provide informational health sessions on a regular basis for faculty and staff (i.e. healthy aging, importance of exercise on cognitive health, role of the gut to improve quality of life, etc.). SEHD faculty can present on these topics based on their own research.
  • Consider Walking on Campus for physical wellness (TAMU used to have Walking Trails to allow employees to walk during the day).
  • Dedicate a space within office buildings for mental break (e.g. meditation)
  • Ensure that tenure track faculty are aware of, and take advantage of, faculty development leave; provide assistance in submitting competitive applications
  • Create a program to support a teaching enhancement/professional development grant for our clinical and instructional faculty.
Metrics
  • Number of employees participating
  • Number of sessions offered and level of satisfaction of participants
  • Number of exercise groups formed
  • Number and percentage of eligible faculty applying for leave and reasons for not applying;
    Quality and success rates of our FDL applications
  • Establishment of this program; tracking of impact on quality of teaching by clinical and instructional faculty.

Strategy 2

Customize career planning, development, and mentoring for faculty and staff.

Tactics
  • Customize career planning and development for all employees of the college. This includes:
    1. Opportunities for promotion and growth as a staff member
    2. Support and Growth opportunities while pre-tenured
    3. Support for the promotion to full professor from associate professor
    4. Support for long-term professors to ensure they remain on a satisfying professional learning course
  • Leverage employees’ strengths to accomplish and improve our core missions of teaching, research, and service
  • Create and continue programs that recognize high quality work by all our staff and faculty
  • Support each other to do our individual and collective best work
  • Create mechanisms so staff can let the college know when things seem not to be in alignment with our core commitments. This feedback is invaluable.
  • Create a leadership fellowship in the School so that faculty can prepare for leadership roles, have experience leading, and understand the bigger picture issues in the college and university
  • Leverage expertise within the college and beyond to deliver programs, workshops and other development opportunities for all our stakeholders
Metrics
  • Number of staff positions in the School that have well-developed career ladders.
  • Reports by staff that they understand what is expected of them to move to the next level of professional growth.
  • Number of associate professors who move to full professors within 8 years
  • Ratings by pre-tenured professors of support and clarity of expectations
  • Continue department and staff awards to recognize high quality research, teaching, and community service.
  • Continue to gather feedback about the overall health of the college through informal lunches with faculty, staff, student representatives, suggestion boxes, and/or any other idea for gathering feedback.
  • Number of faculty participating in leadership fellowships and impact of their projects on the college.
  • Number of learning and development workshops offered;
  • Number of faculty, students, and staff participating
  • High level of faculty, students, and staff satisfaction with the learning and development programs offered

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