6O E F S H S B E V BU F 4 P D J F U Z. Academics Commission Strategic Plan, Submitted by Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner

Transcription

1 ASUS 5IF "SUT BOE 4DJFODF 6O E F S H S B E V BU F 4 P D J F U Z Academics Commission Strategic Plan, Submitted by Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner

2 CONTENTS: Section 1: Statements 2 Section 2: Strengths and Weaknesses 3 Section 3: Goals and Objectives 4-9 Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 1

3 SECTION 1: STATEMENTS 1.1. ASUS Mission Statement The Arts and Science Undergraduate Society is dedicated to enhancing the academic experience of undergraduate students and offering a differentiated learning environment beyond the depth and breadth offered in the classroom course of study. (Taken from Constitution) 1.2. Academics Mission Statement The Academics Commission shall consider matters of an academic or educational nature within the Society affecting members of the Society. The Commission shall recommend policy concerning programs of an academic of educational nature to be provided by the Society. The Commission shall strive to improve the quality of formal education, to preserve and develop the academic freedom and to expand the learning environment to include the Society outside the institutions of formal education, through both co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The Commission should also take an active role in the planning and conduct of educational research and the development of Society academics and educational policy. (Taken from Constitution) 1.3. Vision Statement The Academics Commission will strive to represent and serve the interests of all students in the faculty of Arts & Science. From the redesign and development of a tutoring service to the addition of an academic journal, the commission will aim to significantly improve and enhance the learning environment outside of the classroom. Unique education and personal growth opportunities will be made available through a student run leadership conference, while the advancement of a teaching award will play an active in recognizing professional excellence inside the classroom. The Department Student Councils are also recognized as an invaluable resource in the collection of student voices and will be supported in their efforts to foster positive academic environments in liaison with the Arts & Science Faculty Board Year Operating Statement The Academics Commission will respect the rich history and tradition engrained in the Arts & Science Undergraduate Society whilst promoting innovation and freedom in all its pursuits. It will affirm its commitment to enhancing the learning Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 2

4 environment and educational nature of students at Queen s by engaging with the Department Student Councils to improve representation at various levels of administration. The principles of transparency and fiscal responsibility will underlie all of the commission s pursuits and objectives Human Resource Management Statement The Academics Commission will provide a positive and equitable environment for the volunteers who are instrumental in making the committees run smoothly. Cooperation and openness are vital in the functioning of any work environment and we will therefore strive to foster such an environment where personal growth and societal growth can be combined for a positive and productive experience. SECTION 2: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES This section seeks to identify strengths and expose weaknesses within the Academics Commission. By doing so, the commission can continue to capitalize on its strengths and work proactively to ameliorate its weaknesses for the upcoming year 2.1. Strengths I. Diverse Committees: The extent of the roles and committees that are within the purview of the Academics portfolio is its most valuable asset. From a leadership conference to a tutoring service to department student councils, there are countless opportunities for student engagement and involvement. II. ASUS Peer Tutoring: Last year saw almost 1000 students, both tutors and tutees, utilizing APT, creating a strong reputation for the service on campus. The recent collaboration with Bounce Back, as well as the approval of a grant from ResSoc to use in cooperation with APT, will also prove to be an invaluable resource for students for years to come. III. QCLC Success: The success of QCLC skyrocketed this past year, not only in attendance but also exposure on campus. The immense amount of positive feedback received regarding the conference this past year will place the incoming executive in a strong position to excel and increase QCLC s reverence at Queen s. IV. Undergraduate Review Experience: With an increased online presence Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 3

5 and wider range of submissions, the Undergraduate Review has attained a great amount of success. This year, with a strong desire for creative collaboration with other arts focused groups on campus, as well as the infusion of more imagination and experimentation into the publication, UR is in a strong position to thrive. V. DSC Elections: Last year saw the implementation of centralized, standardized DSC elections. The increase in promotion for the DSC s not only created more interest in Co-President positions, but also increased voter turnout Weaknesses I. Academic Advocacy: The role of the Academics Commissioner as an advocate for students academic interests has often been regarded as ambiguous. A clearer understanding and stronger focus towards the interests of the Arts and Science student body, through the DSCs and at the individual level through general interests and issues, would help to rectify this divide. Collaborating with the ASUS President on advocacy issues would also be beneficial. II. W.J. Barnes Awareness: While the W.J. Barnes Teaching Award significantly increased the amount of applications received in the Fall semester, a lack of awareness still remains. Implementing new strategies to market the award, as well as partnering with the AMS Academic Affairs Commission to align due dates for conflicting nominations, are the first steps in building a stronger reputation on campus. III. QCLC: With revenue from the conference being fairly unpredictable each year, it s crucial to contact companies early for sponsorship. Booking a diverse range of speakers, appealing to both Arts and Science students, as well as students from other faculties, will also help to ensure fundraising and attendance goals are met. SECTION 3: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 3.1 ASUS Peer Tutoring I. Heavily market APT. Building off the success of last year, continuing the strong marketing campaign during orientation week and the sidewalk sale, as well as continually throughout the year, will be extremely beneficial for APT to continue to grow and be revered for its service to the Queen s community. II. Revitalize Help Desk. Last year, the Help Desk in Stauffer Library was not Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 4

6 utilized as much as predicted. In the past, the Help Desk has been primarily used by first years. Thus, by implementing department themed days or allocating specific hours every week focusing on 100-level courses, allowing a wide variety of topics to be covered. This would therefore maximize the quality of the service and allow students to receive any immediate help they needed. III. Expand the breadth of the service as a whole through interactive and online components. The success that APT achieved last year has provided an excellent opportunity to expand the service. This year, we are looking to move beyond peer-to-peer tutoring by offering online study videos made with the support of the ASUS Video Committee and based on requests from students. IV. Continue Bounce Back Collaboration. The current partnership with Bounce Back, as well as the recent grant received from ResSoc, has begun a framework on which APT can build on and improve. This year, we will allocate a set amount of the ResSoc grant to fund tutoring sessions for students who opt-in to Bounce Back. This will result in a stable Bounce Back fund for future years. V. Implement the automated matching service for tutees. ASUS has signed a contract with 14Theories, which has designed an automated online matching web tool for students who want to utilize the service. This will ensure that students receive the help they need immediately, while Directors can allocate more of their time towards their portfolios Department Student Councils I. Identify academic issues that can be realistically resolved within a given year. Many issues facing the Faculty of Arts and Science are not resolvable within a single academic year. A solution to this is identifying smaller issues at DSC Assembly that have a larger impact on the student experience. By narrowing the focus, more progress can be made within a specific time frame, which may allow more time for numerous issues to be addressed and resolved. II. Hold departmental feedback sessions throughout the year. Through holding frequent feedback sessions in the Red Room, students can easily and openly express their concerns to their respective DSCs. This will not only allow for more transparency between DSCs and the students they represent, but will also aid in bringing academic advocacy issues to Arts and Science Faculty Board and AMS Academic Caucus. III. Increase the advocacy role that DSCs play. Providing DSC executives with advocacy and leadership training will put these elected individuals in a better position to identify their respective departmental issues, as well how to address them. IV. Increase awareness of DSC elections. Last year saw the implementation on Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 5

7 standardized online elections, which was met with much success. Continuing this election process is thus extremely crucial to maintain interest executive positions and voting. This will be done through various promotional strategies, as well as advertising elections earlier in second semester to give prospective candidates enough time to create teams. V. Career Services and DSC partnership. This year, Career Services will collaborate with ASUS and the DSCs in holding ten different events catered toward specific departments. These events will help to provide students with more career resources for their respective department Queen s Canadian Leadership Conference I. Attract a big-name speaker. Running off of last year s great success, QCLC has proved to be a popular conference on campus. Attendance could increase even further by obtaining a big-name, keynote speaker. A name that potential delegates recognize will not only increase interest in the conference, but also its esteem. II. Re-attain a major sponsor. Fiscal unpredictability has plagued QCLC since the loss of a five-year, $10,000 grant from P&G. The sponsorship from Target and CIBC last year helped to combat this issue. However, it is crucial to re-attain a sponsor that will heavily contribute to QCLC s revenue. This will help to improve the quality of the conference without sacrificing the experience or increasing the expense to delegates. III. Restructure the schedule of the conference. From the feedback gained from last year s conference, the general consensus was that the second day had too much activity. Restructuring the conference to only hold one workshop time slot with two speakers will allow more time in the afternoon to prepare for the case challenge and subsequent banquet in the evening. IV. Implement a bursary system for the conference. Though dependent on sponsorship, it is essential for bursaries to be factored in the QCLC budget. All other major events and services that ASUS offers have a bursary option, except for QCLC. To resolve this issue, a bursary system will be implemented and will depend on students financial need. This will ensure that students will not miss out on such an inspiring conference due to cost. 3.4 Undergraduate Review I. Increase visibility and awareness through social media platforms and the website. The social media presence of UR has increased over the past year, yet there is still much more room for growth. The website in particular is the publication s most accessible form of media - updating it more frequently and consistently will help to expand its audience and create a following. Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 6

8 II. Collaborate with other arts focused groups and clubs on campus. Collaborating with other groups on campus or within ASUS will not only promote the publication itself, but it will also garner interest and encourage students to submit their own work and possibly get involved. This year we are looking to work with Muse Magazine, Queen s Poetry Slam, and the ASUS Video Committee, to name just a few. III. Consistently run promotional events throughout the year and hold an end of year gala. Working with other groups on campus will allow UR to host a wider variety of themed promotional events throughout the year, such as open mics and slam poetry evenings, therefore increasing awareness of the publication. An end of year event, such as a small gala in the Red Room, will be held to celebrate those who submitted their work as well as an opportunity for readers to engage with the artists first hand. IV. Increase promotion of film and video submissions. Last year saw the release of a promotional video for the Undergraduate Review, as well as the acceptance of film and video submissions. This year, we will continue to make at least two promotional videos a semester, as well as work with the Film department to increase film and video submissions from students W.J. Barnes Teaching Award I. Increase the number of nominations. Last year the W.J. Barnes Award received thirty nominations in first semester the highest amount ever. However, we did not accept nominations in second semester. This year, new marketing strategies, as well as a strict nomination period in both semesters will be implemented to ensure an increase in student-submitted nominations. The DSCs are also an excellent vehicle to promote the award. II. Amalgamate marketing strategies and nomination schedule with the AMS and/or QSAA. In previous years, larger teaching awards on campus have overshadowed WJB. The solution to this issue is collaborating with the AMS and/or QSAA in advertising the award, and planning the nomination/auditing process farther in advance so as to not overlap with the larger teaching awards. III. Creation of a tradition for how the award is presented. As opposed to a simple announcement, presenting the award at a high profile ASUS event, such as the ASUS Volunteer Banquet or by way of a separate ceremony where all DSC Co-Presidents and ASUS Council are in attendance, will be held. This will increase the prestige of the award, as well as allow recipients to engage with students. IV. Present the recipient with a plaque to be hung in the Red Room. Continuing the tradition and increasing the reverence of the award also depends on the Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 7

9 physical award given to the recipient. Each year, a plaque in the Red Room will be revealed at the event. A second plaque will also be purchased and given to the recipient to keep. 3.6 Politicus I. Increase faculty involvement. The most salient issue facing Politicus is the reaffirmation of the relationship between the journal and the Department of Political Studies. Meeting with professors early and getting them involved in the submission review process and lecture series would help combat this issue. II. Increase visibility and awareness through social media platforms. Increasing Politicus presence is crucial for these research journals to remain relevant on campus. Through developing new promotional material and a clear Politicus brand, the journal will be able to reach new heights in popularity and viewership. III. Expand purview of Politicus into other departments. The expansion into departments other than Political Studies, such as the Genders and/or Developmental Studies departments, would be beneficial for the journal. Not only would it increase the readership and support of Politicus, but would also broaden the topical scope of the lecture series and journal submissions Academic Advocacy I. Balance academic advocacy on a departmental and individual level. To adequately represent the concerns of the student body, a balance between departmental academic advocacy through the DSCs and at the individual level through general questions and issues from students, must be made. Building a stronger relationship with COMPSA and CESA here will prove to be extremely beneficial. II. Foster a stronger relationship with COMPSA, CESA, and the AAC. In regards to the most salient issues affecting undergraduate students, it is crucial for the Academics Commission to frequently collaborate with other members of AMS Academic Caucus, especially COMPSA and CESA. This will ensure that the academic needs and interests are equally addressed at all levels of university governance. III. Create an ASUS Academic Caucus. In addition to building a stronger relationship with COMPSA and CESA, it would be beneficial for the Academics Commissioner to host a monthly meeting with the COMPSA and CESA Academics Commissioners. This will provide a platform for Academics Commissioners to discuss and share issues that primarily affect students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. IV. Present a Major/Minor Fair targeted at first year students. A fair in the ARC will be held for first year students in second semester in association with Queen s Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 8

10 Career Services that will present what the various departments can offer. This will help first year students choose what department they will major in, as well as provide them with information on what career path this department can lead them on. The DSCs will also be present at this event, demonstrating how students can get involved in their respective departments. V. Work to make mental health training more accessible for TAs. The current green folder system given to Teaching Assistants is not an adequate mental health training tool. If possible, making supplementary mental health training more accessible for upper year students who are TAs, and eventually all TAs, would increase the legitimacy of the green folders. Working with the AAC would aid this matter. Emily Graham, Academics Commissioner 9