How To Improve A School

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1 Haifa University, School of Political Science Strategic Plan ( ) (Approved by the School Committee, November 2008) Objective: This document defines a platform of a strategic plan for the School of Political Science from year 2009 to year The document was transferred among all school members for review, comments, change suggestions and updating and is going to serve as the operating base for the school executive during the next five years. The document was approved by the school board in its November 20, 2008 meeting. The school executive is committed to act according to the document instructions in order to meet the derived objectives. The operating and the performances of the school will be monitored, examined and evaluated with respect to this guiding document by the end of a given period. General background and current situation: the School of Political Science was established in 2003 based on the original Department of Political Science which was part of the university since its foundation in The school is a confederation of three different divisions: 1. the Division of Government and Political Theory, which functions as an academic anchor to the undergraduate studies; 2. the Division of International Relations; and 3. the Division of Public Administration. The later two divisions offer a second degree curriculum, related to the field, which was admitted recently. The school and its three divisions operate jointly in the undergraduate level to grant knowledge and a B.A. degree in Political Science. All three divisions are approved in granting a second degree in their fields. The Divisions of Government and Political Theory and International Relation offer Master level curricula. The Division of Public Administration offers an MPA program in public administration and policy. Doctorate studies are ex-division and personal. The Doctorate degree is granted to graduate students in the field they specialized as a Doctor of Philosophy. Number of school students (current numbers are lower by percents): The number of students in 2008 is 1,059 and is divided by the following breakdown: undergraduate students (416 in the regular program, 139 in evening program, 91 in MALTK, AND 21 in GALIM).

2 students in the Public Administration and Policy master level programs (114 in Public Administration for Managers, 42 in Local Government Program, 53 public auditing, 15 in professional studies without thesis, and 21 in master level studies with thesis) students in the master level studies in International Relations (19 without thesis, and 12 with thesis) students in the master level studies in Government and Political Theory (7 without thesis and 3 with thesis) PhD students (74 in the regular program, and 22 in a complementary program). In addition, the school operates the NSC (National Security College) program with 35 students, the Ministry of Defense Program with 52 students, and the General program in security studies (TELEM) with 100 students. Altogether, the number of students is: 1,246. Number of faculty members at standard routes (A and B): 23 faculty members (21.5 positions, of them 18.5 are appointed). Following is the breakdown by divisions and faculty ranks: 1. Government and Political Theory: 10 faculty members 2. International Relations: 10 faculty members 3. Public Administration and Policy: 6 faculty members The overall ratio between the number of students and faculty members is as follows: 1 1. BA level: 667/23= MA level: 483/23=21. Government and Political Theory: 10/10=1 International Relations: 31/7=4.42 Public Administration and Policy: 255/6=42.5 The annual school budget is over 1.1 million NIS. The school operates in a certain physical space developed during the last several years. However, it is uncertain whether this space can be developed in the near future. Currently, the school employs 7 staff members in different positions. Thirteen percent of all university graduate students are coming from the school, which are 31 percents of all Faculty of Social Science's graduate students. The majority of graduate students graduates the B route in programs for managers and the MBL. Two research centers operate in the school: the Center for Management and Public Policy, and the Center for National Security. This background is important and allows the understanding of the internal and the external spaces in which the school operates. 1 High ratio indicates higher efficiency yet higher loads and erosion

3 Analysis of the Environment: the School of Political Sciences is one of five political science units currently operated in the research universities in Israel. It is considered fairly large by the faculty members (second to the Hebrew University in terms of faculty members, but undoubtedly first in terms of total number of teachers). It is also among the largest in terms of number of students, if not the largest. This is not the place to detail the academic status of the school. It can be judged by several criteria among which are: research quality, publications and international status of faculty members, academic ranks of faculty members, attractiveness for new members, acquired reputation, innovative activities and their scope, budget scope, quality of students, quality of teaching and more. Overall, the school academic status is evaluated as good to very good (quality of research, publications, innovation, budget, variety of programs), but requires some improvement in other aspects (academic ranks, quality of students, teaching, and attractiveness). Annex to this document is a comparative table of several status aspects. Therefore, alongside with the five year success in the school new structure, it faces several severe challenges among which are: increase in competition between the different academic institutions (universities and colleges) on recruiting top academic personnel and top students, increase budget pressures, and evolution and changes in the discipline which require consistent adjustments. The global development and openness in higher education in Europe and America and the need to be part of this development are the additional challenges. This leads the plan's development principles. Developing Principals for the Strategic Plan: this plan is supposed to be ambitious enough to justify the effort to be invested in the next several years in advancing the school and in improving its capacity and status in the local, national, and international arena. However, the plan should take a realistic path which accounts for the current difficulties of the higher education system in Israel, the school potential in compare to other units in the Faculty of Social Science, University of Haifa and other universities in Israel. Without a plan there is neither a map nor a direction. The goals, although sometimes difficult to accomplish, are supposed to be the compass that shows the way. The degree by which the goals were met will be evaluated over time (five years, at least, with annual evaluation and a wider assessment after three years). Every strategic plan and this one in particular, must be accepted by the majority of key agents in the school. This calls for bridging across divisions and sections at the personal and management level between the school executive and faculty members and, as far as possible, between internal and external agents. Consensus and collaboration with mutual trust is the key to promote the plan goals.

4 Following the above, the primary goal of the plane is as follows: Primary Goal: Turning the school to be the leading school in the disciplines of government, public administration, and international relation in Israel; Promoting the competitive capacity and encouraging excellence in the international arena while maintaining the internal cohesion and improving trust among the school members and other entities which operate in the school and alongside. Derived Objectives, Operating Guidelines, and Concrete Objectives: 1. Maintaining the current three division structure while developing tools for inter-department collaboration. The divisions will continue managing themselves autonomously following the current format. This management autonomy will be reinforced while defining specific responsibilities and internal goals. At the same time, development of new curricula, collaborating projects, new ideas for advancing students are encouraged. The principles behind this development are trust and transparency as much as possible in all processes. A concrete objective is a joint thinking on an internal document that will form the status of each division and function within the school towards the final desired school structure. 2. Improving school reputation and its status across the academic community in Israel and globally. The assessment of publications and academic contribution according to international criteria places the school highest in compare to its Israeli counterparts and in a middle position in compare to its international counterparts. Nevertheless, this position can be improved. A concrete goal is to obtain a leading position in terms of research and image in the international arena. The complexity of academic measures requires a detailed definition in the future. 3. Immediate increase in recruiting academic staff from all areas, especially, government and political theory. A concrete goal to meet is to recruit another five faculty members to the division of government and political theory, two-three faculty members to the division of public administration and management, and one-two faculty members to the division of international relations, by the next five years. 4. Support for increase in research quality and research project start-ups by emphasizing excellence in publication, raising funds for research projects, and motivating top students to participate in innovative projects. Here is where potential for collaboration between researchers within the department and between the departments is. A concrete goal is an increase in research funding from research grants and research awards and a recognition in the research quality (excellent articles, invitations to major conferences, fellowships etc.). 5. Improvement of curricula, teaching quality, and administrative coordination. This requires a prior and broad assessment of division needs and analysis of parallel international programs with adjustments to the Israeli academic and practical reality. This process includes the examination of possible change in the school structure necessary to

5 improve the management effectiveness and to improve the efficiency of the administrative staff. A concrete goal is an increase in quality students that are admitted in the current and future programs together with improving the ratio of investment/production in administrative terms. Another goal is a reform in the thesis programs in the various routes with extra-scrutiny on the PhD programs as for accepting and denying students and the quality of PhD dissertations. 6. Encouraging the promotion of the academic staff by conventional academic standards, but with outward pressures to remove barrier and delays previously characterized these processes. A concrete goal is to implement earlier recommendation made by personal committees in the departments into a binding decision to promote candidates. 7. Encouraging collaboration with the students and increasing the excellence and attractiveness of the school to all academic degrees and especially to graduate degrees. A concrete goal is the emphasis on quality rather than quantity in accepting students to advance degree programs, especially, doctorate studies; a development of programs unique to government, international relations, and public administration; an improve of the marketing quality of the various programs; an increase in quality students who prefer the school over others; and a decrease in the faculty turnover together with an increase in number of faculty members as noted in Goal 3 above. 8. Amplifying the school influence and "finger-print" in two major aspects: firstly, the school internal influence (within the Faculty of Social Science and the University of Haifa) on shaping the goals to advance the university in Haifa; secondly, the school external influence on the political and managerial discourse in the Israeli society. A concrete goal is the involvement of the faculty members in different national committees, being elected to influential positions in the university and outside, and promoting the school goals from outside. 9. Fostering the quality of life in the school to the benefit of all faculty members in the standard route, the adjunct teachers, the students and the administrative staff. A concrete goal is to maintain the faculty members' research budget and its increase to the possible extent and to develop new ideas that improve the staff service level. 10. Maintaining and strengthening the relationship with the university authorities in order to promote the strategic plan. This goal is accomplishable in light of the difficult situation of the universities. Moreover, this a reason for higher internal cohesion in order to cope with challenges anticipated to the school.

6 Annex: Analysis of Publications and Citations of Political Science Units in Major Israeli Universities Institution Hebrew Tel-Aviv University of Haifa Bar-Ilan University Ben-Gurion University (Pub. Adm., Pol. Sci.) University University (Pol. Sci., (Pol. Sci., Int. Rel. Pub. Pol.) Criterion Publications (51, 9) (9, 3) Citations (48, 19) (1, 5) Members (28, 20) 22 (15, 7) (7, 11) Paper/Member 78/25= /48=1.5 25/22=1.1 27/34=0.8 12/18=0.67 Citation/Member 70/20=2.8 67/48=1.4 33/22=1.5 20/34=0.6 6/18=0.33 Source: Social Science Citation Index (2007) for refereed journal only, July 2008.