General Faculty Meeting Robert E. Palazzo Acting Provost April 4, 2007

General Faculty Meeting2 Highest Priorities: Provost Office l Faculty Development l Undergraduate Education l Graduate Program Development l Achieving Diversity

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting3 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP through Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting4 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP through Associate Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting5 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP through Assistant Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting6 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP. Compared to Selected Peer Institutions Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting7 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP. Compared to Selected Peer Institutions Associate Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting8 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP. Compared to Selected Peer Institutions Assistant Professor Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting9 Source: Chronicle of Higher Education. Figures compiled by the AAUP. Compared to Private, Independent Doctoral Institutions Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting10 Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting11 Rensselaer Faculty Salary Trends

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting12 FY06 Research Expenditures Millions

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting13 FY06 Indirect Cost Returns Millions

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting14 FY06 Research Expenditure Distribution 298 faculty (80%) $15.00MM (25%) 74 faculty (20%) $45.978MM (75%) 20% of the faculty produce 75% of research expenditures

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting15 Research Expenditure ($K) FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY <50, , , , , , , , ,000, >1,000, Faculty Research Expenditure Profile

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting16 Expand the Research Enterprise GOAL: Aggressively Recruit Faculty “To maintain stature as a world-class university, Rensselaer must fill a number of vacant leadership positions and recruit more tenured and tenure-track faculty.” Actions: –Develop 3 year recruitment plans for each school PrioritiesPriorities ConstellationsConstellations Enhancement of Signature ThrustsEnhancement of Signature Thrusts Recruitment of women and minoritiesRecruitment of women and minorities Optimize use of endowment fundsOptimize use of endowment funds Focus on maintaining academic programsFocus on maintaining academic programs

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting17 Rensselaer Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty Hires *projected

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting18 Rensselaer Tenure/Tenure Track & Constellation Faculty *projected

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting19 Expand the Research Enterprise Goal: Improve faculty development “Faculty mentoring plans must be developed by all schools for each department and those involved in mentoring must be acknowledged, rewarded, and valued.” Actions: –Deans to develop mentoring plans Work through departmentsWork through departments –Recognize and reward mentoring as a service –Encourage sabbatical leaves as part of mentoring plans for faculty development

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting20 19/ / / /2003 8/2004 7/2005 No. of faculty w/research, Year hired Total Research Expenditure ($K) 2/2006 New Faculty Productivity – Total Expenditures FY

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting21 Expand the Research Enterprise Goal: Retaining the best faculty “Rensselaer will be challenged to retain their best and brightest.”Actions: –Provide the best intellectual environment –Provide the best infrastructure Consider Core infrastructure platform needsConsider Core infrastructure platform needs –Work with HR through “the employer of choice” initiatives maintain current <4% turnovermaintain current <4% turnover monitor salaries, benefits, personal rewards annuallymonitor salaries, benefits, personal rewards annually compare to peer and aspirant institutionscompare to peer and aspirant institutions –Educate Department Heads on strategies Establish protocols and response tacticsEstablish protocols and response tactics

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting22 Expand the Research Enterprise Goal: Improve Faculty Evaluation Actions: –Review performance analysis methods for each school Assure meeting annual expectationsAssure meeting annual expectations –Allow “formal” mechanism to shift faculty responsibilities as a function of career change From research to teaching expectations upon loss of researchFrom research to teaching expectations upon loss of research Review loading annuallyReview loading annually –Include evaluation of space to assure optimal use

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting23 Expand the Research Enterprise Goal: Improve impact of sabbatical leaves “Appropriate use of sabbatical leave is a key component of faculty development.” Actions: –Review sabbatical leave policies –Strengthen expectations for sabbatical outcomes Presentation on campusPresentation on campus Publications, new proposals, displayed worksPublications, new proposals, displayed works Tie expectations to merit evaluationsTie expectations to merit evaluations –Encourage sabbatical leave soon after promotion –Include sabbatical leave as part of the mentoring plan for faculty

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting24 Undergraduate Education Goal: Strengthen undergraduate programs “Recruitment of undergraduate students will require strong cooperation between all academic units and the VP-Enrollment.” Actions: –Focus on Recruitment and Yield Academic partnering with VP-enrollmentAcademic partnering with VP-enrollment Seek to balance distribution of enrollment across schools and departmentsSeek to balance distribution of enrollment across schools and departments –Engage Department Heads in recruitment process Assure optimal yield of accepted students per department annuallyAssure optimal yield of accepted students per department annually

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting25 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Number of Freshman Applications Fall 2000 through Fall 2007*

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting26 Freshman Applications for Selected Peer/Aspirant Institutions Fall 2006 entering cohort (source: IPEDS)

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting27 Enhance Education Goal: Improve student recognition in national award competitions “A hallmark of a leading university is the success of its undergraduates in leadership competitions…”Actions: –With VP-Student Life and the VP-Enrollment determine best practices recruitment, development, preparing applications, and preparation for final phases of competitionsrecruitment, development, preparing applications, and preparation for final phases of competitions –Design a mentoring program Early identification of candidates in the freshman and sophomore yearEarly identification of candidates in the freshman and sophomore year Groom through to final competitionsGroom through to final competitions –Establish target list of competitions Inform students during freshman year to bring talent forwardInform students during freshman year to bring talent forward –Organize annual workshops Inform students of opportunitiesInform students of opportunities Engage past award and scholarship winnersEngage past award and scholarship winners –Continue current success in Goldwater competitions –Expand goals to other competitions including Rhodes, Marshal, Truman, other…

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting28 Enhance Education Goal: Enhance the quality and number of Ph.D. graduate students “Achievement of the goals of the Rensselaer plan will require an increase in the quality and number of graduate students.” Graduate Students 1228 (11/06) 75% Ph.D. (goal 80%) 75% Ph.D. (goal 80%) 530 Institutional support 381 External support 381 External supportActions: –Focus on domestic recruitment Identify faculty leadersIdentify faculty leaders Prepare competitive graduate training grantsPrepare competitive graduate training grants Work with VP-enrollment to improve recruitment processWork with VP-enrollment to improve recruitment process Identify funds to bring all accepted students to campus (100K this year)Identify funds to bring all accepted students to campus (100K this year) Engage graduate students in recruitingEngage graduate students in recruiting

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting29 Achieve Diversity Goal: Achieve Diversity-Faculty “Rensselaer must establish a culture that values diversity to not only reflect the society which it serves but to also remain competitive in the future.”Actions: –Establish Monthly Provost-Women Faculty Meeting Define issuesDefine issues –Establish Monthly Provost-Minority Faculty Meeting Define IssuesDefine Issues –Consider a Center for Women Studies Assist in recruitment and career development of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students.Assist in recruitment and career development of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. –Hold meetings of national experts on diversity to raise awareness RAMP-UPRAMP-UP –Recruit women or minorities into Constellations –Recruit women and minorities into administrative posts Department Heads and otherDepartment Heads and other

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting30 Achieve Diversity Goal: Achieve Diversity-Students “Rensselaer must establish a culture that values diversity to not only reflect the society which it serves but to also remain competitive in the future.”Actions: –Continue Howard Hughes Undergraduate Minority Scholars Program Develop pipelines for diverse graduate student recruitmentDevelop pipelines for diverse graduate student recruitment HBCUs, Puerto Rico, and other universitiesHBCUs, Puerto Rico, and other universities Use program template to develop other programsUse program template to develop other programs Identify faculty leaders to develop additional programsIdentify faculty leaders to develop additional programs submit proposals to federal agencies for sustainabilitysubmit proposals to federal agencies for sustainability

April 4, 2007General Faculty Meeting31 Discussion!