1.  Faculty-Synergy of Teaching and Research  Students-Academic Excellence ◦ Open enrollment, establishing benchmarks and outcome-determined excellence ◦ Perception of the college as a college of excellence - added value to the diploma  Resources - Effective Organizational Structure  Collaboration

2.  Self-defined role of faculty and departments. Decide by yourself what group your peer institution belongs to (research, liberal arts, regional)  Establish work load criteria for performance based on the practice of the best peer institutions in the country  Each faculty/department compete for status (and resources!) not with other departments, but with peer departments around the country and around the world

3. Teaching  Retention  Graduation Rates  Program Outcomes  Advanced Methodology  Student Support  Grants, related to the above  Scholarly or teaching Research  Publications  Grants  Hosting Conferences  Undergraduate Research  Graduate Programs Retention Applied Research

4. Open Enrollment in combination with: ◦ Outcome-determined excellence ◦ Comprehensive support system. Grants ◦ Programs (or STEM) pre-core and core with outcome-based assessment ◦ Multiple paths for success ◦ Clear indication to students what success in a program means – series of benchmarks

5.  Experiential Learning: ◦ Undergraduate research ◦ Global engagement ◦ Leadership ◦ Civic engagement (service learning) ◦ Internship ◦ Honors Program

6.  Dynamic Organizational Structure ◦ Support interdisciplinary projects ◦ Shift from researcher driven and subject-bound production to research that is funding or problem driven & interdisciplinary ◦ Design a model that allows faculty and college units to grow and prosper within their intellectual and market limits ◦ Some college units are organized around a theme or objectives, not around their traditional subjects ◦ Establish one-year, three-year and five-year benchmarks for dynamic units Any other ideas that would help interdisciplinary studies? The College name change – shorter and reflects reality

7.  Recognition of what should not change  Attracting the best faculty/staff and a diverse student body  Admission standards clearly defined. Retention & completion in timely manner. 3-year programs  Cooperation with schools to prepare students for college  Online learning to augment classroom teaching  Interaction with students outside the classroom  Preparing teachers  Solving complex problems in the areas of: health care, global environmental changes, economics, energy sustainability

8.  Health care, biomedical research  Each university should establish signature programs and centers for excellence  Outstanding departments to attract the best graduates  Create partnerships in degree and research projects with other institutions  Address tremendous opportunities of UT border campuses  Fiscal responsibility and cost containment  Optimize management and organizational structure