Department of Art and Design
University of Central Arkansas
Strategic Plan 2023-2028
Mission:
The Department of Art and Design views educational achievement as both an individual and collective responsibility. We offer outstanding faculty, facilities and resources, working in partnership with students to develop and enable intellectual flexibility, visionary thinking, and creative responsiveness across disciplines. We graduate leaders prepared to engage in art and design, inspire innovative growth in their community, and participate in their chosen creative discipline.
Vision:
The Department of Art and Design aims to create a vibrant community, in line with the UCA’s and CAHSS’s inclusive definition of diversity, where all students can explore their creativity and develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed locally, nationally, and globally. It will achieve its vision by:
Goals and Objectives:
Goal: Students: Develop students who seek excellence in their endeavors at all levels. (to: student opportunity committee)
Objective: Foster an environment for growth that includes active curiosity, heightened craft, and rigorous research.
Objective: Set expectations that accentuate the value of participation in professional activities, internships, fellowships, and scholarships.
Objective: Set expectations that accentuate the value of energetic engagement, participation in the student community, and genuine comradery.
Objective: Expand regional opportunities, study abroad, internships for both local, regional, national, and international to enhance the student experience.
Objectives: Recognize and honor excellence with scholarships and department awards.
Objective: Develop students with a global awareness, through course curriculum, exhibition opportunities and professional development experiences.
Goal: Teaching and Learning: Foster visionary thinking and responsiveness to changes in a diverse art and design world. (to: Curriculum Committee)
Objective: Foster Innovative and Interdisciplinary / Multidisciplinary collaboration between department areas and beyond.
Objective: Promote digital technology, literacy and integration into course programming.
Objective: Cultivate team teaching at the Foundation level and beyond.
Objective: Continue to evaluate and update institutional syllabi that align with NASAD and CIDA standards conforming to the CETAL course institutional syllabi requirements
Goal: Community: Increase perceived value and involvement amongst community members, artists, designers and professionals in Arkansas and beyond. (to everyone)
Objective: Increase perceived value amongst community members.
Objective: Foster involvement and connectivity with the artist culture in Arkansas.
Objective: Increase connections with professionals and vendors in our fields.
Goal: Facilities: Provide outstanding facilities and physical environments that support the ever-changing needs of our curriculum. (to everyone)
Objective: Develop a multi-year technology and budget roadmap for all department equipment.
Objective: Customize facilities that are multi-functional and accessible reflecting who we are and what we do.
Objective: Investigate ways to integrate Art, Interior Design, Makerspace, Theatre, Music, and potentially other allied disciplines as collaborators throughout their facilities.
Objective: Support plans to make Burdick Hall the new home for Interior Design.
Objective: Investigate ways to increase the utilization of facilities during the summer.
Goal: Faculty: Provide best practices for equitable standards to support faculty in their professional and academic endeavors with a variety of resources for teaching and research excellence. (to everyone)
Objective - Increase funding opportunities that allow faculty to develop their teaching skills, create and exhibit work, and conduct research.
Objective - Support faculty as they broaden and deepen their knowledge in their discipline.
Objective - Set expectations that promote rigor and high standards in relation to teaching and professional work.
Objective - Explore ways to support academic and professional pursuits in addition to funding.
Objective - Investigate ways to promote greater faculty involvement across disciplines and in departmental residencies.
Goal: Promotion, Recruitment, and Recognition Recognize the strengths of the department and maintain an active promotion and recruitment system based on those strengths. (to promotion committee)
Objective: Develop, sustain, and continually update marketing materials to be used across relevant platforms for targeted audiences.
Objective: Expand alumni engagement as a tool to encourage their sustained support and to promote the success of the department.
Objective: Promote existing and actively pursue new scholarship offerings to support and grow student opportunities.
Objective: Research and secure appropriate web support in order to optimize our website for recruitment and retention purposes.
Objective: To strengthen and expand relationships with existing and potential feeder schools.