1. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Stony Brook will continue to improve undergraduate education and the recruitment and retention of students. In the last five years, the undergraduate program has been enhanced with initiatives ranging from increased mentoring, to special programs that engage undergraduates’ interest, through programs that encourage pedagogical experimentation, to the establishment of several exciting interdisciplinary teaching and research units. To continue this development and accommodate the expanding undergraduate student body, the University will review what has been accomplished thus far to ensure that students’ curricular needs are met, and continue carefully planned innovation.

 

1.1 Support and enhance existing 
undergraduate programs.

Stony Brook will ensure that students’ curricular needs are met. Students will progress smoothly through their general education requirements and majors. The undergraduate curriculum will be supplemented with special programs that have proved their worth or have strong potential to enrich the academic atmosphere on campus.

• Ensure that courses required for a major or to satisfy general education requirements are offered regularly with enough sections to permit students to progress with no delays. (2001)
• Continue to support and develop special programs, such as the Honors College, WISE, the Living/Learning Centers, and Learning Communities, and ensure that they carry out their missions effectively and equitably. (2001)
• Ensure through Web postings and departmental handbooks that students have accurate and up-to-date information about courses to be offered over the next two years so they can plan their academic programs. Cancellations should be posted immediately. (2003)

PERSON RESPONSIBLE:
Provost

 

1.2 Increase student success.

Stony Brook will offer new students, both transfers and freshmen, guidance and support to smooth their transition into the University environment. Campus programs will enhance and celebrate student success, and they will increase faculty/student contact and facilitate the formation of mentoring relationships. Student satisfaction and outcomes will be monitored to guide program development.

• Redesign orientation programs so that both the summer one-day placement/orientation program and the opening of school are welcoming, academically meaningful, and enjoyable experiences for new students. (2002)
• Improve the advising program, especially for first-year students. Continue to improve the Advising Center, building strong relationships between Advising and the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, and increasing faculty involvement in advising. Establish procedures within departments for providing majors with systematic academic advice regarding their current and future education and career goals. (2002)
• Strengthen on-campus resources for improving students’ basic skills, such as oral communication and writing, mathematics, and computer literacy. Increase students’ access to personalized writing assistance. (2003)
• Develop and implement a plan to create more quiet study spaces and student lounges across campus, including the provision of rooms for group study in campus libraries. (2003)
• Develop curriculum-based, new-student seminars as an alternative to the current transition course (USB101). (2004)
• Expand initiatives to develop mentoring relationships between faculty and students. Increase programs in academic departments that foster interactions among undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. (2004)
• Create a new tradition by dedicating a day in April to the celebration of student achievements. (2004)
• Track and increase the number of undergraduate students who are admitted to professional and graduate schools and/or who receive external scholarships and fellowships. Use these data in academic department reviews. (2004)
• Create a visible program of student surveys to identify academic and quality-of-life issues of concern to undergraduates. Use the results of these surveys to develop action plans and to track the effectiveness of actions taken. (2004)
• Provide supplemental instruction to support students in historically difficult courses and help them master course content while they develop and integrate learning and study strategies. Improve students’ performance and reduce the failure rate in these courses. (2005)

PERSONS RESPONSIBLE:
President, Provost, Vice President for Administration

 

1.3 Develop the curriculum and encourage 
innovative pedagogy.

Stony Brook will strengthen the undergraduate program based on examination of whether it fits students’ academic needs and career interests, offers sufficient opportunity for disciplinary research and creative activity, and adequately supports the development of students’ oral and written communication and their computer skills. Innovative pedagogy will be further developed, the number of students involved in research and creative activity will increase, and internationalism and diversity will be addressed throughout the curricula. Intersession activities will be developed to complement semester offerings.

• Designate a campus coordinator of undergraduate research and creative activities and an HSC liaison, and convene a faculty advisory committee. (2001)
• Integrate the programs of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, the Academy of Teacher-Scholars, and Presidential Mini-Grants for Excellence in Teaching. (2001)
• Re-evaluate the current objectives and practices of college and departmental curriculum committees and the interactions among them. (2001)
• Ensure that teaching evaluation procedures support efforts to improve teaching. Consider changing the current procedures to make the evaluations more useful and make changes as appropriate. (2002)
• Develop a strategic plan for internationalization. (2002)
• Implement the strategic plan for internationalization and evaluate its effectiveness. (2004)
• Increase the number of students who study abroad. Identify and reduce impediments to participation. (2004)
• Increase the use of interactive teaching and innovative teaching techniques and technologies in classes of all sizes. (2005)
• Expand participation in undergraduate research activities, further publicize these activities, increase funding, and develop mechanisms to recognize faculty who consistently contribute. (2005)
• Significantly increase the number of faculty involved in initiatives of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. (2005)
• Recognize and reward curricular and classroom models that exemplify the inclusion of diversity and internationalization. (2005)
• Develop a rich variety of winter intersession course offerings, both credit and non-credit. Explore the potential for faculty and staff to offer courses outside their disciplines. (2005)

PERSONS RESPONSIBLE:
Provost; Vice President, Health Sciences Center

 

1.4 Recruit a student body that is increasingly high-achieving, as well as diverse. 

Faculty, alumni, and current students will be engaged in an aggressive recruitment effort to attract and retain an undergraduate student population that is increasingly high-achieving, as well as diverse.

• Continue to develop materials to recruit a diverse student population of international, New York State, and other U.S. students. These materials should take advantage of the international recognition of the names “Stony Brook” and “State University of New York at Stony Brook.” (2001)
• Develop a policy and mechanism to recruit in the early grades the children of faculty and staff in all job categories as prospective Stony Brook students. (2002)
• Provide free parking to prospective students. (2003)
• Increase every year the number of externally funded undergraduate fellowships and scholarships. These should target a variety of undergraduate students, such as those with high ability, special talents in music, athletics, or other areas, demonstrated financial need, and non-traditional backgrounds. (2005)
• Increase the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen by five points each year. (2005)

PERSONS RESPONSIBLE:
Provost, Vice President for Advancement

 

  1.5 Significantly improve student services

Stony Brook students will use efficient, user-friendly procedures to register for classes and conduct other administrative business. They will receive strong support from services such as the Career Center and Student Health Service. The eventual goal for administrative services is a “one-stop” student service center with procedures organized around an integrated student database. Immediate improvements will be directed toward this goal.

• Provide consistent service hours for all student service departments and ensure that staff is available to conduct administrative business for evening students. (2002)
• Ensure that students have ready access to administrative forms in both paper and electronic formats. Create a forms area in the Administration Building lobby that provides important forms and posted prototypes for completing them. (2002)
• Establish an integrated student information database to provide online application processing, self-service facilities for routine administrative tasks, better management information for faculty and staff, and better communications to students. (2003)
• Streamline administrative procedures, especially for new students. Ensure that students have readily accessible, well-publicized opportunities for getting help, both on the Web and in person. (2003)
• Offer a toll-free telephone number for all student services, especially for Admissions, Bursar/Student Accounts, and Financial Aid. (2003)
• Ensure that the Career Center has the capacity to meet student demand for its services. (2003)
• Ensure that all administrative services, as well as relevant academic support services such as help with writing, are readily available to Health Sciences students. (2004)
• Develop a plan to establish mandatory health insurance for all undergraduates. (2004)

PERSONS RESPONSIBLE:
Provost, Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for Administration, Chief Information Officer

Previous                 Table of Contents                    Next