The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is pursuing a contemporary image for agriculture, and recruiting newcomers into the field who are excited by new directions and opportunities. The College attracts and supports students from diverse backgrounds, and will develop general interest and breadth courses that reflect the relevance of agriculture to all people. The College will invest in opportunities for students, faculty, and professionals to engage in entrepreneurship as related to agriculture.
Progress update: The UDairy Creamery is now being operated by its first student management team, comprised of an assistant manager, business manager, dairy/food science manager, and sustainability/communications manager. Milk from the cows on UD’s 100-head dairy farm is being shipped to HyPoint Dairy in Wilmington, DE to be processed into ice cream. The creamery’s goal is to be able to start manufacturing ice cream on campus by Spring 2010.
The College of Arts & Sciences will improve transformational opportunities for undergraduates by developing curricula that challenge and inspire students, expanding undergraduate research, service-learning, and study abroad opportunities, and further strengthening student support services. Curriculum re-design must embrace exploration, creativity, critical thinking, diversity, and innovation. Interdisciplinary and cross-college collaborations in research, service learning, and international study will be fostered.
Progress update: The Department of Theatre has partnered with the College of Health Sciences Nursing and Physical Therapy programs to create the University of Delaware Standardized Patients Program, which will train talented undergraduate Performance Studies students to play the roles of head injury patients, whereby Physical Therapy and Nursing students can gain experience in this specialized care area through a safe, simulated setting before being placed in actual patient settings. The Standardized Patients Program has the potential to serve as a model for other institutions in innovative training methods utilized at UD. The number of arts, humanities, and social science Undergraduate Researchers has increased 31.5% in the last two years: 50 students participated in 2008-09; 38 participated in 2006-07. The number of A & S students participating in service-learning courses increased 63% in the last two years: 403 students participated in 2006-07; 659 participated in 2008-09. A grant for undergraduate science education is pending with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). This grant will support development of a new integrated course in Chemistry and Biology and undergraduate research related to life and health sciences. We will institutionalize this successful support program for science students from under-represented groups to demonstrate the commitment of the College to recruit and retain a more diverse student body in the sciences.
The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment will lead the development of integrated environmental science and studies curricula with multiple UD units in order to provide undergraduates with easy access to environmental options that cross UD colleges.
Progress update: The UD Faculty Senate approved the proposed environmental degree programs to start in Fall 2009. These are integrated, cross-unit degrees that draw on the multidisciplinary strengths that UD has in the area of environment. The environmental science degree offers 10 concentrations and includes participation from four colleges. The environmental studies degree offers four concentrations and includes participation from three colleges.
The College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment is leading the development of a B.S. in Marine Science at the University of Delaware. The degree program will expose students to multidisciplinary study about open-ocean and coastal environments and will take advantage of facilities (including the R/V Hugh R. Sharp) available at UD’s Sharp campus in Lewes.
Progress update: The College committee has developed a signature curriculum for the degree program. The proposal will be submitted to the UD Faculty Senate by December 2009.
The College of Engineering will expand degree opportunities for engineering undergraduates by establishing new majors that address growing societal needs starting in Fall 2010 and beyond.
Progress update:A new degree program in Biomedical Engineering has been developed and will go through the Faculty Senate approval process during the 2009-10 academic year. If approved, this degree will be available starting Fall 2010. The College saw a 25% growth in freshman enrollment in Fall 2009. This increase includes a 60% growth in incoming Environmental Engineering students.
The College of Health Sciences will refine the College's translational education model for undergraduate education by Spring 2009. Performance over time will be benchmarked by tracking placement success for those students applying to graduate and professional programs and soliciting employer feedback on those students entering the workforce.
Progress update: The single largest employer of graduates of the nursing and medical technology programs is the Christiana Care Health System (CCHS) hospital. Representatives from the College recently met with directors of the nursing and medical technology services at CCHS, and part of the visit was directed at assessing the quality of graduates that accept positions in the hospital. The discussion revealed that graduates of the two programs are highly regarded, and administrations at CCHS and UD plan to sponsor joint educational efforts aimed at further enhancing workplace performance.
A special preparation course taught by faculty for nursing students to prepare for passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX) had dramatic results. Nineteen of the 31 at-risk students attended the course, and 15 of the 19 who attended passed the NCLEX exam. Passing the NCLEX exam is required for licensure in the U.S.
The College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy will establish new interdisciplinary undergraduate programs capitalizing on its strengths in understanding and working with families, schools and communities and offering students the opportunity to address some of the world's most pressing social problems. For the 2009-2010 academic year, the College is developing a new undergraduate major in public policy; a concentration in urban education; and minors in public policy, urban education, and human development. Performance for each of the new programs will be measured through enrollment in the programs from Fall 2010 through Spring 2013 nd the success of the students enrolled.
Progress update: The public policy major, as well as the urban education concentration and the minors in urban education, public policy and human development were approved by the College's undergraduate curriculum committee in February 2009.
The College of Marine and Earth Studies is leading the development of integrated environmental science and studies curricula with multiple UD units in order to provide undergraduates with easy access to environmental options that cross UD colleges. Performance will be measured by undergraduate student enrollment in these curricula and by the success of students enrolled.
Progress update: The ad hoc University Environmental Curriculum Committee is assimilating feedback on changes to the B.S. in Environmental Science and the proposed B.A. in Environmental Studies. The committee will submit its recommendations for these degree programs to the UD Faculty Senate in Spring 2009. If approved, these curricular options will be implemented in Fall 2010.
The Lerner College of Business and Economics will continue to offer a flexible, high quality, academically rigorous undergraduate program that is ranked among the best in the country. The College will be highly selective and provide increasing opportunities to enhance the diversity of the student body and to Delawareans.
Progress update: This past spring the College established the Lerner College Career Services Center. The office fosters strong partnerships with employers to identify opportunities for internships and full-time employment and offers career awareness and enrichment programs specific to the needs of business students.
A new program, the Executive Mentors-Scholars program, connects talented students with business executives who, as role models, help students gain insights and skills that prepare them for successful careers.
In expanding its efforts to enhance student body diversity, the college’s academic departments participated in "Destination Delaware: a Multicultural Experience, "a targeted phone call program to over 250 prospective business students.
The Office of Student Life will enhance Career Services Center (CSC) offerings with services and programs that increase student awareness of career and educational alternatives and prepare them for making an impact on their communities.
Progress update: The CSC has partnered with Lerner College of Business and Economics to create a satellite career center in the College, established an advisory board to include employers, faculty and students, secured a UNIDEL grant to improve IT infrastructure in Career Services and implemented an on-line appointment processing system for students, and established an educational laboratory to provide hands-on experience in resume and cover letter writing and related internship & job support materials.
In 2009-10 the Office of Student Life and CSC will increase the professional staff in the center by 1 to 2 FTE, strengthen relationships in the colleges to support and expand experiential learning opportunities, increase the participation of alumni in programs that benefit students, and collaborate with the academic deans to explore the feasibility of career consultants “housed” within the colleges to extend services & engage students in the career development process.
The Office of Student Life is developing the New Student Orientation (NSO) program to enhance student engagement with their peers, faculty, and staff; to facilitate their personal and academic integration, and to create a more imaginative and intellectually stimulating First-Year Experience program for all students.
Progress update: Student Life has recruited a Director of New Student Orientation, established the NSO office in Perkins University Center, transitioned responsibility for the administration of the Orientation program effective January 2010, coordinated a New Student Orientation 1-day conference at UD, and established an NSO advisory board.
In 2009-10 Student Life and NSO will recruit a Program Coordinator to support Orientation, Welcome Week, and First-Year Experience programming, establish a NSO web site, develop and implement a 1-day summer orientation program for students and parents highlighting University priorities with diversity, safety & wellness, and environmental sustainability.
The Office of Student Life will develop a First Year Experience Program (FYE) to provide students with an inclusive and seamless first year experience, integrate the social and academic dimensions of being a student at UD, and foster a successful transition to college.
Student Life will collaborate with Academic Affairs to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach for first-year students at the University, evaluate and improve upon the First Year Seminar housing assignment process, evaluate the Fall DelaWorld program, establish a committee to plan “Welcome to UD” for Fall 2010, begin to implement the comprehensive and integrated approach for students’ first year at UD as recommended by the FYE Steering Committee.
Progress update: Established a new Graduate Assistant position in the Student Centers to support HAVEN (student organization representing LGBT students), increased Cultural Programming Advisory Board’s (CPAB) funding by approximately 20%, dedicated additional funding to support educational programming efforts in the Center for Black Culture, collaborated with the Academic and Student Affairs Council to support the Bank of America Career Services’ Multicultural Career Fair.
In 2009-10 the Office of Student Life will increase the professional staff involved in multicultural student services and programs by 1 FTE, secure additional funds to support multicultural programs including Latino Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Alternative Spring Break to the Gulf Coast, and develop a diversity education program for implementation at New Student Orientation beginning in Summer 2010.
The Diversity Action Council, co-chaired by the Vice President for Administration and the Provost was charged by the President to implement short-term recommendations from the Diversity Task Force final report.
Progress update: Approximately half of the more than 20 short-term action steps have been implemented. The Office of Equity & Inclusion was formed.
University of Delaware • Newark, DE 19716 • USA • Phone: (302) 831-2792 • © 2008 
