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FutureSTATE 2015

A strategy for Mississippi State University to become
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FutureSTATE 2015 Progress Reports

Spring 2008

ENHANCE STUDENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Initiative: Increase funding for freshman class sections in the College of Arts and Sciences, which provides core education foundation courses for all university students.

Achievements of the past year:

The Provost provided the following funding resources:

  • $375,000 for A&S to hire instructors for service courses,
  • $195,000 for three faculty members in Communications
  • $214,863 for three faculty members in Biological Sciences
  • $103,132 for the new African American Studies: a faculty line @ $60,000 plus fringe, and $25,000 operating funds
  • $358,105 to strengthen A&S with 5 Phi Beta Kappa hires
  • $348,122 in tuition incentive money generated off enrollment increases
  • We interviewed 96 candidates. All allotted positions were filled.
  • Tuition incentive money was distributed directly to the departments for instruction/"other" expenses

Goals for the next year:

  • Make additional faculty appointments in key areas as funding allows
  • Utilize faculty more effectively in core instruction
  • Restructure/redesign course offerings to accommodate more students without losing quality, including through Distance Learning (Course Re-design initiatives w/ IHL)

Constraints to full implementation of this initiative:

  • Number of tenure-track faculty: 199 (2003-04) to 181 (2006-07)
  • Recruiting and retention of quality tenure-track faculty given budget constraints
  • College and department operating budget constraints

Proposed modification of the initiative:

  • Implementation of a tuition incentive program dedicated exclusively to funding department instruction in core areas
  • College-level control of tuition incentive funds generated off increased enrollment
  • Continue to increase the number of faculty positions as enrollments increase

Overall assessment of the status of the initiative or other comments:
The initiative was necessary to offset enrollment increases, but it did not effectively allow the college to gain new ground on the progressively increasing enrollment demands that the college faces, and will continue to face.