Executive Summary

Alumni Engagement & Fundraising .................................... 89 Alumni ............................................................. 89 Development, Fundraising and Gifts ....................................... 90 Supplemental Info - Alumni Engagement & Fundraising ........................ 92 Community Engagement ............................................. 93 Community Engagements and Community - Based Activities .................... 93 Community Perceptions ................................................ 93 Incentivizing Faculty Engagement ......................................... 94 Supplemental Info - Community Engagement ................................ 94 Collaborations ....................................................... 95 Internal Collaborations ................................................. 95 External Collaborations ................................................. 95 Supplemental Info - Collaborations ........................................ 97 Equity and Diversity Plan ............................................. 98 Improve Under-Represented Minority (URM) Student Enrollment .................. 98 Improve The Number Of Full-Time URM Faculty Across Academic Units ............. 99 Enhance Outcomes For URM Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Students ..... 99 Improve Post-Graduate Outcomes For URM Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Students .......................................... 99 Increase the engagement of students, faculty, staff, administrators in Equity and Inclusion ........................................................... 100 Improve The Sense Of Inclusion Amongst All University Community Members ...... 101 Dashboard Metrics and Narrative .................................... 102 Metrics ............................................................ 102 Student Information Narrative .......................................... 105 Contribution (Per Student) Narrative ...................................... 105 Model Allocations (Per Student) Narrative .................................. 105 Faculty Information Narrative ........................................... 105 Credit Hours Taught Narrative .......................................... 105 College/School Financial Information Narrative .............................. 105 Student Outcomes Narrative ............................................ 105 HERD Research Expenditures Narrative ................................... 105 Other Information Narrative ............................................ 105 University of South Carolina Page 3 College of Arts & Sciences Concluding Remarks ................................................ 106 Quantitative Outcomes ................................................ 106 Cool Stuff .......................................................... 106 Appendix 1. Academic Initiatives ..................................... 107 Appendix A. Research & Scholarly Activity ............................ 125 Appendix 2. Faculty Information ..................................... 128 Appendix 3. Academic Analytics Report ............................... 263 Appendix 4. Alumni Engagement & Fundraising ....................... 283 Appendix 5. Community Engagement ................................. 289 Appendix 6. Collaborations .......................................... 307 Appendix. Arts & Sciences College One Pager 2022 .................... 351 Appendix. CAS Unit-Level Student Recruitment & Retention Activities .. 354 University of South Carolina Page 4 College of Arts & Sciences Foundation for Academic Excellence Mission Statement The College of Arts and Sciences is a richly diverse community of faculty and students dedicated to the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge about the natural and human worlds as well as the places where they intersect. The college is committed to enriching the academic experiences of graduate and undergraduate students, and to excelling in faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity. As the heart of a major research university, the college is a catalyst for positive change in the local community, the state, the nation, and the world. Updated: 03/06/2019 Vision Statement The College of Arts and Sciences aspires to transform the lives of our students and improve the world they will inhabit by creating and sharing knowledge at the frontiers of inquiry. Updated: 03/09/2017 Values Statement The College of Arts and Sciences stands for the values of a liberal arts education, including critical inquiry, disciplined thinking, scientific investigation, broadened horizons, collaborative effort, and refined judgment. A liberal arts education prepares individuals to face an increasingly complex, diverse, and changing world with open, nimble minds and expansive, humane sympathies. Updated: 03/09/2017 University of South Carolina Page 5 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Back Goals for the previous Academic Year. Goal 1 - Build and support a diverse faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative pursuits and community engagement. Goal Statement Build and nurture a diverse faculty that will demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative pursuits, and community engagement. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal fully aligns with the college's mission of excelling in research,scholarship, and creative activity; its vision of creating and sharing knowledge at the frontiers of inquiry; and its embrace of the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Recruit and retain high caliber faculty. Offer competitive start-up packages. Encourage faculty collaborations across disciplines. Aggressively seek research funding. Incorporate diversity and inclusion strategies across all CAS units. Implement strategies to support non-tenure track faculty. Encourage faculty to seek national fellowships and awards. Offer competitive internal initiatives to support faculty and students. Optimize CAS business and administrative processes. Achievements Strategic investment in faculty and staff since 2016: $20M for new tenure-track faculty hires (salaries, fringe benefits, and start-up packages) $2.65M for faculty not on tenure track $14.5M in fulfilling commitments to faculty $0.5M in staff recognition University of South Carolina Page 6 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackTargeted investment of $1.5M to support over 300 faculty through Dean's Initiatives since 2018. Dean's Initiative Awards in FY20 and FY21 : Small Equipment Grants - 13 awards to purchase small equipment for use in research. Faculty Research Grants - 34 awards to support research. Faculty Travel Grants Faculty Travel was suspended March 2020 due to COVID travel restrictions. Book Manuscript Finalization - 33 awards to support book manuscript finalization (indexing, photography, verification). Graduate Stipend Enhancements - Awarded departments additional stipends of $4,000 for 42 graduate students to enhance recruitment efforts. Undergraduate Research Enhancements - Awarded 13 $1,000 to faculty to encourage and enhance undergraduate research. Successfully hired 16 new tenure-track faculty and 7 new professional track faculty as a result of searches conducted during the 2019-2020 academic year. Identified opportunities to strengthen and diversify our faculty through spousal hires when possible. As of February 26, 2021, the college is conducting 7 tenure track faculty searches and 8 professional track faculty searches during the 2020 - 2021 academic year. Provided 18 retention offers during the 2019-2020 academic year and successfully retained 18 faculty members (100% success rate) with proposed counteroffers. Awarded 48 sabbatical leave applications in 2020 - 2021 for leaves taken during the 2021-2022 academic year. Required all search committee chairs and Affirmative Action Advocates to attend one of several search committee training sessions to receive information about hiring best practices. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funding for faculty initiatives. Recurring and non-recurring funding for salaries, fringe benefits, and start-up packages to include equipment purchases, professional development/travel, and student employment. Goal Continuation Ongoing Goal Upcoming Plans Continue targeted and strategic faculty hiring. Continue optimization of HR, Budget and other administrative processes within college department and programs. Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Summer semester revenue and reallocation of existing resources. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 7 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 2 - Provide innovative, inspiring, and effective instruction to undergraduate students. Goal Statement Provide innovative, inspiring, and effective instruction to undergraduate students to prepare them for citizenship, future success, and fulfillment in a competitive world. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching to undergraduate students including active learning and beyond the classroom experiences needed to succeed in the 21st century; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Provide high quality, innovative instruction. Optimize and improve instructional spaces. Grow undergraduate enrollments and increase retention of majors. Develop new teaching strategies. Increase instructional capacity in high-demand STEM courses. Offer broad range of on-demand summer courses. Develop innovative ways to deliver Carolina Core courses. Increase collaboration with the SC Honors College and other colleges/schools. Meet regularly with CAS undergraduate directors. Achievements Partnered with the Provost’s Office and the CTE to offer a summer cohort that supported faculty in developing and approving 42 courses for online delivery. Created a new position, Program Manager in Assessment and Distributed Learning, for the development of new online courses. Supported the Global Studies B.A. through the College advising office and UAC advising office (140 declared majors in Spring 2020). Provided cohort sections and general classroom seats for students enrolled in the International Accelerator Program. University of South Carolina Page 8 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackExpanded the articulation of transfer courses that meet Carolina Core requirements, particularly courses that meet two core learning outcomes to ensure a smooth transition for transfer students from regional campuses and technical colleges. Established Math 141 and Math 142 coordinators, implemented gateway exams, and continued revision of the math placement exam. Better coordination between advisement and the student success center increased the number of students who utilize on campus resources to meet their math instructional needs. Continued hiring of NTT Instructors and Faculty to address course offerings in the sciences resulting in a more comprehensive and rapid response to needed course offerings during orientation and first year student admission. Completed the process of combining all Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures into one B.A. and M.A. The new B.A. in Languages, Literatures, and Cultures will allow students to concentrate in any language under the department's umbrella. Created two new interdisciplinary minors: Medical Anthropology Minor and Mathematical Biology. Created new bachelor’s degree programs in Neuroscience (Fall 2022 launch) and Cyber Intelligence (Fall 2021 launch). Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations. Goal Continuation Ongoing Goal Upcoming Plans Expand activity of the Incubator for Teaching Innovation, featuring innovative teaching methods and sharing of new ideas. Continue to focus on improving results of Math instruction at 100 and 200 levels. Continue to work to enhance effectiveness of undergraduate Biology instruction. Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed More flexible classroom space Funding Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 9 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 3 - Maximize beyond the classroom learning opportunities for undergraduates. Goal Statement Maximize beyond the classroom learning opportunities to broaden and enhance post-graduation opportunities for undergraduates. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching to both undergraduate students including the active learning and beyond the classroom experiences needed to succeed in the 21st century; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Expand beyond the classroom learning opportunities. Collaborate with Study Abroad Office to increase participation of CAS majors . Actively seek additional external funds to support students studying abroad. Maintain and expand collaboration with USC Connect Graduate with Leadership Distinction program. Achievements Supported a competitive undergraduate research grant for all students enrolled in independent study ($1000 per student). Offered two new courses, COLA 390 and COLA 391 to allow students participating in internships external to USC to receive college credit and/or have it denoted on their transcripts. 121 students from CAS majors successfully completed GLD in 2019-2020. Created an administrative appointment, Director of Innovative Teaching and Experiential Learning Initiatives, within the new CAS Incubator for Teaching Innovation. CAS administrators and advising staff met monthly with campus colleagues from CIEL, the Undergraduate Research Office, Student Affairs and other units regarding the experiential learning initiative. Worked with CIEL to approve 21 CAS courses as Experiential Learning Opportunities. Supported a faculty trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C, to explore University of South Carolina Page 10 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Backexperiential learning opportunities for students. Offered an special COLA 298 course that engaged undergraduate students in working with community leaders to propose improvements to the Five Points neighborhood near campus. Offered 34 courses in conjunction with the Fall 2020 Theme Semester on “Justice,” several of which engaged students in community action projects, including a collaboration with elementary-school students to create a poetry garden and an online mentoring project that paired undergraduates with mentees at a local alternative school. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Expand support for experiential learning opportunities offered by the Student Excellence Collaborative. Resources Needed Staff, space and funding Goal Notes This goal incorporates 2019-2020 Blueprint Looking Ahead: Goal 1 - Expand and improve educational quality for undergraduates. University of South Carolina Page 11 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 4 - Recruit high caliber graduate students and provide high quality educational and research experiences. Goal Statement Recruit high caliber graduate students of all backgrounds and provide high quality educational and state of the art research experiences to prepare them for citizenship, future success, and fulfillment in a competitive world. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching and research facilities to graduate students; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Recruit and mentor high caliber graduate students. Target PhD within 6 years. Provide high quality educational and research experiences. Identify professional development opportunities for graduate students Meet regularly with CAS graduate directors. Promote participation in national or international meetings. Encourage participation in the Preparing Future Faculty program. Encourage participation in educational outreach programs. Achievements Increased base stipend by $2,000 effective 2019 for all newly recruited graduate students. Offered 30 awards of $4,000 each through a competitive program to improve stipends offered to top quality graduate students. Office of the Dean provided additional funding to departments and programs to increase recruitment of top quality graduate students. Partnered with the College of Engineering and Computing and obtained support through the National Science Foundation to obtain a Bridge to Doctorate Program that supports 12 graduate fellowships for underrepresented students who are pursuing doctoral degrees in STEM. Began the process of combining the Psychology doctoral degrees. Completed the process of combining all Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures into one B.A. and M.A. The new M.A. in Languages, University of South Carolina Page 12 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackLiteratures, and Cultures will allow students to concentrate in Comparative Literature, French, or German. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations Research grant funding Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed More, flexible research space that is optimized for research productivity and modern approaches Funding Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 13 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 5 - Communicate the value of liberal arts and sciences degrees to students, parents and the wider community. Goal Statement Communicate the value of a liberal arts education and promote numerous career options for liberal arts and sciences majors as part of efforts to increase enrollments and improve student experience and satisfaction. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of enhancing the academic experiences of each graduate and undergraduate student and our investment in the values of a liberal arts education. It also works to educate both students and the community about the variety of career opportunities available to Arts and Sciences' majors and the importance of critical thinking. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Promote career opportunities available to liberal arts and sciences majors. Enhance outreach and communication about CAS programs, activities and initiatives. Implement structural curriculum changes and promote interdisciplinarity to enhance the appeal of our degree programs. Sponsor and promote student participation in regional artistic events, public lectures and community events. Provide opportunities for science majors to do research as undergraduates. Achievements Expanded the CAS undergraduate advising staff to improve advising and provide targeted information about career opportunities. Continued to develop potential internships to emphasize the value of a liberal arts education. Successfully partnered with local and state venues to promote regional artistic events. Increased the visibility of faculty on local, state, national and international stages as subject matter experts, with regular appearances in The Conversation as well as in the @UofSC Today newsletter. Effectively increased social media traffic to the college's social University of South Carolina Page 14 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Backmedia platforms -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Continued review of organization and content of CAS websites for internal and external audiences. Resources Utilized Social media channels and college/university websites. Expansion of dean's office staff interactions with faculty and community organizers. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Revise college and department-level messages for prospective students in partnership with Admissions. Establish “Major Decisions” podcast to assist prospective students with exploring majors in the college. Highlight alumni careers on social media. Assist more faculty members and Ph.D. candidates with pitching stories to The Conversation and/or national media. Rewrite and restructure college-level website content to better serve prospective students, informed by student feedback and analytics. Assist departments with revising departmental web pages to focus on the student experience and opportunities. Enhance the college’s brand in partnership with Communications and Public Affairs, including an exploration of physical / environmental branding in the college’s buildings. Resources Needed Recurring funding Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 15 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 6 - Engage constituencies on campus and beyond to enhance recognition of CAS impact. Goal Statement Engage prospective students, parents, alumni and the community at large to improve recognition of CAS impact at the university, local, national and international levels. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal fully aligns with the college's mission to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the local community, the state, the nation, and the world. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Engage in active student and parent recruiting. Enhance and expand college communications Engage our students and faculty in our communities. Broaden and deepen alumni outreach/development including exploration of the creation of new alumni councils in key communities such as Charleston and the Greenville area. Sponsor and promote CAS outreach activities. Support faculty participation and presentations at relevant conferences. Achievements Increased CAS participation and faculty presence at all USC undergraduate student recruitment events. Strengthened relationship between CAS communications and development teams. Hired Senior Director of Development and expanded communications team to improve messaging across the college. Improved the quality and consistency of internal communications to CAS faculty, staff and students. Increased opportunities for CAS faculty to engage with the Dean with regularly scheduled "Lunches with the Dean" and visits by Dean to departments and programs across the college. Effectively increased social media traffic to the college's social media platforms — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Increased the visibility of faculty on local, state, national and international stages as subject matter experts, with regular University of South Carolina Page 16 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Backappearances in The Conversation as well as in the @UofSC Today newsletter. Resources Utilized Normal budget and non-recurring funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Revise web pages at college and department level to strengthen the message of the college’s impact. Use social media to share the impact of student and faculty research and alumni careers. Establish firm schedule for internal and external newsletters to improve consistency and quality of messaging further. Use alumni newsletters to strengthen brand identity of the college. Enhance the college’s brand in partnership with Communications and Public Affairs, including an exploration of physical / environmental branding in the college’s buildings. Revise college and department-level messages for prospective students in partnership with Admissions. Experiment with podcasts or videocasts to highlight research and impact in the college, while assisting departments who express interests in podcasts. Increase the use of college-produced videos to highlight the student experience in the college. Resources Needed Recurring funding. Goal Notes This goal incorporates 2018-2019 Blueprint Looking Ahead: Goal 2 - Enhance "Public Face" of College of Arts and Sciences. University of South Carolina Page 17 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackGoal 7 - Identify and seek opportunities to invest in college facilities. Goal Statement Identify and see opportunities to invest in college facilities necessary to support the changing needs and demands of CAS faculty, staff and students. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Provide a sustainable campus infrastructure that supports academic excellence and preeminent student life. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values Environment is critical to the success of our mission to improve the quality of education for our students. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Identify critical facility issues that affect instruction and research, including: Support the mechanical renovation of Humanities Office Building. Support the Phase I renovation of Jones PSC into biology labs. Support the mechanical renovation of LeConte. Support the renovation of 707 Catawba Warehouse into SVAD studio space and Theatre Centre for Performance Experiment space. Achievements Completed the redevelopment of the Law building into the Chemistry Teaching Laboratory. Conducting planning to convert the undergraduate chemistry lab space at PSC into biology teaching labs and classrooms. Completed long term planning for the design phases of the renovations listed in the Action Plan. Began substantial facilities improvements at the Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences. Resources Utilized Normal budget and non-recurring funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Staff, space and funding Goal Notes This goal incorporates 2019-2020 Blueprint Looking Ahead: Goal 2 - University of South Carolina Page 18 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking BackIdentify and seek opportunities to invest in facilities. University of South Carolina Page 19 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Time Goals for the current Academic Year. Goal 1 - Build and nurture a diverse faculty that will demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative pursuits, and community engagement. Goal Statement Build and nurture a diverse faculty that will demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative pursuits, and community engagement. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal fully aligns with the college's mission of excelling in research, scholarship, and creative activity; its vision of creating and sharing knowledge at the frontiers of inquiry; and its embrace of the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Recruit and retain high caliber faculty. Offer competitive start-up packages. Encourage faculty collaborations across disciplines. Aggressively seek research funding. Incorporate diversity and inclusion strategies across all CAS units. Implement strategies to support professional faculty. Encourage faculty to seek national fellowships and awards. Offer competitive internal initiatives to support faculty and students. Optimize CAS business and administrative processes. Achievements Strategic investment in CAS faculty and staff since 2016: $30M for new tenure-track faculty hires (salaries, fringe benefits, and start-up packages) $3.4M for FTE professional track faculty $18.5M in fulfilling commitments to faculty Targeted investment of $2M to support over 370 faculty through Dean's Initiatives since 2018. FY21 and FY22 Dean's Initiative University of South Carolina Page 20 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeAwards: Small Equipment Faculty Research Grants (32) Faculty Travel Grants (12 in FY22 only). Faculty Travel was suspended March 2020 through May 2021 due to COVID travel restrictions. Book Manuscript Finalization (18) Graduate Stipend Enhancements (59) Awards departments additional stipends of $4,000 to enhance recruitment efforts. Undergraduate Research Enhancements (9) Funded the replacement of equipment in Jones PSC that was damaged due to an accidental power outage related to a transformer upgrade. Continued ongoing renovations of faculty research labs across the college to support faculty research. Expanded the CAS Faculty Development Program to include four tracks to provide improved professional development support for college faculty: Orientation/New Faculty, Junior Faculty, Mid- Career, and Faculty of Color. Expanded the CAS Grants Operations team to allow for cross- training and to provide more comprehensive pre- and post-award support for faculty and other researchers; re-organized reporting to now report directly to the Associate Dean for Research to ensure alignment with the College’s strategic goals for research. Completed implementation of three programs funded by the McCausland Foundation endowment: Faculty Fellows (20 current fellows), Visiting Scholars (2 per year since 2021) and the new Innovation Fund grants program (launched Spring 2022). Successfully hired 9 new tenure-track faculty and 5 new professional track faculty during 2020-2021. As of March 17, 2022, the college is conducting 47 tenure-track faculty searches and 69 professional track faculty searches during the 2021-2022 academic year. Continued expanded faculty search committee training, including new online resources. Identified opportunities to strengthen and diversify our faculty through spousal hires when possible. Retention offers during the 2020-2021 academic year successfully retained 2 faculty members (50% success rate) with proposed counteroffers. Awarded 41 sabbatical leave applications in 2021-2022 for leaves to be taken during the 2022-2023 academic year. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funding for faculty initiatives. Recurring and non-recurring funding for salaries, fringe benefits, and start-up packages to include equipment purchases, professional development/travel, and student employment. Goal Continuation Ongoing. University of South Carolina Page 21 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Time Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Summer semester revenue and reallocation of existing resources. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 22 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 2 - Provide innovative, inspiring, and effective instruction to undergraduate students. Goal Statement Provide innovative, inspiring, and effective instruction to undergraduate students to prepare them for citizenship, future success, and fulfillment in a competitive world. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching to undergraduate students including active learning and beyond the classroom experiences needed to succeed in the 21st century; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Provide high quality, innovative instruction. Optimize and improve instructional spaces. Grow undergraduate enrollments and increase retention of majors. Develop new teaching strategies. Increase instructional capacity in high-demand STEM courses. Offer broad range of on-demand summer courses. Develop innovative ways to deliver Carolina Core courses. Increase collaboration with the SC Honors College and other colleges/schools. Meet regularly with CAS undergraduate directors. Achievements Launched first 2+2 Biology degree program with Midlands Tech; completed planning for two programs in 2022-23 Partnered with the Registrar's Office building a team of college- level experts to improve transfer course evaluation and transfer student advising. Hired a new cohort of post-doctoral teaching fellows and created a new learning community in an innovative and effective response to the new legislative Founding Documents requirement. Continued alignment of college-level curriculum development and planning, including targeted course revisions, based on program University of South Carolina Page 23 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Timeassessment outcomes across departments. Continued development of suite of summer session online courses with a focus on improving the availability of pre-medicine/pre- health science and Carolina Core courses as well as online minors. Also tripled the number of winter sessions courses offered for On Your Time since 2020. Created and offered a new series of workshops and support materials for college units related to academic program assessment and online course development. During AY 2021-2022, 54 new CAS courses were approved for distance delivery. New concentrations and minors added in the following departments in AY2021-2022: English: Concentration in Secondary Education Geography: Minor in Climate and Society Philosophy: Concentration in Society, Ethics and Law Theatre and Dance: Concentration in Performance and Concentration in Design and Technology Continued targeted hiring of NTT Instructors and Faculty to address course offerings in the sciences resulting in a more comprehensive and rapid response to needed course offerings during orientation and first year student admission. Launched the combined B.A. and M.A. degrees in the Dept. of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures to allow students to concentrate in any language under the department's umbrella. Continued CAS Gamecock Teaching Days and launched new Thank A Teacher postcard campaign to recognize teaching excellence. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations. Goal Continuation Ongoing Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed More flexible classroom space. Funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 24 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 3 - Maximize beyond the classroom learning opportunities for undergraduates. Goal Statement Maximize beyond the classroom learning opportunities to broaden and enhance post-graduation opportunities for undergraduates. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching to both undergraduate students including the active learning and beyond the classroom experiences needed to succeed in the 21st century; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Expand beyond the classroom learning opportunities. Collaborate with Study Abroad Office to increase participation of CAS majors. Actively seek additional external funds to support students studying abroad. Maintain and expand collaboration with USC Connect Graduate with Leadership Distinction program. Achievements Launched an updated CAS Student Ambassadors program (20 paid positions that are also approved Experiential Learning Opportunities.) Launched a new CAS Career Center Studio that offers individual career consultations, webinars and workshops for CAS majors. Supported the "Semester at the Coast" program, a partnership between the Baruch Institute and the Honors College to host 10 undergraduate students with interests in science, the environment or health. Streamlined college communications about experiential learning opportunities including making them easier to find in the bulletin by linking to degree program goals. Continued a competitive undergraduate research grant for all students enrolled in independent study ($1000 per student). Continued to offer two courses, COLA 390 and COLA 391, to allow students participating in internships external to USC to receive college credit and/or have it denoted on their transcripts. Offered a new community-related student internship in 2021-22 University of South Carolina Page 25 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Timepartnering with local afterschool programs. Over 298 CAS courses are approved as GLD courses, and over 130 CAS majors are expected to successfully complete GLD in 2021-2022. CAS administrators and advising staff met monthly with campus colleagues from CIEL, the Undergraduate Research Office, Student Affairs, and other units regarding the experiential learning initiative. Worked with CIEL to approve 24 CAS courses as Experiential Learning Opportunities. Offered 34 courses in conjunction with the Fall 2021 Theme Semester on “Climates” as well as held a series of co-curricular activities around the theme (on-campus speakers and faculty panels, community related events and a film series). Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Staff, space and funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 26 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 4 - Recruit high caliber graduate students and provide high quality educational and research experiences. Goal Statement Recruit high caliber graduate students of all backgrounds and provide high quality educational and state of the art research experiences to prepare them for citizenship, future success, and fulfillment in a competitive world. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of providing superb teaching and research facilities to graduate students; its vision of transforming the lives of our students and improving the world they will inhabit; and embracing the values of a liberal arts education. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Recruit and mentor high caliber graduate students. Target PhD completion within 6 years. Provide high quality educational and research experiences. Identify professional development opportunities for graduate students. Meet regularly with CAS graduate directors. Promote participation in national or international meetings. Encourage participation in the Preparing Future Faculty program. Encourage participation in educational outreach programs. Encourage faculty where appropriate to budget funds for research assistantships on extramural funding applications. Achievements Increased base stipend by $2,000 for all newly recruited graduate students (effective AY2019-20). Since 2018, offered 59 students additional awards of $4,000 each through a competitive program to improve stipends offered to top quality graduate students. Continued to provide additional funding to departments and programs to increase recruitment of top-quality graduate students. Identified internal support to fund new UofSC health insurance requirement for all CAS graduate students. Completed the process of combining the Psychology doctoral degrees and streamlining faculty oversight of their programs. Launched the combined B.A. and M.A. degrees in the Dept. of University of South Carolina Page 27 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeLanguages, Literatures, and Cultures to allow students to concentrate in any language under the department's umbrella. Partnered with the College of Engineering and Computing to obtain National Science Foundation support to create a Bridge to Doctorate Program (provides 14 graduate fellowships for underrepresented students pursuing doctoral degrees in STEM). Continued monthly meetings with CAS Graduate Directors to discuss college policies and programs and sharing of best practices; created new website/shared calendar to support improved communication and collaboration. Resources Utilized Non-recurring funds achieved through centralization of operations. Research grant funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed More, flexible research space that is optimized for research productivity and modern approaches. Funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 28 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 5 - Communicate the value of a liberal arts education and promote numerous career options for liberal arts and sciences majors Goal Statement Communicate the value of a liberal arts education and promote numerous career options for liberal arts and sciences majors as part of efforts to increase enrollments and improve student experience and satisfaction. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with the college's mission of enhancing the academic experiences of each graduate and undergraduate student and our investment in the values of a liberal arts education. It also works to educate both students and the community about the variety of career opportunities available to Arts and Sciences' majors and the importance of critical thinking. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Promote career opportunities available to liberal arts and sciences majors. Enhance outreach and communication about CAS programs, activities, and initiatives. Implement structural curriculum changes and promote interdisciplinarity to enhance the appeal of our degree programs. Sponsor and promote student participation in regional artistic events, public lectures, and community events. Provide opportunities for all CAS majors to do research as undergraduates. Achievements Revised college and department-level messages for prospective students in partnership with Admissions, including new brochures, bookmarks, and new promotional videos for our most popular majors. Expanded the CAS undergraduate advising staff to improve advising and provide targeted information about career opportunities, in collaboration with the new CAS Career Center Studio. Launched an updated CAS Student Ambassadors program which will lead to a growing cohort of long-term ambassadors for the college over time. Continued to develop potential student internships to emphasize University of South Carolina Page 29 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Timethe value of a liberal arts education. Increased the visibility of faculty and staff on local, state, national and international stages as subject matter experts, with regular appearances in The Conversation as well as in the @UofSC Today newsletter and quarterly Carolinian magazine. Effectively increased social media traffic to the college's social media platforms -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Highlighted alumni careers in social media. Continue to revise college-level website content to better serve prospective students, informed by student feedback and analytics. Continue to assist departments with revising unit web pages to focus on the student experience and opportunities. Explored enhancing the college’s brand, in partnership with Communications and Public Affairs, including an exploration of physical / environmental branding in the college’s buildings. Resources Utilized Social media channels and college/university websites. Expansion of dean's office staff interactions with faculty and community organizers. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Recurring funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 30 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 6 - Engage constituencies on campus and beyond to improve recognition of CAS impact. Goal Statement Engage prospective students, parents, alumni and the community at large to improve recognition of CAS impact at the university, local, national and international levels. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal fully aligns with the college's mission to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the local community, the state, the nation, and the world. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Engage in active student and parent recruiting. Enhance and expand college communications. Engage our students and faculty within our academic units and the college community as a whole. Broaden and deepen alumni outreach/development including exploration of the creation of new alumni councils in key communities such as Charleston and the Greenville area. Sponsor and promote CAS outreach activities. Support faculty participation and presentations at relevant conferences. Achievements Launched an updated CAS Student Ambassadors program to represent the college at events with prospective students, alumni, the college's Board of Visitors and other groups in the community. Increased CAS participation and faculty and student presence at all USC undergraduate student recruitment events. Strengthened relationship between the CAS communications, development, and external relations teams. Hired a new Director of External Relations and Events Manager and an Administrative Assistant to support both development and external relations activities in the college. Renewed focus on actively engaging the CAS Board of Visitors and Alumni Councils to improve alumni connection to the college and recognition of CAS alumni across the country. Expanded the communications team to improve messaging across the college including sharing the impact of student and faculty research and alumni careers. Effectively increased social media traffic to the college's social media platforms — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Established a firm schedule for internal and external newsletters to improve consistency and quality of messaging. Broadened use of alumni newsletters to strengthen brand identity of the college. Experimented with podcasts and videocasts to highlight research and impact in the college, while assisting departments who express interest in podcasts. Increased the visibility of faculty on local, state, national and University of South Carolina Page 31 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Timeinternational stages as subject matter experts, with regular appearances in The Conversation as well as in the @UofSC Today newsletter and Carolinian magazine. Hosted our second annual Theme Semester on "Climates," featuring a keynote lecture, film series, gallery exhibits, and a variety of other interdisciplinary talks and events open to all CAS students and faculty. Resources Utilized Normal budget and non-recurring funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Recurring funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 32 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 7 - Identify and pursue opportunities to invest in college facilities to support CAS faculty, staff and students. Goal Statement Environment is critical to the success of our mission to provide excellent academic experiences for our students and to support faculty research, scholarship and creative activities within the college. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Provide a sustainable campus infrastructure that supports academic excellence and preeminent student life. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values Environment is critical to the success of our mission to provide excellent academic experiences for our students and to support faculty research, scholarship and creative activities within the college. Status Progressing as expected (multi-year goal) Action Plan Identify critical facility issues that affect college instruction, research, and administrative space, including: Support the mechanical renovation of Humanities Classroom Building. Support the Phase I renovation of, and impending move back into,Jones PSC for the new biology labs. Support the mechanical renovation of, and impending move back into, LeConte. Support the renovation of 707 Catawba Warehouse into SVAD studio space and Theatre Centre for Performance Experiment space. Support the renovation of 350 Wayne and facilitate the move of SCIAA from Pearl Lab into 350 Wayne. Support the grant-funded construction of resident duplexes at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory (BMFL) in Georgetown. Explore Barnwell College renovation plan to create more classroom space and more quality research and office space. Review utilization of the classroom, research, and office space in the college's 47 facilities to promote strategic use and ensure plan for ongoing maintenance: University of South Carolina Page 33 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeAnnually document space usage in the College by type of space and current unit utilization. Develop strategies to more effective re-allocate underutilized spaces in targeted areas. In collaboration with Office of Undergraduate Studies, annually review classroom utilization for both Provost-controlled and College-controlled classrooms. Advocate for continued growth in quality university-wide classroom spaces, including a dedicated classroom building, to respond to ongoing growth of undergraduate student enrollment. Reevaluate the structure, duties, and workloads of the Space and Facilities Operations Team. Achievements Conducted planning to convert the undergraduate chemistry lab space at PSC into biology teaching labs and classrooms. Completed long term planning for the design phases of the renovations listed in the Action Plan. Finished substantial facilities improvements to Kimbel Lodge at the BMFL. Completed the closeout and final recoupment of insurance claims for HOB Flood. Supported and facilitated the emergency management and put back following the Petigru Flood. Successfully transitioned college facilities team to new leadership with the hire of a new Director of Space and Facilities Operations after the retirement of a long-standing director. Created a new Associate Director of Space and Facilities Operations position to provide additional design support for the team as well as management of college-specific projects such as minor renovations and to evaluate accessibility issues within new and existing spaces. Refocused the roles of the Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator of Space and Facilities Operations positions to allow them utilize their expertise to focus on responding to and addressing daily maintenance and upkeep needs, departmental moves, and immediate or emergency situations. Resources Utilized Normal budget and non-recurring funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Staff, space and funding. Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 34 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real TimeGoal 8 - Expand opportunities for interdisciplinary research and instruction. Goal Statement Expand opportunities for interdisciplinary research and instruction that integrate a range of critical approaches, tools, and resources into new modes of inquiry and comprehensive understanding. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal draws on the interdisciplinary strengths of our faculty and aligns with our goals of providing innovative, inspiring, and effective instruction to undergraduate students and of providing high quality educational and research experiences. Status Newly Established Goal Action Plan Identify specific issues and areas of inquiry that can be addressed collaboratively across units and that represent distinct strengths in the college’s approach to interdisciplinarity. Support interdisciplinary research and creative works that generate grants, awards, and long-term program initiatives. Support existing interdisciplinary degree programs and graduate certificates by providing student support, advising, and teaching opportunities for faculty. Enhance outreach and communication about the value of interdisciplinarity for academic enrichment and career preparation. Launch and promote new interdisciplinary degree programs in Cyber Intelligence (Fall 2021) and Neuroscience (Fall 2022). Achievements Launched the new McCausland Innovation Fund designed to support groundbreaking and creative projects, technology, and academic programming (one proposal track focuses on supporting innovative interdisciplinary teaching and classroom projects). Continued development of the CAS Humanities Collaborative which supports cross-disciplinary campus and community activities as well as faculty working groups. Hired a new cohort of post-doctoral teaching fellows and created a new learning community with an intentional interdisciplinary approach in response to the new legislative Founding Documents requirement. Convened a college-wide Interdisciplinary Task Force to review support for and structure of interdisciplinary programs, including rethinking departmental status for the African American Studies University of South Carolina Page 35 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Real Timeand Women's and Gender Studies academic programs. Received a large NSF grant to create a data science graduate and undergraduate research hub, with the goal of eventually creating a data science degree program. Offered 34 courses in conjunction with the Fall 2021 Theme Semester on “Climates” as well as held a series of co-curricular activities around the theme (a keynote lecture, film series, gallery exhibits, speakers, faculty panels and other events). Resources Utilized Normal budgeting and non-recurring funding. Goal Continuation Ongoing. Goal Upcoming Plans Continue to build on and enhance achievements. Resources Needed Staff, space and funding. Goal Notes This goal incorporates 2020-2021 Blueprint Looking Ahead: Goal 1 - Expand opportunities for interdisciplinary research and instruction. University of South Carolina Page 36 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Ahead Goals for the next Academic Year. Goal 1 - Promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all disciplines and in all our teaching, research, and service endeavors. Goal Statement Promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all disciplines and in all our teaching, research, and service endeavors. Foster an environment that values and is strengthened by the many diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that faculty, students, and staff bring to our learning community. Linkage to University Goal Attract, inspire, challenge and enable our students to become innovative thinkers and transformative leaders. Assemble and cultivate a world-class faculty and staff. Create new pathways to research excellence to become AAU eligible. Cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus culture where every individual, regardless of background, has the full opportunity to flourish and thrive. Harness the power, attributes and institutional diversity of an integrated and interoperative university system that enhances access, success and affordability for every eligible SC student. Spur innovation and economic development through impactful community partnerships. Provide a sustainable campus infrastructure that supports academic excellence and preeminent student life. Build teams that win with excellence and character. Alignment with Mission, Vision, and Values This goal aligns with our mission to be a richly diverse community of faculty, staff and students. Status Newly Established Goal Action Plan Create targeted programming to enhance the retention, engagement and success of college faculty, staff and students from diverse communities. Maximize opportunities to engage historically excluded undergraduate and graduate students in research activities. Develop DEI-related professional development programs and training resources for college faculty and staff. Pursue at least two cluster hires of 3-4 faculty each. Support creation and implementation of unit-level DEI projects and programs through an internal grant program. Utilize college-wide committee to encourage broad participation of faculty, staff, and students in the development of diversity strategies and priorities. Identify avenues to increase partnerships with community groups University of South Carolina Page 37 College of Arts & Sciences Goals - Looking Aheadand nonprofits dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Invest in programs that highlight the achievements of diverse communities in the college, including celebrating the accomplishments of college alumni from diverse backgrounds. Develop non-monetary initiatives to increase inclusivity and diversity as well as nurture diverse faculty, staff, and students. Disseminate information to better foster relationships and build an empowered community of scholars. Partner with local and regional HBCUs on workshops and programs. Achievements Resources Utilized Goal Continuation Goal Upcoming Plans Resources Needed Goal Notes University of South Carolina Page 38 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Programs Program Rankings Academic programs that were nationally ranked or received external recognition during the Academic Year. U.S. News and World Report The following graduate programs were nationally ranked in the March 2020 U.S. News and World Report rankings: Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Rank 159 Chemistry Graduate Program, Rank 88 Clinical Psychology Graduate Program, Rank 80 Criminology Graduate Program, Rank 23 Earth Sciences Graduate Program, Rank 90 English Graduate Program, Rank 73 Fine Arts Graduate Program, Rank 152 History Graduate Program, Rank 81 Mathematics Graduate Program, Rank 86 Physics Graduate Program, Rank 119 Political Science Graduate Program, Rank 63 Psychology Graduate Program, Rank 112 Sociology Graduate Program, Rank 64 Social Psychology Graduate Program, Rank 4 Statistics Graduate Program, Rank 74 Global Rankings The following graduate programs or subject areas were globally ranked in the March 2020 U.S. News and World Report rankings: Chemistry, Rank 499 Environment / Ecology, Rank 341 Geosciences, Rank 235 Mathematics, Rank 161 Neuroscience and Behavior, Rank 350 Physics, Rank 433 Psychology, Rank 329 Shanghai Ranking Academic Ranking of World Universities The following subject areas ranked in the Top 100 globally: Sociology Public Administration Oceanography Other Rankings and Program Honors Anthropology ranks #3 in Forbes’ list of America’s Best Universities for Social Science Research, based on NSF-HERD survey results. UofSC Philosophy ranked 15 out of 98 departments in terms of the proportion of women in University of South Carolina Page 39 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Programstenured/tenure track positions, according to the Demographics in Philosophy Project. All four Psychology graduate programs rank in the top quartile in the nation, according to Academic Analytics. The School Psychology ranks #1 in the nation and the Experimental / Cognitive and Neural Science program ranks 25. The Psychology Department ranks #2 for research productivity. Army ROTC is ranked #4 out of 38 schools within the 4th Brigade Cadet Command. Instructional Modalities Innovations and changes to Instructional Modalities in unit's programmatic and course offerings that were implemented during the Academic Year. 54 CAS courses were approved for distance delivery during the AY 2021-2022 (through March 2022): ANTH 600 Survey of Linguistics ARAB 121 Elementary Arabic ARAB 122 Basic Proficiency in Arabic ARTS 103 Fundamentals of Arts ARTS 107 Color and Composition ARTS 111 Basic Drawing I ARTS 230 Introduction to Drawing ARTS 260 Photography for Non-Majors BIOL 202 Infectious Diseases, Human Health, and Ethics BIOL 250 Microbiology BIOL 270 Introduction to Environmental Biology BIOL 270L Introduction to Environmental Biology Laboratory BIOL 302 Cell and Molecular Biology BIOL 612 Virology – Classical and Emerging Concepts CHEM 101 Fundamental Chemistry I CHEM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM 112L General Chemistry II Lab CHEM 333 Organic Chemistry I CHEM 334 Organic Chemistry II CRJU 210 Ethics in Criminal Justice CYBR 498 Internship: Global Experience in Cyberintelligence CYBR 499 Internship: Cyberintelligence DANC 150 Introduction to Dance DANC 281 Dance History I ENGL 680 Survey of Linguistics FAMS 308 Global Media Industries GERM 109 Beginning German I GERM 110 Beginning German II GERM 122 Basic Proficiency in German GLST 308 Global Media Industries HIST 214 The Practice of Public History ITAL 121 Elementary Italian ITAL 122 Basic Proficiency in Italian JAPA 121 Elementary Japanese JAPA 122 Basic Proficiency in Japanese University of South Carolina Page 40 College of Arts & Sciences Academic ProgramsJAPA 353 Japanese Culture and Society through Animation LING 102 Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 1 LING 103 Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 2 LING 104 Integrated Linguistic Skills for Non-Native Speakers 3 LING 600 Survey of Linguistics MART 380 New Media Art MART 521A Media Writing Advanced: Screenwriting MART 521B Media Writing Advanced: Feature Film MART 521C Media Writing Advanced: Manga and Anime MART 521D Media Writing Advanced: Television Writing MART 581D New Media Advanced: Video Game Design MATH 115 Precalculus Mathematics NSCI 300 Introduction to Neuroscience SPCH 150 Speaking Anxiety Reduction Laboratory STAT 509 Statistics for Engineers THEA 561 History of Theatre I THEA 562 History of the Theatre II THEA 563 History of Modern Theatre WGST 554 Women and Crime Program Launches Academic Programs that were newly launched during the Academic Year; those that received required approvals but which had not yet enrolled students are not included. Department of English Concentration in Secondary Education Department of Geography Minor in Climate and Society Department of Philosophy Concentration in Society, Ethics and Law Department of Theatre and Dance Concentration in Performance Concentration in Design and Technology Program Terminations Academic Programs that were newly terminated or discontinued during the Academic Year. Languages, Literatures and Cultures BA in Spanish BA in French BA in German BA in Russian University of South Carolina Page 41 College of Arts & Sciences Academic ProgramsBA in Chinese Studies BA in Comparative Literature BA in Classics University of South Carolina Page 42 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Initiatives Experiential Learning For Undergraduates Initiatives, improvements, challenges, and progress with Experiential Learning at the Undergraduate level. Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) participate in a wide range of experiential learning both inside and outside the classroom. Our data indicate that many of our majors participate in at least one study abroad, undergraduate research, internship and/or other experiential learning activity. The actual numbers are likely higher, particularly for undergraduate research, as many students and faculty do not report their involvement through the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). Over the past two years, CAS has worked with OUR, the Office of the Registrar, and Beyond the Classroom Matters (BTCM) to develop online forms that will allow us to better capture these data in future years. For a description of the various experiential opportunities offered in individual CAS departments and programs, please see the Appendix. The college strongly encourages undergraduate students to study abroad, which research has shown to positively correlate with student engagement and completion. We provide robust support for students studying abroad, including conscientious advising designed to ensure that courses taken transfer back into the UofSC curriculum, minimizing any potential delays in graduation. From 2016 – 2019, an average of 5-6% (approximately 450-475 students) of CAS majors engaged in study abroad each year. In 2020, participation rates fell substantially due to travel restrictions associated with the COVID pandemic: In Spring 2020, 205 students studied abroad; In Summer and Fall 2020 combined, only 3 students participated, all in virtual programs, and 145 students’ planned study abroad experiences were cancelled. This past year, the numbers began to rise again but were still lower than in pre-pandemic years, with 14 students participating in spring 2021, 26 in summer 2021, 36 in fall 2021 and 119 in spring 2022. Once the pandemic has fully subsided, we expect participation rates to increase significantly. To this end, the Office of Undergraduate Studies has designated a staff member to serve as Study Abroad Liaison, who will work closely with the Education Abroad office to promote Study Abroad offerings to CAS students and to ensure accurate advising and rapid credit transfer upon their return to the university. It should be noted that the expense of Study Abroad trips is a major impediment for many CAS students, limiting participation. The college has therefore been actively seeking external funds to support students studying abroad and encouraging students to apply for funds available through the Education Abroad and CIEL offices. Undergraduate research is common among natural sciences and mathematics majors and approximately 65% of students in these majors participate in undergraduate research activities during their degree program—including for-credit, paid, and volunteer experiences. Many arts and humanities disciplines are also experiential by nature; however, many of these activities are difficult to capture in data collection. Undergraduate majors in fine arts, music, dance and theater are typically active in multiple performances, plays, or exhibitions as these students work towards graduation. To support undergraduate research projects for students in all majors, CAS offers a competitive undergraduate research grant for all students enrolled in Independent Study. Faculty may apply for up to $1000 to support lab supplies needed for undergraduate research. All students who fail to receive Magellan Research funding have their applications forwarded to CAS to facilitate the application process. University of South Carolina Page 43 College of Arts & Sciences Academic InitiativesSome of the most innovative experiential learning opportunities offered in CAS are interdisciplinary. For example, in fall 2021 CAS hosted our second annual Theme Semester, on “Climates” in fall 2021. The purpose of Theme Semester is to encourage students to pursue connections between classroom learning and beyond-the-classroom experiences. Like our successful inaugural semester on “Justice” held in fall 2020, the “Climates” semester offered encompassed a variety of opportunities for students to engage with the topic, including 34 courses, a keynote lecture, film series, exhibits, talks, and service projects. The college provided small grants to support curricular and co-curricular activities associated with the theme and supported two undergraduate internships to incorporate student involvement in the initiative. Selected student projects produced during the semester were published in an online gallery on the college website. Participation in Theme Semester events was robust despite the pandemic, and we expect it to increase next year, when the theme will be “Play.” As another example, in spring 2022, our Baruch Institute collaborated with the SC Honors College to offer the inaugural “Semester at the Coast” program. Six students and five faculty members and independent researchers are spending the spring semester at the Institute, located at the North Inlet Estuary in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where they are completing experiential academic coursework, independent research, and local service projects. We are committed to continuing to offer these kinds of unique opportunities to our students, and we expect our new annual McCausland Innovation Fund grants program, introduced in spring 2022, will enable the creation of exciting new experiential programs. Many CAS students participate in career preparation and internships, activities that are closely linked to academic engagement and successful employment upon graduation. The Office of Undergraduate Studies is working hard to strengthen the support we offer to students in these areas. In fall 2021, we partnered with the Career Center to launch the CAS Career Center Studio in Flinn Hall. Four afternoons each week, professional career coaches offer individual consultations, webinars and workshops to assist CAS students with resume development, finding internships, interviewing skills, and many other career readiness topics. The Studio has also sponsored several virtual talks by guest speakers, including Cliff Hudson, former CEO of Sonic Corporation and author of a book how his liberal arts background contributed to his corporate successes. Our new CAS Ambassadors Program will provide 20 selected students with hands-on experience representing the college at community events, as well as regular workshops on career readiness skills including networking, public speaking, and professional etiquette. The college has also worked with various outside entities to establish and promote internship opportunities for our students. In summer and fall 2021, we partnered with the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance to offer internships to CAS students to work with academically at-risk K-12 students in academic enrichment programs as part of a statewide initiative endorsed by the Governor’s office. We also regularly offer two courses, COLA 390 and COLA 391, that allow students participating in internships external to the university to receive credit; a total of 12 students completed COLA 390-391 internships in 2021. The college also encourages students to participate in the university’s nationally recognized Graduation with Leadership Distinction program. In academic year 2019-2020, 124 CAS majors (approximately 6.9% of the graduating class of 1786) received this distinction, approximately the same number as the prior year. In 2020-2021, the number of students earning GLD fell slightly to 107, likely due to the curtailment of many beyond-the-classroom experiences during the pandemic. We are working to increase these numbers and over the past year have partnered with CIEL to promote faculty and student awareness of the program. College faculty are actively involved in leadership roles at CIEL, including Executive Director University of South Carolina Page 44 College of Arts & Sciences Academic InitiativesLara Ducate (Professor of German, Department of Literatures, Languages and Cultures) and six of the ten GLD Faculty Fellows, which we anticipate will bolster student participation over time. This year, we also worked with the Office of the Registrar and CIEL to list all GLD- approved courses in the Academic Bulletin entries for each of our majors, to make information about the program more readily accessible to students and advisors. In addition, we have worked with CAS units to have course offerings that include a significant experiential component formally approved as Experiential Learning Opportunities (ELOs), so that they will appear on students’ official My UofSC Experience transcript. We now have 24 official ELO courses—more than any other college. Finally, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Christy Friend and Associate Dean of Instruction and Community Engagement Claudia Benitez Nelson were actively involved in developing the university’s new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), launched in fall 2021, which focuses on strengthening resources and support for experiential learning in CAS and across the university. Benitez- Nelson served on the steering committee, and Friend co-chaired the subcommittee that drafted recommendations for professional development associated with the QEP. To increase CAS students’ awareness of and access to experiential learning opportunities, the college continued to strengthen its advising and student support services in 2021. A multipurpose meeting room in the Office of Undergraduate Studies at Flinn Hall was renovated in 2019 to provide space for workshops, help sessions, meetings and presentations related to beyond-the-classroom opportunities. Although in-person events were curtailed in 2021 due to the pandemic, the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Flinn Hall continued to serve as a hub for activities related to experiential learning. Our multipurpose meeting space hosted a number of virtual and socially distanced events in 2021 —including demonstration sessions for students interested in the Cardiovascular Technology major hosted by Providence Hospital, MUSC, and Prisma Health; undergraduate research groups, visits from local employers offering internships, major- information sessions, career workshops, and a college open house held during Family Weekend. The college also collaborated with CAS faculty to offer a special COLA 298 course focused on engagement with community issue in spring. This course, focused on COVID-19 impacts, enrolled 249 students. The college plans to expand this type of programming in the upcoming year. Experiential Learning For Graduate Students Initiatives, improvements, challenges, and progress with Experiential Learning at the Graduate or Professional level. The different fields found in the College of Arts and Sciences departments, schools and programs bring quite different and broad experiential learning for graduate students. Arts and Sciences departments include the physical sciences, life sciences, the social sciences, and humanities and the arts. Due to the large variation in the type of departments and the uniqueness of many of the graduate programs, a summary of the experiential learning is presented here (Details for each department can be found in the supplemental information). Completion of a thesis or dissertation is most often an experiential learning opportunity, particularly in STEM – in the physical and life sciences, thesis/dissertation completion requires substantial hands-on work in the laboratory, field, or clinic, with the details of the experience differing across disciplines. Thus, for many Arts and Sciences programs, such as the sciences, there is a strong emphasis on hand-on experimental studies. For others, beyond-the- University of South Carolina Page 45 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Initiativesclassroom internships and assistantships at historical sites or national agencies (e.g., National Park Service and the Smithsonian) as well as short conference trips and extended research visits at remote locations are experiential opportunities. Almost all graduate programs include student-teaching experiences, either in the classroom or in an undergraduate laboratory environment, including foreign language labs, while others include unique experiences such as editorial assistantships to faculty editing major journals, or the completion of an art or historical project involving museum collections or an art exhibition. In addition, it is not uncommon to find student-teaching experiences in K-12 classrooms, either in the form of assistantship to K-12 teachers or in the form of presentations or science demonstrations. In virtually all programs, it is common for graduate students both to give presentations at local, national and international venues and to publish or exhibit the scholarly products of the graduate studies. Finally, most of our programs have a graduate student association that provides opportunities for engagement with outside professionals, building professional networks, and intellectual interactions beyond the classroom/laboratory setting. The COVID pandemic continue to affect much of these experiential learning activities. Activities in research laboratories are now largely back to near normal. Performances and exhibits that had required more limited attendance or virtual options as well as internships that had been extensively modified are returning to a near normal situation. This return to a ‘new normal’ is helping us address learning objectives and respond to shifting COVID safety guidelines. Affordability Assessment of affordability and efforts to address affordability. Undergraduate Students At the undergraduate level, the college offers 220 merit- and need-based scholarships to help students with their educational expenses. Most are major-specific but several are available to eligible students college-wide. To reduce the costs associated with individual courses, many academic units encourage faculty to use open access materials or have created affordable textbooks in house. For example, this year Women’s and Gender Studies program published the first edition of the Introduction to Women’s Studies for its popular Carolina Core introductory course. Our departments also use course-associated lab fees to fully cover hands-on learning experiences and specialized equipment, to ensure that all students can participate without paying additional costs. During the pandemic, for example, the Chemistry department purchased and mailed home lab kits to students enrolled in its introductory courses. For more details about departments’ efforts to enhance affordability, please see the Appendix. Graduate Students Graduate assistantships include a stipend and tuition support and, although the stipend typically falls short of fully covering students' living expenses, the affordability of graduate study is greatly enhanced by assistantship support. Especially in the sciences and social sciences, continuing and in some cases additional support is provided by research grants. In many departments, however, the available support is often barely enough to cover tuition and a very modest living allowance. Continuation of the $1000 subsidy toward health insurance and coverage of the remainder from college funds has greatly improved life quality for our graduate students by effectively removing these costs from their stipends. Additionally, many students can get summer funds for stipends through grant awards or through teaching University of South Carolina Page 46 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Initiativesassistantships, albeit the latter are quite limited. All of these increase affordability of our graduate programs. Though at first glance it seems that these stipends are sufficient to make graduate education affordable, in most cases these stipends continue to be 30 percent or more below the stipends offered by our competing institutions, making graduate student recruitment a challenge. The college increased stipends for all new incoming PhD students in 2019, so we are now in year 3 of this program which will eventually raise average stipends for all Arts and Sciences doctoral studies by $2,000. In addition, because we prioritize recruiting excellent graduate students to our terminal degree programs, the college introduced its own graduate stipend enhancement program for the incoming 2018-19 class; these fellowships offer up to 30 top prospective students in the college a modest stipend enhancement for four years (currently $4,000). We intend to continue this enhancement program for as long as it is financially sustainable for the college. We also strongly encourage faculty to budget research assistantship support at higher levels, which can raise overall average stipend levels across units, particularly in STEM where grant funding is common. Such additional support is crucial because virtually every unit in the college indicates that they lose these high-end students to institutions that have higher stipends. Most departments have programs in place to support research/conference travel, supplementing those offered by the graduate school. Nonetheless, the support is again very limited when compared to the overall graduate student population in CAS. Reputation Enhancement Contributions and achievements that enhance the reputation of UofSC Columbia regionally and nationally. As the most departmentalized college on campus, the College of Arts and Sciences cannot separate its reputation from the reputations of its diverse disciplines and units. We refer readers of this Blueprint to the relevant details provided for each unit in the supporting information. As these departments, programs, centers, and institutes enhance their individual reputations, the college enhances its own reputation writ large. That being said, the College of Arts and Sciences, the university’s foundational college, is well- known for its outstanding faculty and their achievements. Our faculty is comprised of productive artists and scholars who have achieved regional, national and international reputations in their fields, thereby enhancing the reputation of the University of South Carolina. Many of our faculty members have garnered prestigious awards including local (Governor's awards, campus-wide teaching awards, etc.) national and international awards in their disciplines (American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows, among others), prestigious research fellowships (ACLS, Guggenheim, Fulbright, NEH), memberships in the top scholarly societies (e.g., the American Academy of Arts and Science,, International Academy of Ceramic Art, Geophysical Society, and others) or via notable exhibitions, such as the prestigious Scripps Annual exhibition curated by faculty in SVAD. Additionally, many of our faculty edit national and international journals and serve on executive boards and committees of major national professional organizations. In addition to cutting-edge research, our collective record of scholarship remains impressive: faculty in the sciences actively publish in top-tier journals; faculty in the humanities and social sciences produce nationally and internationally recognized scholarly journal and book publications; faculty in the creative arts are recognized for their many contributions to society University of South Carolina Page 47 College of Arts & Sciences Academic Initiativesthrough art, dance, and theatre; and both graduate and undergraduate students are involved in research and scholarship. Our faculty, graduate students, and even the occasional undergraduate student visit many institutions of higher learning in the United States and abroad, giving invited talks at those institutions as well as at premier national and international conferences. Challenges Challenges and resource needs anticipated for the current and upcoming Academic Years, not noted elsewhere in this report and/or those which merit additional attention. Faculty Challenges The College of Arts and Sciences continues to develop strategies for recruitment and retention of both tenure-track and professional faculty. As enrollment grows, faculty are necessary to meet the curricular needs of students across the university. Replacing these faculty members will require significant resources for salaries, startup, offices, and laboratory space. Aligning our faculty and curriculum in support of a diverse student population continues to be a top priority of the college. Several of our departments, in the arts particularly, are committed to the important work of decolonizing their curricula. Furthermore, it is well documented that student persistence and success improve when students identify with faculty members by whom they are taught and mentored. We have made hiring diverse faculty a top priority during this and subsequent hiring cycles; we have also explicitly informed our units that we support all efforts to diversify the graduate and undergraduate populations. The college continues to identify opportunities for the close faculty-student relationships that define the educational experience through research opportunities and beyond-the-classroom experiences. Approximately one-fifth of the faculty in the college is composed of professional faculty members. The college continues to work on devising strategies to better integrate these faculty members into their home departments and programs an