CAS 2027 Strategic Plan
CAS Mission Statement
The College of Arts and Sciences is a welcoming and diverse academic community, providing a world-class, Alaska-rooted education that prepares students for the challenges of today and tomorrow through educational excellence, transformative research, creative expression, and community engagement.
CAS Five Aspirations
![Students First overlay on photo of students in the field with professor](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Students%20First.png)
Students First
![Embrace Our Differences overlay on photo of professor teaching students in a classroom](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Embrace%20Our%20Differences.png)
Embrace Our Differences
![Be the Public Square overlay a professor with a young kid at мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± STEM Day](/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/_images/Be%20the%20Public%20Square.png)
Be the Public Square
World Class Creativity
Collaborative Community
- Students First
Enhance student experience through curricular and co-curricular opportunities
- Curricular review and development to provide innovative and relevant courses and programs
that are responsive to local, state, and global needs.
- Provide meaningful co-curricular opportunities (community engagement, research, student
abroad, assistantships, …).
- Enhance support for students, including advising, tutoring and scholarships.
- Develop a robust work-based experience program (internships).
- Increased and regular communication of opportunities to students.
- Fundraise to provide additional support and resources to students for scholarships,
assistantships, and other activities.
- Curricular review and development to provide innovative and relevant courses and programs
that are responsive to local, state, and global needs.
- Embrace Our Differences
Learn from one another, champion diversity, and allow all people to be seen and heard
- Intentionally hire faculty and staff that reflect the diversity of our student population.
- Elevate place-based and Alaska native learning opportunities.
- Develop curriculum and programs that celebrate diversity.
- Promote faculty development that increases student inclusion in their learning.
- Showcase relevant scholarship and staff contributions that advance diversity.
- Be the Public Square
Elevate community engagement on campus and beyond
- Increase community presence through sponsored events such as the CAS Community Lecture, other public lectures, and Fine Arts events, as well as through an increased presence at local events.
- Increase K-12 outreach through, for example, summer camp offerings, STEM Day, etc.
- Fundraise to provide resources for special projects, workshops, and events for all CAS departments, like public lectures, workshop sessions, performances, or art exhibitions.
- Increase communication with the community regarding CAS events and activities.
- Strengthen ASD Partnerships including professional development and graduate training for ASD teachers, partnerships between faculty and ASD teachers, dual credit offerings, school events at the high schools and on campus.
- World Class Creativity
Demonstrate the global reach and local relevance of our education, research, and creative activity
- Celebrate excellence in creative activities and research within CAS, recognizing its global and local impact.
- Demonstrate the value of research and creative activity to our economy and quality of life in Alaska; new knowledge and scholarly works benefit the community and contribute to a highly skilled and capable workforce of мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± graduates.
- Cultivate collaborative teaching, research, and creative activity among faculty.
- Develop themed classes and/or pursue cluster hires around important, unifying issues of global and local significance.
- Support and promote undergraduate and graduate student research through robust faculty mentorship and student support.
- Provide cutting edge technology and equipment to support innovative, high impact practices both in education and in scholarly activity.
- Collaborative Community
Build a collaborative community for faculty and staff through increased recognition, support, and effectiveness
- Recognize faculty and staff for their excellent work
- Strengthen communication between faculty, staff and administration.
- Support faculty and staff financially, institutionally, and through a collegial workplace environment.
- Promote faculty and staff agency through professional development and institutional process review.
- Advocate for and support needed university-wide improvements.