Strategic Plan

GOAL 5. Foster an Atmosphere of Integrity, Respect and Collegiality

A positive working and learning environment energizes people to do their best work. We value a departmental atmosphere in which there is mutual respect, one that is enjoyable, and one in which integrity and honesty is the norm.

OBJECTIVE 1: Cultivate departmental norms of high ethics. Actions and decisions that reflect honesty and strong ethics prepare our students to positively impact society and maintain the integrity of our workplace.

Strategies:

• Practice and promote honesty and excellence in classroom teaching practices.

• Practice and promote honesty and excellence in research with students and colleagues.

• Teach ethics of scientific and academic honesty implicitly and explicitly.

• Adhere to University policies for academic misconduct.

• Require completion of university ethics class for doctoral students.

• Require completion of IRB training and other appropriate training for all graduate students during first year at ISU.

• Engage in periodic discussion of academic integrity and conduct during graduate student orientation, doctoral seminars and faculty/staff meetings.

OBJECTIVE 2: Create a culture of communication and mutual respect. Mutual respect fosters positive communication and an environment of trust and cooperation, creating an environment in which people are energized for work.

Strategies:

• Increase interaction and cooperation across labs and areas through sharing of equipment and space.

• Increase interaction among sub-disciplines through small group discussions and activities such as journal club, doctoral seminars, and research collaborations.

• Encourage attendance at research presentations in the doctoral seminar by faculty members and Master's students.

OBJECTIVE 3: Foster collegiality between graduate students, faculty, staff, retired faculty and alumni. People in the Department enjoy one another and we want to keep it that way.

Strategies:

• Continue informal gatherings and/or social events that bring faculty and staff together within and outside the workplace that foster opportunities to get to know each other better.

• Use faculty fall meeting and the January retreat to foster connections and engagement.

• Enhance use of the Clipboard to communicate with retired faculty and with alumni.

• Build and maintain a more alumni-friendly web site.

• Periodic assessment of faculty, staff and graduate student satisfaction.

LEADING INDICATORS for GOAL 5:

• Percent of undergraduate and graduate students who take a class in which ethics is discussed.

• Morale of faculty, staff and graduate students based on a periodic survey.