School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology
Strategic Plan
October 1, 2003
- Introduction
- Vision
- Mission Statement
- Core Values
- Strategic Advantages
- Strategic Challenges
- Goals and Strategies
- Implementation
- conducts fundamental and innovative research in earth, marine, and atmospheric sciences as well as in interdisciplinary research areas that include the intersection with human systems
- educates those who will pioneer the advancement of knowledge in earth and atmospheric sciences and be the future leaders of academia, government and industry
- contributes to the general education of Georgia Tech students so as to promote knowledge and awareness of the environment in all aspects of their future endeavors
- provides, through outreach and partnerships, the foundations for improved health, environmental sustainability, prosperity, and security, both locally and internationally.
- Shared mission and vision;
- Commitment to excellence in teaching and student learning;
- Active scholarship by students and faculty of the highest quality;
- Collaboration, with respect for personal autonomy;
- Self reflection, both by individuals and collectively by the School;
- Innovation and flexibility to change;
- Collegiality and a strong sense of academic community;
- Respect for diversity of opinion;
- Strong ties with alumni and industry.
- increasing recognition of the strong coupling that exists between the environment and the economy
- increasing concern over management of the environment and its key renewable and non-renewable resources
- increasing federal funding for geosciences
- increased recognition by state and local governments and the private sector of the importance of geoscience research, and an increase in research support from these sources
- increasing recognition of the importance of multi- and interdisciplinary education and research in environmental sciences to address fundamental scientific issues as well as issues of socioeconomic importance
- high public visibility of environmental issues, particularly among high school students
- increasing job opportunities in the earth and atmospheric sciences, particularly in the private sector
- an excellent and diverse student body, an exceptional faculty and staff, committed alumni, and many friends who have a vital interest in the future of the Institute;
- vigorous, dynamic research programs that produce technology and innovation, helping to drive local, national, and international economic growth;
- a focused mission with a historical commitment to innovative technology and science and the foundation of successful enterprise;
- a supportive state government recognized for a commitment to higher education;
- an enriching local environment situated in the heart of the vibrant city of Atlanta;
- growing support from a rapidly expanding technological economic base in Atlanta and, increasingly, throughout Georgia;
- a developing global role that will help shape science and technology as well as the policies that guide the future of technology;
- a culture that fosters strong foundations for multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial activities and that orients the campus community to apply its knowledge to address real problems and opportunities;
- innovative facilities and campus settings designed to encourage interactions across units and the campus community and build bridges to adjacent neighborhoods.
- energetic faculty with substantial external recognition;
- established history of broad and relatively large external research funding;
- major programmatic strength and recognition in atmospheric chemistry and air quality;
- excellent quality of the undergraduate students;
- superb facilities for education and research in the new Environmental Science and Technology Building;
- significant interdisciplinary research with other units on campus;
- increasing application of earth and atmospheric science research for economic development and sustainability.
- shrinking pool of traditional students pursuing careers in technical fields
- attracting more high-quality U.S. graduate students
- converting interest of high school students in environmental issues into scientific interest
- increasing competition for scarce Institute resources
- the need to enhance Georgia Tech's role as a leader in technology-based multidisciplinary research and learning
- the need to integrate strengths in science and technology with the human and social sciences
- improve retention rate of junior faculty;
- increase the number of undergraduate majors;
- increase the number of total student credit hours for general education of non-EAS majors;
- increase the pool of applicants for selecting high-quality graduate students;
- increase the external research funding in some aspects of our program;
- improve the level of endowment and private funding;
- improve collaboration within EAS that crosses disciplines;
- improve relations with EAS alumni;
- strengthen the earth component of the School.
- Foster interactions between the earth and atmospheric sciences through increasing the scope of the program to include hydrology and oceanography, and through strengthening the earth sciences. Cross-school themes to be strengthened and integrated include laboratory chemistry, modeling and prediction, data analysis, remote sensing, and applications of emerging technologies.
- Continue to enrich the rigor of EAS by promoting infusions from the foundation sciences and emerging technologies through the graduate education program, collaborations, and through hiring faculty and research scientists with degrees in these fields.
- Expand the component of the educational program and applied research that is targeted at public policy and economic development.
- dynamics of weather and climate
- physical, chemical, and paleo- oceanography
- atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, and clouds
- solid earth, marine and environmental geophysics
- aqueous- and bio- geochemistry
- land surface processes and hydrology
- applications of earth and atmospheric sciences
- Assign the objectives to relevant EAS committees to articulate specific mechanisms for achieving the objectives and targets (and for re-evaluating them as appropriate). Form a new committee on Economic Development and Outreach.
- Modify duties of some of the administrative staff members to support specific objectives.
- The first faculty meeting of each academic year will be devoted to overall assessment of progress in meeting the objectives and in articulating new strategies.
- As resources are needed to meet these objectives, develop a specific proposal that articulates the need in the context of specific objectives and assesses the impact of the proposed new resources on meeting the objectives. The Chair will discuss the proposal with the Dean to identify resources.
- Increase the size of the undergraduate program, targeting 80 undergraduate majors and a total of 6000 student credit hours at the 1000- and 2000-level.
- Increase the reputation and vitality of the earth component of the School through faculty hiring, targeted recruitment of graduate students, and articulation of professional career options in the undergraduate program.
- Retain junior faculty by helping them develop a network of faculty contacts and mentors, minimizing their service load, maintaining a collegial environment, and addressing issues related to spousal employment.
Introduction
The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) was originally founded as the School of Geophysical Sciences in 1970. During the School's first decade, the School's focus was limited primarily to geochemistry and solid earth geophysics. In 1978, a program in atmospheric sciences was added to the School, and in 1989 the School's name was changed to the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
The Strategic Plan of EAS has been shaped by the strategic plans of the Institute and the College of Science. The objectives and action items in our Plan will be reviewed and updated annually; hence this plan is a living document that will be used to guide EAS into the future.
Vision
To lead in innovative research and educate the future leaders in earth and atmospheric sciences for the 21st century, in the context of a premier technological research university.
Mission Statement
The School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences observes, understands, quantifies, and predicts the earth system and its components, and so
Core Values
The core values for EAS recognize that excellence depends not only on the accomplishments of individuals, but on collective functioning of the School. Excellence grows and thrives in dynamic settings, and is the product of group effort. The core values provide a foundation for strategic planning and a context for evaluating the processes that we believe will produce quality and excellence.
The EAS core values are:
Strategic Advantages
The strategic advantages for EAS are determined by external opportunities, strengths within Georgia Tech, and strengths internal to EAS.
External strengths for earth and atmospheric sciences include:
The considerable strengths of Georgia Tech include:
Internal strengths within EAS include:
Strategic Challenges
The strategic challenges for EAS are determined by external challenges, challenges within Georgia Tech, and challenges and weaknesses internal to EAS.
External challenges for earth and atmospheric sciences include:
Challenges within Georgia Tech include:
The following internal challenges within EAS include the need to:
Goals and Strategies
The core strategic goal of EAS is to increase the synergy and scope of its research and educational programs so that EAS faculty and students are poised to define and address cutting-edge issues in earth and atmospheric science that include interdisciplinary research areas. The principal strategic directions for the School are to:
Major unifying themes are water in the earth system and local, regional and global environmental change. The specific foci of the educational and research program in EAS are:
Specific goals for the School are to:
Goal 1: Provide a viable undergraduate educational program and experience that provides an excellent foundation in the fundamental sciences and the skills needed for graduate study and professional employment.
Goal 2: Provide a graduate educational experience that prepares students for leadership positions in academia, government, and industry.
Goal 3: Enhance innovation and scholarship within the EAS academic program through greater utilization of nontraditional educational methodologies; expanded utilization of information and interactive technologies; and development of outreach and professional education programs.
Goal 4: Conduct research that expands the frontiers of knowledge in earth and atmospheric sciences, promotes interdisciplinarity, and elevates EAS to a recognized position of leadership.
Goal 5: Attract and retain an outstanding and diverse faculty and staff and promote their professional development for leadership at Georgia Tech and within the international scientific community.
Goal 6: Strengthen research and academic relationships with other units within Georgia Tech, and raise the overall profile of EAS within Georgia Tech.
Goal 7: Through outreach and partnerships, foster entrepreneurship, corporate interaction, and economic development through the applications of earth and atmospheric sciences.
Goal 8: Create an environmental science community at Georgia Tech that fosters the success and growth of its members, alumni relations, and relations with corporations and foundations.
Detailed objectives, strategies, and targets for each of these goals are provided in the links above.
Implementation
Meeting the goals articulated in this plan over the next 5 years will be a substantial challenge, given the complexity, difficulty, and comprehensiveness of the goals and objectives. In articulating the strategy for achieving these goals, the School has focused more on the processes believed to produce quality, rather than on articulating specific metrics for quantifying achievements. This strategy recognizes that quality and excellence is not easily quantifiable or achievable, and therefore enforces a culture of critical reflection and continuous improvement.
Meeting the goals of the plan will require individual and cooperative efforts of all EAS faculty and staff. The general mechanisms for making progress on the individual objectives include:
Over the course of the next 5 years, we will undoubtedly find that time and resources are more effectively spent on specific objectives, given serendipitous opportunities that may arise or through the commitment of an individual to a specific objective. No attempt has been made to prioritize the goals and objectives. However, over the next 5 years, we have assessed that meeting the following objectives is essential to the continued viability of the School:
While these objectives have top priority, we anticipate substantial progress on each of the goals and objectives over the next 5 years.