Photo of the Alumni Plaza and the Student Services and Classroom Building on the University of Houston-Clear Lake campus. Image courtesy of UHCL Office of Communications. — UHCL Student Services and Classroom Building. Image courtesy of UHCL Office of Communications.

National institute taps UH-Clear Lake for Foundations of Excellence project

By Online Editor Last updated Sep 17, 2015 116 0

FoundationsOfExcellence.Photo.July2015_mid — A University of Houston-Clear Lake team participated in a Foundations of Excellence® Launch Meeting presented in July by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. Pictured, left to right, are Associate Vice President for Student Services Darlene Biggers, Title III Grant Assessment Coordinator Karen Elliott, Faculty Senate President and Associate Professor of Physics David Garrison, Title III Grant Transition Programs Director Rachel McNeil, and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Mrinal Varma. Biggers and Varma, along with their colleague Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Yvette Bendeck, who was unable to attend the meeting in North Carolina, will be spearheading the multi-year transformative process for enhanced student learning and retention. (Photo credit: Photo courtesy of John N. Gardner Institute marketing and communications office. )

University of Houston-Clear Lake was selected by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education to participate in a national higher education project for the 2015-16 academic year.

The John N. Gardner Institute Foundations of Excellence^® is a comprehensive program that brings together faculty, staff and students to develop and implement a strategic action plan to improve the student experience. It provides two areas of focus from which to choose, the first-year student and the transfer student.

UH-Clear Lake and other universities selected to partner with the institute will conduct a self-study during 2015-16 to develop its strategic plan, which will then be implemented in 2016-17.

“As a student-centered institution, UH-Clear Lake is committed to ensuring the success of our students,” says Carl A. Stockton, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “We want to provide an excellent learning experience for students both inside and outside the classroom.”

At the direction of Provost Stockton, three academic affairs component executives will oversee the multi-year process to yield a new vision for enhanced student learning and retention: Yvette Bendeck, associate vice president for enrollment management; Darlene Biggers, associate vice president for student services; and Mrinal Varma, associate vice president for academic affairs.

The three associate vice presidents will oversee the work of a steering committee which will encompass university-wide representation.

“Campus-wide engagement is critical to assessing and improving student success initiatives at UHCL,” says Stockton. “The active participation of faculty, staff and students will help ensure the most favorable outcome for the university.”

The Gardner program emphasizes key aspirational principles of excellence, known as Foundational Dimensions. Subcommittees will be charged with addressing these principles as they evaluate institutional behaviors, policies and practices.

“We will be looking at every stage of the student experience, including initial contact through admissions, orientation and all curricular and co-curricular activities,” explains Stockton. “With the guidance of the Gardner Institute, we will position UHCL to better serve its students.”

Drew Koch, executive vice president and chief academic leadership and innovation officer for the Gardner Institute, agrees.

“This collaborative and faculty-focused work can be extremely transformational for institutions and their students,” says Koch. “We are proud to partner with strategically minded organizations like the University of Houston-Clear Lake. As a trusted third-party, we’re here to offer the on-going feedback, counsel, expertise and support needed to help them build and implement an action plan that makes a difference.”

To learn more about UH-Clear Lake, visit www.uhcl.edu. For more information about the John N. Gardner Institute, visit www.jngi.org.