UC Unveils Academic Master Plan, Initial Investment: $10 Million

In its initial stages, the University of Cincinnati’s "UC2019

Academic Master Plan" (AMP) will mean an expanded investment of about $10 million toward long-term strategic goals set for completion in 2019.

The plan, unveiled today by UC Provost Santa Jeremy Ono at the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting, is one component of the university’s overall strategic plan, "UC2019

Accelerating Our Transformation.”

Campus-wide planning for the AMP began in fall 2010, following the announcement of "UC2019

Accelerating Our Transformation,” by UC President Gregory H. Williams, which set the agenda for the university through 2019 and committed the university to become a first-choice destination for students, patients, faculty and staff.

“Today, we take a great step forward toward the objectives we set forth for our university in the UC2019 strategic plan. This Academic Master Plan, which is aligned to our institutional goals, will indeed make UC stronger,” stated President Williams.

"UC2019

Academic Master Plan” preparations were led by Provost Ono but included individuals and groups from across the university, including faculty, staff, students and administrators who came together to generate ideas, provide input, guidance and feedback and to integrate the resulting discussion into a cohesive whole.

Provost Ono said, “Building on the excellent foundation already in place at UC has been the goal for all the individuals and groups involved. We’re looking forward and asking, ‘How can we be even greater as a university in the year 2019.’”

Richard Harknett, chair of the UC Faculty Senate, said, “The academic master plan represents an achievement of faculty, students, staff and administration interaction that now positions the University of Cincinnati to advance learning, discovery, and collaborative missions of our institution more effectively. Now, across our campuses, we can envision synergy, leverage connectivity and amplify the transformational impacts we seek to produce as one of the country’s best universities.”

Outgoing Student Body President Alan Hagerty agreed, “Student Government and all students are looking forward to achieving the goals of ‘UC2019’ and the action steps today outlined in the Academic Master Plan. It’s been exciting to be part of the planning process and to know that the bar will always be raised at UC, toward greater achievement and enhanced learning opportunities for students.”

While the initial investments called for in the AMP are broadly distributed across three major categories – faculty, students and core support –

there are broad intersections between and overlap among these three categories

in support of nine focus areas: learning, discovery, community, economy, sustainability, global engagement, diversity, mission-based healthcare and collaboration.

Initial investments underway or to be made as part of the AMP include

• Students - $4.25 million

Discovery, learning, diversity and global engagement

will be enhanced in the form of increased support for graduate student stipends and doctoral program excellence as well as the undergraduate experience. Investment in recruitment of a diverse student body and improved support for international students is also included, along with continued support of scholarships, study abroad, Honors Program and an emphasis on nationally competitive awards.

• Faculty - $3.32 million

Discovery, learning and mission-based healthcare

will be enhanced by means of  increased support for faculty recruitment, with a portion of funding emphasizing applied and entrepreneurial research – research that not only enhances learning and career preparation for students but also helps solve pressing problems and sparks innovation. Investment in teaching excellence is also included in the AMP’s initial investments and action steps.

• Core support - $2.45 million

Learning, discovery, community and sustainability

will be enhanced in the form of improvements to classrooms for 21st century learning, academic technology tools, tracking of experiential learning, streamlining scholarship coordination/delivery and more. Investments in research infrastructure for commercialization and compliance as well as sustainability initiatives will be included.

Provost Ono will again highlight "UC2019

Academic Master Plan" at the 2 p.m., Thursday, May 24, All-University Faculty Meeting in the Great Hall, Tangeman University Center.

• VIEW the "UC2019 Academic Master Plan.”

• VIEW "UC2019 Accelerating Our Transformation.”