Family, Home, and Social Sciences Strategic Plan
2021-2026
Increasing Inspiring Experiential Learning (University 1B, 2A)
- Develop a shared understanding of inspiring experiential learning.
- Create training to help faculty and staff in the college see themselves in the definition and operationalize how they can integrate experiential learning into their work
- Help departments to think about how to best use experiential learning monies and be visionary about increasing opportunities for students.
- Create standards and learning outcomes for experiential opportunities in student employment.
- Increase faculty, staff, and student participation in inspiring experiential learning.
- More clearly communicate to all students the opportunities and value of experiential learning
- Educate faculty on best practices in experiential learning
- Help faculty and staff articulate and create new experiential learning opportunities
- Help students to identify core competencies of experiential learning that lead to careers and citizenship.
- Work with the LAAC to help students articulate the skills gained through experiential learning and how they might lead to a job, career, or volunteer opportunity
- Increase alumni involvement to help students understand how to frame core competencies for employers
- Assess the influence of different experiential learning opportunities for students
Fostering Covenant Belonging (University 1E, 1F, 3B, 5A)
- Recognize and enhance the divine potential of each person in the college
- Efforts to build resiliency in students, staff, and faculty
- Spotlight individual faculty, staff, and student experiences on our website and social media
- Engage in Beacons of Light Initiative representing all in the college
- Display art that represents covenant belonging
- Engage in Women of FHSS efforts
- Engage with Office of Civic Engagement to foster belonging through college service activities
- Challenge faculty to think of ways to encourage covenant belonging within each classroom
- Help all students more fully access an FHSS and BYU education.
- Develop a plan to decrease drop-out rate and increase graduation rate among at-risk groups
- Create training for faculty, staff, and TAs to help support at-risk groups
- Remodel space on the 9th floor to increase college spaces of belonging
- More clearly recruit and communicate funding and support for experiential and other opportunities so all can participate
- Enlarge the influence of a BYU education in the social sciences
- Foster long-term belonging and engagement for college alumni by creating a strategy that aligns department, college, and university needs, opportunities, and goals
- Begin an FHSS Alumni Relations council with representation from each department and student association to enhance and align opportunities for alumni engagement
- Identify ways to align alumni and NAC purposes and efforts
Building Faith and Testimony (University 1A, 1E, 2A)
- Advance faith-based teaching and learning
- Develop college written plan for how to help students build faith and testimony.
- Support departments and units to develop written plans for how to help build faith and testimony.
- Ensure graduate admission standards in departments are mission aligned and accept students who will most benefit from and contribute to the spiritual growth opportunities provided by BYU’s double heritage.
- Provide examples and training on how faculty and staff can authentically incorporate gospel truths into all student interactions.
- Incorporate gospel topics and faith-based messaging in college TA trainings.
- Work with faculty and staff to engage with and contribute meaningfully to envisioning and becoming BYU.
- Enhance and model critical thinking, questioning, and engaging in challenging conversations from a foundation of faith.
- Intentionally and consistently highlight ways in which social sciences are aligned with the restored gospel
- Have “Scholars of Faith” lectures in all departments
- Highlight or spotlight faith journey of faculty, staff, alumni, and students
- Create summer seminar for graduate students to build faith and testimony
- Support Initiative for Peacemaking
- Help all to feel the love of the Savior
- Increase service opportunities that help our community to build Christ-like character
- Create college spiritual remembrances/celebrations (e.g., Easter palm, Christmas tree, general conference)
- Create mini/short Worshipping Together experiences for faculty, staff, and students
Continuing Excellence (University 1C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 6A)
- Strive for exceptional teaching and mentoring
- Offer resources to help faculty transition to teaching UNIV 101
- Offer resources to faculty and staff to increase and improve mentoring, including help to foster belonging and build faith and testimony through mentoring
- Reward excellence in teaching and mentoring, with special emphasis on those who are shining examples of BYU’s double heritage.
- Support and enhance high-quality research
- Strategically elevate mission-inspired scholarship that is informed by revealed doctrine, with focus in the areas of family, religion, constitutional government, peacemaking, and poverty alleviation.
- Implement fundraising goal to support mentored student research, with special emphasis in the area of child and family health.
- Award faculty research, with emphasis in mission-inspired areas
- Accurately assess, value, and reward strong citizenship
- Provide clarity on what collegiality is and why it is important
- Provide training on how to disagree civilly
- Reward excellence in citizenship, including staff nominations for SAERA awards
- Nurture Future Leaders
- Identify and nurture future leaders who are strongly aligned with the mission of BYU
- Assign a SAC member to focus on leadership development activities
- Hold disciple-leader moments in SAC meetings
- Improve and incentivize faculty and staff mentoring of colleagues
- Strategically communicate the college’s excellence to key audiences
- Develop and implement a college strategic communications plan
- Increase key external audiences’ understanding and awareness of the benefits of a social science education
- Inspire our campus community with unique contributions from the social sciences through unit Beacon of Light projects, Y News highlights, and increasing students following our Instagram account
- Implement a college-wide communications council to collect stories, coordinate messages, and develop best practices across departments.