California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
College of Engineering
2011 Revision of Strategic Plan
Adopted June 2, 2011

The College of Engineering Strategic Plan consists of six goals, each of which includes multiple objectives.  These goals and objectives are intended to guide the college and its departments in our planning and decision-making.  The individual departments also have their own strategic plans, which address department-level initiatives.

Goal 1.  BS and MS degree programs that meet societal and workforce needs
Our degree programs are at the core or the college’s mission, and represent our primary service to society.  Thus, our primary focus is to maintain and enhance these degree programs.

Objective 1.1  Continued relevance and quality of degree programs
We will use continuous improvement processes to facilitate continued relevance and quality of our degree programs in light of workforce needs and advances in engineering practice.   As our fields change, we will update our programs accordingly.

Objective 1.2  Expanded role of graduate education
Our undergraduate degree programs will continue to be our core activity.  However, we expect the demand for graduate degrees in engineering will continue to increase, and believe the College of Engineering should have a greater role in meeting this demand.  Thus, without reducing our commitment to producing well-prepared BS graduates, we also plan to grow our existing graduate programs, introduce new graduate programs, and enhance the associated processes and curricula.

Objective 1.3  Greater emphasis on strategically-identified technical disciplines
We will monitor emerging technologies and changing workforce needs, and identify those technical disciplines in which we should maintain or develop competency.  Our resources will be allocated in a way that reflects these strategic initiatives. 

Objective 1.4  Greater emphasis on cross-disciplinary activities
Nearly all important societal issues require the involvement of multiple disciplines.  Thus, we reaffirm the value of cross-disciplinary activities, and will encourage and support collaboration between individual departments in the college, as well as with other colleges across the university and with our peers at other universities.

Goal 2.  Successful students and graduates
The success of our alumni is the ultimate measure of our success as a college.   Thus, we place a strong emphasis on learning, not just teaching, and on developing the wide range of skills needed to become successful engineers.

Objective 2.1  Entering BS and MS students who are well prepared and have a high potential for success
We will actively recruit well-prepared students and admit students based on their potential for success in an engineering program and as practicing engineers. Our admissions processes will be managed so that the total student population is commensurate with our financial, physical, and human resources.

Objective 2.2  A student body that reflects the diversity of the surrounding community
We will strive to have a student body whose demographics reflect that of the surrounding community.

Objective 2.3  High achievement in both technical and non-technical aspects of engineering
We will stress both the technical and non-technical aspects of engineering, with the goal of producing well-rounded graduates.

Objective 2.4  Improved student retention and graduation rates without diminishing educational quality or expected educational outcomes
We will use a variety of support and intervention methods to promote student success and to improve graduation rates, while concurrently maintaining high expectations of educational quality and expected outcomes.

Objective 2.5  More opportunities for student engagement in the engineering profession and the community
We will facilitate more opportunities for our students to engage with practicing engineers and with the engineering profession.

Objective 2.6  Graduates who are well prepared to be successful in a diverse and global workplace.;
Our programs and curricula will be enhanced to further develop the skills needed to be competitive in a global marketplace, and to work productively with people from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.  Our programs will provide the necessary foundational knowledge, and will emphasize the value and importance of continuing education and lifelong learning. We also will actively encourage our undergraduate students to pursue graduate studies here or elsewhere.

Goal 3.  Outstanding faculty and staff dedicated to student success
Our success as a college is dependent on recruiting and retaining well qualified faculty and staff who are committed to achieving the college mission.

Objective 3.1  Increased number of tenured and tenure-track faculty
We will recruit and retain new tenure-track faculty with the expertise needed to achieve our goals.

Objective 3.2  A faculty composed of individuals with diverse skill sets and professional backgrounds
We will strive to have a faculty composed of individuals with a variety of talents.  We value strong academic credentials as well as meaningful experience in industry.  No single individual is necessarily expected to possess all of these talents or qualifications, but the collective talents of our faculty, both part-time and full-time, will reflect a wide range of backgrounds and skills.   

Objective 3.3  Support staff as needed to fulfill the college mission
We will recruit and retain well qualified staff members with the talents needed to support the college’s activities.

Objective 3.4  A faculty that consists of teacher-scholars who are engaged in their disciplines
Our faculty will maintain current in their disciplines through a variety of activities, thus maintaining the relevance of our degree programs.

Objective 3.5  Continued professional development of faculty and staff
We will invest in our faculty and staff by supporting their continued professional development.

Goal 4.  State-of-the-art facilities
Well-equipped facilities are essential to our mission.  Our needs include maintaining and enhancing our existing facilities, as well as adding new facilities.

Objective 4.1  Additional support for extracurricular and co curricular projects                 
We intend to construct a new projects laboratory building to support a wide range of curricular and extra-curricular projects.  This new facility has been added to the campus master plan and is one of our fund raising priorities.  We also will provide additional physical and logistical support for team projects.                 

Objective 4.2  Additional laboratory space to support instructional and research activities
This objective will be facilitated by a new engineering laboratories building, which has been added to the campus master plan.  We will work to develop the case for this building and will seek the state and private funding required to make it a reality.

Objective 4.3 Well-equipped facilities                 
We will continue to upgrade our existing laboratories and other facilities to provide up-do-date capabilities as needed to achieve our mission and goals.

Objective 4.4  Information technology infrastructure with needed capabilities and access                 
We will continue to maintain and upgrade our IT infrastructure as needed to support our academic programs, business processes, and scholarly activities.

Goal 5.  Sustainable financial resources
The growing scarcity of state funds makes other sources of funding increasingly important. 

Objective 5.1  Enhanced levels of philanthropic support                 
We will continue to work closely with the University Advancement staff to generate additional philanthropic support, especially for laboratory improvements, projects, and other similar expenses.

Objective 5.2  Increased contract and grant activities with increased levels of indirect cost recovery                 
We will pursue externally funded projects that support the scholarly development of our faculty and students, are consistent with our mission, and provide sufficient levels of indirect cost recovery.

Objective 5.3  Sustainable funding for laboratory maintenance and upgrades
We will develop more sustainable sources of funding to support our laboratories.

Objective 5.4  Continued commitment to sound fiscal management
We will strengthen our processes to further strengthen our commitment to the effective use of our fiscal resources

Goal 6.  Strong ties with external constituencies and the community
Our strong ties with external constituencies have always been a hallmark of the college.  These ties are essential to maintaining the relevance of our programs, developing external funds, and facilitating employment for our graduates.

Objective 6.1  Stronger ties with key corporate and government partners                 
We will actively work to strengthen and expand our contacts with employers of our graduates, including both private industry and government agencies, with the goal of facilitating mutually beneficial partnerships.

Objective 6.2  Stronger ties with community, professional, and trade organizations
We will maintain and strengthen our ties with community, professional, and trade organizations related to our areas of interest and expertise.

Objective 6.3  Stronger ties with our alumni                 
We will actively strengthen ties between the college and our alumni, and will facilitate interactions among alumni.

Objective 6.4  Stronger ties with other colleges at Cal Poly Pomona
We will strengthen our ties with other colleges and actively pursue opportunities for cross-disciplinary activities.

Objective 6.5  Stronger ties with other universities
We will strengthen our ties with other universities in order to broaden our network of colleagues and develop the potential for collaboration.

Objective 6.6  Engagement in efforts that increase the number and strengthen the preparation of K-12 and community college students who plan to pursue engineering as a career                 
We will engage in activities that promote the preparation of future students for admission into our undergraduate programs.   These activities include Project Lead The Way, collaborations with community colleges, and other similar efforts.