College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences

Strategic Plan

March 2001

Preamble

Mission Statement

Principal Goals

Description of CMPS

Strategic Objectives

CMPS STRATEGIC PLAN

Preamble:

This document is intended for: friends and partners of CMPS external to the University of Maryland, so they can see at a glance the strengths and future goals of the College; for University of Maryland administrators, for use when evaluating programs and allocating resources; and to the departments inside CMPS, to be used periodically for reassessment and self-assessment of their programs, priorities and initiatives. The College's strategic plan provides the skeletal outline that governs our planning and actions. The attached departmental plans provide the flesh that determines our priorities and strategic initiatives.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Science is to advance modern science through its nationally competitive research and educational programs.

Principal Goals:

1. Pursue scientific research at the forefront of knowledge.

2. Produce a stream of superbly qualified graduates, at the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral levels, who will help to build the future of Maryland.

3. Show by example the value of diversity in a scientific community.

4. Raise the profile and visibility of the high quality work done at the College.

5. Contribute to the expansion of the economy of the region, state and nation through effective interactions with the private sector.

6. Develop a closer relationship with alums and friends, and increase the level of their financial support.

7. Support the growth of scientific literacy in Maryland, for example by participating in efforts to improve the quality of science taught in the schools.

8. Enhance the work of the federal research campuses in the region through co-operative programs.

9. Build a first-class physical infrastructure that is commensurate with CMPS's world-class scientific reputation.

10. Ensure a service-oriented administrative structure and an environment that is conducive to staff professionalism.

Description of CMPS:

The College has four disciplinary cornerstones:

· Computer science

· Earth science (Geology and Meteorology)

· Mathematics

· Physical science (Astronomy and Physics),

and places a particular emphasis on cross-disciplinary science, combining computation, experiment and observation, and theory. This is reflected in the wide variety of interdisciplinary institutes and centers in CMPS, its joint activity with other colleges, and its participation in consortia and programs with federal agencies and other universities as described below:

CMPS Centers and Institutes

· Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS)

· Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST)

· Institute for Plasma Research (IPR)

· Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC)

· Center for Automation Research (CfAR)

· Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling (CSCAMM)

· Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

· Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)

· Center for Superconductivity Research (CSR)

Joint activity with other colleges:

· UMIACS has faculty from EDUC, BSOS, ARHU, ENGR, CLIS, BMGT

· IPST has faculty from Life Science, ENGR

· IPR is joint with ENGR

· ESSIC is joint with BSOS

· MRSEC is joint with ENGR

· CMPS faculty participate in ISR

· Joint effort with EDUC to improve teacher education

· LSAMP/NSF (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation/National Science Foundation) is joint with ENGR, UMBC, and UMES

· CSEMS/NSF (Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematical Scholarships) is joint with ENGR

· The Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation (AMSC) program has faculty from 14 departments and institutes across the campus

· Physics has faculty joint with ENGR and EDUC

External consortia and joint programs:

· Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association/Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (BIMA/CARMA)

· ESSIC (with NASA-Goddard)

· Center for High Energy Astrophysics Research (CHEAR)

· Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies (CICS)

· Institute for Research in Global Climate Change (joint with other colleges and PNNL)

· MIND Lab in UMIACS (partners with Fujitsu)

· UMIACS and Computer Science faculty work with the Fraunhofer Center

Data and statistics:

· # of academic faculty—224

· # of research scientists—104

· # of postdoctoral scientists—245

· # of undergraduate majors—2,368

· # of BS degrees in FY00—289

· # of MS, PhD degrees in FY 00—168

· # of grad students—751

· research expenditures in FY00—$48.6M

· state budget in FY00—$36.5M

· # of patents applied for/invention disclosures in FY00—25

· # of members of NAS/NAE/Amer Acad of Arts and Science—10

· # of companies with joint research projects with CMPS—43

Strategic Objectives:

1. Recruit and retain superb faculty

a. maintain strength in core subfields in the disciplines

b. identify and build in selected new subfields of high potential impact where we can leverage some advantage to be the best, including an emphasis on scientific computation

c. ensure that appointments, promotion, and tenure reflect nationally competitive standards at the highest levels

2. Maintain and build nationally competitive undergraduate programs, and improve the undergraduate experience

a. expand efforts to recruit outstanding students

b. ensure that our graduates are equipped to lead the next generation of scientists and innovators; in particular, expand the use of modern technology in our curricula

c. create new programs and tracks within existing majors to reflect modern developments in science and societal needs:

i. computational tracks

ii. tracks for future teachers

iii. crossdisciplinary programs (e.g. in biophysical science and bioinformatics)

d. enhance research opportunities for undergraduates by encouraging faculty-guided research projectsand industry/government internships

e. support undergraduates with appropriate scholarship funding, awards nominations and career guidance

f. place a major emphasis on improved retention and decreased time-to-graduation

g. support and track undergraduate alums as they pursue professional positions and/or future advanced degrees

3. Build and maintain distinguished and nationally competitive graduate programs

a. recruit outstanding students, emphasizing focal areas of excellence and using contacts with faculty who are UMD alums

b. develop new programs, and tracks within existing programs, to reflect modern developments in science and requirements in industry

c. improve all aspects of the graduate student experience by paying attention to important features such as orientation, advising (on an individual basis), mentoring, facilities, computing, placement, and teacher training

d. provide graduate students the opportunity to work on cutting edge research, and to interact with industry

e. provide opportunities for graduate students to participate in professional activities (conferences, interaction with research labs on and off campus, scientific publication, etc.)

f. encourage and assist preparation and submission of thesis work for publication

g. nominate and support graduate students for honors and awards, both internal and external

h. support and track graduates of our graduate programs as they pursue professional positions and/or further advanced degrees

4. Strengthen excellence through diversity

a. emphasize the recruitment of a diverse faculty, student, and staff community

b. encourage and support women and members of minority and economically disadvantaged groups to study and succeed at science; work with the K-12 schools to encourage these students to become scientists

c. celebrate the achievements of our women and minority faculty, students, and staff

d. identify funding sources (Foundations) for support and recruitment of women and minority faculty and students

5. Enhance national and international recognition for our faculty and graduate programs

a. increase the number of members in national academies

b. identify relevant national and international awards, and actively nominate and promote faculty members for these

c. identify appropriate faculty for college and campus awards

d. facilitate internal and external media publicity and other means of celebrating faculty and student accomplishments

e. act to ensure maximum NRC ratings in the next evaluation round

f. increase the College presence in national activities (NRC panels, federal testimony, organization of national conferences…)

6. Increase and strengthen partnerships with the private sector and federal agencies and labs

a. increase sponsored research support

b. increase the number of joint research programs with corporations and government agencies.

c. establish professional masters degrees with innovative curricula and delivery methods that support local high tech industry and generate revenue for the College units.

d. establish industrial visitorships in College units.

e. work with external agencies and corporations to bring relevant non-academic research units to locations adjoining the campus

f. develop industrial affiliate programs that permit one-stop shopping for participating corporations to: access our best students for internships and full time positions, create collaborative research agendas with faculty and grad students, or send their best people on a short-term sabbatical.

g. encourage the private sector and federal agencies to establish graduate fellowships in areas relevant to their needs, with the possibility of developing a link between the funding source and the fellows.

h. invite distinguished scientists in the private sector and federal agencies to become adjunct faculty in our College.

7. Raise significant private funding

a. increase connections, and imbue our alums and friends with a sense of pride in the College and its units

b. establish a dossier of CMPS development proposals, including an emphasis on need-based scholarships

c. substantially increase the number of CMPS prospects, solicitations and gifts

8. Improve infrastructure

a. construct a new Physical Sciences Complex to house entirely the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and the Institute for Physical Sciences and Technology

b. construct a new building in the "U" of the A.V. Williams Building to accommodate expansion in the Department of Computer science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies; do this in partnership with the College of Engineering, and in particular with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research

c. establish a School of Earth Sciences (incorporating the current Departments of Geology and Meteorology and the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center) in a renovated Physics Building

d. relocate the Dean's Offices to the renovated Physics Building

e. pursue a major infrastructure facilities renewal of the east wing of the Computer and Space Sciences Building; eventually incorporate that space into the newly constructed Physical Sciences Complex

f. upgrade the wiring in all CMPS buildings to accommodate the fastest and most efficient information connections; take this step and whatever other steps are necessary to ensure that the research computing needs of the faculty and students are met, including access to high-performance computers, networks, and support

g. continue to advocate forcefully the construction of the Multi-Media Instructional Center in order to provide modern lecture facilities for lower level undergraduate mathematics courses

9. Staff professionalism

a. recruit, retain, and promote talented staff members

b. promote customer service and satisfaction as the highest priority

c. provide training and opportunities that enhance technical, financial, and administrative skills

d. create forums that facilitate collaboration and information exchange

e. ensure participation in campus activities, planning, and decision making processes

f. ensure that PRD standards are based on department objectives and merit evaluation processes are fairly and equitably applied

g. continually reevaluate staffing needs in order to ensure that staff levels are appropriate to the research and educational needs of CMPS programs

h. encourage and reward creativity, teamwork, and outstanding performance.