CAFLS Research Strategic Plan 2020-2026

Building a national reputation for excellence in research and scholarship

The College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences provides integrated education, research, Extension, and public service in the grand challenges of global food supply and safety, human and animal nutrition, agricultural systems efficiency, environmental conservation, sustainable packaging and renewable resources. Through rigorous experiential and classroom learning opportunities, CAFLS readies its graduates to assume leadership roles in industries essential to ensuring the future security and prosperity of South Carolinians and our growing global population.

The strategic plan of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences offers priorities and core tactics for strengthening research capacity across the decade of 2016 to 2026. Two goals are addressed within this document:

GOAL 3: Strengthen CAFLS graduate student programs.
Objectives:

• Strengthen courses and programs that support graduate student success.
• Enhance national recognition of graduate student programs through proactive marketing.
• Develop and implement graduate student recruitment and incentive plans to attract high-quality applicants and increase enrollment.
• Increase the number of professional development opportunities for graduate students.

GOAL 4: Strengthen research quality and impact.
Objectives:

• Develop an action plan to build a national reputation for excellence in research and scholarship.
• Increase research and scholarship productivity.
• Improve, upgrade, and expand research infrastructure and support.

Charge to Committee

The committee was charged with creating implementation plans and recommendations for CAFLS Research goals and objectives and aligning these plans to achieve Clemson Elevate Research Goals.

Three subcommittees worked on specific CAFLS goals and objectives, planned their own meetings, and submitted reports at full committee meetings.

Each subcommittee developed implementation plans for achieving the CAFLS research goals and specific objectives. Implementation plans were expected to:

• outline major actions/tasks needed to achieve the objectives;
• identify any risks or concerns that will need to be addressed;
• clarify management oversight;
• determine resources needed and proposed funding strategies; and
• establish specific metrics for success.

The plan also was expected to include the status of actions already taken to achieve goals and objectives. The following groups or individuals were used to advise the committee:

• Graduate Program Coordinators
• Academic Department Chairs
• Endowed Chairs
• REC Directors
• Research Development Strategist (Mira Mihajlovich)
• HR Strategist (Tan Davis)

Subcommittees

Subcommittee on Graduate Programs
Argüelles-Ramos, C. Jachowski, C. Privette
Propose implementation strategies and actions needed to strengthen graduate programs.
CAFLS GOAL 3: Strengthen CAFLS graduate student programs and enrollment.

• Objective 1. Increase doctoral student enrollment.
• Objective 2. Strengthen course offerings for graduate student programs.
• Objective 3. Increase professional development opportunities for graduate students.

Subcommittee on Research Relevance & Capacity
Andrae, K. Coleman, A. Chow, K. Kirk
Assess current research infrastructure and capacity, and determine future needs. Identify actions needed to ensure relevance to S.C stakeholders.
CAFLS GOAL 4: Strengthen research quality and impact.

• Objective 1. Assess research infrastructure and capacity.
• Objective 2. Ensure relevance to S.C. stakeholders.

Subcommittee on Research Productivity
Boyles, K. Gasic, A. Hurley, B. Ward
Identify actions to increase faculty research and productivity and to promote faculty professional development.
CAFLS GOAL 4: Strengthen research quality and impact.

• Objective 3. Promote faculty professional development for research excellence.
• Objective 4. Increase research and scholarship productivity.

Goals and Objectives

Strengthen CAFLS Graduate Student Programs and Enrollment

Objective 1. Increase doctoral student enrollment.

• MARKETING: Enhance national recognition of graduate student programs through proactive marketing.
• TUITION WAIVERS: Adopt a policy that requires all graduate assistantships in the college to be full-time.
• PARTNERSHIPS: Partner with industry and corporations to sponsor assistantships.
• COMPETITIVE GRANTS: Encourage and facilitate inclusion of graduate assistantships in grant submissions by faculty.

Objective 2. Strengthen course and program offerings for graduate student programs.

• FOUNDATION: Develop a core of courses that reflect founda­tional knowledge, skills (e.g., teaching, grant-writing, publishing, etc.), and address emerging issues in the disciplines.
• INTERDISCIPLINARY: Develop certificate programs and online delivery of interdisciplinary MS programs.
• EXPOSURE: Encourage faculty to develop interdisciplinary grant proposals in order to facilitate exposure of GRAs to interdisciplinary research.
• OFF-CAMPUS FACULTY: Utilizing Research and Education Centers (REC) expertise to educate graduate students through enhanced course offerings.
• TEACHING: Improve awareness and increase co-teaching of currently offered but underutilized, graduate courses that are broadly applicable.

Objective 3. Increase professional development opportunities for graduate students.

• SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS: Increase the number of students who attend and present at national and international scientific meetings.
• INTERDISCIPLINARY: Encourage on-campus and off-campus faculty to develop interdisciplinary, University-wide workshops and training programs for graduate students.

Objective 4. Improve professional development opportunities for graduate students.

• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Increase faculty and graduate student utilization of professional development offered by the Graduate School via GRAD 360.
• SEMINAR: Encourage graduate students to coordinate a Departmental or College-level seminar series.
• REC FACILITIES: Initiate an annual research symposium for CAFLS graduate students to be hosted at REC facilities on a rotating basis.
• TEACHING: Develop a process for graduate students to contribute to teaching.

Objective 5. Assess research infrastructure and capacity.

• DATABASE: Create and maintain an internal, searchable research infrastructure and capacity database to promote faculty collaboration.
• CLEAR POLICIES: Develop and communicate clear policies for resource requests regarding the organization and oversight of land and facilities available to CAFLS faculty.
• CORE EQUIPMENT: Assess the need, cost and impact of purchasing core equip­ment and instrumentation to support basic research.
• INFRASTRUCTURE: Leverage resource databases and needed equipment, space, and facilities for planned state funding research infrastructure requests.
• TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Determine factors that impact recruitment and retention of technical support.

Strengthen Research Quality and Impact

Objective 6. Ensure relevance to S.C. stakeholders.

• ADVISORY COUNCILS: Include individuals with research interests on Advisory Councils for every academic department and REC.
• COMMODITY BOARDS: Strengthen relationships with commodity boards and asso­ciations representing agriculture and forestry sectors in South Carolina.
• EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS: Develop a public, web-based inventory of CAFLS faculty research topics.
• POLICYMAKERS: Develop a research communications plan targeted to external stakeholders and policymakers in South Carolina.
• EXTENSION: Improve dissemination of research information through Clemson Extension channels.
• CAPACITY GRANTS: Communicate the relevance of Hatch and McIntire-Stennis Project funds in addressing South Carolina agriculture and forestry-related problems.

Objective 7. Increase research scholarship and productivity.

• COMMUNICATION: Improve awareness and communication of university, college and departmental resources to enhance and support faculty research & scholarship.
• RESEARCH THEMES: Identify research program themes that are aligned with state needs.

Objective 8. Promote faculty professional development for research excellence.

• RESEARCH PROFILES: Create relevant and engaging research profiles for every CAFLS research faculty member.
• FACULTY MENTORING: Develop faculty mentoring program focused on research excellence.
• ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Define CAFLS position on value of entrepreneurship in TPR process.

Committee Members

The names listed reflect those holding this position at the time of this document's authorship; individuals may no longer be in this role.

Primary Members

• Mireille Argüelles-Ramos
• Charles Privette
• Andrew Hurley
• Cathy Jachowski
• Ksenija Gasic
• Kendall Kirk
• Richard Boyles
• Alex Chow
• John Andrae
• Brian Ward
• Kathy Coleman

Department Chair Advisors

• Charles Privette
• Kristine Vernon
• Greg Yarrow
• Carlyle Brewster
• Jeff Rhodehamel

Graduate Program Coordinator Advisors

• Guido Schnabel
• Mike Caterino
• Paul Dawson
• Dale Layfield
• David Willis
• Kyle Barrett
• Jeri Jones

REC Director Advisors

• John Andrae
• Matt Smith
• Skip Van Bloem
• Kathy Coleman
• Chris Ray

Endowed Chair Advisors

• Rob Baldwin
• Michael Caterino
• Kay Cooksey
• Susan Duckett
• Stephen Kresovich
• Patrick McMillan
• Drew Lanham

Coordination

• Paula Agudelo
• Kathy Woodard

Staff Advisors

• Tan Davis
• Mira Mihajlovich
• Kayla Steele Payne