Strategic Plan for CIS Department

VisionHave an international reputation, apart from the main campus, for innovative research and excellent educational programsBe on a short list of departments having research excellence in several targeted research areas which have both academic and industrial componentsDevelop in such a way that our research strengths can be reconfigured to produce quality research teams which can hit the ground running in many disparate areas

Short-Range GoalsBe the program of choice in the Detroit Metro area for undergraduate and graduate education in computer and information scienceAchieve higher visibility in the computer science communityShow a positive slope in research productivity measured by the standard metricsIncrease the faculty’s visibility in the local industrial communityGrow the faculty to 16 FTE

Medium-Range GoalsAppreciably increase our enrollment from outside the Detroit Metro areaGrow the faculty to 18 FTE with 2 permanent Lecturer positionsHave the beginnings of several self-sustainable research groups in specially targeted areasHave our faculty well-represented among the international computer science community in terms of reviewing, participating in panels, serving on conference committees, and giving invited talks

Long-Range Goals

Have a diverse international student body at all levels of studyGrow the faculty to over 20 FTEHave several well-funded research groups having an international reputationHave an international reputation for being on the cutting-edge of industrial/academic cooperative programs in education and research

Background Information

We are well-positioned in the Metro Detroit area We have a good knowledge-base on

Wayne State, Oakland, Eastern, and Lawrence Tech

Background Information

Wayne State University – Computer Science Department In a very diverse college environment

College hasn’t had the time to support the special developmental needs of the Computer Science Department

For example, there has been no support to get the undergraduate curriculum accredited

Much more bureaucratic Hiring process takes much longer

Background Information

Wayne State University – Computer Science Department Location

Detroit is a hard sell for new faculty Political problems

Space Non-productive faculty at higher ranks Departmental identity issues

Background Information

Wayne State University – Computer Science Department In general, the faculty don’t take the

undergraduate program very seriously The only thing Wayne State has going

for it is a Ph.D. program If we get a Ph.D. program, we have a

good shot at overtaking them

Background Information

Oakland University - Department of Computer Science and Engineering Similar environment to ours, though it

is more bureaucratic Has a Ph.D. program Not well known nationally in the

Computer Science community Research is oriented to computer

vision and pattern recognition

Background Information

Oakland University - Department of Computer Science and Engineering Small group in embedded

programming Masters degrees in

Software Engineering Information Systems Engineering Embedded Systems

Background Information

Both Eastern and Lawrence have faculty who graduated from Wayne State No research competition Must ensure our program surpasses

theirs by having our courses at the leading edge of the field Consult with our Advisory Board

Here → There

Department governance Need for a set of by-laws codifying

the committee structure and voting rules of the department

Here → There

Curricular issues Fix our present degree programs and

concentrations They should be less similar to each other They should reflect current technology and practices

Information Systems option desperately needs upgrading

ACM/IEEE 2001 curriculum Introduce innovative concentrations or degree

programs Graphics and Visualization Game Design

Get a Ph.D. program!!!

Here → There

Courses Pare down our offerings in some

rational manner Ensure consistency in multiple section

courses Ensure coverage of required material

in lower-level courses

Here → There

Course delivery mechanisms Barrier-free learning

Distance learning 24-7 availability via the web

Ensure quality of adjuncts via continuous monitoring

Here → There

Research Visibility

Create a presence at NSF and other national funding agencies

Continuous submission of quality proposals Invite program managers to our campus

Infrastructure Equipment proposals

Here → There

Research Involve our current student population

Undergraduate REU Encourage student submissions to

student-oriented conferences Have an undergraduate resource center to

familiarize students with the field with the ultimate goal being retention

Joint work with other departments in the college and university

Here → There

Research Targeted research groups

For maximum flexibility in assembling teams in particular targeted areas, hire people in various enabling technologies

Web Software Systems and middleware Information management CHI – Computer/Human Interaction

We are well-situated to become well-known in graphics

Here → There

Local visibility High school outreach program Department newsletter Encourage faculty to seek summer employment

in local industry Start departmental seminar program with faculty

and student involvement Targeted cooperation with other local universities

in joint proposals Involve Advisory Board more in departmental

planning Encourage faculty/advisory board interplay

Here → There

International visibility Cooperative degree programs with

other institutions Send and receive graduate students to

other research groups Have a more professional web

presence