The Plan for WSU and the Nation

WSU will become a nationally recognized high-quality university.

The Plan for WSU and the Nation

Goal 1: To encourage faculty and staff to become active in their disciplines at the state and national level by attending or presenting at national conferences and holding national offices.

Participation in national organizations benefits faculty and staff both personally and professionally. Winona State also benefits from faculty and staff participation. Such participation needs to be fully supported by the university through the continuation of research grants, release time, travel grants, as well as educational and sabbatical leaves.

Goal 2: To actively pursue funding from the federal government, state government, and national foundations and corporations.

As state funding remains questionable, support for university initiatives--both new and old--may need to come from different sources. While the Grants Office is providing information to faculty and staff on potential funding sources, more grants need to be written. Incentive programs for faculty/staff grant writers might be one way to encourage grant writing. Incentive may include stipends, release time, merit pay, comp time, additional funding for departments, or recognition.

Goal 3: To actively recruit nationally known scholars and experts for teaching positions, visiting professorships, guest lectures, residencies, and lyceum.

A learning community is dynamic. Bringing experts, professionals, and specialists from all fields to share their unique experiences, insights, and points of view can enhance the academic and social experience. The Lyceum Series has brought a number of world-class performers and speakers to Winona State. More needs to be done and different types of programs (beside Lyceum) need to be considered. Visiting professorships, guest lectures, and residencies might all be options.