Strategy Two
Strategy Two
REFLECT THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS AND CULTURES IN OUR GLOBAL SOCIETY
INITIATIVE ONE - DEVELOP A GLOBAL CULTURAL STUDIES PROGRAM
A first-rate liberal education in today’s world requires students to be familiar with global history, culture, language, religion, politics, business, economics, social systems, and more. Coe currently has distinctive programs in Africa, Europe, and Asia, as well as one of the largest English as a Second Language programs among colleges of our size. We will consolidate our three international studies programs into an interdisciplinary Global Cultural Studies program, which will serve as a major and the coordinating body for international activities, thereby enhancing graduates’ preparation to succeed as citizens of a global society. We will also build on our unique combination of activities related to Asia (Asia Term, Japanese instruction, faculty-led opportunities in numerous Asian countries, and more), positioning Coe as one of the foremost small colleges for students interested in Asian studies.
INITIATIVE TWO - ENHANCE STUDENT DIVERSITY
Demographic changes, combined with innovative admission and scholarship efforts, have already brought Coe a record level of student diversity, well above national averages. We will continue and expand these efforts, with special attention to increasing international student diversity. We will add exchange programs and ensure that they are fully enrolled and create a summer non-degree program for international students. We will also enhance programs and services for our diverse student body, including establishing a dedicated diversity space in the Gage Union.
INITIATIVE THREE - IMPLEMENT A NEW RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
Faculty and staff diversity has grown at a much slower pace than among the student body. We will establish new systems and requirements for all search processes to increase the diversity of candidate pools. We will establish a pre- or post-doctoral program to recruit diverse faculty and to increase their potential for long-term success at Coe, including participating fully in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest/Mellon Foundation Undergraduate and Faculty Fellows Program for a Diverse Professoriate. We will also develop a long-term faculty staffing plan with diversity as one of its primary tenets, thereby allowing Coe to take advantage of opportunities to hire diverse candidates as they arise.
INITIATIVE FOUR - RESTRUCTURE STUDENT LIFE PROGRAMS TO EMPHASIZE THE PRINCIPLE OF STRENGTHS
Students are arriving at college with a wider variety of academic backgrounds, learning styles, health issues, and personal needs and expectations than ever before. Strengths-based initiatives have been successful at building resilience and contributing to student success, especially for students who arrive at college without all of the experience and skills needed to succeed in an academically challenging setting. We will help all students identify, acknowledge, and cultivate their individual strengths to build, support, and circumvent deficits. Key student life programs (e.g., orientation, residence hall programming, leadership activities) and the first-year experience will be reorganized to support this approach.
