Strategic Planning June 21
On June 21 about 35 EESI affiliates met in EES building to discuss ideas for the future, with some emphasis on issues related to staff and fixed term faculty. This lunch was the first of three luncheons during the summer in anticipation of strategic planning in the fall. Here are ideas that were generated and that are under consideration:1) We should seek new ways to help generate interdisciplinary proposals: e.g. summer meetings of faculty, an all EESI retreat, give travel funding to faculty who pull together multi PI proposals, hire a new interdisciplinary grant facilitator
2) We should seek new ways to generate publicity for EESI: e.g. send out bio emails, write something onto My Space, produce a glossy newsletter, run a blog, hire a professional writer, etc.
3) We should seek new ways to facilitate faculty interactions: e.g. run pizza lunches instead of coffees, create linkages to PSIEE website and database, use the website more as a content management system, add info to website about fixed term faculty especially when they do not have their own webpage with anther dept., etc.
4) We should seek ways to somehow find more time for faculty!
5) We should seek ways to provide professional development funding to fixed term faculty and staff.
6) We should put funded grant information on to the EESI website for EESI associates.
We are already implementing #5 and #6 due to your voiced comments, and we are thinking about #1-4. Please attend our next meeting on July 10 in Deike Bldg with your ideas. Also, please visit our powerpoint that shows how we are currently spending our resources http://www.eesi.psu.edu/ < June 2007 EESI Updated Overview - ppt >
Earth and Environmental Systems Institute