Strategic Plan

Enhance the lives of students through modern curriculum that educates them on different theories, practices and processes within psychology field. Our program encourages critical thinking, empathy and a deep curiousity for the field.

• O.1: Adhere to American Psychological Association Principles for Quality Undergraduate Education in Psychology and ensure a vertically aligned curriculum from General Psychology through Capstones.
• O.2: Ensure that students are prepared for the 21st century workforce through a focus on writing, critical thinking, information literacy, data analysis and global citizenship.
• O.3: Function as a campus leader and model in applied learning.
• O.4: Support faculty professional development in teaching.
• O.5: Ensure that the graduate curriculum prepares students to implement best practices in research, teaching and licensed clinical practice.
• O.6: Ensure that the department maintains and acquires adequate space to carry out our teaching and training mission.

We aim to empower faculty and students to create and disseminate meaningful, impactful knowledge in the field of psychology.

• O.1: Ensure continued development and support of a distinguished program of research in scientific psychology and function as a campus leader and model of research productivity.
• O.2: Develop and support incentives for pursuing and obtaining grant funding for research.
• O.3: Create and support collaborative translational research activities.
• O.4: Develop and resource a program for departmental dissemination of faculty research.
• O.5: Ensure maximum utilization of applied learning/research space.
• O.6: Ensure that adequate space is acquired in order to meet anticipated growth in faculty research/ applied learning programs and to ensure competitiveness in obtaining external funding.

We aim to ensure ongoing flexibility in implementing the departmental mission through cultivation of opportunities for development and innovation.

• O.1: Create a structure and mechanism for fundraising.
• O.2: Explore means to utilize faculty expertise to generate department funds.

Utilize departmental expertise to provide high impact, visible community engagement to enhance our community.

• O.1: Support faculty pursuit of community engagement projects.
• O.2: Support transdisciplinary collaborations with other professional training departments.
• O.3: Promote awareness of these efforts to the UNCW community and beyond.

Foster an open, collegial and engaged system of faculty governance and service.

• O.1: Ensure current governance procedures reflect current departmental culture and direction.
• O.2: Ensure RTP criteria reflect current departmental expectations.
• O.3: Ensure that service expectations are divided appropriately by rank.

Strategic Goals approved by unanimous vote 4/25/13.