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Other Indicators of Dedication to a Life of Learning at CSU-Pueblo
Personal Faculty Commitment
The CSU-Pueblo faculty clearly are personally committed to the pursuit of knowledge and learning as they work on their individual research, scholarship, or other activities. An important indicator of this commitment is the personal expenditures the faculty make in order to accomplish this work, even at a time of public resource constraints. In a survey of 63 CSU-Pueblo faculty members taken as part of the research for this self-study report, 41 percent reported spending up to $500 of their own money during the previous calendar year on research expenses; 26 percent between $500 and $1,000; and 18 percent between $1,000 and $5,000. Of 28 various non-faculty university staff surveyed, 64 percent reported personal spending on research. Faculty devote time as well as money to scholarship. Sixty-six percent of respondents to the HERI survey at CSU-Pueblo reported spending 1-8 hours per week working on research and scholarly writing, a larger percentage than the average for all four-year institutions.171 Nearly 20 percent reported spending more time, while only 13.1 percent reported spending no time, less than the overall average. A similar pattern marked the responses to a question about time spent on creative work or performance, with CSU-Pueblo faculty reporting more creative activity than the average for all four-year institutions. The sheer volume of faculty research and activities speaks for itself: as survey of faculty CVs by members of the self-study Task Force revealed that over three recent academic years, for example, CSU-Pueblo faculty published more than 160 articles and chapters in books, professional journals, and conference proceedings, wrote, co-wrote, or edited 24 books and conference proceedings, published dozens of poems and works of fiction, and had their artistic works displayed or performed not just in Colorado but throughout the U.S. and abroad.172
CSU-Pueblo faculty are widely recognized in broader disciplinary communities for their work; several serve as editors for professional print and on-line journals and conference proceedings. Furthermore, their expertise is recognized in the local community, where they have published more than 40 articles and essays in local newspapers and magazines as well as having served as consultants on a dozen different projects since 2003.
The University Library Aids in the Life of Learning
The university library is a full supporter of faculty, staff, and student pursuit of knowledge and is an integral component of academic excellence and scholarship on campus. The library supports lifelong learning for the campus and the community through its paper and electronic book, periodical, and document holdings, accessible Web site, electronic search capacity, interlibrary loan service, faculty and student training programs, computer lab, and subscriptions to global, and electronic databases such as SciFinder Scholar. These services allow students, faculty, and staff quickly and efficiently to locate and obtain information from global sources. A professional library staff member has been assigned as liaison to each department to ensure the acquisition of appropriate resources for each discipline. Rich and ever-expanding online resources provide researchers with full-text access to a vast array of scholarly and scientific publications, research databases, and technical information. The efficient interlibrary loan service can be accessed electronically, and a collaborative agreement with the Morgan Library at Colorado State University in Fort Collins provides CSU-Pueblo library patrons with 24-hour delivery access to its major research collections. Reference librarians provide in-class and online tutorials for students in all fields on how to use the library’s resources in their own research, notably for all first-year students in their English composition courses.
Instructional Technology Focus
As discussed under Criterion Three, CSU-Pueblo is a leading advocate of increasing use of technology in both teaching and learning. There are dedicated facilities, resources, and databases that have made a tremendous difference in the university’s learning environment. More than 1,600 personal computers are in use on campus, including more than 750 in 55 student computer labs, a ratio of 1 PC for every 5 students, which is much better than the national average of 1:15 and the state average of 1:13. There are 60 multimedia high-tech classrooms that provide instructional support and in excess of 400 printers on campus, and 300+ software applications, making CSU-Pueblo one of the “most wired” campuses in the state of Colorado.173
171 The HERI survey report is at http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/hlca/DocumentsReferenced.htm.
172 A CD-ROM containing the CVs surveyed is available in the Resource Room. A list of faculty publications and other productions during 2005 compiled by the library can be viewed at http://library.colostate-pueblo.edu/auth05.pdf
173 Further information about technological resources for student learning is provided under Criterion Three.
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