CSLA Strategic Plan

The College of Science & Liberal Arts (CSLA) is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service and aims to have an enduring impact on society. Our six departments—Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Environmental Science, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics—are home to internationally renowned research centers, award-winning researchers and educators, and outstanding students.

Rooted firmly in our mission and core values, CSLA is guided by the following five (5) strategic objectives, as outlined in the College’s 2020 – 2025 Strategic Plan:

1. ACCESS

NJIT has been ranked #1 in economic mobility of our students while our graduates consistently rank amongst the highest in the country in mid-career earnings. An NJIT education truly transforms the lives of students year after year and contributes to the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, and society. We’ve recently created new degree programs designed to prepare students for the future of work and will continue to develop new programs and revise existing curricula, including the first-year experience to ensure a multitude of pathways and opportunities for our students while addressing the workforce demands of our state and nation. We aim to expand opportunities for more students to benefit from the high-quality educational experience of our programs and the research and experiential learning opportunities we provide. To enable this, along with continued sustainability of our degree programs, we will provide opportunities to more students by increasing the enrollment in our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, thereby expanding our impact, and benefiting more people.

2. RESEARCH

CSLA has developed a profound group of talented scientists, scholars, and artists that significantly contribute to their respective fields through high quality research, scholarship, and student mentoring. CSLA underpins the research mission and Carnegie Research 1 status of the institution as discovery, knowledge creation, applied research, and innovation are infused in our culture and yield dividends for our students, faculty, and society. We are committed to focusing our efforts on the most pressing challenges of our times, including sustainability, environment, health, space weather research, and the big data revolution as described above, and fostering collaborations with industry and other institutions. Studies have shown that students that are engaged in research and creative work pursue graduate education at higher rates than those that are not.  The foundational and translational research and training conducted by our faculty and students leads to economic development with broad impact across society. We aim to develop research initiatives, research support, and organizational structures in strategic fields that will respond to grand challenges faced by society, enhance our current faculty’s productivity, attract outstanding faculty and students, increase external research funding, and engage more students at all levels in research and scholarship.

3. DIVERSITY

We will continue to diversify our student body, faculty, and staff by attracting members from underrepresented groups. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) extends beyond increasing the demographic diversity of students, faculty, and staff. It also encompasses how we teach, the research we conduct, and the programs we offer, to name a few. Universities play a transformational role in the lives of countless students and their families. NJIT is recognized as one of the very best universities for providing students with socioeconomic transformational opportunities. As a public institution we have an obligation to provide opportunities to all students, especially those that are disadvantaged as this is, perhaps, where we have greatest impact. It has been widely reported that diverse groups of people bring to bear synergistic backgrounds and skills, resulting in more creative approaches to problem solving, research, instruction, and curricula. Meanwhile, the demographics of society and students continue to change. It is incumbent upon us not only to reflect these changes but to lead the institution in DEI efforts and guide students to realize their own potential. CSLA is among the most diverse colleges at the institution based on our breadth of disciplines and demographics of our students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion, bolstering our leadership as an example for the campus and community and driving innovation in teaching, learning, and research while increasing the diversity of our student body, faculty, and staff.

4. VISIBILITY

NJIT and CSLA, to a large degree, remains a hidden gem, a place that offers tremendous opportunity for education, professional development, and knowledge creation. Increased name recognition for us will greatly assist in student recruiting to offer more access and opportunities for students to benefit from the NJIT experience. Increased visibility of our research, programs, and people will enhance the impact of our efforts, increase dissemination of our research, and increase the competitiveness of our students and faculty to receive prestigious scholarships, fellowships, awards, and research grants. We aim to escalate the visibility and recognition of the College, its programs, students, and faculty through marketing and branding, increasing nominations to prestigious awards and fellowships, and pursuing recognition by professional societies and national academies.

5. ENGAGEMENT

CSLA has a tradition of partnership with the community, state, and professions to share our talents and resources, and provide assistance in areas of need. For example, with our colleagues in the Center for Pre-college Programs (CPCP), we founded the Newark Math Success Initiative, a collaboration among CSLA, CPCP, the City of Newark Mayor’s Office, and the Newark Board of Education designed to enable more students from Newark public schools to attend NJIT and realize their goals and dreams through progressive calculus-based math skills development of rising high school seniors, and professional development of math teachers in the Newark public schools. Faculty and students from the biological, chemical, biochemical, and environmental sciences have been engaged with the Newark-based organization Students2Science, which aims to inspire, motivate, and educate Newark elementary, middle, and high school students to pursue STEM careers by providing an authentic, state-of-the-art laboratory experience complete with modern instrumentation and meaningful interactions with professional scientists. Following our leadership to create Future Ready Schools New Jersey, CSLA created the STEM for Success initiative, an integrated program to broaden participation in STEM, especially for those in traditionally underrepresented groups, by fostering collaborative change. Through our Theatre Arts & Technology program, we are intimately engaged in the community through the Newark Arts Festival, Newark Improv Festival, Newark Playwrights Festival, Young Playwrights Festival, and outreach to local area high schools. All these and other similar initiatives bring our experience and talents to the community and help inform our own efforts – on campus and off – while serving critical needs and gaining visibility. We aim to expand the College’s mission to better serve local communities within Newark as well as the State of New Jersey and the various companies and professional societies with which we engage.