Part 1 of 3 - Academic Innovation
Franklin College has introduced a three-part Innovation Initiative guiding its efforts and focus into the next era of American higher education. The initiative consists of three pillars designed to complement each other and work together: 1) Academic Innovation, 2) Student Success, and 3) Research Partnerships and Public Engagement. In the first of a three-part series of interviews, Franklin College Dean Anna Stenport unpacks the first pillar, Academic Innovation, and the plan for its implementation.
Q: As the Franklin College begins its next quarter century, what is the role of this ambitious initiative?
Anna Stenport: Academic Innovation stands to act as a modernizing force on arts and sciences curricula at the university. It will empower students and faculty across multiple disciplines to embrace creativity, collaboration, entrepreneurship, research and leadership as integral parts of their journey toward academic excellence. To help drive these efforts, the College launched an Office of Academic Innovation in fall of 2024. This function supports the development of new academic programs in high demand areas, enhances existing academic programs with more experiential learning opportunities, creates new opportunities for our students to develop as career leaders and entrepreneurs, establishes a stronger sense of student community, and further advances the expertise of faculty, staff and advisors across the college. We want to highlight all that we have put into place and what is to come in 2025.
Q:How does that larger idea resonate with students?
AS: We have much to offer our students as developing professionals when we provide cross-cutting learning opportunities informed by multiple disciplines. This initiative really speaks to how today's students design their curricular pathways, seeking to combine different areas of study to gain applied transferable skills and competencies that translate to career success. This is also how many of our successful alumni talk about the power of the Arts & Sciences. I have also been encouraged by the eagerness of our faculty and advisors around this idea. They echo back their sense of the importance of thinking across disciplines. It is a contribution that Franklin makes to the university community. Cross-cutting ideas are some of the most fun ideas that initially pique students' (and faculty and staff) interest, allowing them to then discover how our programs align with their personal ambitions and growth.
And it's likely a dynamic that runs in both directions.
AS: Yes. We have a lot of opportunity to learn from our students, many of whom are pursuing double- and triple-majors, or one major and five certificates – they don't live in just the world of singular disciplines, not just history, or just chemistry. Integrating new, different areas of education is a reality our students are engaged in and many more are looking for. So, we are continuously learning from our students through focus groups, surveys and informal conversation to make sure our academic degree programs are responsive to their desires while also producing the highest caliber graduates, which is at the heart of UGA’s rigorous Arts and Sciences education. We pursue similar conversations with employers and industry leaders.
Q: Could you provide some examples?
AS: Absolutely. For example, students are telling us they want more robust summer programs that align with their professional interests. That includes study abroad, internships and research in on-campus labs, but also opportunity to learn directly from alumni and gain practical experience, whether in the biotech industry in Boston and California; through creative career exploration in performing arts, film, music, media and graphic design in arts hubs across the country; exposure to a wide variety of careers the health care sector; explore museum management and the publishing industry; or immersion in computing, AI and industrial math-oriented companies. We are very excited to offer more high-quality immersive programs like these in collaboration with our alumni and friends.
Q: Would these innovation efforts include expanding Franklin College academic programs, such as adding new online master's programs?
AS: Yes, like Master's in Applied Data Science, currently in development. Data cuts across disciplines, and Franklin College houses a diversity of expertise that couples with an ability to synthesize, analyze, understand, and act – that in effect turns data into actionable information. Our faculty recognize this, as they engage with data in their own work. We look forward to their creative input to put a distinctive UGA stamp on this and other new online programs.[AS1] [ADF2]
Many students initially come to UGA for the wealth of academic opportunities and pursuit of academic excellence exemplified by, and offered in, Franklin, and we will aways support that central mission. We see our role in this Academic Innovation Initiative as continuing to play this vital role and serving not only Franklin but all the other schools and colleges as well. And the new degree programs being proposed have other colleges involved, contributing courses or pairings with Double Dawgs or other existing degree programs. We also want to serve our graduate students – from professional masters to the PhD – with new career-oriented opportunities. Doing so will ensure their ongoing professional success when they graduate as experts in their fields.
How is this kind of academic innovation in arts and sciences important for the UGA campus?
AS: While colleges and universities advance the public and collective good, serve our state, and educate the next generation of global leaders, the public doesn't always see the spectrum of roles we play in this process. As higher education in general experiences heightened scrutiny, a critical element of academic innovation is around ensuring that our students have a multitude of different career opportunities, graduating with degrees in the arts and sciences. We provide the deep disciplinary knowledge AND the professionals skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving. Through this initiative we also will ensure that our academic programs advance our society and prepare our students for career and professional success.
One important rationale behind new online programs is the strong demand for academic opportunities in the state. How do you envision these programs interfacing with that goal?
AS: The Franklin College recognizes the large working age population in Georgia interested in gaining more expertise and credentials though they are unable to participate in residential degree programs. In partnership with the Office of Online Learning, the college is committed to a quality experience for students at all points in their academic journey.
We will continue to be the home for students who really want to think about big issues and global challenges, about perplexing and provocative societal issues, and to welcome more students into the dynamic of critical thinking about the world today. We are building on new ways to support students who are already naturally drawn to the arts and sciences and help them connect the dots.
How is the college anticipating the added capacity of the new UGA School of Medicine?
AS: We have long been the destination of choice for talented pre-med students. One area that we can do even more is in serving the state in health-related fields, whether through highest-caliber evidence-based education for mental health professionals, ensuring competence in bioethics, exploring new approaches in computational biology, or providing communications and leadership training for healthcare professionals.
For example, the Franklin College will demonstrate how students can study sociology and biochemistry as a route to a career in health policy or become a physician focused on public service. Many UGA students already combine language studies in Portuguese, Russian and others with international politics and policy. The college will leverage these types of exemplary successes for more students to explore relevant new career pathways.
We can strengthen the UGA learning environment by helping young people connect the skill set they're going to develop in a collection of disciplines and translate that into a meaningful, impactful career.
Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series – Research Partnerships and Public Engagement