applications. Presentations (inclusive of the WTAMU Amarillo Center), invited lectures, advertisements in select conference proceedings, newspapers and research periodicals are critical in building prestige locally. FACULTY GENERATED IDEAS We will create a more strategic and sustainable process for communicating and recognizing faculty research achievements, including research that falls within the creative works classification. 33 Creative arts (music, dance, radio and TV, theatre, visual arts, writing, etc.) are major areas in higher education and add a tangible value to today’s digital economy and its creative industries. 34 Marketing and recognizing faculty research, performances, exhibitions and related creative activities will promote the University and its programs in the region and beyond. We will create a regional faculty research conference at WT to showcase regional research. A steering committee will include industry and University stakeholders. This committee will help publicize the University’s research programs regionally and will involve outside stakeholders. WT will host an annual faculty regional research conference to serve as the culmination of research work each year. Increasing research connection to regional communities will not limit WT’s worldwide reach. Instead, it will demonstrate that by focusing first on the Panhandle region, research will actually become more successful at addressing
worldwide needs. This success will then be picked up by similar regions around the nation and the world—research that is relevant/needed/market-driven. Others will notice.
Research centers will enable the University to expand graduate and undergraduate student involvement in research. Students involved in research have better retention and graduation rates than those who are not involved in similar activities. Student involvement in research also provides valuable professional experience, future educational work, scholarship attainment and workforce success. WT will build scholarships for research assistantships for undergraduates in each college and school and continue to build this infrastructure with additional endowments and scholarships. This action will help attract quality students to the University and assist faculty in their research activities, data collection, lab work, creative activity, exhibitions, etc. This action will help attract quality research students to WT. CREATION OF A CENTER FOR INNOVATION IT-based initiatives and the IoT-related gateway are critical in today’s changing higher educational environment and its associated digital models. These IT-related activities can help WT differentiate itself from other institutions. Creation of a Center for Innovation can be WT’s “first-mover advantage” in the region. An implementation team consisting of research faculty, the vice president of
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