The mission of San Francisco State University is to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity and the cultural mosaic of the City of San Francisco and the Bay Area; to promote equity and excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment; and to provide broadly accessible higher education for residents of the region and state, as well as the nation and world. Our goal is social justice through relevant education.
SF State’s new strategic plan, inspired by the University’s proud history and long-standing commitments to teaching, learning and social justice, is anchored by five core University values: Courage, Life of the Mind, Equity, Community and Resilience.
Initiatives Inspired by the University Core Values:
Courage drives the campus community forward to embrace challenges as opportunities and provides encouragement to be innovative and unique.
Faculty Affairs facilitates the process and serves as consultants for University retention, tenure and promotion (RTP) policies and practices in order to support faculty development in teaching; service and leadership; and research, scholarship and creative activities (RSCA).
Source: https://planning.sfsu.edu/
SF State is committed to lifelong learning as exemplified by continuous development over multiple stages across all academic and professional spheres.
Faculty Affairs is committed to the University motto, “Experientia Docet” (Experience Teaches) by providing opportunities for faculty to continue to grow and develop throughout their careers at SF State. We develop well-rounded faculty by
- Nurturing teaching that is rooted in service and research, scholarship and creative activity;
- Supporting service and leadership for the campus, local, national, and international communities that informs teaching and research, scholarship and creative activities; and
- Valuing creative and scholarly work that is an extension of the classroom, laboratory or studio and is community responsive.
Source: https://planning.sfsu.edu/
Equity frames SF State’s identity as an institution of higher education.
Faculty Affairs embraces equity to cultivate an inclusive environment by increasing access to applicable resources and reducing barriers to success for faculty. To develop and sustain equity, we
- Recruit, retain and support a diverse faculty whose teaching demonstrates an active engagement in their fields of study;
- Guide faculty, departments and colleges in navigating the retention, tenure and promotion (RTP) process; and
- Conduct analyses of the tenure and tenure track faculty to assess their experience of equity on campus.
Source: https://planning.sfsu.edu/
We believe we can teach and support students in educationally purposeful ways when we collaborate with each other and the larger community.
Faculty Affairs values partnerships that support the pursuits of our students, faculty and staff within local, national and global communities. We generate and communicate community norms and agreements including
- Academic freedom and freedom of speech;
- Pluralism and counter-narratives; and
- Respect and care for the abilities of all students, staff and faculty.
Source: https://planning.sfsu.edu/
Agility and flexibility allow SF State to support diverse communities to recover and adapt quickly in variable social and environmental contexts through intentional planning premised on the socio-cultural, environmental and economic systems of sustainability. We support faculty to help forge resilience in the communities we serve. Our intentional focus on equity and inclusion promotes and sustains resilience in times of crisis.
Faculty Affairs supports faculty resilience by
- Valuing and supporting quality higher education that promotes radical and nimble thinking that fosters resilience in people, families, and communities;
- Facilitating the University Chairs’ Council and communicating about ongoing and emergent issues of concern and interest to faculty; and
- Serving on the Faculty Affairs Committee to review and consult on policy revisions to match retention, tenure, and promotion policies with the variety of current and future faculty roles, including embracing work that may not fit traditional models.
Source: https://planning.sfsu.edu/