Academic Strategic PlanOverview

September, 2009

Short overview of ASP Committee work

Presentation of Strategic Initiatives

Mechanisms to provide input in the next phases of the planning process

C. Brewer: Senate Presentations, Sept 2009

ACADEMIC STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

• Carol Brewer, Chair• Committee Members - Barry Brown,

Blakely Brown, Perry Brown, Ray Carlisle, Sarah Cullison, Reed Humphrey, Stephen Kalm, Andrew King-Ries, Peggy Kuhr, Mark Medvetz, Jakki Mohr, Sean Morrison, Bill Muse, Andrew Ware

CONTEXT FOR ACADEMIC STRATEGIC PLANNING AT UM• Foundation for upcoming

Accreditation process• Identify key issues and opportunities to

address over the next five years• Guide for prioritization and decision

making

GOALS OF STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

• Develop up-to-date and ambitious Academic Strategic Plan

• Decision-making guide over the next five years. • Align with the Mission and Core Values of UM• Complement, inform and be informed by other

planning efforts at UM (including at unit level)• Inform how we focus resources and energy on key

issues• Complement work for accreditation visit • Help us build an even more effective university

MAJOR STEPS IN STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

• Organization - Spring 2008– Define process– Plan for coordination with Accreditation

• Environmental Scan - Summer and Fall 2008– Develop background information (data, reports, etc.) and

context for the Academic Strategic Plan– Prepare first report to be presented at the beginning of new

academic year

• Identify Strategic Issues - Early Winter 2008– Key issues to address in plan– Align with UM mission and vision

MAJOR STEPS, continued• Campus Forums & Feedback - Spring 2009

– Prioritization of Strategic Issues Based on Campus Feedback

• Strategic Goal Setting - Spring 2009– Define goals and indicators for each strategic issue

• Articulate Key Actions - Spring and Summer 2009– Identify a set of clear actions to achieve strategic goals– Articulate resources needed for achieve goals

• Campus Review of Draft Plan - Aug and Sept 2009• Develop Annual Review Plan - Sept and Oct 2009

– Timeline and process for campus input and discussion of plan annually

– Metrics for annual review of progress toward implementation

• Publication of Academic Strategic Plan - Oct 30, 2009

ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN

• Focused on both internal and external influences • Internal Scan Areas - UM student body, access and

affordability, the UM work force related to Academic Affairs, academic programs offered, technological capabilities and funding trends

• External Scan Areas - demographic trends, technology, trends in K-12 that reach into higher education, economic environment, political and regulatory environment, defining our competitors, natural resource issues, and international factors

EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF DATA GATHERED

• System-wide published strategic plans • Reports of trends and expectations for higher education

in Montana and beyond (economic, demographic, policy, etc.)

• Unit operating plans from 2007 • Data on enrollment, retention, cost of education, time

to graduation, the workforce, diversity, research and creative activity, demographic trends, and so on

• Interviews of individuals with particular expertise related to the environmental scan

• Targeted campus stakeholders responded to short survey

ASPIRATIONS FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT UM - in 5 years…

• UM will be known for having an exciting and stimulating intellectual atmosphere for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff, for example,– UM will be renowned for an intellectually exciting and

distinctive undergraduate experience that is integrated across the curriculum and prepares students for addressing the big questions that we face as a global society.

– UM will provide a world-class experience for graduate students.– UM will be a leader in two- and four-year education, offering

academic, professional/technical, transfer, and workforce programs that address the needs of diverse student populations and regional employers.

– UM will be a recognized regional leader in online and distance education.

– UM will have faculty and students who are globally connected and engaged.

ASPIRATIONS, continued

• UM will be well along the path to becoming a major research university with an entrepreneurial spirit, and will be a major force in the evolution of Montana’s economy and culture.

• UM will achieve/maintain an optimum intellectual and real world blend of the arts, sciences, and cultural experiences for a truly interdisciplinary and collaborative campus.

• UM will be recognized as a leader and innovator in key disciplinary areas, capitalizing on our unique environment and location.

• UM will be the leader in Montana in diversity and will be a major force in the diversification of both the workforce and student body.

• UM will have an all-encompassing, seamless information technology environment for all aspects of teaching, learning, and research.

STRATEGIC ISSUES TO ADDRESS TO

ACHIEVE OUR ASPIRATIONS a. The Undergraduate Experience - create a world class curriculum and

mindfully connect teaching and learning to best deliver this curriculum; this requires that we know who we are we preparing, what we are preparing them to do, and how best to retain them and prepare them to be successful.

b. Development of COT/Community Colleges in Montana – better articulation and synergy.

c. Articulation Between K-12 and Higher Education in Montana– including dual enrollment, teacher certification and in-service professional development, addressing deficiencies in preparation, and consistent outreach from UM to K-12 schools in Montana.

d. Enabling Technology for Teaching and Scholarship – how technology is funded and managed, looking toward the future of devices and web 2.0; paying attention to training, nimbleness.

STRATEGIC ISSUES, Continuede. Perceptions and Reality of the Cost of Education versus the

Value of Education at UM – who has access, addressing affordability; better branding and communication with stakeholders (in MT and beyond) of our scholarship and community service.

f. A Coherent Vision for Research, Creativity, and Scholarship g. Strengthening Communication and Transparency h. Workplace Conditionsi. Cultivate Graduate Programs - attract excellent students and

prepare them to make scholarly and creative contributions in their field; curriculum and research opportunities matched to our current reputation, student demand, and that capitalizes on our location; enhanced stipends and in-state status.

j. Diversity k. The Changing World Around Us – attention to international

programs and exchanges, research, key languages sustainability, interdisciplinarity, demographics, globalization, economies.

l. Achieving Optimal Enrollment – what is optimal for UM and for the educational experience we value.

Town Hall Meeting ScheduleTOPIC DATE TIME LOCATION

Issues Prioritizing Fri Feb 6 1:10-2:30 PM   UC 330

Strategic

Undergraduate Tues Feb 10     3:30-5:00 PM   UC 330

Education

Graduate Wed Feb 18 12:00-1:30 PM   UC 326

Education

Research, Fri Feb 20     2:00-3:30 PM   UC Theater

Creativity & Scholarship

Technology Wed Feb 25 12:00-1:30 PM UC 330

International Fri Feb 27 1:10-2:30 PM UC326

Connections/Engagement

Strategic Initiatives for Academic Affairs

• FIRST INITIATIVE – Cultivate Learning and Discovery in Undergraduate Education

• SECOND INITIATIVE - Cultivate Learning and Discovery at the Graduate Level

• THIRD INITIATIVE - Create a Coherent Vision for Research and Creative Scholarship

• FOURTH INITIATIVE - Build Community through Engagement and Outreach

• FIFTH INITIATIVE - Embrace Diversity and Global Engagement

• SIXTH INITIATIVE - Improve the Workplace Environment

1 - Cultivate Learning and Discovery in Undergraduate Education

• Goal 1 - Create a College of Discovery to offer a distinctive first year curriculum to all incoming students focused around Big Questions that address challenges of the 21st century. This first year will be followed by invigorated major courses of study that link learning and discovery.

• Goal 2 – Fully integrate the College of Technology into the fabric of UM.

• Goal 3 - Improve undergraduate advising at all levels.

2 - Cultivate Learning and Discovery at the Graduate Level

• Goal 1 – Enhance graduate education, spanning research and professional programs, to transform the intellectual atmosphere at UM and create significant cultural and economic impacts in Montana.

• Goal 2 - Create a stimulating and supportive environment for graduate students that facilitates learning and positive outcomes for Montana.

• Goal 3 - Increase the proportion of graduate students enrolled to between 25-30% of all students at UM.

• Goal 4 - Increase Regional, National and International Awareness of UM graduate programs.

3 - Create a Coherent Vision for Research and Creative Scholarship

• Goal 1 - Work with the Research Office to implement a planning process to chart a coherent vision for research and creative activity across all Colleges and Professional Schools, and to identify and build areas of distinction.

• Goal 2 - Build and maintain appropriate infrastructure and resources to support and foster research and creative activity.

• Goal 3 – Transform discovery into application in the service of society and to stimulate the Montana economy.

• Goal 4 - Support research, scholarship, and creative activities across the natural and exact sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, and enhance opportunities for interdisciplinary connections.

4 - Build Community through Engagement and Outreach

• Goal 1 - Expand the array of educational programs relevant to traditional and nontraditional students, professionals, and the general workforce – in Montana’s urban and rural areas and beyond - by enhancing effective access to UM (including COT) courses.

• Goal 2 - Respond to the growth in demand for educational opportunities for adult learners, including returning veterans, displaced workers, professionals seeking additional training, and older adults.

• Goal 3 - Enhance outreach and continue to expand partnerships with the K-12 sector to develop concurrent programs and to improve continuation rates of Montana high school graduates.

• Goal 4 - Develop an Academic Affairs communications and outreach plan that enables UM’s Colleges and Professional Schools to better tell our story, both within our campuses and beyond.

5 - Embrace Diversity and Global Connections

• Goal 1 - Provide a dynamic educational environment by respecting, welcoming, encouraging and celebrating diversity in all its forms.

• Goal 2 - Ensure access for American Indians and foster the preservation of the cultural integrity of American Indians.

• Goal 3 - Correct inequities that persist from the historical exclusion of underrepresented populations.

• Goal 4 - Enhance international learning and research opportunities for faculty and students.

6 - Improve the Workplace Environment

• Goal 1 - Improve the work-life quality of the faculty and staff in Academic Affairs.

• Goal 2 - Create a campus climate that actively supports sustainability, including environmental responsibility, sustainable operations, and stewardship in our community.

• Goal 3 - Maximize technological innovations.

NEXT STEPS• Campus Review of Draft Plan - Sept 2009

– Provide Feedback to any committee member or send to carol.brewer@umontana.edu

– Plan is available of Faculty Senate Website

• Action from Senate requested is an endorsement of the plan after members have had time to review it

• Fine tuning of plan, and development of metrics for annual evaluation in October 2009

• Publication of Academic Strategic Plan - Oct 30, 2009

• Move from Planning to Implementation: 2010 - 2014