Zora Mulligan and John Jasinski will present an update on the university’s two-year transformation plan to the Board of Governors this week.

In 2022-2023, the plan will focus on preparing the university to meet two critical challenges:

1. The need for academic agility to ensure long-term institutional success.
2. The need to return to a trend of positive enrollment growth.

The university has created two steering teams to guide and consult on this work — the Academic Disruptors Steering Team (ADST) and the Enrollment Steering Team (EST).

What is the Academic Affairs Continuous Agility Process (CAP)

I tasked Zora, John and the ADST with creating a process to modernize academic affairs.

To meet this challenge, they have created an Academic Affairs Continuous Agility Process (CAP).

The CAP is a systematic and ongoing process to keep academic affairs fresh, relevant and market-savvy. The process is designed to be continuous and agile as work streams can be inserted into the system as needed and cyclically.

The ADST will oversee the CAP this year with input from the deans’ team and other stakeholders.

In the short term they will:

• Provide oversight in adjusting and aligning academic administration.
• Address academic program assessments.
• Produce balanced budget recommendations that include cuts and reinvestments.
• Realign to improve and synergize.
• Fix some less-than-optimal processes.

You can find more information about the CAP — including guiding principles, base phases for the five CAP work streams, and 2022-2023 CAP outputs — in the handout that will accompany Zora and John’s presentation to the board.

Driving enrollment growth

Enrollment is a critical, immediate priority that must be addressed through a series of initiatives related to admissions, scholarships, employer partnerships and student success.

The culture around recruitment and retention is also a long-term issue that requires system-level transformation.

The EST is leading efforts to develop long-term system-level changes that will:

• Develop a culture of successful execution and continuous improvement.
• Get a structure in place to enhance MSU’s ability to meet its annual and long-term goals.
• Make sure that decisions align with the university’s enrollment priorities.

Given the immediate importance of enrollment, the EST is also a series of strategic enrollment initiatives designed to drive growth this academic year and next fall. You can find a current list of these initiatives on the draft 2022-23 Strategic Enrollment Initiatives Placemat.

Among the most significant early actions are the decisions to:

• Establish the MoState Access Scholarship, a Pell Grant gap-filler aimed at recruiting students from Springfield and the Ozarks region.
• Hire new enrollment management consultants.
• Update the university’s strategy for buying the names and contact information for prospective students.

You can find more information about the EST’s work and the university’s strategic enrollment initiatives in the handout that will accompany Zora and John’s presentation to the board.

Nominate a staff colleague by Nov. 11

Finally, I want to encourage you to recognize your colleagues who have done exceptional work.

The Staff Excellence in University Service Award recognizes excellence in service to the university among staff employees. Through this award, the university recognizes staff who strive to do their jobs well on a daily basis, who go beyond the call of duty in a special situation, and who have contributed in a significant way to the success of the university.

Each year, up to six full-time staff receive this award (which includes a one-time $1,500 award for full-time staff).

We have made a recent change to the award. This year, up to three part-time staff will also receive this award (which includes a one-time $750 award for part-time staff).

Currently enrolled students, employed staff, faculty or administrators are encouraged to nominate full-time and part-time staff employees for the Excellence in University Service Awards.

The deadline to nominate a staff member is Nov. 11. You can review the selection criteria and complete a nomination form on the Staff Excellence in University Service Award webpage.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!