This is the first year of our new long-range plan entitled Implementing the Vision. As we discussed throughout the process of developing the long-range plan, the university will implement it with university-wide and unit-level action plans that will be updated annually.
Over the summer, Administrative Council and Academic Leadership Council began to develop the university-wide action plan for the coming year. A draft action plan was presented to the Board of Governors at its summer meeting, and the board made several suggestions. Since then, we have met with various groups and solicited additional suggestions from a number of units within the university.
The action plan is now final and posted online.
Identifying two focal points
As part of the annual planning process, it became clear that certain critical goals established by the long-range plan were so closely tied to the university’s mission that they merited particular attention. So the university established two areas of focus for the 2016-21 timeframe:
- Increasing the number of graduates while maintaining academic rigor and quality
- Enhancing campus diversity and inclusion
The university will devote significant time and resources in the coming years to move the university forward in these two areas.
You will note that the majority of the items in the Action Plan relate to these two areas.
Making the metrics count
The university must be held accountable in successfully implementing its long-range plan. We are in the process of finalizing measurable goals (i.e., metrics) to ensure that progress is made in the areas of focus, as well as the six key areas.
You may have read about the university’s focus areas and measurable goals in a recent front-page story of the Springfield News Leader. However, the measurable goals are not yet finalized. They will be finalized in October after we receive official census data on the student body entering the university this fall. They will include specific numerical targets on:
- The number of degrees and certificates awarded annually
- Overall undergraduate graduation rate
- Overall freshman to sophomore retention rate
- Undergraduate graduation rates for Pell-eligible, first generation and underrepresented students
- Freshman to sophomore retention rates for Pell-eligible, first generation and underrepresented students
- Percentage of faculty and staff that are international or members of historically underrepresented populations
The university will evaluate progress in meeting these goals each year when it reviews its annual action plan.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!