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:

1. Increasing the number of graduates while maintaining academic rigor and quality
2. 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!

The end of June will mark the end of our 2011-2016 long-range plan. This was the fourth long-range plan at Missouri State University. As you know, our fifth long-range plan has been developed, and we will begin to implement that plan on July 1.

Celebrate our successes, plan for the future

The theme of the 2011-2016 long-range plan was “Fulfilling Our Promise.” We thought the end of one plan and the start of another provided a great opportunity to report on the university’s progress over the past five years. You can see the full report on the website, and a full printed version of the report titled “Promises Fulfilled” will be available throughout campus and mailed to university stakeholders.

Highlights from the report include:

• The Springfield campus grew enrollment in each of the past five years, setting a new record each year
• An increase from 21.87 percent to 46.35 percent in undergraduate students who participated in High Impact Educational Experiences like active research with a faculty member, study away, internships and service learning opportunities
• An increase from 2,323 students to 2,726 students from historically underrepresented groups as well as an increase from 18 percent to 20 percent in students that are international or from historically underrepresented groups and from 12 percent to 14 percent in faculty and staff that are international or from historically underrepresented groups
• An increase from 42 to 72 degree programs offered through alternative pathways and an expansion of online programs to constitute 14 percent of Missouri State’s annual credit hours
• Adding nine new graduate programs, including two professional doctorates and a cooperative PharmD program with UMKC
• A major redesign of the general education program, emphasizing the public affairs mission and integrating student learning outcomes
• Restructuring the honors program to include opportunities for upper division coursework
• Completing a campus and community climate study
• Missouri State faculty produced 156 books, 1097 journal articles, 251 chapters and 255 creative works
• Achieving a ten-year reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission
• Significant upgrades to the university’s physical plant, including projects like the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center, Bond Learning Center, Foster Recreation Center, O’Reilly Clinical Health Sciences Center, McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall, Brick City, Greenwood Science Scholars Lab, and renovations of Ellis, Glass, and Pummill halls as well as Plaster Stadium and athletic and recreation fields throughout campus
• An increase in networking bandwidth on campus from 413 Mb to 6 Gb, in the percentage of buildings with wireless coverage from 35 percent to 100 percent, and in Level III technology enhanced classrooms from 113 to 283
• Tuition has risen less than inflation, meaning it is less costly to attend Missouri State University now than it was when the 2011-2016 long range plan went into effect

These kind of successes do not come without important contributions from everyone on the team. I want to personally say thank you to each and every member of our faculty and staff for working hard and remaining committed to the University’s mission.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!