Xavier University
Strategy Prioritization 2015
June 23, 2015
Prepared By:
56 Perimeter Center East, Suite 103
Atlanta, Georgia 30346
770.454.1440
www.leadstrat.com
Practical ● Dynamic ● Interactive
Overview
The University Strategic Planning Committee of Xavier University held a two-hour
session on June 23, 2015 to finalize strategic priorities for the 2015-2016 academic
year. Representatives from Leadership Strategies served as facilitators and
documenters for the session.
Session Agenda
1. Getting started
2. Review recommended priorities
3. Identify action team leaders
4. Review changes to objectives
5. Define next steps
Documentation Contents
This document presents the results of the session as recorded by the facilitator.
Comments appearing in italic represent additions made by the documenter for clarity.
The document includes the following sections.
A. Student Success ........................................................................ 3 B. Faculty and Staff ........................................................................ 4 C. Programs.................................................................................... 4 D. Campus ...................................................................................... 5 E. Financial Stability ....................................................................... 5 F. Reputation .................................................................................. 6 G. Priority Strategies for 2015 ......................................................... 6 H. Next Steps.................................................................................. 8 Page 2
The session started with the team reviewing and refining the work previously done by
work groups to recommend priority strategies in each of the goal areas as follows. The
asterisks indicate the group leader.
Work Group
Goal Area
Ron, Kathleen, Daniel, Marguerite*
A. Student Success
Deidre*, Harris, Nedra
B. Faculty and Staff
Anil*, Stassi, Winston
C. Programs
Tony, Ralph*, Marion
D. Campus
William, Sister Monica, Ed*
E. Financial Stability
Deb*, Kenneth, Joseph
F. Reputation
The final strategies and priorities follow for each goal area.
A. Student Success
Strategies (*-priority)
A1*
Establish and communicate a comprehensive financial literacy
program for Xavier students to aid in financial management, financial
aid and resource allocation.
A2*
Revise the current student advisement process for all students to
ensure that it has an effective mentoring component.
A3
Establish a comprehensive student support program that promotes
academic excellence and quality of life.
A4
Create a comprehensive database of students and graduates
(alumni) using emerging technologies (e.g. social media) and various
data sources to evaluate value of a Xavier education and implement
learnings.
A5
Expand existing early identification programs with graduate and
professional schools to increase the number of students going to
graduate and professional schools.
A6
Expand internships and related experiences to provide opportunities
for experiences in post-graduate careers.
Page 3
B. Faculty and Staff
Strategies (*-priority)
B1
Provide support to faculty and staff to effectively execute appropriate
campus events that align with the mission and goals of the university.
B2
Develop a mechanism for staff members to provide regular input into
university decisions that impact their performance (Action plan:
include satisfaction with facilities).
B3
Provide adequate resources (financial and other) to advance the
scholarly activities of faculty.
B4
Continue the implementation of an institutional professional
development program for staff that will enhance performance in
communication, planning, organization and problem solving.
B5*
Develop an assessment of student satisfaction (e.g., CAT/Faculty
Association student evaluation ranking group) and set baseline to
support objective 2 (with schedule as defined by the action plan).
B6*
Develop through the Research Committee a university-wide
electronic assessment of scholarship and set baseline to support
objective 1 (with schedule as defined by the action plan).
B7*
Examine the staff and faculty compensation and evaluation process
to reflect a more merit-based system, and more transparent with
clarity.
C. Programs
Strategies (*-priority)
C1
Establish relationship with corporations and companies where our
alumni are employed to provide co-curricular experiences
C2*
Establish a Xavier center for continuing studies and distance
education to attract adult population
C3
Utilize incentives (e.g., merit based raises, release time, travel
support, financial resources, etc.) to faculty who are developing
creative programming.
C4
Include questions concerning “program effectiveness and relevance”
in the current academic program review process.
C5
Establish new programs based on surveys of student satisfaction with
current academic programs and desires for new programs; work with
employers to determine current workforce needs of marketplace in all
areas including certificate programs.
C6*
Review all academic programs to determine to ensure their viability
and linkage to the mission of the university– BOARD PRIORITY
Page 4
D. Campus
Strategies (*-priority)
DI*
Develop a comprehensive plan for an annual review of current and
emerging technologies through assessment and strategic
partnerships with vendors (Action plan: include non-academic areas).
D2
Establish partnerships with recreational and entertainment venues to
offer access to facilities not available on campus.
D3*
Establish a prioritized scheduled replacement for furniture, fixtures
and equipment (Action plan: include input from faculty, staff and
students; consider beginning with dormitories).
D4
Utilize the existing processes for faculty and student voice and input
to address site and campus facilities
D5*
Develop a “master” calendar for coordination of all university activities
that will increase awareness and participation by faculty, staff,
students and the community.
E. Financial Stability
Strategies (*-priority)
E1*
Develop and implement enrollment strategies to expand our target
student population (e.g., non-AA; adults) in order to increase
enrollment.
E2
Align faculty and staff size and programs with standard enrollment to
achieve sustainable bottom line.
E3*
Develop and implement a revised enrollment strategy to achieve
enrollment targets that meet operational requirements and includes:
accountability targets for admission counselors and departments;
revised roles from collaborative discussions with departments, alumni
and others; reserve allocations; strategies to drive targets.
E4
Implement finance capital resource strategy to increase capital
resources for renovations, upgrades and deferred maintenance.
E5
Target endowment resources to high priority areas in order to achieve
best value (i.e., ROI and scholarships).
E6*
Diversify non-tuition revenue streams in order to increase net
resources (e.g. increase rentals from convocation center, Animal
Care and Use Facility, residential properties).
E7
Target very wealthy donors and foundations in order to increase
major gifts.
E8
Develop, implement, and enforce realistic objective criteria for
“contracts” with students to pay balances including no carry over from
year to year
Page 5
F. Reputation
Strategies (*-priority)
F1*
Develop program to engage more undergraduate and professional
students in research to increase the number going to graduate and
professional school
F2*
Implement a strategic communication plan for outreach locally,
nationally, and regionally (Action plan: Hold stakeholder focus groups
to help define our key messages. Identify and retain a marketing firm
to develop)
F3
Identify and retain a marketing firm to develop and implement a
strategic communication plan for outreach locally, nationally, and
regionally.
F4
Implement Xavier awards program for high schools to recognize
achievement and to market our value.
F5
Develop and implement an institutional proposal response strategy
each year to focus the efforts of faculty and staff directly on university
needs and priorities for external funding.
F6
Target proposal development efforts on MSI designated federal funds
to take full advantage of the current political push for more federal
research dollars to go to minority serving institutions and to build
infrastructure and programs that will improve our competitiveness for
future non-MSI designated federal funding.
G. Priority Strategies for 2015
The following strategies were defined as priorities for 2015. The first name next to each
strategy indicates the team leader for developing the action plan for that strategy. To
assist the teams in developing action plan, following the session, the facilitator identified
potential deliverables for each action plan. These are shown in italic. It is important
that the action team leaders confirm or revise the deliverables proposed. Action plans
are due as defined in the next steps.
A1*
A2*
B5*
Strategy
Assigned to
Establish and communicate a comprehensive
financial literacy program for Xavier students to
aid in financial management, financial aid and
resource allocation.
Ralph
Revise the current student advisement process
for all students to ensure that it has an effective
mentoring component.
Anil,
Marguerite
Develop an assessment of student satisfaction
(e.g., CAT/Faculty Association student
evaluation ranking group) and set baseline to
support objective 2 (with schedule as defined
by the action plan).
Page 6
Deliverables



Harris,
Deidre


Program design
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed

Revised program
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed



Assessment developed
Assessment implemented
Baseline established
Strategy
Assigned to
Deliverables
B6*
Develop through the Research Committee a
university-wide electronic assessment of
scholarship and set baseline to support
objective 1 (with schedule as defined by the
action plan).
Deidre,
Stassi



Assessment developed
Assessment implemented
Baseline established
B7*
Examine the staff and faculty compensation
and evaluation process to reflect a more meritbased system, and more transparent with
clarity.
Nedra


Revised program
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed
Establish a Xavier center for continuing studies
and distance education to attract adult
population
Marguerite,
Anil
C2*




Center design and
approval
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed
C6*
Review all academic programs to determine to
ensure their viability and linkage to the mission
of the university– BOARD PRIORITY
Sister
Monica,
Deidre



Review designed
Review executed
Results presented and
approved by Board
DI*
Develop a comprehensive plan for an annual
review of current and emerging technologies
through assessment and strategic partnerships
with vendors (include non-academic areas).
Tony

Comprehensive plan and
review process designed
First review executed
Results presented and
approved
Establish a prioritized scheduled replacement
for furniture, fixtures and equipment (include
input from faculty, staff and students; consider
beginning with dormitories).
Joseph,
Marion
Develop a “master” calendar for coordination of
all university activities that will increase
awareness and participation by faculty, staff,
students and the community.
Marion,
Deidre
Develop and implement enrollment strategies to
expand our target student population (e.g., nonAA; adults) in order to increase enrollment.
Deb
Develop and implement a revised enrollment
strategy to achieve enrollment targets that meet
operational requirements and includes:
accountability targets for admission counselors
and departments; revised roles from
collaborative discussions with departments,
alumni and others; reserve allocations;
strategies to drive targets.
Winston
Diversify non-tuition revenue streams in order
to increase net resources (e.g. increase rentals
from convocation center, Animal Care and Use
Facility, residential properties).
Deb, Ralph
D3*
D5*
E1*
E3*
E6*

















Page 7
Process designed and
approved
Schedule developed
First year schedule
executed
Calendar design
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed
Strategies identified and
budgets approved
Strategies executed
Results reported
Strategies identified and
budgets approved
Strategies executed
Results reported
Diversification plan
developed and approved
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed
Strategy
F1*
F2*
Assigned to
Deliverables
Develop program to engage more
undergraduate and professional students in
research to increase the number going to
graduate and professional school
Dave,
Director
Undergraduat
e Research



Program design
Implementation and
communications plan
Plan executed
Implement a strategic communication plan for
outreach locally, nationally, and regionally
(Action plan: Hold stakeholder focus groups to
help define our key messages. Identify and
retain a marketing firm to develop)
(Delayed until
department
leader is
hired)


Plan developed
Plan executed
H. Next Steps
The participants identified several actions as necessary to ensure follow-up on the
session's results.
Action
1. Recommend deliverables for each strategy
Assigned to
Michael
Due Date
Done
2. Determine under which goal area the current
A4 strategy should reside
Ron
6/30/15
3. Discuss with President possibility of a person
to lead strategy F2 (communication plan)
Ron, Ralph
6/30/15
4. Complete action plans
Action plan
leaders
9/30/15
Page 8