March 21, 2013
Dear Mines Community:
On March 8, 2013 we formally announced a strategic planning exercise for the campus. This
announcement included the times for four open forums that will be held as a part of the strategic
planning exercise and also indicated that we would publish “pre-forum” reading material for
participants. Within today’s announcement, we provide instructions for signing up for the campus
forums and we also have attached the “pre-forum” reading material.
The forums are intended to engage the campus community in an overall discussion about our shared
future and how to set a continued course for campus success. We invite participation from all
employees and ranks (faculty and staff) as well as from the student leadership. Please find the time in
your busy schedules to come to one of the forums and offer your insights.
The following link takes you to the registration site for the forums; we are using the registration process
to limit attendance to approximately sixty people per forum. If we find that we have not provided a
sufficient number of “seats” for the forums, we will open additional forums to accommodate the
overflow. The link to the registration site is given below along with the times and locations for the
forums.
Link:
Dates, Times and Locations:
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 5:15 PM
Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 9:30 AM
Wednesday, April 3, 2013at 1:30 PM
April 4, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Attached to this email are three documents intended to set the stage for forum discussions. We
encourage all to carefully read and consider the two documents before attending a forum.
Strategic Planning forum announce.pdf is the announcement that went to the campus on March 8.
Strategic Plan Progress Review.pdf is a document that in two pages attempts to capture the campus as
it was in 2004 and as it is now. The document is organized around the broad themes of the 2004
strategic plan.
MinesataGlance.pdf is a document that states a vision for the campus, summarizes how we measure up
to this vision, and provides some considerations for moving forward from this vision.
Once again, we encourage you to sign up for one of the forums and participate in this planning exercise
for the campus. And finally as always thanks to the faculty, students, and staff on the campus for all
that you do for Mines.
All the Best!
M. W. Scoggins, President
T. E. Parker, Provost
MINES AT A GLANCE
Vision:
The Colorado School of Mines is a world-class institution, continually enhancing its
leadership in knowledge creation, education, services and solutions that serve varied
national and international constituencies – individual and corporate, public and private –
comprehensively, and especially in areas of expertise in engineering and applied science
related to Earth, Energy and Environment.
To be successful in the future, the Colorado School of Mines must
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Enhance the distinction of its undergraduate educational programs,
Raise the stature of its research activities,
Pursue key strategic enterprises that extend Mines’ global brand and
diversify its revenue streams,
Expand its academic infrastructure,
Become a true residential campus, and
Pursue strategies that enable Mines’ future financial security.
How do we measure up to this vision? The Colorado School of Mines:
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Is a small and highly focused institution that offers degree programs and research
products that are recognized and desired by employers, parents, students, media
and external funding agencies for their quality and relevance.
Has long been regionally recognized as leader in education and technology. The shift
toward recognition at a national level is ongoing – as evidenced by increasing nonresident enrollment and rising recognition of our research activities.
Is an institution capable of recruiting high-quality faculty, students, and staff; and is
being driven by the combined efforts of these faculty, students and staff.
Is an institution with strong historic reputation, alumni pride and philanthropic
support, which is rapidly growing this reputation and support beyond its historic
roots. In the developing countries, Mines is viewed positively as an unbiased entity.
Faculty and staff are strongly connected to a few core industries that provide the
institution diversity of research and philanthropic support, and exceptional
employment opportunities for graduates.
Is endowed with a beautiful and desirable location and physical plant, but has
limited capacity for additional growth and ongoing improvement to its physical
plant.
Is a public institution that, despite having faced significant declines in state funding
is financially sound, but with a limited financial resource base.
Is hampered in its effectiveness by limited administrative and technical support that
directly impact faculty productivity and by administrative and business practices
that have not evolved to match the growing complexity of the institution.
What will shape our ability to achieve this vision in the future? The Colorado School
of Mines:
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Must be able to exploit the value of its degree programs so that it may compete
effectively with private institutions for top-quality students, staff and faculty.
While retaining public status, Mines must operate as a private institution in terms of
its business model. It must increase its endowment so that it can become less
dependent on tuition revenue. It must manage debt as a private institution. It must
deliver services to its students and faculty that are competitive with private
institutions.
Must recognize and embrace new pedagogical models and delivery systems.
Must be able to exploit the importance and relevance of its focus areas in both a
national and global market place.
Must make strides toward enhancing the diversity of its student body, faculty and
administrative staff.
Must allow itself to be transformed by young, energetic faculty pursuing excellence
within our traditional areas and establish new areas of excellence that will further
enhance Mines relevance, reputation and marketability.
Must, despite campaigns to actively recruit and hire energetic young faculty, keep
pace in terms of faculty numbers and faculty diversity.
Must understand if/how its relatively small size furthers or limits how it achieves its
vision.
Must be able to exploit the synergies available to an institution with a tradition of
delivering high-quality undergraduate education and with a thriving and growing
research enterprise.
Must successfully navigate the changing world in which it operates (e.g., state and
federal limitations on tuition, reduction in federal sponsorship of research, changing
student demographics, changing student profile (e.g., more non-traditional students,
more transfer students) and changes in the level of student preparedness).
Given its limited room to expand its debt burden, Mines must proactively plan for 1)
needed capital infrastructure investments, 2) needed investments that assure young
faculty can be competitive and productive, 3) needed investments to be able to
compete with private institutions for the best faculty and students, and 3) needed
investments to improve its operational and business practices.
Must be able to exploit its expertise, and thereby enhance its brand, reputation and
revenue diversity by embracing professional outreach and on-line opportunities.
Mines at a Glance
March 21, 2013
Page 2 of 2
STRATEGIC PLAN REVIEW
Colorado School of Mines created a 10-year strategic plan in 2004 to promote its global impact as an
engineering and applied science research university focused in the areas of earth, energy, materials,
and the environment. The plan articulated strategies to achieve distinction in undergraduate
education, graduate programs and research, and to enable the institution’s financial security.
President Scoggins convened a campus committee in 2008 to review the plan’s progress and recalibrate the plan as appropriate. The committee made three substantial recommendations. The first
was to reduce the plan’s undergraduate enrollment goal of 4,500, and suggested a new target for
entering new students to be 900 each fall. The committee re-aligned the graduate student mix to
focus more on thesis-based masters and doctoral students in order to support the research goals.
The committee also recommended a goal of 203 to 221 total tenured or tenure track positions by the
2014 fiscal year – a metric that was not articulated in the original plan.
Progress Towards 2004-2014 Strategic Plan Goals
The goals and objectives of the strategic plan and subsequent re-calibration can be summarized in
four key strategies. The following is a list of metrics detailing progress made in achieving those
strategies.
I. Increase Mines’ Distinction as a Premier Global Research University and Grow Graduate
Programs
Metric
Sponsored Research Awards
Graduate Student Enrollment
-PhDs awarded
Notable investments in Research Enterprise
2004
Current
$28.3 MM (Fy04)
$56.5 MM (Fy12)
751 (Fall04)
43 (03-04)
1,343 (Fall12)
80+ (12-13 proj.)
2004
Current
3,119 (Fall04)
2,928 (Fall04)
11,682 (Fall12)
4,062 (Fall12)
23.7%
23.0%
13.3%
38.8%
27.9%
18.3%
• VP of Research office established
• Added $6.4MM to annual graduate student
support budget: non-resident tuition differential,
TA fellowships, and research match fellowships.
• ERC / ReMRSEC research centers support
• High Performance computing
• Proof of Concept Funding
II. Enhance Distinction of Baccalaureate Programs
Metric
Demand:
Freshman Applications
Total Undergrad Enrollment
Quality: Avg. ACT/SAT of Enrolled FR
Diversity: Composition of Enrolled FR
-Non-residents
-Women
-Underrepresented Minority
27 / 1239
29 / 1301
Success: Freshman Retention
81%
89%
Metric
FY 2004
Current (FY12)
Total Revenues (excluding capital)
Net Tuition & Fees
Total State Funding
-College Opportunity Fund Stipends
-General Fund or Fee for Service
$99.0 MM
$26.4 MM
$17.2 MM
$0
$17.2 MM
$197.9 MM
$88.3 MM
$16.3MM
Endowment
Fundraising: Total Dollars Raised
$130 MM
$16.8 MM
$204 MM
$32.6 MM
Residential Campus Programmatic
Development.
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III. Expand Financial Resource Base
17.4%
$6,652
State Funding as % of Total Revenues
State Funding per resident student FTE
Budgeted Faculty Positions (Headcount)
UG Scholarships and Grants
Graduate Support (Fellowships, TAs, RAs)
Expansion of Board of Trustees Authorities
5 Theme Learning Communities (“Houses”).
Freshman Housing Policy
Weekend at Mines.
Center for Academic Services & Advising (CASA).
Leadership Summit.
Recreational sports and wellness programs.
T/TT: 165
Teaching: 24
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$4.3 MM
$1.71 MM
$5.1 MM
$11.2 MM
8.2%
$4,805
T/TT: 211 (FY13)
Teaching 73
$14.58 MM (FY13)
$8.1 MM (FY13)
Full tuition authority beginning FY17.
Establish own procurement and fiscal rules.
Exemption from state’s fleet management,
central services, and risk management.
New academic program approval within role
and mission.
IV. Expand Campus Infrastructure and Capital Assets
Metric
Current
Academic and research facilities built or
renovated.
• Over 250,000 sq. ft. Brown Hall, Marquez Hall,
General classroom wing, CTLM Computing, GRL
build out, Hill Hall Clean Room
Residential campus / student services
facilities built or renovated.
New land acquired.
Strategic Plan Review
March 20, 2013
Page 2 of 2
• Maple Hall, Wright Student Wellness, Center,
Aspen Hall, Athletic Fields, Student Rec Center,
Maple Plaza.
• Golden Ford property, Jones Road apartments,
Parfet property.