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ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
University Goal
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To become the best comprehensive state
university in the Upper Midwest,
recognized by our peers
as a leader in our region
Distinctive Characteristics
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Accessibility that leads to success
SCSU will become distinctive by providing access to high quality education with
a commitment to individual student success.
Character that reflects our region
SCSU will become distinctive by offering an array of programs that reflect the
character of our region with a commitment to meeting the needs of our
community.
Education that drives knowledge into action
SCSU will become distinctive by preparing our students for success in work and
life through integrated learning and the expert and innovative application of
knowledge.
A portfolio of distinctive programs
SCSU will become distinctive by building on our prominent programs with the
addition of new programs that hold the greatest promise of contributing to our
future success.
SCSU’s Strategic Action Plan
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Strategic Action Plan Presentation
www.stcloudstate.edu/actionplanning/default.asp
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St. Cloud State University Strategic Action Plan
CREATE AND FOSTER A
COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS
Implementation Plan: Oct. 31 draft
Development history
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Faculty Research Work Group
[Sharon Cogdill, Lakshmaiah Sreerama, Kristi Tornquist,
Frances Kayona, Mary Edwards, Jim Knutson-Kolodzne,
Jodi Kuznia, Lowell Hellervik]
Management Team review: Sept. 29, 2008
Strategic Planning Committee review: Oct. 9, 2008
Campus review and feedback: Nov. 3, 2008
Completion timeline
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Campus review concludes: Nov. 13, 2008
Management team review: Nov. 14, 2008
Strategic Planning Committee review: Dec. 11, 2008
Community of Scholars implementation plan
completed and distributed: Jan. 14, 2009
Vision Statement
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As a community of scholars, St. Cloud State University will:
Recognize scholarship as central to our mission
Our university will value, reward, and celebrate scholarship, and regard successful scholarship as a contribution
to our entire community. Our most active and influential scholars will be recognized as leaders in our community,
and we will offer the intellectual work of our campus as evidence of our excellence among our peers. Our
university will promote the importance of scholarship in the educational experience of our undergraduate and
graduate students, and we will engage our students with faculty scholarship whenever possible.
Promote scholarship in service to our community
Our university will strategically support scholarly projects that improve our region, our understanding of it, and
the quality of life of its residents while, at the same time, respecting the scholarship of faculty who choose
different communities to serve.
Uphold academic practices that support graduate and undergraduate education
Our university will foster the practices and kinds of scholarship that support education at both the graduate and
undergraduate levels with graduate assistantships and the assignment of workload consistent with best practices
for graduate and undergraduate education.
Support forms of scholarship that fulfill our public mission
Our university will accept scholarship as broadly defined by Boyer. Our scholarship portfolio will reflect the
disciplinary differences of our faculty and our mission as a state comprehensive university .
Strategic Initiative CS1:
Create the social and institutional infrastructure to enhance
scholarship
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Action Item
Responsibility
Develop a University Scholarship Council (USC) and define its charge clearly
Provost
Dean, Graduate Studies
Faculty Association
USC, Deans
Departments
Faculty Association
Beginning with discussion in departments, clearly define scholarship expectations
within the context of the IFO contract
Initiate a university-wide discussion of professional-development fund rollover based
on an overview of existing department policies
USC, AVP for Research
Faculty Association
Analyze business and institutional processes for potential barriers to scholarship
activities
Develop incentive and reward structure that encourages active scholarship and
celebrates leaders in the university
USC
Faculty Association
Provost, USC
Faculty Association
Reshape the role of the Assistant Vice President for Faculty Development
Develop infrastructure, policies and guidelines for comprehensive intellectual
property program
Expand library collections and resources
Investigate the development of an interactive system for collecting and representing
the full spectrum of faculty workload with sufficient reporting mechanisms for Article
22 and Article 25
Invest in research infrastructure, including space, equipment, technology and support
Provost
Special Advisor to President
Task Force, Faculty Association
LRTS
AVP for Research
Faculty Association
Develop a clear institutional approach to identifying, welcoming, and supporting
visiting scholars
Create research infrastructure appropriate for each college, including the creation of
research directors
AVP for Research
Faculty Association
AVP for Research
Deans
Comments or
Priority Indication
Strategic Initiative CS2:
Create practices to provide scholarship in service to the
community
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Action Item
Responsibility
Create a clearing house that connects faculty experts with the community
AVP for Research
University Communications
Encourage and foster interdisciplinary centers of service in support of strategic
institutional and community needs
Deans
USC
Link research efforts with Community Engagement proposal for a University
Outreach Center
Provost
Faculty Association
Comments or
Priority Indication
Strategic Initiative CS3:
Develop practices that support graduate education
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Action Item
Responsibility
Develop a University Graduate Council (UGC) and clearly define its charge
Dean, Graduate Studies
Faculty Association
Analyze research requirements in master’s degree and doctoral degree programs
for research incentives and standards
Dean, Graduate Studies
UGC
Faculty Association
Create a new position of Associate/Assistant Dean for School of Graduate Studies
Dean, Graduate Studies
Faculty Association
Analyze and develop equitable policies regarding the effect of graduate advising,
thesis and dissertation work, graduate courses, starred papers, etc., on faculty
workload
Analyze and develop policies and standards regarding the appropriate number and
use of graduate assistants across campus, with the goal of matching assignment to
educational goals
Identify and make recommendations about the obstacles to the development and
implementation of interdisciplinary graduate programs
Dean, Graduate Studies
UGC
Faculty Association
Dean, Graduate Studies
UGC
Faculty Association
Dean, Graduate Studies
Deans
UGC
Faculty Association
LRTS
Investigate the usefulness of an institutional repository for faculty scholarship at St.
Cloud State University and make recommendation
Encourage programs to evaluate appropriate writing requirements for their
disciplines
Provide digital archiving of MS and Ed.D. theses
Dean, Graduate Studies
UGC
Faculty Association
LRTS
Comments or
Priority Indication
Strategic Initiative CS4:
Enhance faculty professional development
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Action Item
Responsibility
Develop a mentoring programs for new and mid-career faculty, for faculty who
want to increase scholarship activity, and for faculty at a professional crossroads
CETL
Promote faculty exchange programs with international partner institutions as part of
faculty sabbaticals
CIS
Develop and expand private support available for faculty professional
development
University Advancement
Develop a systematic approach for the use of sabbaticals to enhance scholarship
Provost
AVP for Research
USC
Faculty Association
Comments or
Priority Indication
Providing feedback
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The current draft of the “Create and foster a community of scholars”
implementation plan can be found at: www.stcloudstate.edu/actionplanning
Include comments in comments section of this document and email to:
strategicplanning@stcloudstate.edu
Send a hard copy of comments to:
Office of Institutional Effectiveness, AS-102
Email comments directly to:
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Strategic Planning Committee: strategicplanning@stcloudstate.edu
Lisa Foss: lhfoss@stcloudstate.edu or
Dan Gregory: ddgregory@stcloudstate.edu
Provide comments to your Strategic Planning Committee representative. See
www.stcloudstate.edu/oie/planning to find your representative