Resource Management MS Program
Strategic Planning Outcome Unit Report
2012-2013
A: Please complete the column titled “Outcome Assessment” on your own Unit Strategic
Plan. Complete with as much detail as you can provide. Where you cannot obtain data to
complete the assessment, put “Data not available.” in the space.
Please see attached EXCEL file REMSP Report 11-1-13.
B. Please summarize each of the University’s Five Core Themes from your Unit Strategic Plan
Outcome Assessment report.
Toward which theme(s) did you make progress, and how are students benefitting
from this?
Which theme(s) deserve special attention next year?
As Dean Johnson notes, our REM objectives under Theme 1 were over ambitious. Since last December
Geography has lost a TT position and Anthropology a lost a NTT position. Due to such cuts, lack of
supplemental resources, and the short time frame of this report period ,we have made no progress on
our several Theme 1 objectives. Special attention will be devoted to these objectives in the hope that
responsibility based management will lead to support.
Under Theme 1 (Teaching and Learning) we are continuing to revise and update all course and program
goals, expand working partnerships through internship programs, and increase thesis completion rates.
Better measures are required for this last objective. Conditions established by reduced GA support,
student employment patterns, open admission policies, and URG recruitment plans make yearly
completion indices obsolete. Perhaps a better measure of student success will be thesis completion per
credit hour beyond the 25 credit core.
Also under Theme 1, following the suggestion of Dean Johnson, we are expanding our ideas on the
relationship between GA support, REM student success and undergraduate program enrichment. Special
attention to GA assignments will be made along with the recruitment objectives described below.
Professional participation by REM students remains a strong indicator of program success and CWU has
gained in regional stature based on REM representation at our regional conferences and workshops. A
COTS/Graduate School,(budget based) approach to program planning and evaluating will accomplish
more outcomes than the assessment based approached established under Academic Affairs. Our
program updates and assessment work may yet lead to a portfolio based assessment of student
outcomes.
The REM program made little progress last year in addressing our unit outcomes under the university
core theme of inclusiveness and diversity (Theme 2), either in increasing enrollment by underrepresented groups (URGs) or international students. While we have had a small but significant increase
in African American and Hispanic enrollment, we have had a slow recovery in regaining our traditionally
high enrollment by Native American students after the cancellation of federal funding through the
Native American Fellowship Program. This year we plan to focus on working with CWU’s Graduate
School, Public Relations, Enrollment Management and Student Support Services to create overall
recruitment strategies and materials that in part focus on increasing URG enrollments. In addition, we
plan to help increase inclusivity by developing partnerships with CWU’s Museum and Ethnic Studies
programs to sponsor events and projects related to URGs.
REM faculty and students have made good progress in meeting unit outcomes under the university core
theme of scholarship and creative expression (Theme 3), particularly participation in SOURCE (70%
participation by active REM faculty) and our success rate for submitted grants and contracts (50% higher
than the expected performance level). This year we will work to establish a better reporting method to
set a better baseline and track student-faculty co-authored publications (we especially hope Faculty 180
can be used for this, though better coordination in the timing of activity reports and outcome unit
reports will be needed to accommodate this). In addition, we have added a new unit outcome to
address and track this year: submission of internal and external grant proposals by REM students. This
added objective will require coordination with the Graduate School to better track performance, and
also depends on increasing internal research support for REM students. We feel special attention in this
area will be critical to the proposed revitalization of our Graduate School and the support of facultystudent research collaborations. Also under Theme 3 we all need to devote special attention to:
distribution of project indirect, equipment maintenance, clerical and research staff support, and
sustained reassignment of faculty load. The full success of CSI, CWAS and the future Institute for
Sustainable Energy hang in the balance.
It is difficult to separate REM program progress from the achievements of the Anthropology and
Geography department faculty under Theme 4, enhancing public service and engaging our communities.
There is strong evidence that REM creates extraordinary achievements in general public outreach and
community collaborations through the combined efforts of our faculty and graduate students. Restoring
TT, NTT, and GA positions will build on past and current successes.
REM faculty made good progress in meeting unit outcomes under the university core theme of resource
development and stewardship (Theme 5). In maximizing the financial resources to the university by
revitalizing contract and grant programs, 30% of active REM faculty participated in external grants and
contracts (10% higher than the expected performance level), with total funding levels averaging $23,000
per active REM faculty (just below the expected performance level). In addition, to assist with
developing an enrollment management plan, the REM program developed new advertising and
marketing tools, including updated information on our website as well as a new program flyer
distributed through the internet. This year, further development of new recruitment strategies and
advertising materials will be a primary objective for the REM program. Working in conjunction with
CWU’s Graduate School, Public Relations, Enrollment Management and Student Support Services, REM
faculty will be exploring and implementing several strategies, including further updating our advertising
materials, improving our web presence, exploring new advertising forums and “roadshow”
opportunities, as well as setting up sister program partnerships.
C. How do you intend to utilize the data gathered this year to assist you in developing
stronger programs?
Currently the data provided by Organizational Effectiveness has little relevance to many of the unit
outcomes outlined in the strategic plan to strengthen the REM graduate program. Creating accurate
baselines and tracking performance under many of the unit outcomes will require better coordination
between individual departmental reporting (as several contribute active faculty to the REM program),
the Graduate School, SOURCE, and Faculty 180 (though better coordination in the timing of activity
reports and outcome unit reports will be needed to accommodate this).
D. Based on your learning from this first year report, what parts of your strategic plan will you
modify, add to, or omit for next year? (Please attach an updated Strategic Plan with changes
highlighted.)
Please see attached EXCEL file REMSP Report 11-1-13.
Elements that have been added or changed are in italic print. Changes reflect suggestions made by the
COTS Dean related to his evaluation of last year’s plan, as well as lessons learned trying to address the
outcomes developed for the initial plan.
Primary data needs:
Time to completion/graduation
Demographic data for enrolled students
REM graduate assistantship teaching duties
Graduate student conference participation, co-authored papers/presentations
Faculty grant submissions and success rates
Faculty public outreach activities 9talks and board/commission memberships)
Faculty research contract activity and related funding amounts