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APSU STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-2025
ONE-HOUR WORKSHOP WORKBOOK
Figure A: APSU Strategic Plan 2015-2025 Visualization
Understanding the APSU Strategic Plan for 2015-2025
The APSU strategic plan supports the goals and metrics of the Tennessee Board of
Regents’ strategic plan. The inner circle of Figure A reflects the four TBR areas, in
grey, that shape the goals and objectives of APSU. The goals and objectives of APSU
align with those of TBR and are supported by the APSU ‘Core Values’ in the external
(red) ring. These Core Values are pulled from the APSU Mission and Vision
statements, the Strengths, Opportunities and Knowledge Survey of 2014 and from
conversations with campus and external community members. The outer ring is
currently a work in progress and will be finalized after units and departments have
had a chance to provide feedback via the strategic planning process.
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Exercise 1: Core Values
Core values are usually single words that embody the ‘who’ or ‘what’ your unit or department is at its
core. These words should be distilled ideas or concepts from your mission and vision statement and
should reflect the essence of your beliefs and aspirations for your unit or department. Take a
moment to fill in five Core Values for your unit or department in the wheel above. Remember, you
can look back at the example in Figure A.
Unit or Department Name
-------------------------------------------------------
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Exercise 2: SWOT Analysis
One of the first steps to creating a strategic plan is to complete a Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis related to your ability to obtain the projected future
state in your mission and vision statements.
Strength: These are internal in origin and reflect areas that your unit or department may
excel in to help achieve the mission/vision.
Weakness: These are internal in origin and reflect areas that need improvement in your unit
or department to meet your mission/vision.
Opportunity: These are external and reflect potential for growth or success for your
mission/vision.
Threat: These are external and reflect potential roadblocks (political, social, economic, fiscal
etc.) that could prevent achievement of your mission/vision.
Fill in the chart by listing short phrases in each area related to your unit or department mission and
vision. The next step would be to create an action plan to take advantage of Opportunities as well as
minimize the threats to your unit or department success in meeting your mission/vision.
Internal
Helpful
Harmful
(S)trength
(W)eakness
(O)pportunity
(T)hreat
Origin
External
Origin
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Exercise 3: Goals and Objectives Part A
APSU Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 1: Enrollment Growth (Support the Drive to 55 and APSU Growth)
o 13,000 in five years and grow incrementally to 15,000 over the next five years.
o Normalize Enrollment Base
 International
 Graduate
 In State (Further than 50> Mile Radius)
 Out of State
o Diversify Delivery Methods
 Online
 Hybrid
 Extended
 Dual
 Middle College
 PELP
 Honors
o Student Success (Retention/Progression/Graduation Rates)
 Increase retention rate to support growth
 First Time Full Time Freshmen
 Traditional (Younger than 25 years of age)
 Non-Traditional (25 years of age or older)
 Military Related
 Fort Campbell
Goal 2: Sustainability (Build Infrastructure to support Growth)
o Create revenue streams not tied directly to enrollment eg.
 Grants
 Patents
 Donors Funding
 Foundation
 Capital Campaign
o Create environment of responsibility/accountability eg.
 Data informed decision-making
 Cost Studies
 Budget joined with Strategic Plan
o Information Technology
o Campus Master Plan and Downtown Expansion
o Risk Management
Goal 3: Diversity (Support Diversity Initiatives and Best Practices)
o Engagement
o Inclusion
o Achievement
o Composition
Goal 4: Communication and Branding (Build Brand/Culture/Community)
o Unified Communication Strategy for Branding/Social Media/Promotion
o Identified assessment and tracking of metrics for impact of strategy
o Engage community and stakeholders to support communication/branding
o Create/Share Annual Reports of Budgets/Fundraising and other Strategic Plan
Progress
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Exercise 3: Goals and Objectives Part B
In plain language, a goal is what you are seeking to achieve. Objectives are how you will
reach the goal.
Example:
What will you achieve (Goal)?
We will create 1 new concentration and two new graduate programs.
How will you do it (Objectives)?
1. We will analyze the current offerings and do an analysis of future
workforce needs in the discipline in the first year of the cycle.
2. We will create and submit the new concentration in year 2 of the
cycle.
3. We will create and submit the first program in year 3 of the cycle
and the second program will be created and submitted in year 5 of
the cycle.
Based on your SWOT, what are some possible Goals and Objectives for supporting each of
the Goals areas for the university provided in the Goals and Objectives Part A? Make sure
your Goals are clear and concise. Be sure your goals and objectives are clear, concise and
related to the Core Values you created in Exercise 2.
Goal 1: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 1:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 2:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 3:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Goal 2: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 1:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 2:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 3:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Goal 3: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 1:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 2:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 3:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Goal 4: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 1:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 2:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Objective 3:___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please contact Strategic Initiatives to obtain a full workbook copy to use with your unit or department in the
strategic planning process. Strategic Initiatives is also available to conduct workshops on request as well as
answer any questions related to the Strategic Planning process. http://www.apsu.edu/strategic-initiatives
Office of the Vice President for
Derek van der Merwe
Kathrine Bailey
Advancement, Communication and
Vice President
Strategic Initiatives
Strategic Initiatives
Email: vandermerwed@apsu.edu
Email: baileyk@apsu.edu
Phone: 931-221-7990
Email: ACSI@apsu.edu
Phone: 931-221-7989