TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
CAPITAL UNIVERSITY 2020
A CLEAR VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Embracing New Opportunities
Creating Distinctive Value
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
CAPITAL UNIVERSITY 2020
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
Diversity and Inclusion
Freedom of Inquiry
Calling and Vocation
Democracy and Dissent
Discovery and Engagement
OUR VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE
The Charge
The Process
The White Paper
Grow by Outreach
Redesign by Blending
Invest for Distinction
STRATEGIC POSITIONING & INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
Grow by Outreach
Table 1: Build a Diverse and Global Student Body
Table 2: Partner, Merge and Acquire
Redesign by Blending
Table 3: Implement Hybrid and Distance Delivery
Table 4: Develop Versatile Academic Calendars
Invest for Distinction
Table 5: Promote Auxiliary Programs and Income
Table 6: Emphasize Convergence and Interdisciplinarity
Table 7: Assert High Impact Practices as Our Value Proposition
Table 8: Sustain and Strengthen Recognized Programs
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
A CLEAR VISION FOR THE FUTURE
IMPLEMENTATION
Academic Year 2015-2016
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Thus, our shared work is to embrace new
opportunities and to create distinctive
educational value, while pursuing academic
rigor and ensuring strong institutional
support for all our efforts.
Diversity and Inclusion
Freedom of Inquiry
Calling and Vocation
Democracy and Dissent
Discovery and Engagement
INTRODUCTION
As the evolution and maturation of the higher education landscape continues, Capital University must grow and
shape the future our community desires. Thus, our shared work is to embrace new opportunities and to create
distinctive educational value, while pursuing academic rigor and ensuring strong institutional support for all our
efforts.
To help direct and measure our progress, this document outlines strategic directions, prioritizes key initiatives,
offers an implementation timeline, and reviews the deployment of resources essential to enhancing and sustaining
Capital’s excellence over the next five years.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
MISSION
As always, Capital’s mission provides the essential framework for this endeavor. By drawing upon the Lutheran principle of free inquiry, Capital University
• provides for personal growth by encouraging, enabling, and celebrating learning;
• prepares individuals to be knowledgeable, independent, critical thinkers – educated for lives of leadership and service in an increasingly diverse
society; and,
• inspires individuals to be morally reflective, spiritually alive, and civically engaged.
VALUES
Capital’s academic community embodies values, tested by long experience, which inform our conduct, guide our decision making, and serve as
an unassailable foundation for future plans. This is
what sets us apart.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Diversity and Inclusion
The Lutheran university has long pursued the reform of education. And today we still dare to strive for greater diversity and inclusion. After all, diversity
and inclusion allow us to navigate the world’s complexities by seeing through the eyes of others. Diversity and inclusion prepare us to live and work
collaboratively in a diverse democracy. And diversity and inclusion inform the choices we make. We thus choose equality over inequality, fairness over
injustice, acceptance over intolerance, kindness over cruelty, understanding over ignorance, and compassion over mercilessness.
Freedom of Inquiry
At Capital, we affirm our commitment to intellectual independence and academic freedom while pursuing truth. And educating the whole person, we offer
students the freedom to explore and develop their own personal religious identities and ethical stances.
We choose equality over inequality,
fairness over injustice, acceptance
over intolerance, kindness over
cruelty, understanding over ignorance,
and compassion over mercilessness.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
No matter what careers we choose and no matter what our talents might
be, vocation compels us to serve the needs of both neighbor and world.
Calling and Vocation
At Capital, we also endow our students with a profound sense of vocation. For we believe that all students have a calling
to serve others, especially to do good in the communities beyond our campus gates. In this way, our work is imbued with
meaning, and the common good is served.
Democracy and Dissent
At Capital, we also believe in the value of many voices. So we strive to create good citizens for a strong democracy.
Admittedly, this is no easy task. On the one hand, students must be taught to think alike – to hold fast to the community’s
shared democratic values. On the other hand, students must be taught to think differently – to prize imagination, to reach
for originality, and to seize innovation.
Discovery and Engagement
By combining active scholarship with discovery, application, and service, our faculty realize the University’s mission through
dedicated and transformative teaching. Our faculty also are scholars known for their contributions to their fields – known
by the books they have written, the articles they have published, and the art they have created. Capital’s faculty are, in
fact, expert practitioners – known for their impact on their professional worlds. Through close relationships with individual
faculty, students acquire competence in their disciplines and engage in a myriad of opportunities to explore life’s important
questions about values and vocation.
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
OUR VISION
FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
The Charge
The Process
The White Paper
Grow by Outreach
Redesign by Blending
Invest for Distinction
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
OUR VISION
FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
The Charge
In light of the dramatic changes affecting higher education, Capital Board Chair Dr. Bill Haueisen established
a Task Force on Sustainable Excellence in 2012, with the charge to assess the implications of the changes
for Capital and to identify possible new approaches that would enable the University to thrive in the years
ahead. The work of the task force was designed as a process of strategic thinking to frame new directions
and possibilities for the University. In addition, the task force engaged both the University community and
the Board to evoke the broadest range of ideas on how to address these issues.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
THE
PROCESS
The task force
posed a number
of questions to the
community.
The task force began its work in late fall 2012, undertaking relevant reading and developing a briefing paper on the major elements of the
perfect storm facing higher education. The task force posed a number of questions to the community.
• How does Capital compare with similar (and even dissimilar) institutions in reputable surveys and indices?
• What is Capital’s capacity to address the issues of (a) soaring costs, (b) calls for greater accountability, (c) online learning, (d) reduced ability or
willingness to pay, (e) demographic and generational shifts, and (f) for-profit competition?
• What are the highest-priority issues for Capital to address in the near term future – and why?
• How can we lower costs to students and still secure the revenue necessary to deliver quality programs?
• How can we reduce student revenue without compromising the services provided to students?
• If the university lowers costs, can we sustain the model of providing a very diverse set of offerings or must we develop a more specialized and focused
set of programs?
• How can we educate students moving in and out of our programs on different timelines and still deliver a transformative education?
• How can we define the distinctive value of a Capital education and degree (with its relatively high cost) if our students are not with us for their entire
educational careers?
• How will we have to change our modes of educational delivery and standard practices to adapt to multiple pathway and timeline learners?
• How can we integrate effective online learning experiences with our personalized education in ways that enhance learning and the student experience?
• How will we have to change our infrastructure, faculty deployment and development, and academic policies and programs to effectively adapt to
online learning?
• How can we carve out a distinctive educational experience beyond online learning that is compelling enough that people will want to pay for it?
• How do we redefine and measure educational quality in a world of online learning?
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
• How can we exploit online learning to reduce student costs without compromising educational quality and the distinctive aspects of a Capital
residential education?
• In a world of disaggregated credentials, is our best strategy to multiply credentialing programs vertically (associates degrees, more graduate degrees)
or horizontally (smaller, specialized credential programs at each level)?
• To address disaggregated credentials, would it be more effective to build coalitions and collaborations with a variety of other institutions, or to
multiply credential programs on our own?
• Do we need to include proficiency-based credit to compete in the future?
• How can we fund the anticipated costs of additional regulation without compromising our educational program?
• When every program is measured and judged by common state or national criteria, how can we establish and sustain a distinctive identity in the
educational marketplace?
• What do we have to do to clarify, to demonstrate, and to communicate our educational strengths and distinction against a view that there’s not much
difference among colleges and universities?
• How can we sustain and demonstrate the long-term value of liberal education in a marketplace that considers the degree primarily as a professional credential?
• How should we adapt to market swings that quickly increase or decrease demand for specific professional credentials, whether baccalaureate, or graduate?
• How do we recruit students to liberal arts programs that have no clear and immediate career path, yet offer an essential value for adapting to a variety
of career paths?
• In a market environment, how can we balance liberal and professional education, baccalaureate, and graduate education to our advantage and best
educational value?
• Are there additional areas of demonstrable value in the university experience that we can create or enhance that realize historic educational values?
• Do we need to monitor and track longitudinally every student’s courses, academic performance, and co-curricular activities?
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
THE WHITE PAPER
DURING 2013, THE TASK FORCE CONDUCTED THREE ROUNDS OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
AND THE BOARD, FIRST ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PERFECT STORM, SECOND ON HIGHER EDUCATION
SCENARIOS, AND FINALLY ON POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR CAPITAL. RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS
INFORMED THE BOARD’S CONSIDERATION OF ISSUES, AND SUMMARIES OF ALL DISCUSSIONS WERE POSTED FOR
THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY TO REVIEW AND COMMENT. AT EACH STEP, THE TASK FORCE REVIEWED THE
RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND THEN DEVELOPED THE NEXT DOCUMENT FOR CONSIDERATION. IN FEBRUARY
2014, THE TASK FORCE DISSEMINATED A WHITE PAPER THAT MARKED THE CULMINATION OF THE PROCESS,
PROPOSING A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE BASED ON THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE PAST YEAR.
THE MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE SUSTAINABLE EXCELLENCE WHITE PAPER ARE DESCRIBED BELOW.
Grow by Outreach
The University must grow enrollment by reaching beyond our traditional
institutional profile and by taking our educational programs to new
populations who seek an affordable, non-residential education. Instead of
recruiting students to come to Capital’s residential campus, the University
must now take education out to new students, wherever they are located
geographically. This might include new offerings as well, programs that
are not sustainable on campus but that could thrive if delivered in
different venues. Such growth should not entail proportional expansion
of our infrastructure – an unnecessary and long-term expense. Rather,
it should change the balance of enrollment to infrastructure so students
can readily afford to study and so Capital can generate substantial net
revenue. Moreover, the University should aim to achieve sustainability for
the residential program on its own terms, yielding a reasonable margin
after expenses.
The University must grow enrollment
by reaching beyond our traditional
institutional profile and by taking
our educational programs to new
populations who seek an affordable,
non-residential education.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Redesign by Blending
Leveraging Internet learning opens up an array of possibilities for redesigning academic work by blending. In courses, this may enable faculty to optimize
the balance of in-class and out-of-class learning, perhaps by reducing the number of class meetings or working with individuals and small groups as needed.
In major programs, blended course design and delivery could enable faculty members to focus their engagement with students on higher-order learning
(where it has the greatest impact) while designing more basic learning around online experiences. During their academic careers, students could blend time
on campus with learning time away (whether summer, semester, or year), thereby moderating their costs and diversifying their learning experiences without
falling behind. And for different groups, online learning may provide the primary pathway to a degree or specialty certificate. The Task Force advocates for
personalizing the work by designing a mentorship experience with the instructor as part of the course of study.
Invest for Distinction
Just getting better is not enough in this new environment. Our competitors will be getting better, too. Capital will need something to change that equation
– to stand out in the educational marketplace and become a destination, not just a satisfactory or safe choice. The way to do that is to invest in creating
a distinctive value proposition, one that offers students substantially greater value for their own investment than other institutions do. The focus here is
not on becoming unique in every way, as that is virtually impossible without abandoning the breadth of a liberal education and also limiting the pool of
interested students. Rather, the University has to stand out among competitors for what we do unusually well or differently in comparison to others. Overtly
discussing and striving to achieve a “top 10” regional ranking of excellence should become a targeted metric.
Of course, building distinction must be an intentional process. Most historic distinctions have developed over long periods without design, but to build
distinction in the short run requires focused intent. Investment clearly involves the allocation of resources, and done without sensitivity to the institution as
a whole, allocation can undermine both quality and morale. The key here is to design investment as part of an overall institutional process to build value.
Leveraging Internet learning opens up an array of possibilities for
redesigning academic work by blending.
Just getting better is not enough in this new environment. Our
competitors will be getting better, too. Capital will need something to
change that equation – to stand out in the educational marketplace
and become a destination, not just a satisfactory or safe choice.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING,
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES & METRICS
Grow by Outreach
Table 1: Build a Diverse and Global
Student Body
Table 2: Partner, Merge and Acquire
Redesign by Blending
Table 3: Implement Hybrid and
Distance Delivery
Table 4: Develop Versatile Academic
Calendars
Table 5: Promote Auxiliary Programs
and Income
Invest for Distinction
Table 6: Emphasize Convergence
and Interdisciplinarity
Table 7: Assert High Impact
Practices as Our Value Proposition
Table 8: Sustain and Strengthen
Recognized Programs
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Guided by strategic positioning, these
directions and initiatives will transform
Capital into the premier private higher
education institution for students, faculty,
donors, employees, and employers in
Central Ohio by 2020.
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING,
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
& METRICS
Informed by the three pillars of the white paper – grow by outreach, redesign by blending, and invest for distinction
– the University has now established a new vision with challenging strategic directions and key initiatives. Guided
by strategic positioning, these directions and initiatives will transform Capital into the premier private higher
education institution for students, faculty, donors, employees, and employers in Central Ohio by 2020.
The tables that follow summarize these directions and initiatives as well as offer milestones and metrics to help
measure progress.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 1.
GROW BY OUTREACH: Build a Diverse and Global Student Body
The University will grow enrollment by identifying new student populations. Specifically, the institution will (1) extend international and English as Second
Language (ESL) recruiting; (2) reach new domestic markets for first-year students; (3) develop collaborative degree programs; and (4) continue to promote
academic success, retention and persistence.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Promote academic success, retention, persistence
Continue Foundations of Excellence implementation
Retention and graduation rates
Track retention and persistence for subgroups
Professional licensure
Extend international and ESL recruiting Reach new domestic markets for first-year
students
Customize admission materials for foreign markets
ESL net revenue
Diversify representation from geographic areas International net revenue
Add junior varsity teams
Net revenue of non-Ohio students
Build athletic team rosters that exceed OAC
median
Percent of student-athletes
Adopt institutional D&I plan
Percent of underrepresented students
Implement non-ACT admission pathway
Develop collaborative degree programs and
certificate programs with employers
Develop model for embedded and hybrid delivery
Net revenue of employer programs
Develop integrated marketing communications plans
Number of employer partners
Capital will leverage its existing international programs to infuse global
learning throughout its academic programs and co-curricular offerings.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Capital will leverage its existing international programs to infuse global learning throughout its academic programs and co-curricular offerings. Capital will
broaden opportunities for faculty to teach and conduct research abroad. And by building international relationships, Capital will send more students to
study in other countries and bring more international students back to study on our own campus.
Our values compel us to move in this direction. But so does practicality. After all, we know that in Ohio and throughout the Midwest, the funnel of traditional
students is declining. This means that enrollment growth must come primarily from other student segments. International undergraduates, community
college transfers, professional master’s students, and adult degree completion students offer the best opportunities to grow enrollment and tuition revenue.
Therefore, Capital will also increase enrollment in continuing and professional education as well as in certificate programs.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 2.
GROW BY OUTREACH: Partner, Merge and Acquire
The University will grow enrollment by seeking opportunities to partner, merge, and acquire. The purposes of this work are to (1) extend and identify new
enrollment markets; (2) realize new efficiencies and economies of scale; (3) implement new delivery modalities; and (4) acquire and develop new academic
programs.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Seek strategic alliances from partnerships,
mergers, and acquisitions
Conduct high-level conversations with prospective
institutions
Net revenue from strategic alliances
Develop models for public and private high school
collaboration and pursue possible partnerships
Explore complimentary partnerships that extend
access
Number of new students served from
strategic alliances
Reduction in administrative and
instructional costs per student
Seek alliances that extend curricular offerings
The administration must conduct bold conversations with other institutions, including secondary
schools, community colleges, peer institutions, aspirant institutions, and even competitors to forge new,
previously unimagined, possibilities and enable Capital to provide the most innovative arts, liberal arts,
and professional education in both traditional and emerging modes of delivery.
To grow by outreach is to form strategic alliances, which fall along a continuum from partnership and collaboration to merger and acquisition. By doing so,
we will establish new efficiencies, new economies of scale, new delivery modalities, and new academic programs. In fact, Capital must move beyond transactional to transformational possibilities. The administration must conduct bold conversations with other institutions,
including secondary schools, community colleges, peer institutions, aspirant institutions, and even competitors to forge new, previously unimagined,
possibilities and enable Capital to provide the most innovative arts, liberal arts, and professional education in both traditional and emerging modes
of delivery.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
TABLE 3.
REDESIGN BY BLENDING: Implement Hybrid and Distance Delivery
The University will employ hybrid, distance, low-residency, and experiential delivery to increase
enrollment in summer and non-residential programs. Specifically, the institution will (1) develop
distance and low-residency delivery options for existing and planned graduate and post-baccalaureate
programs; as well as (2) implement alternative and experiential delivery options for residential
students during summer semester.
IMPLEMENTATION
Capital must implement online and
hybrid education. Supporting the
needs of specific student segments,
the University will develop
distance and low-residency
delivery options for existing
and planned graduate and postbaccalaureate programs.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Develop distance and low-residency delivery options
for existing and planned graduate and postbaccalaureate programs
Implement new delivery modalities for graduate
education (including MBA, CNAP, BSN-C, and
MMME), degree completion, and non-residential
programs
Program revenue
Implement alternative and experiential delivery
options for residential students during summer
semester
Develop summer distance delivery for two courses in
each program of study
Program revenue
Verifiable learning outcomes
Verifiable learning outcomes
Develop elective experiential delivery summer
courses (including undergraduate research,
domestic, or foreign travel courses, and immersive
experiences)
Capital must implement online and hybrid education. Supporting the needs of specific student segments, the University will develop distance and lowresidency delivery options for existing and planned graduate and post-baccalaureate programs. These include nursing, business, music, education, and
humanities. Capital will also implement distance delivery options for residential students during summer semester. And Capital will of course offer faculty
development programming in the areas of active and diverse learning strategies, innovative instruction, technology use, and information literacy.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 4.
REDESIGN BY BLENDING: Develop Versatile Academic Calendars
The University will develop innovative and versatile academic calendars and degree attainment pathways that increase institutional capacity, promote
affordability, and expand enrollment. Specifically, the institution will (1) implement three-year degree pathways for professional education; and (2)
implement accelerated pathways for graduate degrees.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Implement three-year degree pathways for
professional education (business, music technology,
and nursing)
Develop three-year degree plan for three
undergraduate courses of study, with emphasis on
programs with capacity limits
Program enrollment (increased capacity)
Program revenue
Pilot three-year programs
Implement accelerated pathways for graduate
degrees (including 3+3 BA/JD, 3+1 BA/MBA, and
4+1 BSN/MSN)
Develop accelerated pathways for BA/JD, BA/MBA,
BSN/MSN, BM/MMME
Program enrollment
Program revenue
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
Students in the future will demand choice about how to earn their degree – condensed or elongated,
distance or residential. Capital will develop flexible academic calendars that increase institutional
capacity, promote affordability, and expand enrollment.
The transmission of information is no longer one way. And the traditional academic calendar, which reflects an agrarian economy and the importance of
summer harvest, is fading away. At the same time, the emerging paradigm of teaching and learning is based on a mastery model in which students make
academic progress by successfully completing – at their own pace – successive examinations. In contrast to the traditional seat-time approach, this new
paradigm is characterized by a diversity of individual learning experiences where no two students engage the same curriculum but all meet the same
outcome standards.
Students in the future will demand choice about how to earn their degree – condensed or elongated, distance or residential. Capital will develop flexible
academic calendars that increase institutional capacity, promote affordability, and expand enrollment. We will implement three-year degree pathways for
professional education in business, music technology, and nursing. And we will implement accelerated pathways for graduate degrees – most importantly,
an accelerated pathway in law.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 5.
REDESIGN BY BLENDING: Promote Auxiliary Programs and Income
The University will expand and diversify sources of auxiliary income by developing programs for new populations. Specifically, the institution will (1) create
summer enrichment camps in athletics, arts, and leadership; (2) expand summer facilities rental; (3) build summer pre-college programs; (4) develop
year-round housing options for students; as well as (5) develop cultural and arts community programs.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Develop youth, athletic, arts, and leadership camps
Develop incentive model for Cap Camps
Revenue from Cap Camps
Implement University-operated athletic
camps
Number of Cap Camps students who enroll in
degree-seeking programs
Implement arts and leadership camps
Expand facilities rental
Develop marketing materials for facilities rental
Revenue from rental
Expand summer academic offerings
Develop marketing materials for summer offerings
Net revenue from summer academic programs
Expand offerings
Develop year-round housing options
Designate year-round residence hall and Universityowned housing
Revenue from room and board
Develop cultural and arts community programs
Plan and implement cultural arts series
Program revenue
Community participation
In a new paradigm of teaching and learning, some students will attend school year round. In turn, this allows the University to develop year-round housing
options for students. Moreover, the University will diversify auxiliary income by expanding other non-tuition revenue programs as well, including summer
facilities rental, summer leadership and enrichment camps, and summer pre-college programs.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 6.
INVEST FOR DISTINCTION: Emphasize Convergence and Interdisciplinarity
Capital will provide competencies for a changing, technology rich, and globally diverse world. The institution will (1) establish programs that combine
liberal education, strong foundational skills, and the application of convergent media; and (2) develop competence-based degree completion programs that
recognize prior learning and promote interdisciplinary understanding.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
Strengthen programs that combine strong
foundational skills, liberal education, and
convergent media
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Expand convergent media programs (music
technology, electronic media and film, marketing, and
professional writing)
Program enrollment
Revitalize Humanities studies through convergent
media (e.g. public history, professional writing,
M.F.A.)
Verifiable learning outcomes
Program revenue
Construct new academic building
Develop competence-based degree completion
programs that recognize experiential and prior
learning while promoting interdisciplinary
understanding
Establish framework for interdisciplinary majors for
degree completion students
Incorporate prior learning and competency
demonstration
Program enrollment
Program revenue
Verifiable learning outcomes
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
To begin, we will construct a new academic building that, by its very nature, is about
innovation, intersection, and integration. ... We will follow this new classroom building
with a phased renovation of Battelle Hall.
Capital must establish programs that combine liberal education, strong foundational skills, and the application of convergent media. To begin, we will
construct a new academic building that, by its very nature, is about innovation, intersection, and integration. It will be a building rich with educational
resources that will serve existing programs with demonstrated promise through enrollment growth and innovative instruction.
All told, there are more than 400 students whose majors will immediately be enhanced by the new space, including Music Technology students, Electronic
Media and Film students, Digital Art and Design students, and Professional and Creative Writing students, as well as Marketing students from our
Business program. After all, we are witnessing the convergence of media: the merging of mass communication outlets – print, television, radio, and the
Internet – along with portable and interactive technology through various digital media platforms. All this will come together in a single building with
digital production laboratories and sound and video studios; open, easily configurable classrooms that accommodate technology tools; and spaces for
collaboration and creative expression. In short, our new academic building – and its academic programs – will create a distinctive value proposition that
offers students substantially greater value than other institutions do.
We will follow this new classroom building with a phased renovation of Battelle Hall. Like our space for convergent media, the newly renovated science
building will play a vital role in attracting new students. Of course, the science building will anticipate the pace of change and support new modalities
of instructional delivery. There will be all kinds of variants to instructional space – flipped classrooms, simulation laboratories, theaters for synchronous
delivery to off-campus sites, and research-rich environments that promote mentorship and guided inquiry.
As we know, the condition of our campus facilities is a
visible reflection of institutional identity and the quality
of our academic and student life programs. Maintaining,
modernizing, and enhancing the physical plant are
essential to supporting our vision and Capital’s mission.
Therefore we will revisit and rejuvenate the Campus
Master Plan, since it enhances the development of
comprehensive planning and effective prioritization.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 7.
INVEST FOR DISTINCTION: Assert High-Impact Practices as Our Value Proposition
The value of a Capital University education is realized through its alignment with high impact practices, including (1) undergraduate scholarship and
capstone experiences; (2) internships and immersive experiences; (3) mentorship, scholarship, and teaching loads that support high-impact practices; (4) career development initiatives; and (5) student and community engagement.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Scholarship and capstone experiences
Ensure every course of study requires a
scholarship or a capstone experience
Verifiable learning outcomes
Ensure every course of study requires an internship
or an immersive experience
Verifiable learning outcomes
Internships and immersive experiences
Career Development initiative
Mentorship, scholarship, and teaching load
Student and community engagement
Expand career development with embedded
counselors and experiences from first year through
graduation and beyond
NSSE/LSSE high-impact measures
NSSE/LSSE high-impact measures
Gainful employment
Graduate placement
Professional licensure
Rebalance faculty and reduce teaching load
Faculty ratios
Rebalance curriculum for impact and efficient
delivery
Average class size
Continue integration of Student and Academic
Affairs
NSSE/LSSE high-impact measures
In today’s competitive economy, undergraduate and graduate students seek programs characterized by
the kind of rigor and innovation that give them a competitive edge. In the next five years, Capital will
shape a spectrum of undergraduate and graduate programs that rely on high impact practices, including
undergraduate scholarship, capstone experiences, immersive activities, and internships.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
Also in today’s competitive economy, the quality of faculty matters. As a result, Capital will continue to
invest in faculty research and creative activity, while doubling faculty grant income over the next five years.
And to ensure that our teaching meets the highest standards, Capital will review faculty responsibilities
and incrementally reduce teaching load, beginning with a move from 4-4 to 4-3. After all, it is the people
of Capital, especially its faculty, who are the institution’s greatest resource.
IMPLEMENTATION
Capital will continue to
invest in faculty research
and creative activity, while
doubling faculty grant income
over the next five years.
In almost every academic community, there are two related components constituting its mission. One calls for providing a quality education to its students,
while the other focuses on students’ preparation for life after graduation. Capital does well with the former but, in the future, will invest even more in the
latter. Capital must prepare students for life after graduation and help them transition from an academic setting to the world of work. Consequently, the
career development process must become a priority. Starting with their first day on campus, students must be encouraged to utilize their entire college
experience to gather the skills required for lifetime employability. This means that Capital will reimagine career counseling and ultimately equip students
to navigate transitions and to develop skills that follow them from job to job and throughout life.
Consequently, the career development
process must become a priority. Starting
with their first day on campus, students
must be encouraged to utilize their entire
college experience to gather the skills
required for lifetime employability.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
TABLE 8.
INVEST FOR DISTINCTION: Sustain and Strengthen Recognized Programs
The University will sustain and strengthen its distinctive professional programs in law, music, nursing, business, and education through reinvestment,
advancement, and stewardship. The institution will (1) implement responsibility-centered and performance-based management to provide greater budgetary
authority and responsibility to academic units and, in turn, to incent innovation; (2) extend advancement and grant opportunities through designated gifts
as well as foundation and corporate support; and (3) design and develop an integrated, well-aligned and ROI-driven approach to internal and external
reputation management.
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
INCREMENTAL MILESTONES
METRICS
Implement performance-based management to
promote stewardship and innovation
Develop performance-based budgeting and
management models for professional programs
Align expenses with reference group (Delaware
Study benchmarks)
Establish reinvestment plan to promote programmatic goals
Programmatic net revenue
Extend advancement opportunities through
designated gifts and corporate foundation support
Design and develop an integrated, well-aligned
and ROI-driven approach to internal and external
reputation management.
Programmatic enrollment
Establish sustainable excellence plan for each
program
Programmatic verifiable learning outcomes
Implement designated gifts in annual fund
Gift revenue
Extend advancement outreach by partnering with
administrators and faculty
Corporate and foundation support
Build a best-practice model for institution-wide
strategic communications and integrated brand
storytelling to help build and sustain revenue
Develop, track and share KPMs and dashboards to
understand impact of MarCom outputs
Grant revenue
Expanded research, analytics and integration
practices
Comprehensive, data-informed and measurable
MarCom plans and deliverables
Broader/stronger brand awareness
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
... Capital will sustain and strengthen recognized
programs, especially those in music, business,
nursing, education, law, and athletics.
Last but surely not least, Capital will sustain and strengthen recognized programs, especially those in music, business, nursing, education, law, and
athletics. We will implement responsibility-centered management to enhance stewardship in these recognized programs. And we will seek and extend
advancement opportunities through designated gifts and foundation support.
These efforts will raise the University’s profile. And to raise the University’s profile is, of course, to build a persuasive argument for giving. With the benefit
of a new and cogent branding strategy, we will begin to tell Capital’s story, describing its next chapters and talking about how our shared work makes a
difference inside and outside our campus gates. We will therefore plan a new and focused campaign, which, in a paradigm shift, will be less about bricks
and mortar and more about high-impact practices and the student experience.
With the benefit of a new and cogent branding strategy, we will begin to tell Capital’s story, describing its
next chapters and talking about how our shared work makes a difference inside and outside our campus
gates. We will therefore plan a new and focused campaign, which, in a paradigm shift, will be less about
bricks and mortar and more about high-impact practices and the student experience.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPLEMENTATION
Academic Year 2015-2016
IMPLEMENTATION
By combining our past experience with the University’s hopes for the future, we will transform Capital’s promise
into an articulated and metric-driven plan that resonates with stakeholders and ultimately brings greater visibility
to the institution’s work. We also will implement the key initiatives of Capital University 2020 on the following
prioritized timeline.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
MISSION
VALUES
OUR VISION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EXCELLENCE
STRATEGIC
POSITIONING &
INCREMENTAL
MILESTONES
IMPLEMENTATION
ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-2016
Infrastructure
and
Collaboration
• Demolish Loy Hall
• Begin construction of convergent media center
• Review and revise Campus Master Plan
• Designate year-round residence hall(s)
• Focus on partnerships with government, industries, community colleges, and high schools
• Install Bernlohr Stadium lights
Leadership
and
Staffing
• Review and revise senior administrative structure to optimize implementation of sustainable excellence initiatives
• Establish deans of Conservatory of Music, Nursing and Business
• Develop a strategic plan for Information Technology
• Create Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Accreditation and Compliance
• Search for Schumacher Gallery director
• Explore strategic alliances
• Convert a Residential and Commuter Life area director to full-time status to cover new summer activities
• Convert assistant director of Career Development to full time to augment career counseling
• Establish Undergraduate Research director
• Establish Capital as a Common Application Institution and hire support staff in Financial Aid
Academic,
Athletic,
and
Auxiliary
Programming
• Develop, resource, implement, and measure marketing plan for University-operated summer leadership camps and
Summer School
• Develop branding initiative for Undergraduate Scholarship and Pre-Professional Studies
• Strategically leverage traditional and digital marketing and communication platforms to establish/build brand awareness
in targeted markets
• Revise general education to promote verifiable learning outcomes
• Initiate Bachelor/Juris Doctorate 3+3 Program
• Begin Master’s Degree in Education
• Initiate year-round housing