Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research
Strategic Action Plan 2010-13
Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences
ECU Values:
ECU’s College of Fine Arts and Sciences adheres to the established “enduring values” outlined in
ECU Tomorrow: A Vision for Leadership and Service (2007), ECU’s long-range strategic plan and is
aligned to the Strategic Action Plan, 2010-13 and its corresponding Key Performance Indicators
that advance our Mission.
ECU’s values are outlined below:
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Respect;
Authenticity;
Accountability;
Teamwork; and
Commitment to Serve.
ECU Mission:
To serve as a national model for public service and regional transformation by:
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Preparing our students to compete and succeed in the global economy and multicultural
society,
Distinguishing ourselves by the ability to train and prepare leaders,
Creating a strong, sustainable future for eastern North Carolina through education,
research, innovation, investment, and outreach,
Saving lives, curing diseases, and positively transforming health and health care, and
Providing cultural enrichment and powerful inspiration as we work to sustain and improve
quality of life.
Approved by the UNC Board of Governors - November 13, 2009
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Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research
Key Strategic Planning Principles:
Several key planning principles were established to develop this strategic plan:
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Support for student success throughout the continuum of their college learning experience;
Adherence to ECU Tomorrow: A Vision for Leadership and Service, 2007 and the ECU
Strategic Action Plan, 2010-13;
Support for effective leadership and professional development;
Purposeful decision-making, moving towards clearly defined goals and measurable
objectives;
A commitment to institutional effectiveness; and,
Allocation of resources to ensure attainment of established priorities.
Goals:
GOAL 1.
GOAL 2.
GOAL 3.
GOAL 4.
GOAL 5.
GOAL 6.
GOAL 7.
GOAL 8.
GOAL 9.
GOAL 10.
GOAL 11.
GOAL 12.
GOAL 13.
GOAL 14.
GOAL 15.
GOAL 16.
GOAL 17.
Prepare students to succeed in an increasingly global and culturally diverse society.
Expand and enhance instruction related to global awareness.
Students will understand and apply the rich intellectual traditions represented by
Harriot College’s constituent discipline.
Provide undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to discover, evaluate,
and communicate knowledge.
Increase faculty research productivity.
Increase co-curricular programming that enriches and stimulates campus
intellectual life.
Increase student success and retention.
Partner with the College of Education to prepare teachers to excel in the classroom.
Empower students to be effective leaders in the 21st century.
Extend college's disciplinary expertise and leadership to support positive change in
Eastern NC.
In appropriate disciplines, expand faculty research related to health.
Strengthen academic programs that support health and health sciences.
Contribute to economic prosperity by offering a broad liberal arts education for all
students.
Build partnerships with regional stakeholders in order to facilitate innovation,
entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer throughout the East.
In appropriate disciplines, expand faculty research related to coastal and
environmental issues.
Enrich and celebrate regional culture.
Cultivate student, faculty, and community appreciation for the humanities.
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Institutional Planning, Assessment & Research
Goal 1:
Prepare students to succeed in an increasingly global and culturally diverse
society.
Outcome Objective: Add an additional college faculty led Study Abroad program.
 Measure: Determine increase in the number of College faculty led Study Abroad
programs
Outcome Objective: Develop two new courses or programs that enhance and promote
awareness of diversity.
 Measure: Count curriculum revision proposals submitted, that develop courses or
programs that enhance and promote awareness of diversity. Increase student
participation in "Global Understandings" course by 10 percent
Outcome Objective: Increase student participation in "Global Understandings" course by
10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in student enrollments in "Global
Understandings" courses
Outcome Objective: Increase student participation in foreign language and literature
courses by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in enrollment in foreign language and
literature courses
Goal 2:
Expand and enhance instruction related to global awareness
Outcome Objective: Assess student learning with respect to "global outcomes" and use
results to make improvements.
 Measure: Data - assessment materials posted in Tracdat for educational programs
that offer a degree
Indicators
1. Pct. of programs that report results for "global outcomes"
2. Pct. of programs that specify action steps
3. Beginning with the 2010-11 final report, pct. of programs that provide follow up
summaries to actions taken
Goal 3:
Students will understand and apply the rich intellectual traditions represented by Harriot
College’s constituent discipline.
Outcome Objective: Enhance the quality of courses that prepare students to locate,
evaluate, and communicate knowledge, to make informed decisions.
 Measure: Data - assessment materials posted in Tracdat for departmental
Foundations Curriculum assessment units (FCAU)
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Indicators
1. Pct. of department FCAU's that report results related to subject matter, relevance,
and research methods
2. Pct. of department FCAU's that specify action steps
3. Pct. of department FCAU's that provide follow up summaries to actions taken
Goal 4:
Provide undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to discover, evaluate, and
communicate knowledge.
Outcome Objective: Increase undergraduate student enrollment in specially designated
research courses by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in undergraduate enrollment in specially
designated research courses
Outcome Objective: Expand by 10 percent enrollment in existing PhD programs in areas
that integrate well with ECU's overall mission.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in enrollment in PhD programs that integrate
well with ECU's overall mission
Outcome Objective: Solicit permission to plan two additional PhD program in areas that
integrate well with ECU's overall mission.
 Measure: Identify and document new PhD permission to plan proposals
Outcome Objective: Solicit permission to plan one or more graduate degree programs
incorporating a focus on coastal and environmental issues.
 Measure: Identify and document relevant new graduate program proposals
Goal 5:
Increase faculty research productivity.
Outcome Objective: Increase external grant submissions by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in external grant submissions
Outcome Objective: Increase faculty publications by five percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in the number of faculty publications
Outcome Objective: Increase external grant funds awarded by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in external grant funds awarded
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Goal 6:
Increase co-curricular programming that enriches and stimulates campus
intellectual life.
Outcome Objective: Increase the number of sponsored events and lectures by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in the number of sponsored events and
lectures
Goal 7:
Increase student success and retention.
Outcome Objective: Support and collaborate with university-wide first year initiatives.
 Measure: Document collaborative work in support of university-wide first year
initiatives
Outcome Objective: Redesign instruction in introductory Math courses to improve student
retention, success, and entry into the STEM disciplines.
 Measure: Document specific steps taken to redesign the introductory Math course
in order to improve student retention, success, and entry into the STEM disciplines
Outcome Objective: Improve advising in order to support student success and increase
retention.
 Measure: Document steps to improve student advising
Goal 8:
Partner with the College of Education to prepare teachers to excel in the classroom.
Outcome Objective: Provide future teachers a strong foundation in the liberal arts.
 Measure: Assess Foundations courses and implement quality enhancement
initiatives
Outcome Objective: Partner with the College of Education to develop two teacher
preparation initiatives or programs.
 Measure: Document collaborative teacher training initiatives. Assess the quality of
these initiatives. Implement a program of quality enhancement
Outcome Objective: Enhance the quality of training available to future teachers in the core
science disciplines and mathematics.
 Measure: Assess relevant science and mathematic educational programs.
Implement quality enhancement initiatives
Data - assessment materials posted in Tracdat for education programs offering an
undergraduate degree in science and mathematics
Indicators
1. Pct. of programs that report results
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2. Pct. of programs that specify action steps
3. Pct. of programs that provide follow up summaries
Goal 9:
Empower students to be effective leaders in the 21st century.
Outcome Objective: Each department will enhance the quality of leadership education
appropriate to the discipline.
 Measure: Identify and document leadership education offered by each department.
Assess the quality of leadership education opportunities
Implement quality enhancement initiatives
Data - Leadership outcome assessment materials posted in Tracdat for all
educational programs that offer a degree
Indicators
1. Pct. of programs that report results
2. Pct. of programs that specify action steps
3. Beginning with the 2011-12 final report, pct. of programs that provide follow up
summaries
Outcome Objective: Increase the number of Leadership Studies minors by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in the number of Leadership Studies minors
Goal 10:
Extend college's disciplinary expertise and leadership to support positive change in
Eastern NC.
Outcome Objective: Increase the number of public service activities that support local and
regional organizations, rural communities and underserved populations by 10 percent.
 Measure: Count faculty-reported "State" and "local" community service activities in
Sedona
Outcome Objective: Develop at least one new initiative that extends disciplinary expertise
to address regional and community needs or support regional institutions.
 Measure: Document new initiatives or programs that address regional and
community needs or support regional institutions
Goal 11:
In appropriate disciplines, expand faculty research related to health.
Outcome Objective: Increase external funding for health-related research by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in external funding for research related to
health
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Outcome Objective: Increase faculty grants related to health by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine increase in the number of College faculty led Study Abroad
programs
Goal 12:
Strengthen academic programs that support health and health science.
Outcome Objective: Increase by 10 percent enrollments in health related academic
programs.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in enrollments for health related academic
program
Outcome Objective: Enhance the quality of programs that offer future health
professional’s foundational scientific training.
 Measure: Assess majors in health-related science disciplines. Implement quality
enhancement initiatives
Goal 13:
Contribute to economic prosperity by offering a broad liberal arts education for all
students.
Outcome Objective: All College Foundation courses will provide disciplinary content
necessary to develop critical thinking skills required for success in today's labor force.
 Measure: Data - assessment materials posted in Tracdat for departmental
Foundations Curriculum assessment units (FCAU)
Indicators
1. Pct. of department FCAU's that report results related to subject matter, relevance,
and research methods
2. Pct. of department FCAU's that specify action steps
3. Pct. of department FCAU's that provide follow up summaries
Outcome Objective: Increase by 10 percent DE courses in order to meet the changing
needs of non-traditional students and life-long learners.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in the number of DE courses
Outcome Objective: In order to increase the diversity of the faculty, hire two additional
faculty members belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group.
 Measure: Determine the number of minority faculty hired
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Goal 14:
Build partnerships with regional stakeholders in order to facilitate innovation,
entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer throughout the East.
Outcome Objective: Develop three inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary collaborations
and partnerships with industry, education, government, or communities.
 Measure: Document evidence of new collaborative initiatives between units within
the college and external agencies or organizations
Outcome Objective: Develop at least one new initiative that extends disciplinary expertise
to address regional and community needs or support regional institutions.
 Measure: Document new initiatives or programs that address regional and
community needs or support regional institutions
Goal 15:
In appropriate disciplines, expand faculty research related to coastal and
environmental issues.
Outcome Objective: Increase external funding for coastal and environmental research by
10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in external funding for coastal and
environmental research
Outcome Objective: Increase faculty grants related to coastal and environmental issues by
10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in the number of faculty grants related to
coastal and environmental issues
Goal 16:
Enrich and celebrate regional culture.
Outcome Objective: Sponsor three events that showcase regional culture or facilitate
informed public discussion on regional issues.
 Measure: Document sponsored events that celebrate regional culture or foster
public debate around regional issues
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Goal 17:
Cultivate student, faculty, and community appreciation for the humanities.
Outcome Objective: Increase enrollments in humanities courses by 10 percent.
 Measure: Determine percent increase in enrollments for humanities courses
Outcome Objective: Sponsor one additional event per semester promoting research and
creative activities in the humanities.
 Measure: Determine numerical increase in sponsored events per semester that
promote research and creative activities in the humanities
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