ACADEMIC PLAN for 2012-13 I. NEW UNIVERSITY VISION AND PRIORITIES OUR VISION: East Central University will be recognized both within the state and nation as a premier, comprehensive student-centered regional university, offering outstanding academic programs and experiences for its students and contributing to the betterment of the region and beyond. MISSION STATEMENT: East Central University's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and community interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area, East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement. INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES (DRAFT): for 2013 to 2017: Institutional Priority 1. Institutional Priority 2. Institutional Priority 3. Institutional Priority 4. Institutional Priority 5. Institutional Priority 6. Institutional Priority 7. Institutional Priority 8. Student Engagement Experiences Quality Instruction and Learning Human Capital Investment Technology and Resources Enrollment Management Tribal Relationships Facilities Collaborative Efforts STRATEGIC GOALS for 2013 to 2017 (DRAFT): Strategic Goal #1: East Central University will actively sustain a culture of student success and student centeredness. Strategic Goal #2: East Central University will pursue innovation for the continuing excellence of its academic programs and learning experiences. 1 Strategic Goal #3: East Central University will strive for excellence in its collaborative efforts in economic development, community stewardship and Tribal relationships. Strategic Goal #4: East Central University will further develop facilities, resources, and administrative capacity to achieve its vision, mission and priorities. ACADEMIC PLAN PRIORITIES FOR STRATEGIC PLAN AND ANNUAL ACADEMIC PLAN ACADEMIC PRIORITY ONE: Maintain excellence in academic programs to prepare students with intellectual capacity and workplace skills to be productive participants in a global world (IP1, IP2, IP3, IP4, IP5, SG1, and SG2) Objective 1: Reassess annually undergraduate degree programs with five-year trend averages of fewer than 12.5 majors and fewer than 5 graduates per year. Objective 2: Reassess annually graduate degree programs with five-year trend averages of fewer than 6 majors and 3 graduates per year. Objective 3: Review and revise using assessment data as necessary the general education program for explicit learning outcomes leading to a traditional liberal education with a global perspective. Objective 4: Attract and retain a talented, diverse mix of faculty with a minimum of 70% of full-time faculty holding a doctorate. Objective 5: Maintain and expand incentives for faculty to encourage exceptional performance in teaching, scholarship/creative activity, and service. Objective 6: Establish the Center of Undergraduate Research and Learning (CURL) by October 1, 2013. Objective 7: Strengthen existing academic programs as needed through the Program Review process, including preparation of student intellectual capacity in all programs and work place skills in appropriate program. Objective 8: Maintain existing specialty program accreditations and add additional specialty program accreditations as appropriate. 2 ACADEMIC PRIORITY TWO: Improve student retention rates and increase the number of undergraduate and graduate certificates and degrees awarded (IP1, IP2, IP4, IP5, SG1, and SG2) Objective 1: Achieve an institutional enrollment of 4,900 students in the Fall 2016 Semester by working cooperatively with Student Development and Administration and Finance divisions. Objective 2: Reduce withdrawal rates by 2% annually in all departments with course withdrawal rates above the college or school average. Objective 3: Provide faculty and students annually with quality academic advising information and services. Objective 4: Improve the accuracy of faculty and staff student advisement in support of retention and graduation rates. Objective 5: Improve the undergraduate six-year graduation rate (within the institution) to 40% by 2016-17. Objective 6: Improve the one-year retention rate of beginning freshmen (within the institution) to 68% by 2016-17. Objective 7: Improve the one-year retention rate of undergraduate transfer students (within the institution) to 64% by 2016-17. Objective 8: Increase the number of students completing graduate degrees by 5% in 2016-17, using 2009-10 as the baseline. Objective 9: Improve the one-year retention rate of second year students (within the institution) to 80% by 2016-17, using 2009-10 as the baseline. Objective 10: Develop a minimum of ten undergraduate and graduate certificate programs and award a minimum of 50 certificates annually by 2016-17. ACADEMIC PRIORITY THREE: Maintain a learner- and student-centered academic environment that enriches teaching and learning (IP1, IP2, IP4, IP6, SG1, SG2, and SG3) Objective 1: Assess current student academic services, enhance current services, and implement new and innovative changes in support of academic teaching and student learning. 3 Objective 2: Improve student satisfaction to a level equal to or exceeding the public college norm by 2017 for survey items currently below the public college norm and continue to equal or exceed the public college norm for survey items currently equal to or exceeding the public college norm, using 201113 as the base line years for the ACT Survey of Student Opinions. Objective 3: Increase faculty and staff engagement with students, such as serving as research mentors, sponsoring student clubs and organizations, etc. by 15% by 2016-17, using data from 2010-11 as the baseline. Objective 4: Transform the current Service Learning graduation requirement into a Student Engagement graduation requirement with options in Service Learning, Undergraduate Research, Honors Program completion, and Study Abroad. Objective 5: Enhance educational programs and outreach services/activities for Native American students. Objective 6: Develop and offer a minimum of five additional online degree programs by 2016-17. ACADEMIC PRIORITY FOUR: Promote the University as a key component of economic development and public cultural and arts programming and enrichment throughout the University’s service area (IP2, IP4, IP8, SG1, SG2, and SG3) Objective 1: Strengthen existing Fine Arts academic programs and Fine Arts programming in support of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center and the Arts District of Ada. Objective 2: Use the “Making Place Matter” project to establish ECU as the leader in cooperative economic development throughout the university’s service area. Objective 3: Capitalize on the economic development opportunities offered by the new Conference Center and Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business building. Objective 4: Develop undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in support of economic development and workforce development needs within the University’s service area. Objective 5: Develop new undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and non-credit programs to meet documented economic and workforce needs in the University's service area. 4 Objective 6: Strengthen the University's outreach component for economic development and public service. ACADEMIC PRIORITY FIVE: Engage faculty and staff in providing academic affairs with effective and efficient administrative and management oversight (IP3, IP7, SG2, and SG4) Objective 1: Improve average faculty compensation (salary and benefits) to rank third among RUSO institutions by 2016-17. Objective 2: Lead University efforts annually to make the campus a hospitable and stimulating environment for students, staff and faculty. Objective 3: Engage in campus master planning to assure that the University has firstrate instructional facilities and instructional technology infrastructure. Objective 4: Insure that Academic Affairs is appropriately and efficiently organized and administered. Objective 5: Establish “Centers of Excellence” in strategic areas for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary instruction and research, and administrative effectiveness. Objective 6: In conjunction with Program Review and Assessment of Student Learning, undertake a program prioritization and resource allocation study to be completed by December 1, 2013. 5