Institutional Distinctiveness Task Force

February 11, 2004

 

Arkansas State University is a teaching and research university with a unique regional distinctiveness, offering accessibility, affordability, enrichment, and a sense of community for students, while offering them notable undergraduate and graduate programs that compete on the national level.

 

The Strategic Planning Initiative for Arkansas State University through the Institutional Distinctiveness Task Force is identifying its strengths or attributes that are so unique and significant that they allow us to stand out from our peers.  The Task Force also is asked to develop a list of comparative advantages for ASU versus major competitors.  The Task Force believes our peers and competitors are different.  Peers would be other four-year schools in the state and the region.  Competitors would be those schools and two-year schools, as well. 

 

We believe “unique” strengths or attributes may be somewhat limited (or perhaps non-existent) when ASU is compared with its peers.  But we believe we can identify a number of “significant” strengths, attributes, and perceptions that allow Arkansas State University to stand out from its peers.  And there are obvious unique strengths or attributes that separate ASU from the two-year schools which are competing for students at the freshman and sophomore levels. 

 

What makes Arkansas State University distinctive is the unique relationship shared with the Arkansas delta. Because Arkansas State University brings the opportunity for education, hope and change to the delta, one of the poorest areas in the country, it is a major force for improvement and growth in the area. The university not only serves the delta but all of Arkansas and its people, as well as the nation.

 

Many of the region’s young people come to ASU because of its location and value to get an education. Students earn degrees in all major fields at all levels from the bachelor to the doctorate. The university offers many outstanding programs like Communications, Education, Nursing and Health Professions, and Fine Arts with good student/teacher ratios in the classroom. Students study with a dedicated faculty, many of whom are leaders in their fields, that has been brought together from all parts of the nation and around the world.

 

Education changes the students’ lives, their children’s lives, and the lives of the people they encounter. Arkansas State University’s leadership program, for example, teaches the skills needed to grow and change business, government and communities. The list of alumni that have gone on to great success in all fields, because of their education, is a long one. They are the catalyst for change in their fields and our future.

1.      What are the concepts, criteria, and process for identifying “distinctiveness” or “pockets of vitality”?

 

The task force feels there are many ways to identify "distinctiveness," and many directions it could take with regard to looking at concepts, criteria, and processes (i.e., steps to be taken).  We believe a beginning point has been established with the online but unscientific survey in which faculty and others participated during the Fall semester.  The open-ended questions elicited qualitative responses that were examined by the task force for common themes. 

 

Depending on what type of group is asked (students -- college or high school; faculty; staff; or community at large), we hypothesized that we would come up with both different and similar responses or themes.  But we tried to focus on true distinctiveness and pockets of vitality, thus keeping the questions simple, and few.  

 

The basic task force idea was to gather the perceptions of its members concerning the “distinctive” programs, systems, and processes and “pockets of vitality” which task force members deem outstanding, superior, or especially noteworthy, especially as these programs would give ASU an edge over its peers and competitors.

 

In deciding what should be included in its report, the task force considered

• Relationships with students, faculty, administration, alumni, and community
• Areas of excellence
• Nationally accredited programs
• Nationally recognized faculty
• Accessibility of the university -- value, size, location
• Service to communities

 

Criteria for inclusion of a program as distinctive or as a pocket of vitality included

• Perception of a positive image and accessibility by communities
• Evidence of successful programs, alumni, grants, service and faculty
• Evidence of potential success, in technology, and growing or changing programs

 

Our process for identifying these distinctive programs and pockets of vitality was to

• Identify group or communities of interest
• Identify individuals that have knowledge or insight about areas or programs
• Consider the perceptions of “distinctiveness” within the university

 

The task force used, but did not rely totally on, the online survey because there were built-in problems evident with it.  There apparently was no restriction, for example, on how many times a person could fill out the online survey.  It could be that it will be desirable to survey other groups from the university and its various communities, by form, phone interview or other means, but the task force did not attempt to pursue this avenue.  We relied instead on the “collective wisdom” of task force members, information gathered during random exchanges between members and colleagues, and the suggestions gleaned from the online survey to determine what details or descriptors define “distinctive” programs, systems, and processes and “pockets of vitality”.  Task force members were asked to list areas they knew about, especially in their own colleges and departments.  A number of the members of the task force responded to this request. 

 

2.      To validate the criteria and what is perceived as a distinctive program will perhaps involve the ASU and other communities in focus groups or town meetings, although none has been scheduled at this time.  Perhaps the task force can piggyback on meetings proposed by other task forces for the purposes of the strategic plan, but this process of testing and surveying should be ongoing from year to year to continue to validate those areas identified as distinct and/or vital areas.  

 

Testing of the task force suggestions in these ways would

·        Demonstrate by actions or acknowledgements of positive image and accessibilities to communities.

• Support successful programs, alumni, students and faculty by actions and acknowledgement.
• Support potential success in technology and growing or changing programs.

 

3.      Advises on opportunities for developing increased institutional distinctiveness horizontally (attract students to all programs) and vertically (attract students to particular programs). 

 

What we find as ASU's institutional distinctiveness and/or areas of vitality may be used to "advertise" to non-enrolled (traditional or non-traditional) students and/or enrolled students, but we also will be gathering data if we pursue the survey among the ASU community and larger community (local, state, or possibly across state lines).  The University needs to continually assess why it is important for us to know perceived and/or actual areas of distinctiveness and areas of vitality, then target those groups that would like to know all or specific distinct or vital areas.

To increase institutional distinctiveness horizontally, the university should:

• Develop or expand methods to acquaint students with programs
• Develop mentoring groups for students
• Develop more university scholarships and specific degree program scholarships
• Develop a more flexible curriculum
• Develop a more interesting environment for students

 

And to increase institutional distinctiveness vertically, the university should:

• Develop more ways to inform potential students
• Develop mentoring groups for interest areas
• Develop more privately funded university scholarships and specific degree program scholarships
• Make classrooms more interesting (equipment and technology)

4.      What are comparative advantages for ASU versus major competitors?

 

Advantages

• Arkansas State University serves the delta as a research center for agriculture, giving farmers and the agbusiness community the expertise to prosper through greater understanding of the crops, soil, weather and methods of farming in the region.

 

• The university helps businesses of all sizes to get started and develop through its incubator program through out the delta.

 

• The College of Education produces more teachers than any other university in the state, which benefits the delta and all of the state in ways we cannot count. The College of Education produces more minority educators than any other Arkansas state college or university. Additionally, more of the state’s minority teacher scholarships are awarded to our students than to students at other Arkansas institutions. With NCATE accreditation, the diversity plan for field studies for education students has been called “brilliant” (by NCATE reviewers).

 

• The Fine Arts offer to the delta cultural opportunities like performances and exhibitions at the Fowler Center that otherwise would not be available.

 

• The possibilities for advances in computer technology both in the classroom and to other parts of the delta will be a distinctive part of ASU in the near future.

 

• The new Bio-Science Research Building, with its new focus on research, will open more opportunities for even greater services to the region and state. 

 

• Good faculty hold earned degrees from a variety of universities and colleges from throughout the USA and the world.

 

• Student/teacher ratio is favorable. 

 

·     Location in Northeast Arkansas, serving Southern Missouri, Western Tennessee, Northeast Mississippi, Southwest Kentucky, and all the United States of America.

 

·     Student Services with supporting equipment, processes, and staffs who control, monitor, and conduct these services with professionalism.

 

·     Degree programs which are reputable within Arkansas and the USA. Particular programs include Nursing, Communication Disorders (Nursing and Health Professions-NHP); Radio and Television and Journalism (College of Communication-CC); Theatre (College of Fine Arts-CFA); Management Information Systems, Accounting (College of Business-CoB); Teacher Education (College of Education-CoE)

 

·     Doctoral degree programs such as: Ph.D. Environmental Sciences, Ph.D. Heritage Studies, and Ed.D. Educational Leadership.

 

·     Master degree program in Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

 

·     ASU showcases and serves the Delta and provides opportunities through: Delta Studies Center, Delta Byways, Heritage Studies Ph.D. program, KASU radio, Delta Blues Symposium, ASU Museum, Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, and Lakeport Plantation

 

·     Cardinal Healthcare Virtual Internship Program (College of Business). Students complete an actual work experience through Cardinal Healthcare. At completion of their internships, students may be offered full-time employment with Cardinal.

 

·      Business Information Center (federally funded)

 

·     Student activities such as the Debate Team, Theatre Performances, ASU-TV, the Herald,  intern programs in the College of Business, College of Education and College of Communications, and College of Agriculture Extension Services.

 

·     Buildings and their functions such as Convocation Center, Fowler Performing Arts Center, Bio-Sciences Institute, Student Medical Services, Student Housing, etc.

 

·     Nationally accredited degree programs

 

·     ASU Library: Only federal depository and the oldest (since 1913) library in the First Congressional District, the only Arkansas depository library, largest library in Northeast Arkansas and the second largest library in Arkansas

 

·    Northeast Arkansas Regional Partnership for Mathematics and Science Education program

 

·     ASU is positioning itself to qualify for national grant funding for degree programs and institutional research projects, particularly in the biosciences.

 

 

“In the delta most of the world seemed sky.… The land was perfectly flat and level but it shimmered like the wing of a lighted dragonfly.  It seemed strummed, as though it were an instrument and something had touched it.” -- Eudora Welty