To: The ASU Community

From: David Cox, Chair, Strategic Planning Council

Subject, Planning Assumptions, as of Oct. 14

 

The following planning assumptions and planning goals were generated at the Sept 30 meeting of the Strategic Planning Council and at the Sept 25 retreat of the Research and Academic Affairs Council.

 

When I shared our collective work with Dr. Dave McFarland, the external consultant from Penson Associates, he divided our work into two piles: assumptions and goals. He clarified that a planning assumption is something that we assume is going to happen in the natural course of events. It is not something involving extra work on our part or something we hope will happen. The extra work and hoping take us into the realm of goal setting.

 

Below is how Dr. McFarland analyzed our output. The planning goals represent good thinking that we don’t want to lose. For the time being I would like to stay focused on the list of assumptions. If you have any reactions to the current list and/or if you think additional assumptions should be added, please let me know dwcox@astate.edu

 

Planning Assumptions

 

Enrollment

 

  1. Competition for student enrollment will increase.
  2. ASU will remain financially accessible.
  3. The demographics of the region will include a greater percentage of people of diverse races (e.g., Hispanic, Latino, and Asian American).
  4. Creative recruitment outreach activities will be critical to continuing growth.

 

Resources and Facilities

 

  1. State funding will decrease.
  2. External funding will increase.
  3. New funding sources will become increasingly important.
  4. ASU will obtain commensurate state-funding comparative with other research institutions.

 

Curriculum and Instruction

 

  1. Traditional approaches to instructional delivery will change.
  2. Quality instruction will not be dependent on one model.  
  3. An increased use of technology will be used to facilitating learning.
  4. Technology will play a vital role in teaching and learning
  5. Program assessment will be ongoing.
  6. Undergraduate education will continue to be the primary emphasis of the university.
  7. Graduate education will play a more prominent role at the university.
  8. Demand for part time faculty will increase.
  9. Academics will drive assessment and accountability (state level).

 

Administration and Institution

 

  1. Strategic planning will be active and ongoing.
  2. Accountability pressures will increase.
  3. The ASU “system” will receive greater emphasis.
  4. The athletic program will remain in Division IA
  5. Administrative assessment and accountability will continue to increase.
  6. ASU will continue as a significant component of the engine for economic development in the Delta.
  7. ASU will be responsive to business, civic, and governmental communities

 

 

PLANNING GOALS – The following items were identified as potential planning assumptions during the past weeks.  Dr. Dave McFarland, the external consultant, views them more as planning goals.  They are being retained to further inform our future efforts as we search for strategic directions and eventually strategic initiatives/goals.

 

Enrollment

·                    Enrollment can be increased.

·                    Growth will be dependent on recruiting outside our traditional area, on recruiting earlier in the recruitment cycle, on recruiting for more diversity, on recruiting more transfer students, and on improving retention

·                    ASU will become more effective in institutional marketing

·                    Student recruitment will give more attention to diversity and new demographics (e.g., Hispanic, Latino, and Asian American).

 

Resources and Facilities

·                    Increased donor support will be needed.

·                    Better use will be made of university facilities throughout the day, the week, and the 12 month year.

·                    Full tuition waivers for full-time graduate assistants will be funded.

·                    ASU will move from compressed video to more advanced technology in its distance education.

·                    The number of state­ funded tenure track faculty will be increased.

·                    The number of state-funded graduate assistantships will be increased.

·                    ASU will have state-of-the art facilities to support research/education enterprises.

 

Curriculum and Instruction

·                    Non-traditional teaching methods will be needed.

·                    ASU will evolve to meet the changing needs of students as to when, where, and how instruction will be delivered.

·                    The number of doctoral programs will be expanded.

·                    Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) will be well integrated with and benefit academic programs on the ASU campus.

·                    ABI will attract high quality, internationally recruited and competitively funded faculty.

·                    Research will be supported by a well funded library.

·                    Students and faculty will be better educated in how to evaluate and use web material.

·                    ASU will meet the equivalent of a Carnegie Level II institution in terms of number of PhD programs and graduates within five years.

·                    ASU will have at least six multidisciplinary PhD programs in six years

·                    ASU will increase assistantship and fellowships

·                    ASU will double graduate enrollment within the next six years.

·                    New Master's degree programs will be targeted to meet regional needs.

·                    On-line courses will support all programs.

·                    Graduate programs will be used to enrich the undergraduate experience.

·                    More undergraduate students will become involved in research and creative activity.

·                    Collaborative graduate programs will be established across institutions.

·                    ASU will seek to obtain accreditation for those programs for which it is required or where value is added.

·                    Incentives will be developed for recruitment and retention of graduate faculty

·                    ASU will increase awareness of leadership training programs for faculty to foster promotion and retention.

·                    ASU will improve faculty leadership training.

 

Administration and Institution

·                    Emerging computer/information technology will be embraced by all aspects of the university.

·                    Student life on the weekends will be enriched.

·                    A better-defined and operational shared governance model will promote a stronger sense of community.

·                    ASU will have a well-established and operational infrastructure for research.

·                    ASU will move to SREB Four-Year II status within five years.

·                    ASU will experience a significant increase in extramural activities: funding, peer review, policies.

·                    ASU will increase the awareness of the importance of graduate programs to the state.

·                    ASU will improve communication between faculty and administration to address current issues.

·                    ASU will create open forums for faculty and administration to communicate.

·                    ASU will expand and promote institutional distinctiveness.

·                    ASU will develop an environment that encourages and promotes entrepreneurial activities.

·                    ASU will expand institutional partnerships with public/private entities.

·                    ASU will increase cultural programs offered to communities in the Arkansas Delta.

 

# # #