| Committee
Members |
|||
| Kristina M. Boone John R. Caffey Ronald G. Downey (Staff) Yar M. Ebadi Carol E. Kellett (Chair) |
Juanita M. McGowan Aruna N. Michie J. Kenneth Shultis Linda P. Thurston |
||
In the fall of 2000, the Provost, with recommendations from Faculty Senate and the Deans Council, established the 2000-2001 Strategic Planning Committee (SPC). The SPC was asked to review the nine strategic Themes and associated Action Items and "...to assess our progress and suggest adjustments in strategy with regard to these themes." The charge to the 2000-2001 SPC was to review, update, and prioritize the Action Items (the charge from the Provost is shown in Appendix A). The SPC started meeting on a regular basis in late September 2000.
The following guidelines describe the philosophy adopted by the 1999-2000 University Strategic Planning Committee:
Building on the original five Themes developed in 1991, the 1999-2000 SPC, with input from the entire university community, revised the themes. The following nine Themes were the result of that process (see the following web site for a full copy of the report, http://www.k-state.edu/provost/planning/vision99.htm). The nine Themes are listed below without regard to priority:
A review of the nine Themes suggests a different way to conceptualize them. The original five Themes develop in 1991 (Themes 2, 3 6, 7, and 9) were all directed at outcomes or the ends we wish to achieve. The four new Themes (1, 4, 5, and 8) are directed at the means to achieve these outcomes. Thus, we aspire to strengthen the learning and teaching environments (Theme 2), and to do this we need to continue to develop the Library infrastructure (Theme 4). Again, this distinction does not imply a priority for the themes but a way to understand our efforts to achieve the goals for each theme.
In addition, each theme had a list of Action Items that were ".intended to focus the campus community on some of the more important issues to be addressed in working toward accomplishing the thrust of the theme. It is (was) expected that these Action Items would be reviewed and updated on a regular annual basis." The complete list of Action Items can be found at the end of each of the themes.
The following sections briefly review the process used by the 2000-2001 SPC to review, edit, add/subtract, and prioritize the Action Items from the 1999-2000 SPC report.
In preparing its report to the Provost, the SPC obtained feedback on its work on Action Items from 1) Faculty Senate Leadership, 2) Classified Senate Leadership, 3) Student Senate Leadership, 4) Faculty Senate Committee on University Planning, 5) Dean's Council, 6) Central Administration, and 7) College Committees on Planning. At this point, the entire university community had an opportunity to review and comment on the draft.
In conducting a review of the Action Items, the following issues were identified:
The results of these reviews were presented to and discussed by the committee members. In the process of this review, the SPC decided to group the Action Items by the potential contributions to the three major missions of the institution: Teaching/Learning (T/L), Scholarship (SC), and Service/Outreach (S/O). Clearly, many of the Action Items could make a contribution to one or more of the missions. This process contributed to a fuller understanding of the interrelationship of the plans. In the process, certain Action Items were seen as making a contribution to the Infrastructure (IN) of the institution. Infrastructure refers to those items which support, and are critical, to the success of each of the missions of teaching/learning, scholarship and service/outreach. Since they affect all three, special resources should be found to fund them.
The 2000-2001 SPC saw the following as its major goals:
Each committee member was asked to provide priority ratings for each action plan and a broad estimate of costs to implement the plan. Concurrent with this process, Action Items were edited to improve clarity and make them more action oriented. The group members' ratings were provided in summary form to the committee and were discussed, and a final priority was assigned. Action Items were sorted into three broad categories: Higher, Moderate, and Lower Priority. As the labels imply, these are relative judgments and are not intended to suggest that Action Items in the Lower Priority category are unimportant. Rather all are important in moving towards the goals suggested by the nine Themes. Being an Action Item implies that it is important. No attempt was made to prioritize within the three categories; the Action Items are listed in Theme order. As time, effort, and resources allow, each Action Plan is worthy of consideration. Moreover, the committee believes that individual campus units will, as appropriate and consistent with the nine Themes, prioritize the action items according to their own missions and goals. However, the combined efforts of all campus units should reflect the priorities as indicated in the this report.
A review of the judgments associated with cost identified several trends. First, the majority of the Infrastructure Action Items were seen as requiring higher levels of funding (e.g., information technology). Second, two of the potentially highest cost Action Items (increased faculty salaries to the level of the peers and enhance OOE support), while not infrastructure items in the traditional sense, are broad based efforts dealing with the heart and soul of the institution's missions. The majority of the Action Items vary in costs to some degree; however few will reach the levels required to deal the Infrastructure and the salary and support Action Items. Thus, the SPC saw little value in trying to make fine distinctions in cost beyond those mentioned above.
Two lists of prioritized Action Items are provided. The first list organizes the Action items by priority and within priority by theme (by Priority). The second list organizes the Action items by mission (i.e., Teaching/Learning; Scholarship; Service/Outreach; and Infrastructure). The number in front of the Action Items relates to the associated Theme. The list of the nine Themes is provided below (no priority is implied by the number):
The list of Higher Priority Action Items contained 18 items. The list of Moderate Priority Action Items also contained 18 items. There were 11 Action Items in the Lower Priority grouping.
The Strategic Planning Committee's judgments about which of the three missions or infrastructure each Action Plan supports are listed at the end of each Action Plan. Again, for ease of understanding they were:
The SPC will recommend to the Provost that the revised list of Action Items be substituted for the current list. The new list should contain each Action Items Priority group.
The SPC members have provided the university community with a guide to help implement its Planning Themes. A quick review of the Action Items would identify many items that are already receiving attention on campus and in some cases significant progress has been made in moving the Action Items forward. The committee members did not think this was bad. Those same items in many cases were identified in the Higher Priority grouping.
As part of this prioritization process, several members of the Strategic Planning Committee noted that almost all action items represented some type of new or recently undertaken initiative or enhancement above and beyond present levels of support. While new initiatives and any related funding increases are critical to progress, the continual drawing of resources from all current activities to fund new activities has created a continual strain on important current academic and support departments and units. The committee also noted that rarely is any department, unit, or activity dropped. Many of the proposed initiatives in this report will require faculty and staff to assume added responsibilities. Funding of these new initiatives solely through reallocation further degrades the ability of faculty and staff to meet existing commitments and responsibilities.
1 - Enhance OOE support to departments for faculty teaching, scholarship, and service efforts (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
1 - Increase faculty salaries to levels competitive with peer institutions (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
1 - Increase travel and scholarship funding opportunities for all faculty (SC).
1 - Increase the number and level of stipends for graduate teaching/scholarship assistants (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
2 - Enhance opportunities for faculty to strengthen teaching methods (T/L)(SC).
2 - Enhance academic advising (T/L).
3 - Develop a strategy to enhance scholarship funding from public and private sectors (SC).
3 - Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration in graduate education and scholarship (T/L)(SC).
3 - Increase enrollment in high-quality professional, graduate and certificate programs (T/L).
4 - Develop and implement a long-range plan for the Library to address chronic under-funding (IN).
4 - Improve services provided by the library to student and faculty (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
5 - Develop and implement a strategic plan for the information technology infrastructure (IN).
5 - Provide quality support for electronic communication and an integrated information environment (IN).
6 - Hold administrators responsible for promoting diversity among students, faculty, and staff (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
6 - Improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
6 - Enhance students' multicultural competency through scholarship and new teaching strategies (T/L).
7 - Recruit more international undergraduate students (T/L).
7 - Integrate international content into curricula (T/L).
2 - Reward faculty for pedagogy which promotes student learning (T/L)(S/O).
2 - Emphasize teaching in annual and tenure evaluations including use of multiple indicators (T/L).
3 - Recruit top level graduate students from the United States and around the world (T/L)(SC).
3 - Enhance the involvement of undergraduates in scholarship (T/L)(SC).
4 - Maintain and enhance digital resources in library operation, collections, and infrastructure (IN).
6 - Support academic programs to prepare all students to live in a diverse world (T/L).
6 - Support retention and leadership programs for diverse student populations (T/L).
7 - Expand opportunities for K-State students to study abroad (T/L)(S/O).
7 - Expand existing international programs and international academic area studies (T/L).
7 - Improve recruitment and retention services for international students and faculty (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
8 - Integrate the information technology infrastructure in more classrooms (IN).
8 - Enhance instructional technology coordination efforts among units (T/L).
8 - Analyze the effectiveness of mediated instructional delivery methods (T/L)(SC).
8 - Develop and implement intellectual property rights policies for mediated instructional materials (T/L)(SC).
9 - Help in the establishment of scholarship programs aimed at environmental issues (SC).
9 - Adopt a university-wide policy of wise energy consumption and environmental stewardship (IN).
9 - Encourage the transfer of technology to the private sector (S/O).
9 - Continue to prepare graduates to support economic development within the State (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Encourage flexible faculty assignments (T/L).
1 - Design and implement mentoring programs for faculty and staff at all levels (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
2 - Promote university experiences, outside of academic classes (T/L)(S/O).
2 - Explore Students opportunities for transfer of classes within the Regents system (T/L).
2 - Continue to expand General Education course offerings at the upper division level (T/L).
5 - Provide high-performance computing (IN).
6 - Strengthen multicultural communities through scholarship and public service (SC)(S/O).
7 - Enhance international scholarship opportunities for faculty (SC).
7 - Enhance international partnerships to expand teaching, scholarship and service (T/L)(SC)(S/O).
9 - Develop programs to sustain environmental quality within the State (S/O).
9 - Expand outreach opportunities for environmental
and safety education (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Enhance OOE support to departments for faculty teaching, scholarship, and service efforts (SC)(S/O).
1 - Increase faculty salaries to levels competitive with peer institutions (SC)(S/O).
1 - Increase the number and level of stipends for graduate teaching/scholarship assistants (SC)(S/O).
2 - Enhance opportunities for faculty to strengthen teaching methods (SC).
2 - Enhance academic advising.
3 - Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration in graduate education and scholarship (SC).
3 - Increase enrollment in high-quality professional, graduate and certificate programs.
4 - Improve services provided by the library to student and faculty (SC)(S/O).
6 - Hold administrators responsible for promoting diversity among students, faculty, and staff (SC)(S/O).
6 - Improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff (SC)(S/O).
6 - Enhance students' multicultural competency through scholarship and new teaching strategies.
7 - Recruit more international undergraduate students.
7 - Integrate international content into curricula.
1 - Enhance OOE support to departments for faculty teaching, scholarship, and service efforts (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Increase faculty salaries to levels competitive with peer institutions (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Increase travel and scholarship funding opportunities for all faculty.
1 - Increase the number and level of stipends for graduate teaching/scholarship assistants (T/L)(S/O).
2 - Enhance opportunities for faculty to strengthen teaching methods (T/L).
3 - Develop a strategy to enhance scholarship funding from public and private sectors.
3 - Enhance interdisciplinary collaboration in graduate education and scholarship (T/L).
4 - Improve services provided by the library to student and faculty (T/L)(S/O).
6 - Hold administrators responsible for promoting diversity among students, faculty, and staff (T/L)(S/O).
6 - Improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Enhance OOE support to departments for faculty teaching, scholarship, and service efforts (T/L)(SC).
1 - Increase faculty salaries to levels competitive with peer institutions (T/L)(SC).
1 - Increase the number and level of stipends for graduate teaching/scholarship assistants (T/L)(SC).
4 - Improve services provided by the library to student and faculty (T/L)(SC).
6 - Hold administrators responsible for promoting diversity among students, faculty, and staff (T/L)(SC).
6 - Improve the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff (T/L)(SC).
4 - Develop and implement a long-range plan for the Library to address chronic under-funding.
5 - Develop and implement a strategic plan for the information technology infrastructure.
5 - Provide quality support for electronic communication and an integrated information environment.
2 - Reward faculty for pedagogy which promotes student learning (S/O).
2 - Emphasize teaching in annual and tenure evaluations including use of multiple indicators.
3 - Recruit top level graduate students from the United States and around the world (SC).
3 - Enhance the involvement of undergraduates in scholarship (SC).
6 - Support academic programs to prepare all students to live in a diverse world.
6 - Support retention and leadership programs for diverse student populations.
7 - Expand opportunities for K-State students to study abroad (S/O).
7 - Expand existing international programs and international academic area studies.
7 - Improve recruitment and retention services for international students and faculty (SC)(S/O).
8 - Enhance instructional technology coordination efforts among units.
8 - Analyze the effectiveness of mediated instructional delivery methods (SC).
8 - Develop and implement intellectual property rights policies for mediated instructional materials (SC).
9 - Continue to prepare graduates to support economic development within the State (S/O).
3 - Recruit top level graduate students from the United States and around the world (T/L).
3 - Enhance the involvement of undergraduates in scholarship (T/L).
7 - Improve recruitment and retention services for international students and faculty (T/L)(S/O).
8 - Analyze the effectiveness of mediated instructional delivery methods (T/L).
8 - Develop and implement intellectual property rights policies for mediated instructional materials (T/L).
9 - Help in the establishment of scholarship programs aimed at environmental issues.
2 - Reward faculty for pedagogy which promotes student learning (T/L).
7 - Expand opportunities for K-State students to study abroad (T/L).
7 - Improve recruitment and retention services for international students and faculty (T/L)(SC).
9 - Encourage the transfer of technology to the private sector.
9 - Continue to prepare graduates to support economic development within the State (T/L).
4 - Maintain and enhance digital resources in library operation, collections, and infrastructure.
8 - Integrate the information technology infrastructure in more classrooms.
9 - Adopt a university-wide policy of wise energy consumption and environmental stewardship.
1 - Encourage flexible faculty assignments.
1 - Design and implement mentoring programs for faculty and staff at all levels (SC)(S/O).
2 - Promote university experiences, outside of academic classes (S/O).
2 - Explore Students opportunities for transfer of classes within the Regents system.
2 - Continue to expand General Education course offerings at the upper division level.
7 - Enhance international partnerships to expand teaching, scholarship and service (SC)(S/O).
9 - Expand outreach opportunities for environmental and safety education (S/O).
1 - Design and implement mentoring programs for faculty and staff at all levels (T/L)(S/O).
6 - Strengthen multicultural communities through scholarship and public service (S/O).
7 - Enhance international scholarship opportunities for faculty.
7 - Enhance international partnerships to expand teaching, scholarship and service (T/L)(S/O).
1 - Design and implement mentoring programs for faculty and staff at all levels (T/L)(SC).
2 - Promote university experiences, outside of academic classes (T/L).
6 - Strengthen multicultural communities through scholarship and public service (SC).
7 - Enhance international partnerships to expand teaching, scholarship and service (T/L)(SC).
9 - Develop programs to sustain environmental quality within the State.
9 - Expand outreach opportunities for environmental and safety education (T/L).
5 - Provide high-performance computing.
The SPC recommends that a systematic process be created to: 1) review current activities, 2) evaluate their value to the university, and 3) prioritize them in relationship to other services and departments. New initiatives and emphases must be considered within the context of what goals we plan to fulfill, and this context also must include current activities. The assessment of the relative importance of new initiatives compared to current core functions and activities was beyond the committee's charge; however, such assessment is mandatory for rational decision making, and we encourage others to take this critical step. A systematic review process will help to assure that the funding of new initiatives, particularly in these troubled financial times, must not come at the expense of core values and responsibilities that are critical to our central missions.
The Strategic Planning Committee members also observe that while many of the proposed Action Items will require an increase in non-teaching/research personnel, none appear to call for more teaching/research faculty. The initiatives in this report continue the trend over the last years of disproportionate growth in support staff compared to that for teaching/research faculty when viewed in light of our core missions. While much of this trend is due to un-funded federal and state mandates, it continues to draw from the almost unchanging pool of total positions.
Office of the Provost
106 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506 -0113
785-532-6224
Fax: 785-532-6507
Date: 10
July 2000
To: Kris
Boone, Rob Caffey, Yar Ebadi, Rolando Flores, Carol Kellett,
Aruna Michie, Ken Shultis, Linda Thurston, Ron
Downey
From: James
R. Coffman, Provost
Subject: Strategic
Planning Committee
I want to thank each of you for agreeing to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee during the 2000-2001 academic year. Nine themes were approved last year for inclusion in the university's new strategic plan, which will guide the overall decision-making process of the university in the next few years. A major objective for the new Strategic Planning Committee will be to assess our progress and suggest adjustments in strategy with regard to these themes. I believe that each of you will bring a valuable perspective to this task.
Dr. Carol Kellett will chair the committee for the coming year, and Dr. Ron Downey, Associate Provost for Planning and Analysis will serve as the staff support. Dr. Kellett will be contacting you shortly to schedule an initial meeting to begin preparations for your work this next academic year.
I appreciate your investment of time in this effort and the thoughtful deliberation that I know you will bring to the committee.
cc: Dr. Jon Wefald, President