2002 - 2007 STRATEGIC PLAN   2002 - 2007 STRATEGIC PLAN    2002 - 2007 STRATEGIC PLAN

The 1997-2002 Strategic Plan was developed during the 1996-97 academic year and established four priorities for institutional change. At the beginning of the 1999-2000 academic year, a fifth priority area was identified and included in the action plans for subsequent years. The priorities and related goals have provided the focus for annual action plans.

Priority One. In order to sustain continuous improvement of academic programs, Georgia Southwestern must implement recruitment and retention strategies to increase student enrollments during the planning period.

Goal 1. Overall enrollment will increase 3.4 percent each year through the year 2001.
Outcome Assessment: Enrollment growth has averaged approximately one percent per year over the last four years. Enrollment growth has been negatively affected by the increase in admission standards and the conversion to the semester system. In addition, the population in the primary service area is not increasing and is declining in a number of counties. The primary service area includes some of the most economically depressed counties in Georgia.

Goal 2. Student recruitment efforts will result in a decrease in minimally qualified students and an increase in the number of students with outstanding academic credentials.
Outcome Assessment: Recruitment efforts have been successful in attracting an increasing qualified student population. Average SAT scores have increased approximately 60 points and the number of Governor's Scholars has increased. The number of well-qualified scholarship applications has increased over the last four years and traditional age developmental studies students are no longer accepted.

Priority Two. The future of Georgia Southwestern depends on a commitment to academic programs based on the current knowledge base and effective instructional practice.

Goal 1. The university will continue to offer an appropriate array of academic programs that will follow national patterns of excellence and will meet the standards of regional and national accrediting agencies.
Outcome Assessment: Program reviews by the National League of Nursing and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education have been successfully completed in the last four years. The five-year review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools was successfully completed. The School of Business has been accepted to candidacy status by AACSB. Preparation for a ten-year review by SACS is well underway in preparation for a site visit in November 2002.
Goal 2. Instruction will be augmented by and delivered with state-of-the-art instructional technology.
Outcome Assessment: The campus optical fiber network has been installed and computers distributed to all faculty desktops. Most academic programs use the campus network to deliver instruction or instructional support materials. A number of courses are delivered by videoconferencing and enrollment in online instruction accounts for approximately 7% of the total headcount enrollment. Computer labs have been added in most academic programs and a computer lab has been installed in the Library. The Academic Skills Center has been established and provides a computer lab as well as technology enhanced classrooms for campus-wide use. Career Services includes a number of software packages to assist students and also participates in USG job search and student resume listing services. A master plan for the development of information technology services has been completed and is being implemented. The Instructional Technology Advisory Committee has been established as a standing faculty committee and is responsible for conducting on-going assessments of academic program needs for technology hardware, software, and services.

Priority Three. As a residential campus, the social and physical environments, including programming, services, facilities, and infrastructure, are critical to the academic environment at Georgia Southwestern.

Goal 1. The university will develop and maintain positive human relations, supportive student services, and appropriate physical facilities that will contribute to a stimulating and challenging living and learning environment.
Outcome Assessment: Student services offices provide expanded hours of operation during peak use periods. The Health Center has adopted a wellness model with special clinics for women and men students. An increased variety and number of student programs have been developed and facilities for intramural sports have been improved. The new Student Success Center, to be constructed over the next two years, will greatly enhance opportunities for student programs and activities. There are a greater number of opportunities for student internships, part-time positions, community service, and shadow experiences. The Human Relations Council has been established to monitor and to enhance human relations on campus. The Council provided leadership in the development of a campus diversity statement that was adopted by the faculty in 1999. The Council, through campus-wide forums, has been instrumental in encouraging and facilitating campus discussions of human relations issues.

Goal 2. The campus infrastructure will be augmented by and delivered with state-of-the-art instructional technology.
Outcome Assessment: The campus network has been expanded to include all campus facilities including the residence halls. Major operations software have been installed to support the student and academic affairs information systems with significant improvements in information access for academic advising and course registration (BANNER). A site license was purchased for WebCT and training programs established to provide all faculty access to software to support online instructional delivery. The Academic Skills Center has been established to provide all students and faculty access to advanced instructional technologies. The Instructional Technology Center has become an important resource to the campus community, providing technical assistance and training in the use of Powerpoint, WebCT, and related technologies. Campus-wide technology access has been achieved by the implementation of a wired and wireless network, including all residence halls.

Priority Four. Achieving the goals in each of the priority areas will depend on an aggressive program to increase grants, contracts, and charitable contributions to augment state allocations and student tuition revenue to Georgia Southwestern.

Goal 1. A comprehensive university relations program, including traditional strategies and media, as well as the innovative use of emerging media, will be developed and implemented to communicate the mission, goals, programs, and accomplishments of the university.
Outcome Assessment: The quality and attractiveness of University publications has increased over the last four years. The University has updated the home web page and a new web page is under development. The Breeze, the intracampus newsletter is now in an electronic format that is user friendly. Most academic programs and student affairs offices have web pages. The University has used television, radio, and print media to communicate more effectively to various constituencies. Student application and registration is now possible online. Expanded programming on TV8, the public access cable channel, has provided another means of strengthening relationships between the campus and the community.

Goal 2. External funding will increase at a rate greater than the rate of growth in student enrollments through grants, contracts, and endowments to support student scholarships, purchase of equipment, capital development, and academic programming.
Outcome Assessment: External funding has exceeded the growth in student enrollments. Grant and contract support has increased approximately 70% and annual giving has doubled in the last four years. The University is now preparing for a major gifts campaign to support a number of programs, facilities, and institutional needs.

Priority Five. Student, faculty, and staff involvement in the campus community will be encouraged and supported to enrich and maximize the learning environment.

Goal 1. To develop a campus-wide commitment to building an involved and engaged learning community.
Outcome Assessment: The campus is making significant progress in this area and
examples of campus-wide initiatives include Campus Pride Day, Move In Day, Student Appreciation Day, and Community Connections (a community service initiative). Student organizations have demonstrated increased engagement, particularly noted are efforts by Students In Free Enterprise, the International Students Association, the Campus Activities Board, and the Habitat for Humanity Chapter. It was observed that there is more peer tutoring among students and more diversity among student workers on campus to include international students.

Goal 2. To develop means of increasing interaction among key groups on campus, e.g., student/student, student/faculty, faculty/staff, faculty/faculty, and student/staff interaction.
Outcome Assessment: The Student Government Association has initiated a program to encourage students to take faculty members to lunch. The Teaching Circles program has encouraged more faculty to be engaged in discussing instructional issues. The Springfest program has been expanded to include activities throughout the semester and to involve a greater number of academic programs. Preview Days, Accepted Students Day, and Homecoming activities involve a greater number of faculty and staff. The tennis scholarship fundraising event was noted as an example of faculty/staff involvement in support of student programs.

Goal 3. To develop instructional approaches that encourage student engagement and involvement in learning.
Outcome Assessment: Important achievements include the increased use of student presentations in class, greater student involvement in peer tutoring, the use of capstone or senior seminar courses, and a greater emphasis on internships and practicum experiences. The revision of UNIV1000 to emphasize student engagement and the addition of a Freshman Advocate were seen as important outcomes. Outcomes also included the development of a career planning course as an elective for students that encourages greater interaction with faculty and alumni. All faculty committees now include student representatives.

Goal 4. To develop academic as well as extra-curricular activities that facilitate the transition and inclusion of new students to the campus community.
Outcome Assessment: The First Year Experience Residence Hall and related programming, including Move In Day and the faculty mentoring program, were seen as an important accomplishment. The Academic Skills Center and the Freshman Advocate were noted as valuable additions in this area. Most academic clubs now sponsor welcoming events during the fall semester. Some academic clubs also sponsor student scholarships as well as community service projects to engage new students.

As a public institution of higher education located in the southwest region of Georgia, the current and future operations of the university are influenced by a number of external factors. The strategic planning process must take these external factors into account in the process of identifying strategic priorities and goals for the next five years. The Steering Committee considers the following environmental factors to be the most important in the future development of Georgia Southwestern.

State allocations for operations, technology, and capital improvements. Stable enrollment with manageable increases is preferred since student enrollment is a major factor in the funding formula. The ability to fund improvements in technology is also affected by fluctuations in enrollment.

Increasing pressure to stabilize or minimize increases in tuition. GSW tuition is not seen as a major barrier to attendance. The current tuition is viewed as being at a reasonable level, particularly in comparison with the cost of attending some other public universities across the nation. Nonetheless, there is significant pressure to contain costs and minimize future increases in tuition.

Decline in the number of high school graduates in the immediate region. The demographics of the region indicate a decline in the number of students attending and graduating from high school. At the same time, an analysis of the number of regional students attending higher education suggests that GSW is not enrolling an appropriate share of the market in southwest Georgia. In order to increase the student population, out-of-region strategic marketing initiatives are needed and should be coupled with a new emphasis on out-of-state recruiting. Committee members commented that marketing GSW as a small, safe campus offering quality education should catch the attention of students and parents alike from more populous regions.

The low per capita income level in the region contributes to the need for more students to work while they are attending the university. In addition, there is a perception that higher education is not highly valued in the local region.

The HOPE scholarship program has encouraged more students to attend colleges and universities in the state. The program also makes attending other Georgia universities outside the region financially feasible.

Continuing importance and rising costs of technology to support instruction. The need to invest in information technologies has increased over time. While GSW has made significant progress in the last few years, additional investments will be needed to maintain our position as a technology leader. Additional funding, particularly funding from private corporations and foundations is needed. GSW may consider developing business/education partnerships and grants should be aggressively pursued.

Increasing competition for qualified faculty. In many disciplines, the pool of available faculty has diminished significantly in the last few years. To attract top faculty, funds are needed to support faculty scholarship. Successful faculty recruitment in the future may require funds for moving expenses, faculty development, and salary enhancements as well as changes in policies for awarding tenure. The University should be involved in enhancing the local school system to provide better educational opportunities for the children of faculty members.

Increasing demand for accountability. The Georgia General Assembly has become increasingly interested in the performance of the public education system, including higher education. Similarly, accrediting agencies are requiring more evidence to support documenting the positive outcomes of academic programs. All of these demands for documentation require additional resources.

Increasing competition for charitable contributions. Public colleges and universities have recognized the need for external funds to address critical needs that have not been addressed by state funding. In addition, a number of other agencies and community projects actively compete for private donations in the local region. In order to be successful, GSW must expand the search for private gifts and grants to support institutional needs. The university needs an active marketing campaign that focuses on the unique, distinctive features of our campus community. This effort needs to extend beyond the local region and actively reach alumni who can provide support in a number of different forms.

The Steering Committee engaged members of the campus community in discussion of those factors that will be critical to the future success of GSW. This discussion identified a number of different factors, which are summarized in the following five areas.

Recruiting and retaining students. Georgia Southwestern must have effective programs to recruit and retain well-prepared students and strive to attain capacity enrollments in all programs. There is evidence that most academic programs can add new students without significant changes in resource allocations. It is a common belief that modest increases in student enrollment, 10 to 15 percent growth, need not affect our distinctiveness as a small university and our responsiveness to student needs.

In addressing enrollment growth, GSW needs to become more efficient in the use of instructional resources through a comprehensive review of the instructional delivery system with special attention to course scheduling. The development and strengthening of our learning community model can increase cooperation across academic disciplines and also facilitate interdisciplinary understanding among students. Many believe this will enhance the educational experience for all students.

Additional strategies include the need to encourage more collaborative programs, i.e., two plus two programs, with two-year colleges to facilitate the transfer of students to GSW. We also need to develop data based indicators of student success and to emphasize those indicators in faculty decisions about program improvement. And finally, the array of graduate programs, including the MSN and the MBA, can be used to attract both students and faculty. In addition, these programs can be important in enhancing the image of the university in the larger community.

Retaining qualified faculty and staff. The future success of GSW depends to a great extent on retaining the high quality faculty and staff members who currently serve the campus as well as the ability to recruit equally qualified faculty and staff. We need to create an environment that encourages professionals to stay at the university and in the community, including the allocation of resources for professional development and competitive salaries.

Advancing the use of information technologies. GSW has made great strides in the use of information technologies, but new technologies and applications become available on a continuous basis. The offices and classrooms at GSW need to keep pace with these changes and to support faculty, students and staff in learning new applications. GSW needs to strive to be at the forefront in the use of information technologies and to provide up-to-date learning opportunities for faculty and students.

Improving the residential experience. As a campus that values the residential experience for traditional age students, GSW must strive for continuous improvements in the quality and diversity of residence halls on campus. Funding for new buildings and improvements in existing facilities will be a significant challenge since state appropriations are not available for these purposes.

Articulating distinctive features. GSW competes with a number of other public and private colleges and universities in this geographic region. We must identify those distinctive features that differentiate an education at GSW from the experiences at other universities and colleges in our market area.

We need to identify and, if needed, establish unique programs that meet student, environmental, and academic standards of excellence. We need to be bold and creative in identifying and articulating our distinctive features. The entire campus community should be engaged in developing ways of making our campus distinct, e.g., capitalizing on the change in our status and name as well as our history as an institution of higher learning. We should utilize our concept of a caring community of learning to ensure increased activities, increased communication, and increased interaction to maintain a small college climate while we add students to achieve growth in enrollments. We should explore programs that build on our current strengths, e.g., rural caregiving, Third World Studies, and historic preservation.

Finally, an aggressive marketing campaign, formal and informal, is needed to inform the public about our distinctive features. The campaign needs to communicate a
clear, continuous, and consistent message about the learning opportunities at GSW.

Opportunities

While it is difficult to predict the future, the Steering Committee asked the campus community to identify potential opportunities that might be presented to GSW in the next five years. The members of the strategic planning retreat discussed these opportunities and the following summarizes their discussion.

Addressing community and regional needs. Southwest Georgia faces a number of critical issues and problems involving economic development, educational improvement, and community development. GSW has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and to provide some of the resources needed to address these issues and problems.

Most importantly, GSW should strengthen existing academic programs and consider creating programs to address local needs. Specifically, GSW should provide the highest quality programs in education, business, and health care in response to critical needs in these areas. In addition, programs to support small business development and entrepreneurs should be promoted. Continuation education programs can support local businesses in their efforts to improve the existing workforce.

Building on academic program strengths. Many of the academic programs at GSW are recognized for the quality education students receive. Recent improvements, particularly in the use of technology, have added to this recognition. We have an opportunity to build on these strengths to improve the learning experience for students and to increase student enrollments. For example, GSW needs to encourage more faculty/student research opportunities to enhance student/faculty interaction that is already recognized as very positive by students. With a great deal of experience with online courses, GSW needs to explore expanding online offerings to provide 24/7 access to more courses. Similarly, we need to experiment with courses that are offered on weekends or on a more compact semester schedule. In order to encourage more non-traditional students, we should experiment with cohort classes for these students.

Academic program outreach and collaboration. In a region that has many economic and education needs, GSW has an opportunity to establish a reputation for responsive academic programs through targeted outreach programs and collaboration with other educational institutions. Most immediately, GSW should continue to strengthen our interaction with middle school and high school students through programs such as PREP, History Day, and Math Day. Similarly, we should continue and strengthen our course offerings to professional educators by delivering more courses in the schools.

GSW also has an opportunity to market outstanding programs in math and science education as well as nursing to address shortages in those professions. Aggressive marketing of the recently approved MBA program can add a number of new students and we should consider offering the MBA in an alternative format, such as an executive MBA program with weekend and online courses.

The success of existing collaborative programs with other USG institutions and other institutions should provide a basis for the development of additional programs. Other collaborative efforts with area businesses and alumni should be encouraged to provide internships for students and to bring individuals with specialized expertise to campus to enhance instruction.

International education opportunities. GSW has a history of attracting a diverse group of international students and also has a number of agreements with colleges and universities in other countries. These factors provide a solid foundation to extend international learning opportunities on campus. With a number of students attending the English Language Institute in the Center for Asian Studies, the campus community has an opportunity to learn more about other cultures from these students. In addition, we should consider expanding our partnership with Habitat for Humanity to bring their management teams from other countries to GSW for a program in non-profit management.

Marketing and external funding. The Centennial celebration will provide a number of opportunities to increase awareness of the rich history of GSW and to build a new appreciation for the strengths of the campus. With strong academic programs and a geographic location in an historic small town that is safe and attractive, the celebration should be accompanied by a strategic marketing campaign to develop a broader understanding of the distinctiveness of the university. This effort should be part of an effort to increase external funding for the university.

Identifying the Strategic Priorities

The Steering Committee conducted a number of focus group discussions with various groups on campus including the faculty, staff, the Student Government Association, the GSW Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association. In these discussions, participants were asked to identify major University accomplishments, major issues for the next five years, and unique opportunities in the future. In addition, these groups were asked to propose strategic priorities for the next five-year plan. The participants also completed a written survey addressing these topics. The Steering Committee members summarized the input from these discussions as well as the completed survey forms. These summaries were presented at a planning retreat. The planning retreat included the members of the Steering Committee, the Administrative Council, the academic deans, the Director of Admissions, the Director of Residence Life, the Director of Campus Life, the Dean of Students, the Director of Career Services, and the Director of Minority and Multicultural Affairs.

The participants of the retreat developed a preliminary draft of the strategic priorities. This draft was distributed to all the participants in the retreat and they were encouraged to offer their comments and suggestions.

A second draft of the priorities was developed as a result of a number of suggestions and comments. The Steering Committee reviewed the second draft and offered editorial comments. This draft of the priorities was presented and discussed by the Executive Committee of the GSW Foundation Board of Trustees.

The Faculty Senate reviewed the strategic priorities and also offered their suggestions. The revised priorities were presented and discussed at a regular meeting of the faculty during the summer session. Faculty members were encouraged to submit any additional comments or suggestions prior to the end of the summer session. Using this additional input, the Steering Committee prepared a final version of the priorities for presentation and approval at a faculty meeting at the beginning of the Fall Semester 2002.

The final version of the strategic priorities was presented to a meeting of the full faculty on August 16, 2002. The faculty discussed the priorities and asked for clarification of specific terms and the intent of individual priorities. The strategic priorities were approved unanimously by the faculty present.

The Strategic Priorities

The priorities for the 2002-2007 Strategic Plan identify five major areas that will guide decisions about program development and expansion, the development and allocation of resources, and the development of our campus community. Each priority is accompanied by a set of action goals that will be addressed by each of the departments, schools, offices, and divisions on campus.

Academic Programs of Distinction. Georgia Southwestern will promote academic programs to encourage increased enrollment to an optimum of 3,000 students while maintaining a caring community of learning. GSW will provide distinctive, effective education programs while developing and strategically allocating resources for the delivery of those programs.

• Strengthen teaching, learning, and assessment in all programs, particularly in the core curriculum, the liberal arts foundation for all baccalaureate degree programs.
• Develop and support interdisciplinary learning, service learning, and international learning experiences as components of the curriculum for all students.
• Provide resources for professional development to retain a committed faculty and staff.
• Provide continuing support for comprehensive program and accreditation reviews for all programs.

Meeting the Needs of a Changing Student Population. Georgia Southwestern will develop alternative approaches to enhance programs and services.

• Increase course availability through flexible scheduling.
• Design and offer alternative modes for the delivery of instruction, including increasing access to and use of technology.
• Develop options for childcare.
• Assess and strengthen services that respond to student needs.

Quality Residential Programs and Facilities. Georgia Southwestern will develop a residential model that includes updated facilities, new student life programs, and expanded opportunities for learning within the context of a financially viable, self-sufficient operation.

• Develop public/private partnerships to create new residential options for students.
• Explore strategies to reinforce existing residency requirements and to encourage all traditional age students to reside on campus for the first two years of the undergraduate experience.
• Assess and strengthen programs that engage students in campus life.
• Develop additional specialized residential facilities for traditional age students.

Enriched Campus Community. Georgia Southwestern students, faculty, and staff will continue to enrich the learning environment to support our vibrant community of learning.

• Focus resources for development of all community members.
• Increase student, faculty, and staff engagement in the campus community.
• Promote communication and the flow of information across the campus.
• Foster collaboration across departments and schools within the University and with external agencies.

GSW Image and Centennial Celebration. Georgia Southwestern will promote its distinctiveness in the University System as it prepares to celebrate its Centennial in 2006.

• Increase public awareness of distinctive programs and learning opportunities as well as the economic impact of the University through the development and implementation of a systematic marketing plan.
• Examine the cost and feasibility of NCAA membership for athletic programs.
• Maximize the impact of celebrating the University's centennial.
• Launch a major gift campaign to fund the critical needs of the University.

Annual Action Plans

The 1997-2002 Strategic Plan continued to evolve each year of implementation because each division of the University was charged with the responsibility to develop annual action plans. The annual action plans specified the action objectives to be implemented and assessed each academic year of the five-year plan. Similarly, each division will be charged with the development of annual action plans to address the five priorities of the 2002-2007 Strategic Plan. These action plans will be developed by September 30, 2002 and added to the Strategic Plan. Each division will review and revise the action objectives each year with progress documented in an annual report.