Strategic planning process starts new phase in January

College of Eastern Utah’s regular interim report included a 2003 Strategic Plan in its appendices that provided support material for responses to recommendations and questions presented by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The plan was drafted by President Ryan Thomas with many of the goals’ deadlines set for completion in 2006.
The plan discussed CEU’s academic programs, student outcomes, communication and administrative effectiveness, physical facilities, campus image and marketing, financial resources and community development.
President Thomas met with the faculty senate Tuesday and discussed where the college stood in many areas of the document. “The CEU strategic planning process will involve planning groups that will begin meeting in early January to focus on specific strategies within each of seven identified business units of the college.”
Academic programs
Under its academic programs, CEU listed its vision statement as developing high-quality instructional programs that are responsive to the continuously-changing needs of the students and the communities it serves.
The listed goals include: one, affirm the historic mission as a broad-based community college. This includes providing flexibility and expanded access to academic programs; expand business and industry partnerships; increase access to developmental programs; enhance service-learning, internships, and experimental learning opportunities; facilitate more successful transitions for high school students through partnerships with secondary schools; and articulate programs with secondary schools, applied technology colleges and state colleges and universities.
Two, the college should offer four-year programs in high demand and local need. The school must identify high-demand areas and partner with senior institutions to offer degrees on-campus.
Three, CEU should integrate the Southeast Applied Technology College and Prehistoric Museum more fully into the curriculum. This integration should involve departments developing the outdoor and archaeological and paleontological opportunities afforded by the museum. The college should also work with SEATC to ensure appropriate articulation of their certificates and programs into CEU and senior institutions academic programs.
Four, increase resources for academic programs. CEU should conduct data-driven analysis and resource-allocation methods for college units, increase efforts in marketing and recruitment, pursue grants and industry collaboration, develop destination programs by identifying and supporting programs that can provide regional centers of excellence, identify areas of strength and assess program viability.
Five, ensure program excellence. CEU should conduct program reviews on a five-year cycle, consider mandatory placement for math and English courses, encourage and assist faculty in professional growth and maintain a vigorous plan for outcomes assessment.
Six, foster faculty morale. This can be achieved through enhanced communication, increase salaries to a level commensurate with peer institutions, encourage and reward grant writing and develop a stronger sabbatical-leave program.
Student outcomes
Student outcomes listed its vision statement as focusing on student success through fostering student learning, enhancing student satisfaction, and implementing effective strategies to retain students and facilitate their graduation.
The first goal is to increase student retention by 1.5 percent each year through 2006, track retention more effectively, identify academic problems early and remediate problems before failure, implement new systems for academic probation to encourage the development of needed skills.
The second goal was considering mandatory course placement by reviewing whether students’ right to fail obviates the college’s opportunity to facilitate their success and develop a new understanding of open admissions to ensure adequate preparation.
The third goal was to improve communications with students; fourth, enhance student co-curricular experiences; fifth, identify the relationship between student behavior and success; sixth, consider a mandatory freshman orientation course; seventh, improve student satisfaction by 1.5 percent each year through 2006; eighth, increase success of tutoring and developmental courses so at least 60 percent of students taking tutoring will perform at an ACT or better level; ninth, increase student graduation from 38 percent to at least 43 percent.
Communication &
Administrative Effectiveness
Communication and administrative effectiveness’ vision statement states CEU will employ strategic communication and improved administrative processes to ensure a campus environment of trust and support.
This goals include improving trust through communication, increase communication with all of CEU’s stakeholders, conduct regular performance evaluations of all-campus employees, increase number and variety of social interactions of all-campus employees, create input opportunities through a suggestion box or other anonymous methods of input, develop an improved program for employee retention and improve the professional development program for all campus employees.
Physical facilities
The vision statement for physical facilities lists CEU maintaining a campus environment that enhances the learning experience and reflects our commitment to environment sensitivity.
Its goals include conducting regular campus facilities planning and management meetings, reviewing the campus master plans to ensure its reflects institutional directions and needs, review campus landscaping and energy usage to ensure the campus is environmental sensitive, and review the possibilities of share-use facilities with communities served by the campus.
Financial resources
The vision statement for financial resources states it will develop diversified funding sources and financial review systems to ensure financial viability and integrity. Some of the suggestions included developing enterprise relationships to provide continuing source of non-state revenues, developing grants, increase the number and variety of campus and other special community programs, increase giving through increased and more effective solicitation, and develop a financial revue committee to ensure the openness and accuracy of all financial information.
Community development
The vision statement says CEU will work with the communities it serves to facilitate economic development and increased quality of life. This can be achieved through community-based advisory committees, working with community members to identify quality of life issues, develop enterprises that stimulate local economic activity and collaborate with the community to develop physical facilities that respond to community needs.