Office of Academic Affairs
 
Academic School Strategic Plans

Graduate School

Draft Report of Strategic Planning

Members: Cassandra Broadus-Garcia, Chris Galligan, Dean Kleinert, Paulette Lemma, Drina Lynch, James Malley, Gustavo Mejia, Kevin Oliva, Paul Resetarits, Raymond Tafrate

Introduction

The demand of a changing workforce will result in increases in graduate enrollment over the next several years. According to a recent report published by the Connecticut Department of Labor (2003), the Connecticut economy is growing in the direction of a "knowledge economy" in which advanced educational preparation is becoming more and more essential for economic success. It is the belief of the Graduate School Strategic Planning Committee that CCSU and in particular its advanced programs should be responsive to such demands. Moreover, this belief is in concert with the planning assumptions issued by the Provost to guide the CCSU strategic planning efforts. Two statements are of particular interest:

1) Demand for graduate enrollments: The demand of a changing workforce with ever emerging new employment skills suggest that there will be an increasing number of individuals coming back to CCSU in pursuit of credit and non-credit continuing education opportunities as well as advanced degrees and renewal certificates

2) Graduate Enrollments: Over the period covered by this plan the enrollment is expected to gradually increase culminating with approximately 600 full time graduate students each fall (goal in current plan is 300; however we now have 500). Additionally marketing efforts could be made to attract additional part-time graduate and continuing education students (now 2,300).

Further, because graduate programs provide students with a mastery of a complex field of study or professional areas, NEASC standards state that graduate programs require a unique identity and scholarly and professional activities that take students substantially beyond the educational accomplishments of a baccalaureate. Therefore, resources, faculty credentials, time and commitment and expectations must allow for the successful accomplishment of program objectives.

With this in mind, the Graduate School Strategic Planning Committee deliberated over a series of meetings a vision for the Graduate School and developed goals to accomplish that vision. Added to these deliberations was input from the Graduate Forum participants. Thirty-two faculty members, as well as others connected to the Graduate School, met on October 28 to establish priorities from the list of goals generated from the planning committee. Another meeting of the Planning Committee then drafted the following set of priorities, strategies for action, outcomes and implications for other Schools/departments at CCSU.

Three major priorities have emerged, all of which grow out of the Graduate School’s Mission and Tenets, which are attached to this document.

1. Establish a more professional identity and image for the graduate school

2. Maintain academic integrity by ensuring internal quality control

3. Support and encourage innovative offerings tailored to meet the needs of the community.

Below in table form are the three priorities, each with strategies for action and the expected resultant outcomes. Specific wording was added to the document as a result of the presentation on November 11 by Richard Pattenaude, President of the University of Southern Maine.

Professional Identity and Image

Academic Integrity/Quality

Innovative offerings tailored to meet the needs of the community

· Create professional model for Graduate School students separate and distinct from undergraduate model

(more efficiency, clarity, distinct processes and functions for a greater service operation)

· Provide professional image of student service

(constant and continuous coverage for students coming to the graduate school)

(build relationships with potential students from the start)

(hard copies of promotional materials & through grad web site)

(Evening hours for coverage once all functions are returned and all are in one space)

· Uphold NEASC standards for graduate degrees

(maintain our accreditation)

(enhance efforts to move to Tier II by enhancing our reputation) 

· Provide support for graduate student and faculty scholarship through the Office of Sponsored Programs.

(Maintain the appropriate infrastructure to ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines)

(Seek grant funding for existing and prospective programs, using the Office of Sponsored Programs as a resource.)

·   Collaborate with Academic Schools and Continuing Education as well as others,  e.g. ITBD, to establish partnerships with employers— business, corporations, non- profit companies

(Develop new entrepreneurial ventures that are relevant, flexible and profitable that provide advanced learning, for example in the form of certificates, that then can be used as entry to graduate programs)

(Use creative incentive-based funding, e.g. revenue sharing, that can serve as incentives for departments to become involved)

(Simplify the process for getting approvals)

·    Data Management and mining

(Establish data systems to collect inquires; mine information for prospective students and send to the specific departments and Schools

 

·    Support Academic Schools and departments

(Market existing programs and increase enrollments)

(facilitate the development of new programs)

(create mini open houses for targeted programs in spring semester that is preceded by large Open house in fall)

(Work with University Relations to create an on-line  virtual tour of grad programs)

·   Coordinate with International programs, e.g., Jamaica, etc.

·   Increase visibility of graduate programs in the community, e.g. service, research, civic engagement to enhance the Graduate School reputation

(liaison with External Affairs)

(Be perceived as leaders in the community)

· Enhance Public Relations and communications

(To affect recruitment, admissions, and graduation rates)

 · Promote Scholarly life of faculty and graduate students

(Provide assistance for faculty mentorship of graduate students)

(Develop mechanisms for recognizing and publishing applied research)

 · Increase visibility of graduate programs in the community, e.g. service, research, civic engagement to enhance the Graduate School reputation

(liaison with External Affairs)

(Be perceived as leaders in the community)
· Be attentive to graduate student needs with flexible scheduling

· Positions ourselves to be in competition with new on-line programs e.g. University of Phoenix, etc.

(establish innovative class structures, times, to include technologically-mediated instruction etc. to facilitate retention and graduation)

 · Develop a Graduate Center for Ethics in Higher Education –GCEHE-to provide resources and support to departments in such areas as bioethics, business ethics, global and environmental ethics, etc. to be available to the total University but coordinated out of the Graduate School

(A working paper on the GCEHE is being formulated)

 · Court Alumni for feedback, support and involvement
· Ensure enriching educational quality for Graduate Assistants and increase their funding · Provide assistance for developing assessment measures

(Enhance student learning and program development improvement)

 · Continue the Strategic Planning Process by establishing a Task Force that includes the Graduate Dean, the Director of Continuing Education, the Director of CCSU’s ITBD as well as others
· Enrich graduate life on campus

(support professional societies, programming, clubs, etc.)

 · Serve as liaison between departments to assist in elective course choices  
  · Establish status of Graduate Faculty

(criteria to be established with departmental recommendation)

  

Implications

#1 Professional Image:

1) Will separate graduate admissions from undergraduate admissions. (Only 8.4% of 382 Universities that responded to a survey from National Association of Graduate Admission Professionals had joint undergraduate and graduate admissions offices. All of the CCSU Peer universities -- a total of seven plus 3 others -- have a separate graduate schools model where graduate admissions are housed.)

2) Space requirement will be necessary to combine the two offices of graduate admissions and graduate studies.

3) However, this would not require an increase in staff, at least not immediately, but would require a change in current staff’s reporting structure. What is now Graduate Admissions would report to the Graduate Dean, and not to the Director of Admissions. (Graduate Dean already uses her budget for discretionary personnel of two University Assistants and a student worker assigned to Graduate Admissions and also for some OE.)

4) In addition, all functions pertaining to the Graduate School will be brought back and placed under the purview of the Graduate Dean.

5) Impact on registrar, faculty and departments to create new structure for teaching classes to graduate students

6) Continued work with OPIR to collect and maintain data systems; also with University Relations for advertising and for expansion of the graduate web site.

#2 Academic Integrity/Quality

1) Real commitment that leads to support and recognition for the Center in Ethics.

2) Budgetary Implications: increased funding for research and graduate assistants and promotion of recruitment and recognition of graduate student accomplishments.

3) Increased involvement of University Relations in the promotion of existing graduate programs.

4) Simplification of procedures to make innovation possible.

5) Process for shared revenue needs to be established.

6) AAUP contractual implications if concept of graduate faculty is created

#3 Innovative offerings tailored to meet the needs of the community

1) Would require coordinated liaison among graduate school and academic schools, continuing education as well as ITBD: first, to maintain the academic integrity of the innovative offerings and, second, in the form of the director of graduate admissions to help them move from non credit programs to accredited programs of graduate studies.

2) Also would require coordination with Alumni Office to court alumni for enrollment.

3) Interaction with External Affairs Office

4) Simplification of procedures to make innovation possible and innovative budgeting with revenue sharing as an incentive.

Overall Implication

1) An Annual work plan would be institutionalized within the Graduate School. At the beginning of each Academic Year, the Dean would meet with a strategic planning committee to review what action had transpired the previous year and to set new action items for the current academic year. The Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Forums will also be used to provide input on the strategic planning process.

2) Advisory Board will be established

Fiscal Analysis Plans

1. Will forecast growth areas in advance programs for the next 3-5 years

2. will create data base and chart of last 3 years on number of students accepted, full time and part time, by graduate programs

3. will create data base and chart on the number of credit hours generated by individual graduate programs

4. will create data base on the money generated by the Continuing Registration Fee over the last 3 years by students paying $40 for incompletes in their capstones.

Graduate Mission Statement

The graduate school is a community of scholars devoted to increasing human awareness and understanding through scholarly inquiry, research, and study in specialized disciplines. The aim of graduate education is to provide students with the environment to develop knowledge and skills to make contributions to their discipline and to the rapidly changing world. Through an atmosphere of intellectual and personal integrity, an attitude of excellence, and a spirit of creative independence, our graduates develop mastery in their field and become lifelong learners and leaders within their respective professions.

Community of Scholars

To facilitate active and ongoing participation, communication, and interaction of faculty and students around a shared commitment to the advancement of knowledge through innovation and research.

Scholarly Inquiry

To foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity, reflective thinking, and the application of rigor in the evolving formulation of knowledge.

Intellectual and Personal Integrity

To live according to personal and professional values and standards and to be cognizant of the consequences that one’s decisions and actions has on others and the environment.

Excellence

To strive for ongoing quality improvement through careful planning, innovation and program evaluation.

Leadership

To take initiative for shaping the direction of one’s discipline by modeling high standards of professional behavior, and inspiring and motivating others to do the same.

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Wednesday, 03. September 2008