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Enrich undergraduate
education through the introduction of innovative organizational
arrangements for students having their first experience at CCSU, through
a renewal of the general education curriculum, and through recruitment
of an academically able and diverse student body.
- Initiate innovative
organizational arrangements for students’ first experience at CCSU.
Rationale.
Nationwide many students come to college with a variety of academic and
social needs. Some are undecided about their major; others require
remedial assistance and ongoing support to achieve success. All require
assistance in making the transition to a higher education environment.
Our aim is to provide for students at the university for the first time
a set of gateway educational experiences that will serve as a strong
foundation for all that follows. Perhaps named “Central College,” this
new arrangement will incorporate features of the current First Year
Experience Program but will be expanded to accommodate transfers from
community colleges and students from other institutions. We will
provide an initial home for all undeclared majors which will include the
support of the Advising Center, and ultimately may lead to a “university
studies” major for certain populations of students. We envision that
these experiences will be under the auspices of a special organizational
structure (college, school, or division), which will possess enough
autonomy and resources to support quality programming and advising, and
yet remain tightly connected to other academic schools and student
affairs.
- Renew the general
education curriculum to integrate and accentuate the liberal arts
learning experience of all majors.
Rationale.
A liberal arts-based general education curriculum is essential for all
undergraduate majors. It is the means by which the university protects
and extends liberal education and provides perspective about human and
intellectual values and lifelong learning. We envision that the general
education core will exhibit the exceptional and innovative qualities
recognized by the Association of American Colleges & Universities when
it selected the University as a “Leadership Institution.” Our general
education curriculum will provide students with an array of experiences
to ensure core competencies, yet be more concentrated in selected
courses and designed to include experiences in the major. We will
create a broad conception of general education beyond introductory level
courses, that will include upper division courses. The intent is to
provide more curricular flexibility for students and simplify advising
and transfer of credits.
- Continue to
improve student selectivity/preparedness and overall diversity of our
student body in collaboration with area
schools, community colleges, and employers. (Tier II Related)
Rationale.
Since there is a direct relationship between the academic preparation of
incoming students and the overall quality of the University’s
teaching-learning transactions, it is desirable to sustain recruiting
efforts that are targeted for academic high achievers. We believe it
is important to continue efforts such as “Immediate Decision Day” and
“Breakfast of Champions,” as well as initiate other innovations to
recruit high achievers into our Honors and regular programs.
Recognizing that differing perspectives and life experiences enrich all
of our educational efforts, we believe it is also imperative that CCSU
continue its quest to recruit a diverse student population and foster
its development.
- Continue to
enhance student success by assuring that
each student will never be lost among the numbers. (Tier II Related)
Rationale. Effective retention is a result of
deliberate, purposeful, and student- centered policies and procedures.
As a result of efforts initiated by the previous strategic plan, our
first-to-second-year retention rate has increased over the past five
years from 68 percent to 75 percent. Our aim is to increase students’
satisfaction with their lives and the choices they can make as a result
of study at CCSU. We are committed to providing sufficient resources to
facilitate each student’s growth to his or her fullest potential.
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