I. STUDENT SUCCESS

Promote student success, learning and graduation through personalized support in a student-centered education community.

1. Cultivate academic success.

1.1 Provide a campus environment that enhances learning and the development of the whole person.

1.2 Strengthen and centralize programs and practices that support academic achievement for all students.

1.3 Strengthen programs that support graduates’ career, professional, and graduate school preparedness.

2. Streamline university requirements and academic pathways to graduation.

2.1 Provide intentional and effective paths to graduation within 180 credits.

2.2 Provide intentional and effective transfer paths to graduation.

2.3 Improve access to coursework for degrees, programs and certificates.

3. Align, assess and improve the academic effectiveness of learning outcomes.

3.1 Align curriculum with learning goals for all programs.

3.2 Improve curriculum based on effective assessment of student learning outcomes.

3.3 Support curricular innovation and accountability.

4. Streamline and improve university processes in support of student achievement.

4.1 Improve academic advising for all students.

4.2 Develop user-friendly catalog, scheduling and registration systems.

4.3 Provide culturally responsive support for students from diverse communities.

4.4 Strengthen commitment to diversity and equity by enhancing support and academic services for students.

II. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Promote academic excellence in an engaged student-focused learning environment.

1. Student initiatives.

1.1 Ensure appropriate class sizes to maximize faculty-student and student-student interactions.

1.2 Increase support for programs and activities that demonstrate and inspire academic excellence.

1.3 Provide financial support for student conference presentations and other student activities that showcase the university’s educational practices and unique accomplishments.

1.4 Implement student orientation programs that reflect diverse linguistic and cultural needs as well as differences in preparation and background.

2. Faculty initiatives.

2.1 Attract and retain faculty who reflect the diversity of our students and are excellent teachers and leaders in scholarly and creative pursuits within their respective fields of expertise.

2.2 Increase faculty development support for scholarly and creative pursuits as well as innovative curricular design and delivery efforts.

2.3 Provide competitive salaries and supportive working conditions that improve faculty recruitment and retention.

2.4 Increase faculty development support to implement culturally responsive pedagogy and curriculum.

3. Staff initiatives.

3.1 Attract and retain staff members who reflect the diversity of our students, excel in their areas of expertise and support academic excellence.

3.2 Increase professional development opportunities for staff in support of academic excellence and student achievement.

3.3 Provide competitive salaries and supportive working conditions that improve staff recruitment and retention.

3.4 Increase support for professional development for staff to provide culturally and linguistically responsive services.

4. Academic program initiatives.

4.1 Promote academic array that provides distinctive, high-quality programs.

4.2 Develop internal processes that regularly review academic programs to ensure academic effectiveness, relevance, quality and currency.

4.3 Promote high-quality, diverse and innovative models of program delivery that enhance both undergraduate and graduate student access and achievement.

4.4 Promote interdisciplinary courses and degree programs that support collaborative and multidimensional educational experiences and pathways.

4.5 Redesign the general education program to be consistent with undergraduate learning outcomes and timely degree completion.

5. Identify and support activities, programs and practices that promote excellence in all academic programs.

5.1 Create opportunities for all undergraduate programs to include high-impact activities that support achievement of undergraduate learning outcomes.

5.2 Create opportunities for all graduate programs to include high-impact activities that support attainment of graduate learning outcomes.

5.3 Continue and enhance support for undergraduate research experience, presentation and publication opportunities.

5.4 Promote enhanced communication and collaboration between staff and faculty pertaining to student excellence.

III. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Create meaningful opportunities for lasting partnerships with local communities and regional and global organizations.

1. Enhance access to and support for experiential learning and co-curricular activities.

1.1 Adopt experiential learning guidelines and align high-impact practices with these guidelines.

1.2 Articulate internship or service learning opportunities for all academic programs.

1.3 Develop experiential and co-curricular activities that provide appropriate accommodations for faculty, staff and students.

2. Increase institutional engagement with local, regional and global communities.

2.1 Increase support for student engagement in community service.

2.2 Provide professional development for faculty and staff to promote engagement in community service.

2.3 Establish processes to recognize faculty, staff and students for public service.

2.4 Create and enhance educational partnerships with local communities, particularly for underrepresented student groups.

2.5 Enhance educational partnerships with international universities that promote global connections for faculty, staff and students.

2.6 Strengthen partnerships with community organizations and businesses and local, regional and state government agencies.

3. Improve the connections between university programs and activities and surrounding communities.a

3.1 Expand activities and partnership with local and regional organizations.

3.2 Increase community and alumni participation in, and support for, campus activities.

4. Support knowledge, experiences and activities that promote a better understanding of diversity-related topics.

4.1 Enhance diversity of university community as a matter of institutional priority and an integral component of academic success.

4.2 Provide professional development to improve institutional climate and personal commitment to, and understanding of, cultural competencies.

4.3 Recognize that knowledge of, and experience in, diversity-related topics are professional competencies that are expected of all employees.

IV. ACCOUNTABILITY

Promote teamwork and transparency in budgeting, decision-making and the stewardship of resources.

1. Improve university budgetary systems.

1.1 Develop and implement a transparent, evidence-based budget model that supports institutional priorities.

1.2 Create campus budget advisory committee incorporating shared governance principles and budget transparency.

1.3 Align budget process with the current Strategic Plan, mission and core themes.

1.4 Maintain budget reserves to meet university Board of Trustees-approved policies.

2. Operate in manner that supports the university’s values and continuous improvement.

2.1 Develop institutional research capacity.

2.2 Use institutional data to inform decisions, address program outcomes and meet strategic goals and accreditation standards.

2.3 Promote culture of evidence-based decision-making and accountability.

3. Strengthen the university’s visibility within Oregon.

3.1 Create strategic communications and marketing unit.

3.2 Support and enhance effective marketing and consistent branding.

3.3 Utilize web presence, social media and other forms of media to expand the university’s visibility.

3.4 Enhance public awareness of community events and the scholarly and creative works of students, faculty and staff to help showcase the university’s unique accomplishments in all program areas.

3.5 Strengthen and expand community college partnerships to promote educational attainment.

4. Enhance and support campus communication systems.

4.1 Enhance communications systems to disseminate campus-wide information and share expertise, successes and challenges.

4.2 Improve teamwork and collaboration among students, faculty, staff and administration.

4.3 Provide sufficient resources to develop and maintain timely communication avenues, such as websites and social media.

V. SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP

Promote effective university stewardship of educational, environmental, financial, human and technological resources.

1. Enhance financial sustainability through enrollment and fiscal strategies.

1.1 Meet enrollment targets through effective recruitment and retention efforts.

1.2 Support and enhance recruitment efforts for first-generation and underrepresented students, as well as a broad base of all Oregonians.

1.3 Support growth of academic programs to include new and innovative degrees and certificates.

1.4 Increase the role of long-term enrollment management planning in the budgeting processes.

2. Maintain access and affordability with regard to cost of degree attainment.

2.1 Evaluate net cost of attendance versus median household income relative to peers and comparator institutions to ensure access and affordability.

2.2 Provide students with meaningful financial support and effective connections as they transfer from other educational institutions.

2.3 Expand support for undergraduate scholarships in second, third and fourth years of attendance.

2.4 Evaluate and improve the outcomes of tuition-assistance programs on enrollment, retention, and graduation.

2.5 Evaluate assumptions underlying our current tuition cost structure and compare our system to other fiscally sustainable institutions.

2.6 Increase access to, and education about, scholarship opportunities, particularly for students of color, immigrants, rural and socio-economically disadvantaged students.

3. Diversify and expand revenue sources.

3.1 Cultivate sustainable financial resources to achieve goals of the strategic plan.

3.2 Advance financial resources through state appropriations, HECC, grants and WOU Foundation, ensuring all sources are considered and developed.

3.3 Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan to secure external funds that support the mission and goals of the university.

4. Embed sustainability as a fundamental value.

4.1 Develop and promote sustainability-focused programs and opportunities for the university, the community, alumni and university partners.

4.2 Increase and support sustainable environmental systems for campus grounds, infrastructure and physical facilities.

4.3 Ensure the availability and effective utilization of accessible and comfortable classrooms, offices and meeting spaces.

4.4 Create systems and processes for identifying sustainability opportunities, challenges and innovations.

5. Provide effective technology solutions that support campus programs in alignment with the mission and goals of the university.

5.1 Maintain IT solutions that incorporate best practices in higher education.

5.2 Provide technical support for faculty, staff and students to meet the goals and mission of the university.

5.3 Develop and implement short- and long-term IT plans that are responsive to the needs of students, faculty and staff.

6. Enlist the talents of faculty and staff to increase workplace satisfaction and develop a superior workforce.

6.1 Provide professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that advance the university mission.

6.2 Maintain appropriate staffing levels to ensure the continuity of programs, units and departments.

6.3 Implement process improvements to improve satisfaction and productivity of faculty and staff.

6.4 Provide resources that improve the safety of faculty, staff and students by developing and implementing emergency planning systems.