strategic Study Group Recommendations - 2002-2003 Honors Award Process Improvement Statement: Improve the award process so that the Honors award amount to each student participating in the program is consistent annually, and the program is merit-based with specific criteria. Implementation Status Recommendations Responsibility 1 Guarantee a consistent amount over four years to each freshman entering the University Honors Program, based on merit, as long as eligibility is maintained. Honors Chair / Honors Committee 2. Develop an ongoing plan to identify additional funding sources for Honors awards. Honors Chair / Honors Committee Honors Chair / Honors Committee 3. Eliminate the annual reapplication requirement for Honors scholarship awards and use a computer data check to verify continued eligibility, as is done to verify continued eligibility for participation in the program itself Master Schedule Improvement Statement: To examine current practices for the development of the Master Schedule at the department and Dean level, for best practices to minimize student, faculty and departmental conflicts and to better match faculty to teaching technologies. Recommendations Implementation Status 1. A model of “best practices” should be generated that includes recommendations for starting the process well in advace and for assessing technology needs in departments. 2. Departments should have specific rooms for which they will receive priority scheduling. 3. Inclusion of 4-year planners for ALL programs in the University Catalog, and distribution of planners to every department connected to a particular major or program. In addition we would iike to see 4-year planners used as a “check” in the scheduling process as a way to avoid conflicts between required courses. 4. A list of all the technologies available in each classroom should be maintained on the Web and available to all. 5. “Other” courses offered at Edinboro University - including GECAC, PREP, NTEL, Project Echo and off campus courses - should be part of the mainstream scheduling process. A database of those in charge of each of these programs should be maintained and accessible to all schedule creators on campus. Sharon Miller in the scheduling office has already begun work on this task. Responsibility Ad hoc, campus wide committee convened by the Scheduling Office Scheduling Office. Ad hoc committee to help Sharon Miller assess the needs of individual departments. Tim Pilewski and the Offices of records & Registration. Deans to be in charge of checking all conflicts between required courses. Technology and Communications. Deans, working in conjunction with each other. | 2 6. A “working” schedule or “pre-schedule” should be posted on the web, perhaps in Blackboard, well in advance of the deadline so that those involved in the Master Schedule creation process can look for scheduling conflicts prior to the printing of the Maser Schedule. Scheduling Office in conjunction with Technology & Communications. Monitorin2 Student Prosress Improvement Statement: Define the process by which the progress of General Studies students is monitored in order to increase retention of General Studies students. Recommendations 1. Establishment of a Study Progress Advisory Task Force to be coordinated by the Associate Provost for Student-Centered Initiatives. This task force should consist of representatives from: Academic Support Services Enrollment Management and Retention Each of the Schools: Liberal Arts, Education and Science, Management and Technology Freshman Year Experience Orientation Student Financial Support Services Student Representatives The charges of this task force should include: A. Thorough examination of University offices and services directly involved in student success and retention. The primary goal of the task force should be to develop indicators of student success. Some of the methods to achieve that goal may include: i. ii. An increased communication among student offices and services directly involved with student retention and success to make student access to these services as seamless as possible. Implementation of the plan for improvement of academic advising as per the recommendation of the Strategic Study Group on Academic Advising convened in 2001. Some specific tasks might be a. making QPA calculation software accessible through the EUP website (SCOTS and in Records and Registration) in consultation with Technology and Communications b. developing opportunities for advisor training, including workshops and on-line tutorials c. developing additional criteria for recognizing faculty advising responsibilities __________________ iii. Review CSl (College Student Inventory) and SSI (Student Satisfaction Iniplcmcnlalion Status Rcsponsibilit\ Associate Provost for StudentCentered Initiatives Index) data for trends in order to improve retention outcomes. B. Exploration of the establishment of a Retention Advisement Committee for each of the three schools. Initially the SSG envisioned a committee compromised of the dean of the school (or a designated representative), and one representative from each of the following areas: Academic departments in the school Enrollment Management and Retention Student Financial and Support Services Residence Life The committee might meet twice a semester ~ once grades have been submitted, to review all students who are eligible for probation or supension. All students eligible for probation or suspension will; a. b. c. receive a letter from the Registrar’s office (this is currently in place) the student’s advisor will be copied (this is also currently in place) the academic record of each student on academic probation or suspension will be reviewed (this is also currently in place) d. students eligible for suspension will be suspended (this is also currently in place) e. students on suspension will be eligible for a meeting with the committee. Those students may seek reinstatement, at the committee’s discretion, pending the development of an Individual Success Program (ISP). The ISP, which will be developed by the committee and the student, will identify specific actions, activity and criteria for reinstatement and retention. f. Each semester, the progress of all students with ISPs will be reviewed. The committee s discretion will dictate whether the student’s record indicates compliance and progress toward retention. If student’s progress is not deemed satisfactory toward success as per the ISP agreement, the student will be terminated. g. Exploration of the reassignment of General Studies students from a centralized department of one of the three colleges. (For example: General Studies - Education, General Studies - Liberal Arts, General Studies - SMT — OR - Undeclared - Education, Undeclared - Liberal Arts, Undeclared - SMT.) 2. Implementation of a hreshman Year Experience program. We support the course “University 101” currently under deliberation by the Curriculum Committee Associate Vice President for Student Centered Initiatives 3. Revise (via UPIRCI) the “Department Enrollment Planning Matrices” to include a section for departmental reflection on retention with the following questions (Appendix 4A and 4B): UPIRCI a. “What # and % of students transferred to another major within Edinboro University?” b. What # and % of students transferred to a different institution?” 4. Revise (via collaboration between Records and Registration and Technology and Communications) the “Change Major” form to include a section on why a student is changing their major. (Appendix 5). Secondarily, a location will need to be identified within Banner to accommodate the data for report purposes. Records and Registration/Technology and Communications 5. Implementation of a cyclical major change/department retention report for department chairs and program heads to catalogue the reasons why students are leaving a particular major. This will also improve communication among departments and retention committees. Once the University is able to capture this data to understand why students are changing particular majors in favor of others, appropriate decision-making/strategy development can occur. This infonnation should be compiled and shared with the campus retention committees shown previously in the report. Records and Registration/Technology and Communications Recosnition of Retirees Improvement Statement: Create equitable standards to recognize University employees upon retirement in order to enhance a continuing positive relationship wit the University as measured by a follow-up survey to the individuals who have retired within the last three years. I^cconimcndalions 1. Develop a policy identifying the specific recognitions, honors and communications each retiree is entitled to receive and governing the use of University funds in doing so. 2. Develop a brochure listing the specific recognitions, honors and communication every retiree is to receive. 3. Consider establishing an annual retirement luncheon even with the President to honor new retirees, possibly following the Spring Convocation. 4. Establish an honor similar to Emeritus status for non faculty/administrative retirees 5. Review the current policy and procedure for Emeritus status to detennine if the policy and the procedure still reflect the University’s concept of Emeritus. 6. Consider presenting emeritus recognition annually at a public session of the Council of Trustees meeting - possibly in the spring. 7. Send a follow-up survey every three years to those individuals who have retired since the last survey. 9/16/03 -edl Implcmcnlalioii Slaliis Rcsponsibilil\ Personnel, Space and Policy Committee Human Resources/Faculty Relations w/Publications Office. President’s Office President’s Office w/PEC. Provost’s Office President’s Office UPIRCI