Clarion University Presidential 500 Day Plan V.2
October 2012 – May 2014
Summary Update
June 30, 2014
Outcomes Summary: Of 44 Action Items, 65% were completed; 20% are in progress; 15%
have not yet begun.
Priority#1: Success: Encourage student, faculty, and staff success. Lead in ways that encourage
students to enroll, graduate, and obtain employment of their choice; encourage faculty and staff to
accomplish their best work in advancement of the university mission, vision and strategic goals.
Status
Actions
Actual Results
Not
Begun

In
Progress

Done

Achieved
Desired
Results

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

X

(Desired Results: Meet and/or exceed annual
university enrollment performance targets.)

a. Work with the Provost to launch the New
Academic Plan to guide Academic Affairs
from 2013–2018.
b. Streamline the process of CU creating,
developing, and launching new academic
programs.
c. Invest and reward efforts that increase
recruitment, retention and graduation.
d. Further develop the institutional
relationship with Butler County Community
College resulting in increasing numbers of
transfer students from Butler and offering 2+2
programs on Clarion and Butler campuses.
e. Invest and reward high impact educational
practices, nationally recognized programs, and
faculty/staff professional development efforts
that contribute to realizing desired results.

Completed Spring 2014.

Developed a more established
process for new academic program
development.
Dedicate performance funding to
reward effort.
Formal agreement signed April 29,
2013.

Fund practices and programs
annually.

Priority #2: Equity & Diversity: Create equitable, diverse environments.
Status
Actions
Actual Results
Not
Begun

In
Progress

Done

X
X
X
X
X

(Desired Results: Meet and/or exceed annual
university diversity performance targets.)

Achieved
Desired
Results

a. Complete a university strategic diversity
plan.
b. Ensure that the diversity strategic plan is
infused into divisional strategic plans.
c. Invest in the university strategic diversity
plan.
d. Enlist Presidential Commissions to monitor
the progress of the diversity plan.
e. Recognize successful accomplishments of
the plan by establishing Presidential Awards.

Completed 5/14.
Will be completed 10/15/14.

Priority #3: Civic Engagement: Continue to establish Clarion as a civically engaged public
university.
Status
Goals & Actions
Actual Results
Not
Begun

In
Progress

Done

Achieved
Desired
Results

x

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X
X
X
X

X

Yes

a. Goal/Actions: Expand Clarion
University’s engagement with the "Clarion
Region."
a.1. Align university produced knowledge and
resources with the "Clarion Region"
community partners' needs.
a. 2. Promote community service and
volunteerism among students, faculty and staff
in the "Clarion Region."
a. 3. Serve as an economic development leader
in the "Clarion Region."

a. 4. Locate a university bookstore on
Clarion's main street in order to contribute to
the retail life of the community.
a.5. Continue to include the Clarion Borough
and the Oil City leadership in the facilities
master planning process.
a.6. Develop new student housing in Clarion
benefiting-complementing both student life
and the life of the greater community through
the mixed use development (arts, culture,
retail) of space.
b. Goal/Actions: Establish a consortium of
"Northern Tier" Pennsylvania institutions
of higher learning that will work together
and leverage their collective resources to
increase the degree attainment of the
region.
b.1. Complete a memorandum of
understanding establishing the consortium.
b.2. Develop a strategic plan for the
consortium.
b.3. Invest in an infrastructure to support the
consortium.
b.4. Pursue funding/approaches toward
realizing the consortium.
b.5. Continue to work with the System and the
PA Assembly to explore efforts to increase
college degree attainment in the region.
c. Goal/Actions: Represent the university to
other organizations and institutions in
order to advance mutual interests.
Organizations include:
Nationally: AASCU, NCAA, ACE
Statewide: State Government; PASSHE System; PASSHE

(Desired Results: Target organizations will
report that the university is a valued civic
partner through a survey of target
organization leaders.)

Since 8/21/13 our students have
participated in over 2,300 hours of
service to the community.
Working with the Borough
leadership regarding a “Downtown
Clarion” effort: Blueprint
Communities.
Completed August 2012.

Plan expected to be completed in
Fall 2014.
Project underway and will open Fall
2015; Ground broken May 2014.

(Desired Results: Increase the percentage of
the population who hold a post-secondary
credential through partnerships and
collaborations with other post-secondary
institutions of higher learning in the
"Northern Tier.”)
Launched a pilot effort with Edinboro
University to work with adult learners in the
region.

3/14 gave testimony to the Senate
Education Committee regarding
the educational needs in the
Northern Tier.
(Desired Results: 1) Increase the percentage
of the regional population who hold Clarion
credentials; 2) All academic programs will
have identified student learning outcomes of
measurable quality and; 3) All academic
programs will identify how they are relevant
to meeting the current and emerging

Universities
Regionally: Counties Contiguous to Clarion and Venango
Counties
Locally: Clarion Borough, Clarion Chamber of Business
& Industry; Clarion County Economic Development
Corporation; Venango Area Chamber of Commerce;
Franklin Chamber of Commerce, Butler County
Community College; Townships (Clarion, Monroe)

c.1. Meet regularly with the leaders of each of
the target organizations/institutions.

X

Yes

c.2. Collaborate and partner with target
organizations/institutions to advance mutual
interests.

X

Yes

c.3. As the university develops its next set of
institutional plans consider future
opportunities to further any mutual interests.

economic development and workforce needs
of the region.).
Since last COT meeting have met with
representatives from:
Nationally: ACE, AASCU; Senator Patrick
Toomey
Statewide: State Government; PASSHE
System; PASSHE Universities, PACT
Conferences, Hosted New Chancellor Brogan
Regionally: none
Locally: Clarion Borough; Clarion County
Economic Development Corporation; Clarion
Chamber, Clarion Rotary, Clarion County
Commissioners.

Conducted a “Creative Rural Class”
regional conference June 2013.
Planning future conference/efforts
to build upon areas of greatest
interest: Clarion as a “College
Town” and Rural Entrepreneurship.
Launched the First Road Scholars
Tour.

Priority #4: Leadership: Ensure that the leadership (Provost, Vice President, Associate/Assistant
Vice President/Provost, and Deans) provides clarity, direction, recognition and rewards in ways that
earn the confidence of university faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends.
Status
Actions
Actual Results
Not
Begun

In
Progress

Done

Achieved
Desired
Results

X

X
X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

a. Goal/Actions: Support an organizational
culture that encourages university
leadership to pursue their highest and best
work in order to achieve desired results.

(Desired Results: CU will have a leadership
team of Vice Presidents/Provost,
Associate/Assistant Vice Presidents/Provosts
and Deans who achieve desired results and
have earned the confidence of the majority of
the faculty and the staff.)

a.1. Recruit and retain a highly productive
team of Vice Presidents/Provost, Assoc/Assist
Vice Presidents/Provosts and Deans.
a.2. Support an organizational structure that
clearly and directly aligns portfolios of
responsibility with the requisite authority.
a.3. Update leadership position descriptions
and performance review systems to ensure
clarity of responsibility and accountability.
a.4. Recognize and reward leaders who act in
ways that are transparent, lead with care and
support, communicate regularly, express
expectations, hold each other accountable
involve more colleagues in decision making,
act thoughtfully regarding how we approach
our work as the university’s top leaders.
b. Goal/Actions: Continue to advance a
university culture of institutional planning,
assessment and improvement.
b.1. Lead the executive team to implement the
recommendations of the university’s Middle
States Self-Study and the Middle States
Commission on Higher Education evaluators.

Future Searches: VP for Student
Affairs, VP for Finance & Admin.
will occur in 2014-2015.
RCM evaluation completed 3/10.
Report is under review with
expected changes for FY14-15.
Ongoing through Human Resources.

Offered merit-based salary increases
to university managers for 2012-13
and will do so in subsequent years
as allowed by the PASSHE Board
of Governors.

(Desired Results: Data driven decisionmaking and the use of institutional plans to
continuously improve the institution are
common practices throughout the university.)

X

Yes

X
X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X

Yes

X
X

Yes

b.2. Ensure that the required Middle States
reports expected in 2013 and 2014 are
successfully completed.

b.3. Continue to improve institutional
processes through the Accelerated
Improvement Process (AIP).
b.4. Continue to advance data-driven decisionmaking.
c. Goal/Actions: Encourage discussion and
dialogue through specific listening
activities.
c.1. Continue to meet regularly with Deans,
Directors, Department Chairs, faculty, staff
and students.
c.2. Periodically issue emails to all employees
regarding items of interest.
c.3. Conduct open forums at least once a
semester.
c.4. Conduct online surveys to understand
faculty, staff, student perspectives.
c.5. Conduct regular meetings with student,
employee-union, and Faculty Senate
leadership.

Progress report on Institutional
Effectiveness was completed and
approved by Middle States 10/1/13.
Second report on Academic
Planning & Assessment was
completed and approved 7/1/14.

Implemented a data warehouse
project Spring 2014.
(Desired Results: Students, faculty and staff
will report that they are invited to participate
in discussions and dialogue regarding
advancing the university.)

Since 1/13, hosted 11 luncheons
with 41 faculty. Luncheons will
continue.
Typically issue emails every 2
weeks.
Conducted 4 open forums on
proposed workforce plan in AugustSeptember 2013.

Meetings occur monthly.

Priority: Priority #5: Financial: Lead the university community to organize itself in a manner that
will enable the university to financially sustain its mission.
Status
Actions
Actual Results
Not
Begun

In
Progress

Done

Achieved
Desired
Results

X

X

Yes

X

Yes

a. Goal/Actions: Continue to develop the
university's financial decision-making
system called Responsibility Centered
Management (RCM) in order to ensure
mission driven, evidenced-based fiscal
decisions.
a.1. Continue the development and use of
Responsibility Centered Management by
evaluating the effectiveness and satisfaction of
RCM in order to create investment funds to
flexibly support academic/infrastructure
priorities.
a.2. Launch a second professional
development series to provide information that
will continue to develop skills helpful to RC
Managers and other interested faculty and
staff as they make financial decisions within
their centers of responsibilities.
a.3. Issue a next version of the Program
Viability Scorecards for every program to
provide enrollment, financial, employment
data to Responsibility Center(RC) Managers.

(Desired Results: The Clarion financial
planning model is reported to be used
throughout the university by the Provost,
Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Chairs
and Directors.)

A full review by committee was
done 3/14. The recommendations
have been received and are being
evaluated by the leadership for
specific improvements in FY14-15.
The Comptroller’s office offers
regular training and individual
consulting.

2012-2013 scorecards completed
and issued to RCs. The Scorecard
and the process for development are
under review for improvement.

X

Yes

X

X

X

Yes

a.4. Continue to distribute Performance Based
Funding revenues to each RC based on the
extent to which the RC contributed to the
earning of the awarded funds.
b. Goal/Actions: Establish a university
culture of philanthropy.
b.1. In collaboration with the CU Foundation
develop a multi-year university
comprehensive fund-raising campaign.
b.2. Prepare the campus leadership for the
campaign through professional
fundraising/philanthropic development
experiences designed to increase skills.

b.3. Recognize and celebrate philanthropic
giving at CU.

Awarded funds are distributed every
November.

(Desired Results: Meet and/or
exceed our annual university private
support performance targets.)

RC Managers provided with
information and samples to assist
them in developing a case for
support of priorities within their
units. College/unit priorities will be
reviewed in the development of the
capital campaign case statement.
Held the first annual “Spirit of
Philanthropy” event on May 7, 2013
to celebrate scholarship recipients
and benefactors. Second annual
event held in May 2014.