CLARION UNIVERSITY ACTION PLAN – MIDDLE STATES STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE # Standard 1 Mission and Goals 2 Planning, Resources and Institutional Renewal Recommendations *     Suggestions Working Group(s) Hold extended discourse on Academic/Directors’ the meaning of “nationally Councils; Open recognized programs” for Forums (FF-PAI) Clarion University. Frame new strategic Strategic Directions directions in a way that is Steering Committee measurable. Make additional reporting tools, including modeling IMIR; Computing techniques and forecasting, Services; F&A available to RC managers and the university as a whole. Offer training and workshops for administrators, faculty, Divisions of and staff to develop expertise Academic Affairs, in RCM performance and F&A, and SUA assessment. Align institutional initiatives with PASSHE performance metrics in order to capitalize RC Managers on opportunities for additional revenue. Develop a plan to ensure UTAC; Faculty adequate computing Senate; Institutional resources for faculty and staff Resources Comm. across RCs. Decisional Authority Milestone/ Date PEC PEC PEC PEC PEC PEC Delivery date of May 1, 2012 # 3 4 5 Standard Institutional Resources Leadership and Governance Administration Recommendations *   Suggestions Develop a funding and implementation plan for deferred maintenance. Periodically assess the effective use of institutional resources. Examine the charters of university governance groups, particularly Faculty Senate, and amend as necessary. Council of Trustees should strategize on how to take on a more intentional advocacy role in the community and beyond given serious state budget reductions. More reflection and deliberation by governing bodies on university change initiatives. Conduct periodic assessment of the effectiveness of institutional governance and the role of students within university governance. The university administration should proceed deliberately with RCM and strive to ensure that all constituents understand its mechanisms and details. Working Group(s) Division of Finance and Administration Decisional Authority ISLAC PEC Governance Groups Governance Groups & President Council of Trustees President; Council of Trustees Governance Groups President; Governance Groups Governance Groups; ISLAC President; Governance Groups; VP for SUA RC Managers President PEC Milestone/ Date # 5 6 Standard Recommendations * Ensure that documents and publications identify the Clarion University Foundation, Inc. as a distinct and separate entity from the university. Review the university’s organizational structure regarding academic and institutional planning to ensure effectiveness. Re-examine the need for more intentional institutional infrastructure for supporting sponsored research and grants. Administration, cont. Integrity Suggestions Conduct a formal review of faculty promotion criteria to confirm that they are sufficiently defined and that recent faculty promotion decisions affirm consistent treatment of all candidates for promotion. Conduct periodic assessment of other institutional policies, processes, and practices and their implementation.  Working Group(s) Decisional Authority Printing Svcs; University Relations President; VP for SUA ISLAC Provost Acad Affairs committee (ongoing, Turell) Provost Academic Affairs; Human Resources; APSCUF President; Provost; APSCUF (Meet & Discuss) ISLAC PEC Milestone/ Date # 6 Standard Recommendations *  Integrity, cont.   . 7 Institutional Effectiveness Suggestions Continue to improve the flow and accuracy of information between administration, faculty, staff, and other constituents. Create a centralized online resource providing information on local faculty policies and procedures. Further ensure integrity of online courses using biometrics, challenge questions, web video conferencing proctoring, and other relevant methodologies. Continue to proceed with plan to implement a comprehensive, sustainable program of institutional assessment in order to fully document effectiveness across the board.  Initiate a systematic administrative department program review process and a systematic assessment plan for on-line offerings. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority University Relations PEC Provost; Human Resources Provost Virtual Campus (Dir., Lynne Fleisher) Provost ISLAC PEC Virtual Campus; ISLAC PEC Milestone/ Date # 7 Standard Recommendations Institutional Effectiveness, cont. *   8 Student Admission and Retention Suggestions Centrally track information about post-graduation activities of students to inform recruitment, program review and accreditation standards, and advancement. Develop a mechanism to facilitate the sharing of assessment best practices across the institution. Track the retention and graduation rates of all Clarion University students. Develop a sustainable strategy to ameliorate existing retention and graduation disparities between minority and majority students.  Develop a more robust enrollment reporting system including metrics to monitor targeted populations. Document the impact of all initiatives and strategies employed to improve (increase) student retention. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority IMIR PEC ISLAC IMIR Director IMIR IMIR Director Enrollment Management Retention Advisory Committee Provost IMIR; Computing Services; Enrollment Management Provost IMIR Provost Milestone/ Date # 9 Standard Student Support Services Recommendations *    10 Faculty  Suggestions Encourage offices to coordinate services and share information in ways that benefit students. Develop a plan to maintain and improve technology and services for students with disabilities Review the capacity of counseling and health related services in response to increases in enrollment and demand for mental health services. Focus greater attention on the predictability of student enrollment, student retention, and course availability. Focus on improving academic advising, the readiness of campus students for online learning, and the quality across offerings. Continue to support a program for faculty professional development. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority SUA; Academic Affairs Provost & V.P. for SUA Office of Disability Support Svcs.; Computing Svcs. Provost Counseling Svcs; Dean of Student Development V.P. for SUA Enrollment Management; Acad. Affairs Provost Acad. Affairs; UASC; (special subcommittee?) Provost Academic Affairs Provost Milestone/ Date # 10 Standard Recommendations * Faculty, cont.  11 Educational Offerings Program goals should be stated in terms of student learning outcomes for all academic programs. Establish the inclusion of student learning outcomes in all course syllabi as an institution-wide expectation. Ensure the assessment of student learning and program outcomes relative to the goals and objectives of undergraduate programs is practiced across all academic departments and that results are used to improve effectiveness. Suggestions Continue to examine syllabus requirements to identify and systematize approaches to articulating student learning objectives in course instruction across the curriculum. Review promotion and sabbatical leave criteria to ensure their alignment with university missions and strategic directions. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority Academic Affairs Provost Academic Affairs; APSCUF President; Provost; APSCUF (Meet & Discuss) ISLAC Provost Academic Affairs; Faculty Senate Provost Academic Affairs; ISLAC Provost Milestone/ Date Syllabus policy revised and posted online under Academic Affairs Policies. # 11 Standard Recommendations Educational Offerings, cont. *   12 General Education Suggestions Re-engineer the five-year program review process to increase usability of the Periodic Review Report for planning and assessment purposes. Collect and organize year-end summary data from CCPS and report annually to the university community. Establish a manageable program of assessment of general education outcomes as part of the institution’s overall plan for assessing student learning and use the results for curricular improvement.  Review methods for Math and English placement in General Education coursework. Ensure that syllabi for general education courses with multiple sections include the same goals, objectives, and expected student learning outcomes. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority Academic Affairs (currently ongoing) Provost Academic Affairs; CCPS Provost General Ed. Council; Academic Affairs Provost Depts. of Mathematics and English; Gen Ed. Council Provost ISLAC; Academic Affairs Provost Milestone/ Date Delivery date of September 1, 2012 # 13 Standard Recommendations Related Educational Activities 14 Assessment of Student Learning *  Suggestions Develop and implement an enrollment management plan for International students with targets, goals, and strategies for their recruitment and retention and provide increased international student services as demand increases. Consider how to better integrate “high-impact” practices into online courses and the need for a more effective orientation program for students less prepared for online course delivery. Continue to proceed with plans to implement a comprehensive, sustainable program of student learning outcomes assessment in order to be able to fully document its impact on student learning. Improve communication across the university regarding the assessment of student learning outcomes within General Education, degree programs, and majors. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority Office of International Programs; Enrollment Management Provost Virtual Campus Provost ISLAC; Academic Affairs Provost ISLAC Provost Milestone/ Date # Standard 14 Assessment of Student Learning ,cont. Recommendations * Suggestions Utilize university resources to develop the infrastructure necessary to effectively assess student learning outcomes. Working Group(s) Decisional Authority PEC; ISLAC President; RC Managers Milestone/ Date Footnote: Items with a “” were identified as recommendations within the university’s Middle States Self-Study and endorsed by the Middle States Site Visit Team as either a recommendation or suggestion.