|
Strategic Planning Committee Minutes, July 9, 2002
Strategic Planning (SPC) Committee Minutes
July 9, 2002
MEMBERS PRESENT:: Bruce Morton, John Carlsten, Jon Wraith, Mark Sheehan, Bill Brown, Jaynee Groseth.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Kay Chafey, Greg Johnson, Mary Noll, Betsy Centa, ASMSU Representative.
OTHERS PRESENT: Kathy Attebury, Ben Sharp.
The meeting was convened at 10:00 a.m. by the Chair, Bruce Morton.
Bruce will forward the documents listed on the second page of the committee's charge or their URL's to committee members.
The Chair met with Provost Dooley to discuss the role of the Strategic Planning Committee in the next six months. As reported via the committee listserv, the Provost requested that the committee work especially on two tasks.
- UPBAC has asked that SPC, in submitting the final SWOT analysis, not only articulate the issues but make specific recommendations and offer alternatives for addressing them.
- SPC is asked to develop recommendations for UPBAC regarding the principles to be used to identify strategic priorities, i.e., "how" to decide. This can be done after recommendations concerning MSU's capacity for growth and the SWOT analysis have been considered. The target for completion of the task is December 1, 2002.
It was pointed out that the preliminary list of SWOTs all seem to need additional funding to be addressed. Are there other criteria for addressing SWOTs? The statement that "MSU cannot be everything to everybody" seems to indicate that there may be some reallocation of budget. Allocation may be made by deciding what things will be funded or by deciding what not to fund. However, with additional sources of funding, growth may be possible without reallocation.
The central topic of today's discussion is capacity for growth.
By looking at the data provided to the committee it appears that an anomalous number of students at MSU end their first year of study with a less than 2.0 GPA; that over the past five years, test scores (ACT, SAT) have fallen; and that retention is problematical. If increased capacity is addressed by admitting students who are not retained, it may not be in the best interest of the university or the students. Raising the quality of new students could stabilize the number of students retained while at the same time raising the quality of programs. Higher retention is one way to increase enrollment. It may be more important to increase retention than to recruit additional students.
There seems to be prevailing thinking that MSU can accommodate a significant increase in students. However, expanded services would need to be made available, and if students are not retained, this could be a costly proposition. If MSU grows, there will be a need for additional faculty, support staff, physical space, and Library and ITC services.
MSU needs to offer more scholarships that are attractive to well-qualified students. There is an awareness of this need and it is being addressed as the first priority in fund raising.
There was discussion of the consequences of keeping undergraduate enrollment fairly level and increasing graduate enrollment. There is a qualitative cost for undergraduates if faculty increase the time they spend with graduate students. However, part of the training of graduate students is teaching, so graduate students can be a positive factor in the undergraduate program.
What affect will there be upon the institution as the mix of out-of-state- and in-state students changes? Ultimately, there will be change in the student population. Through the changes, there is need to build community at MSU and to develop loyalty and appreciation by students to the institution, whether they are from Montana or from out-of-state.
According to Jaynee Groseth, alumni tend to believe that MSU is a better place than it was when they attended. MSU's reputation needs to be more widely shared.
Some ways to increase reputation are by exclusivity, by increasing scholarly activity, by hiring and retaining faculty with national and international reputations, and by providing excellent undergraduate education. To provide an excellent undergraduate experience for students, qualified faculty must continue to be hired, there needs to be a systematic program for renewal of faculty, and there need to be consistent opportunities across campus for faculty to learn how to develop successful advising and mentoring relationships.
There appeared to be consensus on the committee that of all the activities taking place at MSU, teaching undergraduates is the most important, and consistently doing it well is an achievable goal. There also appeared to be consensus that faculty, currently, are rewarded more highly for research than for teaching. Although a university must create and disseminate knowledge, there needs to be greater emphasis upon undergraduate education.
There appeared to be agreement that if MSU develops a reputation as an excellent undergraduate institution, more highly qualified students can be recruited and retained.
If such a document is available, it would be helpful for the committee to know why students leave the university before graduation.
The following points summed up the discussion.
- Limited growth may be most desirable.
- Improving retention statistics is a prerequisite to growth.
- Undergraduate education and MSU's ability to offer an excellent undergraduate education should be emphasized as preeminent. It does not limit international students nor does it limit graduate education but contributes to it.
- A sense of MSU community is important and evolving.
- Efficiency is not as much an issue as quality.
As there was no further discussion, the meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m. The next meeting of SPC is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, from 10 - 11:30 a.m. in SUB 274.
| 
