A Universityof First ChoiceA Universityof First ChoiceA Universityof First Choice

STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2013STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2013STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2013

Aspiring to be a public liberal arts college of first choice, Eastern Connecticut

State University will create an unparalleled college experience for its students

and achieve national distinction for its academic programs. Eastern’s faculty,

students and staff will enhance the University’s position as an intellectual com-

munity, acknowledged for its engaged teaching, learning, research, and creative

work. Advancing its position as a model for social responsibility, environmental

stewardship, and educational access, the University will be recognized as a

resource that is responsive to the needs of the region and the state.

A University

of First Choice

Eastern Connecticut State University

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Vision Statement

A University

of First ChoiceSTRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2013

A University of First Choice

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Within the Connecticut State University System, Eastern Connecticut

State University is the state’s designated public liberal arts college.

As a predominantly undergraduate institution, Eastern attracts and wel-

comes a diverse community of learners, supported by a teaching faculty,

staff, administrators, and a residential campus, all of which promote

intellectual curiosity, integrity, and social responsibility.

Eastern’s commitment to a liberal arts education is exemplified in its

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, a sequenced, interdisciplinary program

that all students share, independent of their majors and career aspira-

tions. In its role as a public university, Eastern develops students who

can become productive, engaged community leaders. Eastern also serves

as a social, cultural, and economic catalyst for the region and the state

of Connecticut.

Mission Statement

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Eastern Connecticut State University

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Eastern embracesrigorous academic standards and intellectualinquiry as a benchmark for educational achieve-ment for all of its students, faculty, and staff.This expectation informs every mode of learningon campus, from individual courses and degreeprograms to university presentations andcultural events.

ENGAGEMENT: Members of the universitycommunity develop intellectually, creatively, andsocially through active and reflective learning inand outside the classroom, interdisciplinary studies, and individual and collaborative research.

INCLUSION: Eastern is committed toproviding educational access while building acampus community that embraces diversity anddifferences, enriched by a global perspective.

INTEGRITY: Members of the university community are expected to behave ethically and honorably. Learning encompasses both intellectual and character development.

EMPOWERMENT: Eastern fosters a safe, nurturing environment that promotes intellectualcuriosity, student achievement, and lifelong learning. Through rigorous inquiry and personalinteraction, members of the community growconfident as independent, critical thinkers.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Social responsi-bility is promoted and encouraged at Easternthrough service to those in need, being active inthe community, protecting our natural resources,engaging in the democratic political process, andother socially responsible actions. Social responsi-bility includes an ethical commitment to oneselfand the community at large.

Core Values

As members of a learning and teaching communitycommitted to academic excellence, we, the faculty,students, staff, and administration of EasternConnecticut State University, the state’s public liberal arts institution, share this set of values:

A History Marked by

Steady Growth

For its first 50 years, EasternConnecticut State University was asmall but highly respected teachertraining institution, or “normalschool,” serving the eastern portionof Connecticut. In 1937, the normal school became a teacher’scollege, granting four-year degrees.By the 1960s, the college had itsfirst graduate program (in educa-tion) and had expanded its pro-grammatic offerings to introducethe study of the liberal arts and

sciences, at the same time continu-ing its teacher education traditions.In 1998, the Connecticut StateUniversity System, of which Easternis one of four universities, refined Eastern’s mission while enlarging its role as an undergraduate, liberal arts institution.

Since 1999, change has been evenmore dramatic. Undergraduate andgraduate enrollment has grown tomore than 5,000 students, fromincreasingly diverse backgrounds.Academic offerings include a vibrantmixture of liberal arts, sciences andprofessional programs, featuring 33majors and 55 minors. In 2004,Eastern was elected to membershipin the national Council of PublicLiberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).New state-of-the-art facilitiesinclude the Margaret S. Wilson

Child and Family DevelopmentComplex; a Science

Building slated to open infall 2008; the South ResidentialVillage; and a newly renovatedStudent Center. A new fine arts center is in the design phase.

Eastern draws students from 161 ofConnecticut’s 169 towns; from 26states (Hawaii to Maine); and from34 countries (Albania to Zambia).The academic qualifications of stu-dents beginning their studies in2007 exceed that for all previousentering classes. Eastern has becomean increasingly selective university,based on the quality of its enteringfreshman class. In fulfilling its pur-pose as a public university, Easternwelcomes students, faculty, and stafffrom a variety of nationalities, eth-nic groups, and traditions. TheUniversity has a history of seekingout and admitting all qualified stu-dents; approximately 50 percent ofEastern students are the first genera-tion in their families to pursue acollege degree.

As a liberal arts college, Easternencourages and supports personalinteraction with faculty; opportuni-ties to engage in active learning settings (e.g., independent research,

A University of First Choice

The world of higher education is changing rapidly. The extraordinary technological developments of the last decade arespawning new models of competition and academic engagementfor institutions of higher education. Constrained federal and statebudgets leave state colleges and universities underfunded in theface of growing stakeholder expectations. As a public liberal artsuniversity in this new environment, Eastern must significantlytransform its knowledge and research base, its curricula, its modesof delivery and academic support, and its campus culture, whileaggressively seeking new funding sources in order to secure itsplace among its peer institutions.

Introduction

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internships); and exposure to a broad range of theoreticalapproaches in a variety of academic disciplines. TheUniversity boasts an innova-tive residential system;expanded extracurricular clubsand activities; athletic coachescommitted to academics; and a culture of support andgrowth that reaches across allsectors of campus. Eastern is primarily a residential universitywith more than 60 percent of all full-time undergraduates living on campus.

Faculty Drive

Eastern’s Reputation

For most higher education institu-tions, sustainable competitiveadvantage derives primarily fromintangible assets, such as facultyknowledge, reputation, and compe-tencies, rather than from tangibleassets, such as land, buildings, and equipment. Eastern faculty members, 95 percent of whom hold terminal degrees, combineexcellence in teaching with excep-tional scholarship.

In the last eight years, theUniversity has attracted 84 new faculty members from among theworld’s premier research institu-

tions, each selected for excellence inteaching and research, and an abilityto advance Eastern’s academic mis-sion. Faculty distinctions at Easterninclude Fulbright Fellowships; aNational Professor of the Year forMaster’s Universities and Colleges;distinguished professorships; and anendowed chair. The strength of thefaculty is perhaps the institution’smost significant strategic advantage.

Academic Excellence

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21st Century Technology

Challenges the University

Eastern must prepare its students tobecome leaders in an economy driven byglobalization and technology. The rapidityand volatility of technical, knowledge, and economic changes require Eastern graduatesto be highly adaptive and receptive to newand complex information. They mustunderstand the value of harnessing, manag-ing, and applying technology to innovateand achieve a competitive advantage intheir careers.

Engagement

Strategic Planning

Guides the University

In January 2007, Eastern embarked onan ambitious strategic planning processin which more than 250 campus (e.g.,faculty, students, alumni) and communi-ty volunteers (e.g., First Selectman of theTown of Windham, Senior BudgetSpecialist from the ConnecticutDepartment of Operations andManagement) served on the Committeeon the Future of Eastern (COFE) and itsfour subcommittees. Using an inclusiveprocess, COFE began with theUniversity’s core mission — the educa-tion of students; charted a course for theinstitution that better aligns Eastern withthe external community it serves; andcreated a vision of excellence thatincreases external knowledge of Eastern’s mission and strengths.

The University must now link its plan-ning, assessment, and resource allocationactivities in a manner consistent with itscommitment to quality in all of its pro-grams and to regional/national stature inselect programs. By identifying program-matic distinctiveness, Eastern intends tobuild on its established academic program strengths and characteristics to create a competitive advantage.

Generously supported by alumni, theGovernor, and the General Assembly;encouraged by the Connecticut StateUniversity System Board of Trustees; distinguished by world-class faculty; led by dedicated administrators and staff; and inspired by extraordinary students, we are confident that EasternConnecticut State University can becomea premier liberal arts college, a Universityof First Choice.

Eastern Connecticut State University

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Four Initiatives That Provide a

Complete Liberal Arts Experience

Fully implement and integrate the Liberal Arts Core and the First-Year Program.

All Eastern students, independent of their majors andcareer aspirations, share a sequenced, interdisciplinary curriculum that serves as a foundation for their futurelearning. Through the allocation of appro-priate faculty staffing and other resources,all incoming freshmen will enroll in theFirst-Year Program, and all graduatingseniors will complete the requirements ofthe Liberal Arts Core Curriculum.

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Develop and implement anExpanding Horizons requirement.

Exposure to diverse viewpoints and artisticexpression, discovering unfamiliar cultures, and participating in co-curricular activitiesbroaden a student’s academic experience. All students will complete an ExpandingHorizons course requirement, which may range from service learning to study abroad; to planning, coordinating, and participating in on-campus events.

Vision

Strategic Initiatives

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Promote involvement in thelocal community engagement through the creation of a Center for Community Engagement.

Through service learning and volunteer projects in nonprofit organizations, social agencies, and business enterprises, Eastern students can gain valuable leadership skills,develop their commitment to social responsibility, and become stewards of their local and regional communities.

Fully implement the “Liberal Arts Work!” requirement.

Each Eastern student will complete a structuredpre-professional experience — e.g., internship,co-op, or other field experience off-campus orintensive faculty-mentored research or creativeactivity on campus. This experiential learningwill help students clarify their careers goals,develop their skills in real-world settings, andbetter prepare them for graduate school,employment, or other options.

Integrity3

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Three Initiatives That Support

Exemplary Academic Programs

Develop and implement an academic plan.

The excellence of a college’s academic offerings is funda-mental to its reputation. Eastern will achieve distinctionthrough the achievements of its student and graduates,and by the outstanding teaching, research, and scholarlyaccomplishments of its faculty. Through the implementa-tion of a comprehensive academic plan, the University will promote academic rigor; support student research andcreativity; recruit and support a talented faculty; fosterinnovation in instructional approaches; and assess thequality of its programs. Eastern will achieve a dominantregional position in broad academic areas within the artsand sciences while continuing program accreditation insuch areas as social work, education, and business.

Implement a process to identify and support distinctive academic programs.

World-class universities are known for their distinctiveprograms. Using a faculty-created assessment rubric, programs will be carefully analyzed for their potential and achievement. At least three programs each year will be identified for enhancement and/or expansion and provided with additional resources — e.g., funding, physical space and equipment, staffing, release time, and other assistance. The Exemplary Program process also will be used to evaluate progress made by targetedprograms, and external funding will be sought to provide additional support.

Strategic Initiatives

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Develop and implement an enrollment management plan in support of academicexcellence.

By identifying students likely to persist; better coordinationof academic and support programs; and the leveraging offinancial aid, the University will recruit, retain, and gradu-ate a diverse student body that will perceive Eastern as a liberal arts college of first choice.

First Choice

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Six Initiatives That Support

a Learning-Centered Campus

Create a Student Success Center that emphasizes advising and support.

Students depend on expert advice to achieve success intheir major and throughout their experience at Eastern.Creating a Student Success Center will focus theUniversity’s resources on advising and student support,increasing retention and graduation rates, and success forboth full- and part-time students. A stage-based advisingmodel will be used to impact students (1) prior to enroll-ment, (2) during their first year, (3) during experientiallearning, and (4) in support of their academic majors.In addition to significantly improving graduation rates,the University also seeks to increase the number of students graduating within four years.

Develop and implement a digital portfolio/experiential transcript requirement.

All students will use technology to digitally documenttheir learning experiences, as well as their own reflectionson their academic and professional accomplishments.Such documentation will support student persistence; job and graduate school placement; and students’ self-assessment.

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Inclusion

Strategic Initiatives

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Promote Eastern’s campus culture.

Serving a predominantly residential student community,Eastern’s liberal arts campus helps students build closerelationships with each other and with faculty and staffmembers, while developing a long-term affinity with theUniversity. Providing leadership training and opportuni-ties seven days a week for full- and part-time studentswill improve Eastern’s campus culture.

Utilize the Student Center to promoteEastern’s cultural and academic objectives.

To foster students’ academic and personal growth, the University’s newly expanded Student

Center will be the hub of co-curricular activity oncampus. Day and evening access will be expanded in support of resident and commuting students, andstudent participation in programming decisions will be increased.

Strategic Initiatives

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Values

Expand intramural and recreation offerings.

Eastern will promote a healthy lifestyle for all students byexpanding wellness and fitness options, including formalrecreational competitions between student clubs and residence halls; men’s, women’s and intramural activities;club sports; and increased “open hour” use of the Sports Center.

Establish a residential environment that promotes Eastern’s culture and supports itsemphasis on academic excellence.

Using innovative approaches, the University’s housing and residential life staff will increase the number of students who live on campus throughout their academiccareer at Eastern, while also increasing the number of students who stay on campus on weekends. These effortswill promote social and personal responsibility, build relationships, improve students’ academic success, and promote school spirit.

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Five Initiatives That Provide

Institutional Support

Support Eastern’s 2008–2013 StrategicPlan through development and implementa-tion of a Physical Master Plan.

Eastern’s vision to become a premier residential, under-graduate liberal arts college and the fulfillment of theUniversity’s Strategic Plan require additional space andinfrastructure enhancements. Construction of a new residential facility to replace the Low Rise complex; renovation of such facilities as Shafer, Goddard, andWinthrop halls, and the Media Building; expansion ofthe Sports Center; and construction of a new fine artsinstructional facility are all elements of a new PhysicalMaster Plan. These enhancements to the campus willenrich student life, promote academic excellence, andalign with the University’s Green Campus initiatives.

Develop and implement anInformation Technology Plan.

Using state-of-the-art technology and methods, theUniversity will create a secure, robust, yet cost-effec-tive information technology infrastructure in supportof student, faculty, and staff innovation. The use oftechnology in the classroom will be enhanced, whileinformation technology will be promoted as a corecompetency across the campus.

Mission

Strategic Initiatives

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Develop and implement anInstitutional Advancement Plan to generateassets in support of the University Mission.

By building new relationships with alumni, parents,businesses, foundations, faculty, and staff while cultivating existing donors, Eastern will provide foradditional funds for student scholarships and the capital needs of the University. Annual fundraisinggoals will be met or exceeded while the alumni donor base also will grow.

Develop and implement a UniversityRelations Plan that supports the University Mission.

To become a university of first choice, it is critical thatEastern improve its public reputation in Connecticut,the New England region, and the nation. Using tradi-tional and new media technologies, the University will increase public awareness and approval of Eastern’smission and accomplishments among core constituen-cies, as well as among new audiences.

Develop and implement aComprehensive Diversity Plan.

Diversity will be promoted and supported throughoutthe University environment, including recruiting adiverse workforce; welcoming and fostering a diversestudent body; and promoting diversity through cultural and co-curricula programming.

Social Responsibility

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Strategic Initiatives

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Connecticut’s Public Liberal Arts University