JESSICA MORAN BUCKRIDGE

KIERSTEN FEENEY WHITE

SAINT JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY

A Roadmap for Implementing a Strategic Plan Focused on Student

Transformation in the Jesuit Tradition

Introductions

Who We Are

What do you think about: Strategic Planning? Learning Outcomes? Assessment?

Agenda

JASPA Summer Institute ContextTransformative Learning Goals (TLGs)Why We Began This ProcessTimeline / ProcessProgramming – How We Use the TLGs AssessmentNext StepsWhat We Learned

“Challenges to Jesuit Higher Education Today”

Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus Vision of Jesuit higher education Transformational learning is imperative

“How many of those students who leave our institutions do so with both professional competence and the experience of having, in some way during their time with us, a depth of engagement with reality that transforms them at their at their deepest core?”

“What more do we need to do to ensure that we are not simply populating the world with bright and skilled superficialities?”

“Transformative Learning Goals”

• Mechanism for how we implement a collaborative, goal-centered approach to student development and program development

• TLGs are an outline for what students should develop from their interactions with us and our services

• Our instruction manual for planning and development

• How we take students from A to Z (transformative experience)

• Transformational vs. transactional opportunities

Setting the Stage

2008: Organizational restructure New VP for Student Life Review of focus and goals for departments and division Director of Integrated Learning

Best practices (CAS, FALDOs, Learning Reconsidered)

Responsibility to students SJU strategic planning (Plan 2020)

Timeline

2008-2009Brainstorm

Develop TLGsDraft Mission Statement

2009-2010Refine

Map programming Develop assessment

vehicle Devise marketing plan

2010-2011Education and use

internallyEducate/market to

students Use assessment vehicle

2011-2012Continue using??????????????

Think about your own institution:

What should your students learn, develop, and experience

during their time at your institution?

Process Overview

Brainstorm how we hope students develop as a result of working with us

Consult theoretic al frameworks and best practices Develop new divisional mission statement using the

aboveIdentify five goals, agreed upon through above, and

create working groups to distill specific learning outcomes for each goal

Revise and refine TLGsMap departmental programs, initiatives, and services to

the TLGsLink assessment efforts to TLGs

Step One: Brainstorm

Representative group of Student Life professionals

Holistic learning; integration with academics but focus on outside the classroom

Discussed what students learn, how they develop, what they experience during time at SJU

Reviewed all services/initiatives throughout Student Life

Step Two: Consult Theoretical Frameworks

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)

Frameworks for Assessing Learning and Development Outcomes (FALDOs)

Comparing to other institutions

Step Three: Develop Mission Statement

Led by consultant – Division worked together to infuse ideas into a mission statement

Starting to crystallize into concepts that you’ll see throughout

Important to reflect SJU Jesuit tradition and mission

Five goals became evident and formalized in mission statement

Mission Statement

Committed to our Catholic Jesuit tradition and guided by our Ignatian values, we empower our students to create a supportive and transformative educational experience. We provide challenging opportunities for the holistic development of students so that they may become servant leaders who discern goals, focus on social justice, appreciate diversity and lead lives of faith and purpose.

Step Four: Define 5 TLGs

Faith Development and Spiritual AwarenessAppreciating DiversitySatisfying and Productive LifestyleServant Leadership focused on Social JusticeDiscernment of Personal, Educational and

Professional Goals

Step Five: Develop TLG SL Objectives

Working groups created to distill specific student learning objectives for each goal

BIG processBuy-in from divisional members really starts

here Consulted FALDOs throughout

How We Use TLGs

Audited each department and identified areas of collaboration and gaps

Influenced services, programs, and initiatives for students

Guided planning, goal development, and assessment efforts

1. Faith Development and Spiritual Awareness

Inspired by the example of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, we help students discern God’s presence in their lives and encourage them to become persons they feel called to be. As the first Jesuits did more than 450 years ago, we will meet students where they are in their spiritual journey and help them explore the role of faith and spirituality in their lives.

a. Students will articulate what it means to be educated at a Jesuit institution.b. Students will be men and women who experience a “faith that does justice.”c. Students will engage in a critical exploration of their faith and spirituality.d. Students will recognize the impact their behaviors and actions have on those

around them in light of the moral imperative, “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

e. Students will develop the ability to express to others their faith/spirituality.

2. Appreciating Diversity

Finding God in all things means recognizing we are all made in God’s image and likeness and are therefore inherently good people. To this end, our students must challenge racism, strive for justice and recognize their roles and responsibilities within a pluralistic and global society.

a. Students will interact with people different than themselves in order to appreciate their own identity/culture and the identity/culture of others.

b. Students will develop an ability to acknowledge and confront barriers to equality and inclusiveness.

c. Students will seek out and develop an appreciation of art, music, and forms of expression by others different from themselves.

d. Students will understand the interconnectedness of societies worldwide.e. Students will articulate the advantages and impact of a diverse society.

3. Realizing a Satisfying and Productive Lifestyle

Through our commitment to Cura Personalis, our students need the ability to find a balance in all areas of their lives in order to reach their full human potential. In developing a thoughtful approach to life, students can begin making wise decisions, learning from their successes and mistakes and making better future judgments.

a. Students will develop meaningful, lasting relationships.b. Students will learn strategies to achieve life balance.c. Students will care for themselves in a healthy and holistic

manner.d. Students will develop proactive strategies in dealing with

challenges.e. Students will initiate a career search or seek advanced

education.

4. Leadership focused on Social Justice

St. Luke said, “Of those to whom much is given, much is expected.” (Luke 12:48) In observance of this maxim, students can make a positive difference in the world through service focused on justice with a sense of responsibility for sharing their gifts and talents with and for others.

a. Students will articulate their leadership strengths and skills.b. Students will mentor others toward engaging and contributing

to improving the quality of campus life.c. Students will collaborate with others in order to achieve goals.d. Students will demonstrate effective stewardship of human,

economic and environmental resources.e. Students will articulate a vision for their organization and set

challenging and attainable goals.

5. Discernment of Educational, Personal and Professional Goals

As part of the Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius teaches the need for discernment. Informed by this truth, we will challenge students to employ purposeful reflection and self-awareness resulting in informed action focused on the greater good.

a. Students will employ self-reflection to gain personal insight.b. Students will identify personal strengths and weaknesses and

take action accordingly.c. Students will take personal responsibility for their

choices/actions.d. Students will act in congruence with personal identity, ethical,

spiritual and moral values.e. Students will use self-knowledge to set challenging, yet

realistic professional goals.

Departmental Example: Res Life Programming

78 campus RAsPrevious model: based on RA choice, number

requirement, not based on student need or learningNew model: links to TLGs We train our RAs on our TLGs and work with them to

develop programming based on learning outcomes RAs new requirements based on offering diverse

programming that addresses learning in the ALL TLGsWe are beginning to assess student learning though

our programming; program feedback, focus groups, and formal (EBI) survey questions

Assessment

Student Voice Mapped questions: NSSE, CIRP TFS, CIRP

CSS, EBI, NCHA, MSL, institution-specific assessment

Work in progress

Now What?

Steering committee for TLG oversight Use of marketing: to Division, to students, to SJU

colleaguesTraining throughout Division: assessment vehicle Using TLGs with students: experiment with

informing students of TLGsContinued development of assessment practices

and working with students for feedbackAnnual reports HiringPerformance evaluations

Things We Learned

Timeline is fluid, not discrete (mission statement and TLGs)

Consultant impact Revision is crucial and takes time – 6 TLGs to 5Silos at phases (pros and cons)Buy-in from all levels of Division Departure of key players Challenging to galvanize a hierarchical

organizationProcess itself was beneficial – “public” awareness

of what each department does

TLGs at YOUR Institution

How does this relate to YOUR goals and philosophies?

Any similar initiatives at other institutions?How might a similar initiative impact your

work with students?For those who have engaged in this process,

what challenges and opportunities did you encounter?

Other thoughts?