SIP-2009-11-12-v6(FINAL)

Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage through Capacity Building Strategic Plan 2011-2015

ii

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE BY BUILDING CAPACITY

Strategic Plan, 2011-2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Strategic planning represents a significant opportunity for Dominican University of California to engage in institutional transformation and renewal. We believe that, at this stage in Dominican’s institutional development, building, strengthening, redefining, and sustaining capacity and agility are the most important ingredients for institutional ascendancy. Capacity building strengthens infrastructures, programs, systems, policies, procedures and practices that support and sustain the University’s mission. Strategic plans provide a map of Dominican’s desired future; capacity building ensures a strong and sustainable institution as an outcome.

This Strategic Plan is the result of hundreds of hours of engaged participation by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees. Some of its proposed strategies were apparent early in the process, others developed later, and still others represent compromises between what would be ideal and what is currently feasible in light of available resources. A common thread in all strategies is their contribution to the defining characteristic of the basis of Dominican’s sustainable competitive advantage: innovative, value-added education and memorable student experiences.

By 2015, we envision Dominican as having enrolled 2,600 students, with the new students attracted primarily to our Pathways, graduate and teaching credential, international, and online programs. We envision that most of our students will have Dominican as their school of first choice, that nearly all of them will have been attracted to Dominican because of its reputation for student learning outcomes and engaged learning experiences. Average graduation rates will be in the top tier among peer institutions. We will have achieved these as a direct result of the strategic investments that we will make in our workforce, our programs and processes, and our facilities. Through a net cumulative contribution of close to $10 million to the University’s reserves, the Strategic Plan will be the roadmap for achieving a financially sustainable university that is fully prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.

iii

STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINE

1. Introduction

2. Guiding Premises

a. Mission

b. Core Values

c. Vision

3. Themes, Goals, and Strategies

a. Vision Themes

b. Key Performance Indicators

c. Strategic Initiatives

4. Means and Resources to Implement Strategies

a. Action Plan Highlights

b. Strategic Financial Plan Highlights

5. Moving from Plan to Implementation

a. Responsibility Center Management

b. System of Performance and Accountability Reviews

6. Next Steps

7. Appendices

a. Description of the Strategic Planning Process

b. Lessons Learned from Peer, Competitor, and Aspirant Institutions

c. Strategic Planning Committee

1

INTRODUCTION

We are in a time of significant change. We are preparing our students for careers that do not yet exist. The dilemmas we confront, the workforces that organizations will have, the technologies we use, and our organizational lives will change sharply in the coming decades. We must ensure that the University is prepared to deliver to our students the competencies that are uniquely suited to tomorrow’s workplace. In addition to these new demands, our students will continue to demand top value for their money by expecting the same innovative academic programs, well-trained faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and the organizational efficiency that are offered by comparatively-priced yet better-endowed universities.

Strategic planning represents a significant opportunity for Dominican to engage in institutional transformation and renewal. It is the only way to survive, flourish, live the mission, and deliver the promise of education that Dominican’s founders first envisioned when our institution was established in 1890. The University’s prior strategic planning efforts had sought to ensure the continued viability of the University, but had also led to capital improvements such as the Conlan Recreation Center and the Science and Technology Center. The current strategic planning process has sought to be inclusive in terms of stakeholder involvement and data-driven in methodological approach. The process as implemented did live up to this promise.

We began the strategic planning process with the end in view of identifying “blue ocean” opportunities that will define the future scope and mix of Dominican’s programs and offerings. The planning process included affirmations, discoveries, and lessons learned. We affirmed that the most important definition of Dominican’s success is when students achieve dramatic increases in intellectual awareness, professional competence, and ethical sensitivity. Simply stated, the most important ingredients that make or break Dominican’s success consist of innovative, value-added education and memorable student experiences.

The Strategic Plan (SP) should focus on our discovery that building, strengthening, redefining, and sustaining capacity and agility—a capacity for faster and more flexible responses to the needs of your students and stakeholders—are the most important ingredients for institutional ascendancy. Capacity building is a systematic, intentional and strategic process that results in the strengthening of infrastructures, programs, systems, policies, procedures and practices that support and sustain the University’s mission. The current SP embodies goals and strategies that seek to empower the University community through capacity building, unleash ability through accountability, and build agility and innovativeness to align mission and vision, thereby enabling the

2

University to gain a sustainable competitive advantage and setting the stage to a higher level of excellence and competitiveness.

Capacity building will result in an authentic and ongoing transformation of Dominican University of California. Through this process, we will shape our future and transform Dominican from a “developing university” to a competitive and sustainable university and confidently face the educational challenges of the 21st century.

3

GUIDING PREMISES

Mission

Dominican University of California educates and prepares students to be ethical leaders and socially-responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values of study, reflection, community, and service into their lives.

Guided by its Catholic heritage, the University is committed to diversity, sustainability, and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences, and professional programs.

Core Values

Since its founding in 1890, Dominican has embraced four core values:

• Study – Development of the human intellect based on seeking truth with the goal of sharing knowledge with others.

• Reflection – Knowledge of self and greater understanding through the study of one’s place in the world.

• Community – Development of one’s role as an active, contributing member in the world-at-large.

• Service – Responding to the needs of others locally and globally.

Vision

Dominican University of California will be internationally recognized for its innovative, value-added education and memorable student experiences.

4

THEMES, GOALS, AND STRATEGIES

Vision Themes

To achieve our vision, we use a strategic planning and management framework that is based on a hierarchy of three elements: vision themes, key performance goals, and strategic initiatives. The hierarchy begins at the highest level with the following nine vision themes:

• Vision Theme 1: Financially Sustainable University

• Vision Theme 2: Reputation for Academic Excellence

• Vision Theme 3: Engaged Students and Alumni

• Vision Theme 4: Student Intellectual and Personal Growth

• Vision Theme 5: Innovations in Academic Programs

• Vision Theme 6: Motivated and Developed Faculty and Staff Aligned with Institutional Need

• Vision Theme 7: State-of-the-Art Facilities and Processes

• Vision Theme 8: Visionary, Effective, and Mission-Driven Leadership and Culture

• Vision Theme 9: School of First Choice for Students

5

At the core of our strategic planning are mission, vision, and core values that collectively drive growth and guide a visionary and effective leadership. A mission-driven leadership and culture create and sustain a motivated and developed faculty and staff that are closely aligned to institutional need. A visionary leadership and culture also enable the offering of state-of-the-art facilities and processes that enhance the delivery of education, facilitate research, and enable a secure and creative learning environment. Because of our investments in our workforce, we are able to create innovative academic programs in response to global demand, expanded delivery options, and new opportunities. The combined contributions of effective leadership, engaged faculty and staff, innovative programs, and state-of-the-art facilities and processes result in student development that encompasses intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth. Student intellectual and personal growth, coupled with innovations in academic programs, creates a basis for a sustainable reputation for academic excellence and memorable student experiences. Dominican’s reputation for academic excellence, memorable student experiences, and engaged students and alumni as a result of strategic partnerships eventually makes it attractive to prospective students as a school of first choice and to prospective financial supporters who subscribe to the same educational ideals. The end result is financial sustainability that enables Dominican to pursue more aggressively its educational mission.

Our work is aligned under these nine vision themes. Each of our vision themes is further defined by key performance goals and strategic initiatives. The key performance goals, which consist of key performance indicators and annual performance projections, provide progressively more detailed descriptions of what we plan to achieve. Each strategic initiative outlines a body of work that supports one or more key performance goals. The key performance goals and strategic initiatives described later in this strategic plan cover areas in which we plan to complete work by the end of fiscal year 2015.

Key Performance Indicators

To assess our progress toward achieving our vision, we will use a variety of key performance indicators, which are the quantitative measures described in Table 1. We set annual performance goals for all of these key performance indicators and we will compare our actual performance with the goals. Collectively, these key performance indicators help demonstrate the degree to which we will achieve the various measurable components that comprise our vision.

6

TABLE 1 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Vision Theme Key Performance Indicator

(1) Financially Sustainable University

Number of Students (headcount) Total Expenses Net Operating Income Tuition Discount Rate

• Freshman Tuition Discount Rate • Overall Tuition Discount Rate

Percentage of Operating Funds Allocated to Scholar-ships and Financial Aid Percentage of Operating Budget Attributed to Contributed Revenue

(2) Reputation for Academic Excellence

Average Bachelor’s Six-Year Graduation Rate Percentage of Full-time Faculty with Doctorates WASC Accreditation without Concerns Percentage of Degree Programs that are Nationally Accredited Net Promoter Score (percentage of promoters minus percentage of detractors) Overall Student Satisfaction:

• Undergraduate Day Students • Adult and Postgraduate Students

(3) Engaged Students and Alumni

Alumni Giving Rate (% and $) Percentage of Graduating Students with At Least Three Engaged Learning Experiences (e.g., Internship, Service Learning, Study Abroad, Student/Faculty Research) Percentage of Graduating Students Having Participated in Study-Abroad Programs

(4) Student Intellectual and Personal Growth

Graduates Employed or Admitted to Graduate School Within 90 Days of Graduation Overall Retention Rate (Fall to Fall) Graduating Students’ Passing Rate in Exit Tests Overall Student Satisfaction with Instruction:


Overall Student Satisfaction with Academic Advising and Support Services:


(5) Innovations in Academic Programs

Percentage of Gross Revenue Attributed to New Programs

(6) Motivated and Developed Faculty and Staff

Voluntary Attrition by Faculty and Staff (%) Percentage of Full-Time Faculty Among Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) Faculty

7

Vision Theme Key Performance Indicator Aligned with Institutional Need

Percentage of FTE Faculty with Research, Scholarly Works, and Creative Activity Products

(7) Best-in-Class Facilities and Processes

Graduating Students' Satisfaction with Facilities and Technology:


Carbon Footprint (kilotons of CO2 emissions) (8) Visionary,

Effective, and Mission-Driven Leadership and Culture

Total Score on Higher Education Insight Survey (Climate/Engagement Assessment) in Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work for”

• Career Development, Research & Scholarship • Collaboration • Internal Communications • Compensation & Benefits • Connection to Institution & Pride • Facilities & Security • Faculty, Administration & Staff Relations • Fairness • Job Satisfaction/Support • Participation in College Governance • Policies, Resources & Efficiency • Respect & Appreciation • Confidence in Senior Leadership • Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship • Teaching Environment

(9) School of First Choice for Students

Percentage of Undergraduate Day Students Listing Dominican as First Choice (based on the annual Student Satisfaction Inventory) Percentage of Students from Overseas Number of Top-3 Athletic Teams in the Conference Athletes' Six-Year Graduation Rate

We will publish annual performance and accountability reports that describe our progress in achieving our key performance goals. We will continue to refine our measures, working toward a balanced set of measures that evaluate performance based on four key perspectives: our results, our students and stakeholders, our faculty and staff, and our internal operations.

This performance measurement approach recognizes that investments in our intangible assets—faculty and staff, data bases, and information technologies—are as critical to its success as our tangible assets—physical assets and access to capital. Thus, the balanced approach to measuring performance will supplement measures of the outcomes of our mission accomplishment with other measures that indicate, for example, how well we are developing, nurturing, and mobilizing our faculty and staff to accomplish the mission of the University.

8

Strategic Initiatives

This section describes our key performance goals and enumerates our strategic initiatives that we will implement over a multiyear period to accomplish our key performance goals. For each strategic initiative, we indicate the member of the University’s senior leadership team who will be accountable for ensuring that the strategic initiative is being implemented and resourced as planned.

Vision Theme 1: Financially Sustainable University

Financial sustainability, supported by effective fundraising and diversity in revenue stream, will support delivery of Dominican's mission. We will track our progress toward achieving financial sustainability by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

Key Performance Indicator

Baseline 2010

Annual Performance Projections 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Size (student headcount)*

2,039 2,109 2,189 2,239 2,439 2,639

Total Expenses ($1,000) 46,949 49,596 51,956 54,190 57,860 61,319 Net Operating Income** ($1,000)

1,173 652 952 1,094 4,273 8,657

Freshman Tuition Discount Rate

43% 43% 42% 41% 41% 40%

Overall Tuition Discount Rate

33% 33% 32% 31% 31% 30%

Operating Funds as % of Scholarships and Financial Aid

23% 22% 22% 21% 21% 20%

Contributed Revenue as % of Operating Budget

6% 7% 7% 8% 9% 10%

*Degree-seeking students at census

**Includes baseline contingency of $923,046

We will implement the following strategic initiatives in order to accomplish the above key performance goals:

• Increase the enrollment and retention of Pathways, graduate, teaching credential, and international students. Accountable

• Offer more degree and continuing education programs in an online delivery format.

: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer

Accountable: Deans

9

• Actively engage Trustees, alumni, University leadership, faculty, and appropriate staff in the cultivation and stewardship of prospective and current donors. Accountable

• Complete fund-raising for and construction of our major capital projects: Dominican Heritage and Alumni House (Edgehill Mansion), Field of Dreams, and Albertus Magnus.

: Vice President for External Relations

Accountable

Vision Theme 2: Reputation for Academic Excellence


Dominican will be recognized for its excellence and distinctiveness in producing students who achieve dramatic increases in intellectual awareness, professional competence, and ethical sensitivity while having memorable and life-transforming experiences. We will track our progress toward building a reputation for academic excellence by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

Key Performance Indicator Baseline 2010


Six-Year Graduation Rate 45% 48% 52% 56% 60% 65% Full-time Faculty with Doctoral Degrees

76% 77% 78% 79% 79% 80%

WASC Accreditation without Concerns

No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Percentage of Degree Programs that are Nationally Accredited

20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Net Promoter Score -7% -2% 1% 4% 7% 10% Overall Satisfaction of Undergraduate Day Students

70% 72% 74% 75% 77% 78%

Overall Satisfaction of Adult and Postgraduate Students

79% 80% 81% 81% 82% 82%

To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:

• Redesign and offer an institution-wide undergraduate First-Year Experience and General Education Program, with clearly defined responsible units. Accountable

• Obtain specialized programmatic accreditation in business administration (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).


Accountable: Dean of the School of Business and Leadership

10

• Conduct feasibility study for national programmatic accreditation and, if appropriate to proceed, develop accreditation plans for the following programs:

− Art and graphic art (National Association of Schools of Art and Design)

− Communication (Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications)

− Counseling psychology (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy)

− Dance (National Association of Schools of Dance)

− Education (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education)

− Music (National Association of Schools of Music).

Accountable

• Expand and modernize library resources and services.

: Deans of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and School of Education and Counseling Psychology

Accountable

• Encourage commitment of Dominican faculty engagement with students in and beyond the classroom.


Accountable

Vision Theme 3: Engaged Students and Alumni

: Deans

Engaged students will result in engaged and supportive alumni. To increase the level of student and alumni engagement, Dominican will embrace strategic partnerships and community outreach. We will track our progress toward creating engaged students and alumni by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

11



Alumni Giving Rate 9% 12% 14% 15% 18% 20% Graduating Students with At Least Three Engaged Learning Experiences

50% 62% 69% 77% 85% 95%

Graduating Students Having Participated in Study-Abroad Programs

12% 17% 19% 23% 27% 31%


• Design and implement a comprehensive program to ensure that all graduating bachelor’s students have had at least three engaged learning experiences and 50% of graduating master’s students have had at least one engaged learning experience. Engaged learning experiences include:

− Internships

− Service-learning

− Study abroad

− Undergraduate or graduate student research with faculty.

Accountable

• Implement Alumni Mentorship and Discovery Project, and externships, thereby creating a base of engaged alumni who would become volunteers and supporters.


Accountable

Vision Theme 4: Student Intellectual and Personal Growth


Student development will encompass intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth. We will track our progress toward ensuring student intellectual and personal growth by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

12



Graduates Employed or Admitted to Graduate School Within 90 Days of Graduation

50% 62% 69% 77% 85% 95%

Overall Retention Rate (Fall to Fall)

83% 83% 84% 85% 86% 87%

Graduating Students’ Passing Rate in Exit Tests

70% 76% 79% 83% 86% 90%

Overall Student Satisfaction with Instruction (Undergraduate Day)

78% 79% 80% 81% 81% 82%

Overall Student Satisfaction with Instruction (Adult and Postgraduate)

83% 83% 83% 84% 84% 84%

Overall Student Satisfaction with Academic Advising and Support Services (Undergraduate Day)

80% 81% 81% 82% 82% 83%

Overall Student Satisfaction with Academic Advising and Support Services (Adult and Postgraduate)

77% 79% 79% 80% 81% 82%


• Redesign system for career and life planning, internship, and placement assistance to ensure that all students have had at least two internships and at least three competitive job offers or graduate school admission offers by the time of graduation. Accountable

• Design, develop, and implement Student Center, living-learning communities, and opportunities for well-rounded university life, thereby promoting total wellness through the integration of the academic, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of student lives.

: Vice President for Enrollment Management

Accountable: Vice President for Student Life

13

Vision Theme 5: Innovations in Academic Programs

Innovative academic programs will form in response to global demand, expanded delivery options, and new opportunities. We will track our progress toward launching innovations in academic programs by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:



Revenue from New Programs as a Percentage of Gross Revenue

7% 9% 10% 11% 12% 14%


• Conduct feasibility studies and, as appropriate, develop and deploy market expansion strategies to offer selected business programs and offerings in off-campus and international locations. Accountable

• Conduct feasibility studies and marketability assessments and, as appropriate, develop and introduce innovative and new academic programs in the following areas:

: Dean of the School of Business and Leadership

− Environmental Analysis (School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

− Autism, Speech and Language, Marriage and Family Therapy, Pupil Personnel Services Credential (School of Education and Counseling Psychology)

− Actuarial Science, Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science, Health Science, Health Information Management, Professional Science Master’s (School of Health and Natural Sciences)

Accountable: Dean, School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Dean, School of Education and Counseling Psychology; Dean, School of Health and Natural Sciences

14

Vision Theme 6: Motivated and Developed Faculty and Staff Aligned with Institutional Need

A motivated and developed faculty and staff will be sustained and closely aligned to institutional need. We will track our progress toward achieving, building and sustaining a motivated and developed workforce by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:



Voluntary Attrition by Faculty and Staff

6% 6% 6% 5% 5% 5%

Full-Time Faculty as % of Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) Faculty

50% 53% 58% 63% 69% 72%

FTE Faculty with Research, Scholarly Works, and Creative Activity Products

50% 58% 63% 68% 74% 80%


• Recruit and retain a diverse, highly qualified, and student-centered full-time faculty to support programs that demonstrate quality, centrality to the mission, and demand. Accountable

• Design and implement faculty workload tracks—teaching, research and creative activity, and service—with clear deliverables to foster a high-perfor-mance environment.


Accountable

Vision Theme 7: State-of-the-Art Facilities and Processes


State-of-the-art facilities and processes will enhance the delivery of education, facilitate research and creative activity, and offer a secure and creative learning environment. We will track our progress toward offering state-of-the-art facilities and processes by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

15



Graduating Students' Satisfaction with Facilities and Technology (Undergraduate Day)

77% 78% 79% 80% 81% 81%

Graduating Students' Satisfaction with Facilities and Technology (Adult and Postgraduate)

72% 74% 76% 77% 78% 79%

Carbon Footprint (kilotons of annual CO2 emissions)

2,886 2,562 2,414 2,275 2,144 2,020


• Incorporate and utilize state-of-the-art technology and instructional facilities to fully enable user-friendly online self-services and business process improvements. Accountable

• Develop a new Campus Master Plan and secure approval from neighbors and City of San Rafael.


Accountable

• Develop and adopt a campus-wide greening project, including transportation plan, leading to a Sustainability Campus Leadership Award from the Association to Advance Sustainability in Higher Education.

: President

Accountable

Vision Theme 8: Visionary, Effective, and Mission-Driven Leadership and Culture


Dominican’s mission and core values will drive growth, and Dominican will be governed by visionary, effective, and ethical leadership. We will track our progress toward developing visionary, effective, and mission-driven leadership and culture by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:

16



Scores on Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work for”

66% 70% 73% 75% 77% 80%

• Facilities & Security 81% • Connection to Institution &

Pride 78%

• Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship

73%

• Fairness 72% • Job Satisfaction/Support 70% • Career Development,

Research & Scholarship 68%

• Collaboration 68% • Teaching Environment 68% • Policies, Resources &

Efficiency 65%

• Compensation & Benefits 60% • Internal Communications 59% • Participation in College

Governance 59%

• Faculty, Administration & Staff Relations

58%

• Confidence in Senior Leadership

48%


• Institute Responsibility Center Management (RCM) to ensure that planned strategic directives and priorities drive financial and human resource allocation and that entrepreneurial activity of schools is complemented by a collective vision for institutional priorities. Accountable

• Institutionalize a culture of assessment and data-driven outcomes, including effective assessment methodologies to document mastery of skills and competencies in undergraduate and graduate programs.

: President

Accountable

• Transform Dominican into an analytical organization, with data analytics driving decision-making, predictive modeling tools systematically used to improve success in identifying student match, and performance measurement systems that reflect RCM and track KPIs at the institutional and school levels.


Accountable: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer

17

Vision Theme 9: School of First Choice for Students

Dominican will be a school of first choice for students. We will track our progress toward becoming a school of first choice for students by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:



Percentage of Undergraduate Students Listing Dominican as First Choice

49% 53% 55% 57% 59% 62%

Percentage of Students from Overseas

4% 5% 6% 7% 9% 10%

Number of Top-3 Athletic Teams in the Conference

5 (NAIA) 0 1 2 2 3

Athletes' 6-Year Graduation Rate

63% 66% 68% 71% 73% 75%


• Achieve the internationalization of the University through:

− International partnerships for study-abroad, articulation, and transfer admission agreements,

− Increased institutional participation in the Fulbright Program, and

− Systems to ensure that international students feel welcomed, wanted, and included.

Accountable

• Achieve full membership in Division 2 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with adequate complement of athletic teams and a conference-wide academic achievement award.


Accountable

• Enhance the content, usability, appearance, and visibility of Dominican’s website.

: Director of Athletics

Accountable: Vice President for External Relations

18

MEANS AND RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES

Action Plans for Strategic Initiatives

We developed action plans for each of the strategic initiatives. Our action planning model comprises eight areas: vision theme supported by the strategic initiative, desired outcome, action steps, measures of success, timeline, responsibility, resource requirements, and assumptions. A completed sample plan is shown in Table 2.

By Year 2015, the action plans, collectively, will have produced the following outcomes:

• Enrolled an additional 600 students, with the following planned breakdown by school:

(a) 100 in School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (SAHSS)

(b) 300 in the School of Business and Leadership (SBL)

(c) 60 in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology (SECP)

(d) 140 in the School of Health and Natural Sciences (SHNS)

• Degree and continuing education programs offered in an online delivery format, encompassing about 20-25 percent of courses offered.

• Clarity and buy-in from all stakeholders about fundraising initiatives, and perceived shared responsibility and accomplishment of fundraising activity, leading to contributed revenue accounting for at least 10 percent of the operating budget.

• Completion of capital campaign and fundraising activities for the Dominican Heritage and Alumni House and the Field of Dreams.

• General Education Program and First-Year Experience contributing to a four-percent increase in average retention rate and a 24-percent increase in average bachelor’s six-year graduation rate.

• Initial accreditation of all business programs by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

• National programmatic accreditation for most degree programs eligible for specialized accreditation.

• Archbishop Alemany Library that meets all standards for libraries in higher education, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries.

19

• Students who are more involved in all aspects of campus life because of the improved quality and increased frequency of “out-of-classroom” interactions between students and faculty members.

• A base of core alumni and volunteers who are engaged with students and recent alumni for career and life guidance.

• All graduating bachelor’s students have had at least three engaged learning experiences (i.e., service learning, study abroad, internship, and undergraduate research) and 50% of graduating master’s students have had at least one engaged learning experience.

• All students have had at least two internships and at least three competitive job offers or graduate school admission offers by the time of graduation.

• Student Center developed, living-learning communities established, and student advising services expanded, contributing to a four-percent increase in average retention rate and a 24-percent increase in average bachelor’s six-year graduation rate.

• The School of Business and Leadership further developed into a center of excellence in ethical leadership and sustainability through a series of revenue-generating, national and international, corporate and organizational training and development programs.

• New programs in the SAHSS, SECP, and SHNS launched, contributing to 278 new students in these schools.

• Thirty-seven new full-time terminally-qualified faculty members hired—nine for SAHSS, nine for SBL, eight for SECP, and 11 for SHNS—leading to a full-time faculty complement comparable to peer institutions.

• Balanced and equitable faculty workload established and implemented, thereby leading to a high-performance workforce and most full-time faculty maintaining their academic qualifications through peer-reviewed intellectual contributions.

• Data and information, availability mechanisms, and hardware and software systems reliable, secure, user-friendly, and current with educational needs and technological changes.

• New Campus Plan developed and secured from the neighbors and the City of San Rafael.

20

• Greener Dominican campus and sustainable practices, contributing to a Sustainability Campus Leadership Award from the Association to Advance Sustainability in Higher Education.

• Responsibility Center Management established, with all schools engaging in entrepreneurial activities and making a positive contribution to the University’s financial sustainability.

• The “Plan-Do-Check-Act” cycle of continuous improvement embedded in all educational programs and offerings, academic support and student services, and business processes of the University.

• Data-driven decision making well-deployed and supported by performance measurement, analysis, and review mechanisms.

• New articulation and transfer admission agreements for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are in place with schools in Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand, as well as annual Fulbright Scholar participation (with either outgoing or incoming scholars).

• Full membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division 2), receipt of the conference-wide academic achievement award, and four new sports teams established.

• Award-winning website among higher education institutions and excellent brand awareness driver.

21

TABLE 2 SAMPLE ACTION PLAN

22

Strategic Financial Plan Highlights

The Strategic Plan is feasible in light of currently available and anticipated resources. The Strategic Financial Plan calls for financing the implementation of the SP over the five-year period 2011-2015 with retained earnings drawn primarily from two revenue streams:

(1) additional net tuition revenue totaling $37 million from projected increases in student enrollment and retention rates as a result of student-focused strategic initiatives, and

(2) additional contributed revenue totaling $7 million from projected increases in gifts and grants as a result of advancement-related strategic initiatives.

The implementation of the SP will require a total investment of $40 million over the five-year period. During the first three years (2011-2013), a total of $820,000 will be drawn from the University’s contingency reserve to support the excess of projected incremental expenses over incremental revenues. Starting FY 2014, the successful implementation of the SP will result in a positive net contribution to the University’s reserve. Table 3 presents the details of the Strategic Financial Plan.

The financial forecasts embodied in the Strategic Financial Plan are based on management's assumptions concerning future events and circumstances. These assumptions, which are disclosed and described in detail in the Action Plans, are those which this management believes are significant to the forecast or are key factors upon which the financial results of the University depend. The most critical of these assumptions are those pertaining to the University’s ability to achieve a 5.4 percent compound annual growth rate in enrollment as a result of the successful implementation of strategic initiatives pertaining to student enrollment and retention. Given that some assumptions inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events and circumstances may occur subsequent to October 2009, the SP periodic review process will include monitoring of the continued validity of the assumptions underlying the SP.

23

TABLE 3 STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLAN

24

MOVING FROM PLAN TO IMPLEMENTATION

Responsibility Center Management

Effective Fiscal Year 2012, Dominican University of California will adopt a new management framework—Responsibility Center Management (RCM)—for internal budgeting and financial reporting. The University’s goal in implementing RCM is to link strategic planning and resource allocation by establishing a systematic, transparent, and strategic approach to budget planning, development, and management. In addition to promoting the broadest possible stewardship of the University’s financial resources, RCM will also encourage and reward innovation, creativity, and efficiency.

Responsibility Center Management is the decentralization of budgetary responsibility and resource decision making, with the delegated authority usually residing with school deans. Under this approach, schools are referred to as “contribution centers” with all or most of the University’s revenues and expenses assigned to them. The underlying premise of RCM is that the decentralized nature of the budgetary model entrusts academic leaders with more control of financial resources, leading to tighter linkage between strategic planning and resource allocation, more informed decision-making, and better results or outcomes.

In centralized budgeting models, academic program decision-making is largely decoupled from financial responsibility. By allowing contribution centers to control most of the revenues they generate, RCM allows school decision makers to be better able to understand both the academic and financial impacts of their decisions. Academic planning and resource decision-making are also placed in a context that is more transparent within the organizational unit and throughout the University. Armed with improved information and the potential to retain increased financial resources, decision makers at the school level may leverage even limited resources more effectively, improving the University’s accomplishments and outcomes. RCM will enhance the University’s capacity to generate additional revenues in support of faculty scholarship, program development, and other academic initiatives.

The RCM model will be piloted during FY 2010 and FY 2011. Once RCM becomes fully operational, the budgets for the schools and all other responsibility centers will be presented in RCM format.

25

System of Performance and Accountability Reviews

Board-Level Performance Review

A Strategic Plan Implementation Task Force will be created to track progress toward meeting the SP goals. The SP performance review system will consist of the following components:

• SP Implementation Task Force’s quarterly review of achievement of performance goals along Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

• SP Implementation Task Force’s semi-annual review of progress of implementation of strategic initiatives.

• Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee’s semi-annual review of achievement of KPI performance goals and strategic initiatives.

• Board of Trustees’ annual review of achievement of KPI performance goals and strategic initiatives.

The SP sets clear objectives—innovative, value-added education and memorable student experiences—and describes a number of strategies to move us toward these objectives. It is possible that we have not selected the correct strategies, which is why this plan establishes KPIs by which progress can be monitored. If the strategies described in this plan are working, then results on the KPIs will reflect that fact. If, however, intended KPI results are not being achieved, then the strategies must be reexamined. Accountability is the path to change.

Management Accountability Review

The KPIs form the foundation of accountability within the University. Alignment between the goals of the University and the schools and other organizational units will form the basis for a constructive working relationship between the University and its organizational units. It will be on this basis that funds will be allocated, and that the success of the University as a whole can be demonstrated to the Board of Trustees and the public. Each organizational unit of the University contributes differently to these measurements—some schools will grow in enrollment, all will focus on student retention, some units will be called to provide exemplary services to students, others will make investments in improving the quality of student life, and so on.

To make certain that the collective actions of the organizational units are helping the University meet its overall goals, each organizational unit, through its leader sitting on the President’s Executive Council (PEC), will translate its strategic plan into an accountability document that describes the contribution that it will make to the achievement of the University’s overall SP goals. Further, each year, each

26

organizational unit will translate its accountability document into an annual performance plan. These FY 2011-2015 accountability documents and FY 2011 performance plans will be submitted not later than April 1, 2010, to the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer who will develop and distribute a template for this submission. The President will review all the submissions together, and in consultation with the President’s Executive Council, seek any changes necessary to ensure that all the goals of the University are met.

The KPIs will constitute the “report card” of the University. Performance dashboards will be created and monitored by PEC on a regular basis. They will be posted on the University’s website and updated as frequently as data are available.

27

NEXT STEPS

Although some elements of the Strategic Plan are already being implemented, the release of the formal document begins a new phase in the process of transforming Dominican’s landscape. The Board of Trustees, the President, and Dominican’s senior leadership team will be dedicated full-time to the implementation of this plan. Several of the key next steps identified in this report deserve to be reiterated:

• The President will make any organizational changes within his authority that are necessary to support the implementation of the plan.

• The Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, together with the Chief Financial Officer, will continue the ongoing consultations to develop the Responsibility Center Management system that Dominican will implement. The consultations, which will conclude in June 30, 2010, will involve a wide range of stakeholders.

• The Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, working with the Vice Presidents for Enrollment Management and Student Life, will continue consultations with the School Deans to develop school-specific enrollment and retention plans and accountability mechanisms.

• The Vice President for External Relations will lead internal and external communication efforts to explain the main elements of the plan and to build support for its implementation.

Strategic plans are active, living documents. Any plan can be slowed by changed circumstances, or improved by new opportunities that were not present when it was drafted. That is certainly true of this plan, which makes it, in a sense, a work in progress.

This plan is the result of hundreds of hours of consultation with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees, and with higher education experts across the country. Some of the strategies described here were apparent early in the process, others developed later, and still others represent compromises between what would be ideal and what is currently feasible in light of available resources. Some of the strategies recommended here will likely cause controversy when implemented. That was certainly not a goal, though the potential for controversy was not allowed to be a disqualifying factor if the benefits appeared to outweigh the risks.

There is no “big bang”—the one big idea that will change everything. No such thing exists. The road to success is marked by hard, effective work and focus, and a willingness to pursue our collective vision. The process of putting this plan together made clear that it is imperative that Dominican University of California first empower the

28

university community to think strategically about the future and then build the capacity required to bring the University to a higher level of excellence, competitiveness, and distinctiveness. This plan commits the stakeholders of the University to a course of action that, with patience and dedication, will fulfill these expectations.

29

APPENDICES

1. Description of the Strategic Planning Process

2. Lessons Learned from Peer, Competitor, and Aspirant Institutions

3. Strategic Planning Committee

30

APPENDIX 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

The strategic planning process was implemented in three phases. During the first phase, we benchmarked peer institutions and reviewed and revised University-level guiding premises (consisting of mission, vision, and core values). The products of the first phase provided the parameters for the second phase, Strategic Academic Planning by the schools. During the third phase, the university’s academic support, student services, and other administrative areas prepared their strategic plans in support of the Strategic Academic Plans.

Identification of Comparable Institutions

Dominican already has a well-defined process for identifying competitor institutions, as we know most of these institutions from Table B13 (Schools Most Admitted But Non-Enrolled Students Go To) of the University Factbook. We conducted three types of assessments to identify comparable and aspirant institutions. The first analyzed US News & World Report data on master’s colleges and universities in the West and aspirant institutions used in the previous strategic planning process. The second used a multiple regression model on 59 institutions to predict six-year graduation rate from a list of institutional variables including SAT scores, undergraduate FTE enrollment, percent

31

receiving Pell Grants, percent underrepresented minorities, freshman-to-sophomore retention rate, budget per FTE, market value of endowment, and state cost of living index. Under the second method, comparable peers are those institutions whose predicted graduation rates are closest to Dominican, while aspirants are those institutions with the highest actual graduation rates. The third approach identified the 20 institutions that subscribe to the New American College philosophy of achieving balance between humanities and the professional disciplines. From these analyses, a total of seven universities were identified for benchmarking:

(1) Comparable peer—California Lutheran University,

(2) Competitors—University of San Francisco and Saint Mary’s College of California, and

(3) Aspirants—Loyola Marymount University, University of Redlands, Chapman University, and Occidental College.

Formulation of Guiding Premises

Review of Mission and Core Values

In spring 2009, the University’s mission statement was edited to include contemporary phrasing that was more aligned with the University’s present reality. The edited statement of mission and core values was sent to faculty, staff and student leaders. The Strategic Planning Committee received 103 responses over a two-week comment period and integrated as many of the recommendations as was possible. The Board of Trustees, at its strategic planning retreat on March 5-6, 2009, considered the first draft of the revised mission statement. After further revisions, the Board of Trustees approved the revised mission statement at its annual meeting on May 28, 2009.

Creating the Vision Statement and Key Performance Indicators

Members of the Strategic Planning Committee led 12 visioning sessions that were conducted by members of the Strategic Planning Committee from December 18, 2008 to February 23, 2009. Dr. Luís María R. Calingo facilitated these visioning sessions, with the assistance of Dr. Françoise O. Lepage and Maureen Keefe. The 12 groups, listed with the dates of their respective visioning sessions, were the Strategic Planning Committee (12/18/08), Graduate Council (1/27/09), President’s Executive Council (1/28/09), Staff Assembly and Managers Group (1/30/09), Associated Students (1/30/09), Office of Student Life (2/3/09), Alumni Association Board of Directors (2/3/09), Faculty Executive Committee (2/10/09), School of Arts and Sciences (2/17/09), School of Business and Leadership (2/23/09), School of Education (2/26/09), and directors and coordinators of university-wide centers, programs and institutes (2/23/09).

32

Each visioning session proceeded as follows. First, the participants wrote on Post-It® pads their vivid descriptions of their vision for Dominican by the year 2020. Second, using the Affinity Diagram method, the participants clustered the different ideas (vivid descriptions) into categories or themes. Third, the facilitator led a discussion of the themes and, if time permits, the development of a vision map that presents the participants’ understanding of the relationships among the vision themes. The whole process lasted 45 minutes.

We then prepared a composite vision map that captures the 72 concepts that were identified during these 12 visioning sessions. We translated the vision themes into key performance indicators (KPIs), a process that was also informed by a review of strategic planning research and practice in higher education. During the strategic planning retreat of March 5-6, 2009, the participants underwent a group exercise whereby they reviewed the vision map and framework, evaluated the key performance indicators, and proposed 2015 and 2020 goals that would comprise their vision for their assigned vision themes.

Strategic Academic Planning

During the months of March-May 2009, each school took the University-level strategic planning parameters (mission, values, vision themes, and key performance goals) and conducted the Strategic Academic Planning (SAP) process. The Strategic Planning Committee created a common SAP template that the schools used. The SAP process included four major phases: (1) guiding premises—mission, vision, and values, (2) situation analysis—aspirant schools and best practices, KPIs and performance gap analysis, and competitor analysis, (3) strategic academic plan—strategic initiatives and action plan, (4) deployment and assessment—resource allocation and balanced scorecard.

The school deans prepared their respective draft strategic plans to the Board of Trustees at its annual meeting on May 28, 2009. The reorganization of Academic Affairs was a strategic decision that the Board made at this meeting. This reorganization consisted of the division of the School of Arts and Sciences into two schools and the expansion of the School of Education to include the Counseling Psychology Program. After receiving feedback from the trustees, the schools revised their draft strategic plans over the summer of 2009.

33

Strategic Planning in Academic Support and Administrative Services

During the months of June-August 2009, each academic support, student services, and administrative unit of the University took the schools’ strategic plans and conducted its strategic planning process. The Strategic Planning Committee created a common strategic planning template that the units used. The unit’s strategic planning process included four major areas: (1) guiding premises—mission, vision, and values, (2) strategies in support of the school’s strategic plans, (3) strategies to build capacity and improve processes, and (4) deployment and assessment—resource allocation and performance metrics.

The Strategic Planning Committee met on August 24, 2009 to consider the 70 priority strategic initiatives that have been identified from an initial list of over 130 academic, administrative and academic support, and institution-wide strategic initiatives. The President’s Executive Council, Managers’ Group, and faculty representatives conducted an all-day retreat on September 21, 2009 to consolidate and prioritize the 70 strategic initiatives, resulting in 40 initiatives. The President’s Executive met on September 22, 2009 to consider a list of 26 priority strategic initiatives identified from the 40 initiatives resulting from the retreat. The 26 priority initiatives then became the basis of the Strategic Financial Plan.

34

APPENDIX 2

LESSONS LEARNED FROM PEER, COMPETITOR, AND ASPIRANT INSTITUTIONS

Members of the Marketing and Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees conducted telephone interviews of academic and student service officers of the following benchmark institutions: California Lutheran University, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, Occidental College, University of Redlands, University of San Francisco, and Saint Mary’s College of California.

The following are the key strategies that the benchmark institutions employed to improve graduation rates:

1. Increase the percentage of full-time faculty teaching freshmen.

2. Increase the number of students accommodated in residential housing.

3. Enhance academic advising and coaching services.

4. Structure academic and first-year experience programs for freshmen and transfer students.

5. Ensure that students who are a “good fit” enroll.

6. Establish a position or committee focused on retention.

7. Establish strong leadership and institutional priority to improve retention and graduation rates.

8. Target fundraising for scholarship support.

9. Involve faculty in helping with retention efforts.

35

APPENDIX 3

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Timothy Blackburn (Chair), Trustee Andrew Barowsky, Trustee Mary Jane Burke, Trustee Luís Ma. R. Calingo, Executive Vice President & Chief Academic Officer Mel Croner, Trustee Joseph R. Fink, President Barbara Ganley, Chair of the Faculty Forum John Gaulding , Chair of the Board of Trustees Katherine Henderson, Director of Pathways and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Peter Jacobi, Trustee Maureen Keefe, Vice President for External Relations Renée Knee, Trustee Françoise Lepage, Assistant to the President for Special Projects Sr. Maureen McInerney, Trustee Harlan Stelmach, Vice-Chair of the Faculty Forum Richard Stone, Trustee Ex-officio Edward Kujawa, Dean, School of Education & Counseling Psychology Marty Nelson, Dean, School of Health & Natural Sciences Phil Novak, Dean, School of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences Gary Williams, Dean, School of Business & Leadership

Date post:	10-Aug-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	luis-calingo
View:	23 times
Download:	0 times

SIP-2009-11-12-v6(FINAL)

Documents