°®½´ÊÓƵ will continue to advance institutional outcomes, affirming its distinction for academic rigor, innovation, and student success. Guided by the University’s mission to integrate the intellectual strengths of the liberal arts with the preparation required for professional excellence, °®½´ÊÓƵ fosters the curiosity, creativity, and ethical awareness essential to lifelong learning and leadership.
The University will purposefully expand and refine its undergraduate and graduate programs to reflect emerging academic disciplines, societal needs, and global perspectives while upholding the highest standards of quality and integrity. Through intentional curriculum design, assessment of programs and student learning for continuous improvement, °®½´ÊÓƵ sustains a vibrant culture of academic inquiry and collaboration.
In cultivating inclusive learning environments, supporting faculty excellence, and embracing technological advancement, °®½´ÊÓƵ will prepare students to think critically, act ethically,
and contribute meaningfully within their professions and communities.
Leveraging market insights and centering student needs, °®½´ÊÓƵ will strengthen and advance rigorous academic curricula aligned with its mission and values.
Strategy A
Purposeful development of new programs and curricular advancements that expand the academic profile and distinction of °®½´ÊÓƵ.
- Use data-informed analysis to guide new program development.
- Expand academic pathways including new majors, accelerated programs, and linked degrees.
- Engage in rigorous evaluation to ensure program effectiveness, and curricular integrity.
Strategy B
Foster and support continuous curricular improvement to prepare students for academic and career success.
- Assess and adapt the General Education program to reflect evolving student needs and improve student learning outcomes.
- Review and refine the Educational Policy Committee processes.
- Integrate academically grounded, experiential learning opportunities across the curriculum.
- Adopt policy recommendations of °®½´ÊÓƵ’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) Task Force related to its responsible use as a pedagogical tool to advance student learning and professional preparation.
°®½´ÊÓƵ will strengthen student academic support from recruitment to graduation by fostering resilience and success while reducing barriers to retention and persistence.
Strategy A
Identify and address barriers at each stage of the student academic lifecycle.
- Implement an enrollment portal that shows progress and consolidates all required tasks and deadlines for new students.
- Create a centralized campus wide communication plan for all new student messaging.
- Assess the graduation process including application timelines, credit reviews, and commencement participation.
- Improve campus-wide participation of CARE reporting to identify and proactively support students facing academic challenges.
- Analyze data and exit survey information to address ongoing challenges to retention.
Strategy B
Strengthen and expand availability of mentoring, academic support resources, and career advising to cultivate and enhance student success.
- Provide ongoing training to support consistent, student-centered advising practices as well as updates on university-wide policies.
- Evaluate and improve student resources using student outcome and NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement) data.
- Identify and integrate additional evidence-based academic support initiatives.
°®½´ÊÓƵ will enrich our culture of innovation and student access through expanded instructional modalities and the use of educational technologies.
Strategy A
Support teaching and learning through enhanced institutional infrastructure including robust technology, training, and resources.
- Close technology gaps, streamline tools, and improve access based on annual technology audits and feedback
- Expand and support faculty participation and training in the Quality Matters review process.
- Promote professional development and instructional design support that equip faculty to integrate technology across all teaching modalities.
- Align the ongoing investment in classroom technology infrastructure with curriculum and pedagogical needs for adaptable, high-quality and innovative learning environments.
Strategy B
Cultivate a culture of access that empowers students to succeed across all modalities of learning.
- Expand online, hybrid, and HyFlex curricular offerings.
- Evaluate educational technology to ensure compliance with accessibility and universal design principles.
- Empower the Distance Education Taskforce to enhance consistency and equity in student services across modalities.
°®½´ÊÓƵ will continue to support and promote professional development opportunities in Academic Affairs.
Strategy A
Strengthen institutional infrastructure and cross-unit collaboration to coordinate and sustain professional development initiatives for Academic Affairs.
- Formalize the coordination of professional development opportunities offered by Instructional Design, Institutional Effectiveness and Academic Systems (IEAS), the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), and the Student Success Center.
- Create a centralized, online calendar for professional development offerings.
- Implement a consistent reporting framework to evaluate professional development outcomes and inform future planning.
Strategy B
Cultivate professional development opportunities to support Academic Affairs personnel.
- Identify and prioritize professional development interests and needs.
- Leverage campus expertise by encouraging departments and offices to host peer-led workshops.
- Highlight professional development opportunities through regular communication, onboarding, and an annual review processes to promote ongoing participation.
- Support faculty scholarship, including research, creative activities, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
°®½´ÊÓƵ will enhance learning outcomes through continued meaningful assessment.
Strategy A
Strengthen alignment of learning outcomes across the curriculum and use assessment results to guide continuous improvement.
- Integrate program and course-level learning outcomes with the revised General Education curriculum to ensure curricular coherence and alignment.
- Provide departments with additional data that highlight trends in student achievement.
- Evaluate our assessment practices to refine processes for annual reporting and program review.
- Proactively align institutional assessment practices with evolving Middle States expectations and professional accreditation standards.
- Recognize innovative practices and offer interdisciplinary, professional development opportunities that collaboratively promote the assessment of student learning outcomes at the course and program levels.