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Strategic Plan for Academic and Student Affairs

Context For Planning

The Academic and Student Affairs Division consists of ten academic units (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Seidman College of Business, College of Community & Public Service, College of Education, Padnos College of Engineering & Computing, College of Health Professions, Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Kirkhof College of Nursing, Graduate School, University Libraries), and Academic & Student Support functions (including Student Services, Office of the Vice Provost for Health, Pew Faculty Teaching & Learning Center, Center for Scholarly & Creative Excellence, Art Gallery & Collections). Led by the Provost and supporting staff, the Division prides itself on having disciplinary programs built upon the foundations of a liberal education tradition, and is widely recognized for its ability to develop necessary talent and leadership for the next generation and prepare all students to contribute productively to their professions and societies. The Division demonstrates its success in developing and supporting inclusivity and diversity, productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.

The Office of the Provost is committed to strategic planning, high impact learning experiences, innovative scholarship, and purposeful academic service to the community. Our work encompasses faculty and staff personnel concerns, budgeting, resource development, and faculty governance. Our role is to support teaching, scholarship, and public service through increasingly high quality, relevant curricula in a challenging, intellectual environment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Our goal is to encourage and sustain an environment of creativity, rigor, support, and openness that aids faculty, students, and the wider community in our search for knowledge.

This Strategic Plan represents the direction and focus of the Division, through the lens of the Office of the Provost. The role of the Office of the Provost is to provide the structure, support and resources needed to accomplish the outcomes and strategic priorities of the Division. This plan provides the focus and framework for the Division's work through 2021.

Mission

The Division of Academic and Student Affairs fosters a vibrant intellectual community to create and deliver exceptional academic and co-curricular programs and services. The work of the Division encourages and supports students, faculty and staff toward achievement of their educational and professional goals, through robust planning, assessment and improvement processes.

Vision

Embracing liberal education traditions as foundational to all academic programs, the Division of Academic and Student Affairs will be increasingly recognized for its ability to develop the essential talent and leadership for the next generation and prepare all students to contribute meaningfully to their professions and societies.

Value Statement

We value excellence in teaching and learning in all undergraduate and graduate programs.

We believe the principles and practices of a liberal education provide a sound foundation for the institutions academic programs.

We are committed to a student-centered, rigorous learning environment that integrates disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and co-curricular programs.

We value the use of high impact educational practices that demonstrate the relevance of liberal education and prepare students with essential skills for their lives after graduation.

We believe ethically-grounded scholarship in all of its forms contributes to the development and application of knowledge, creates a dynamic environment for learning, and enriches the world and the lives of its citizens.

We believe that innovation in teaching, learning and scholarship produces meaningful educational experiences and is critical to the growth and development of the University.

We value internal and external service that enriches the intellectual culture of the University and its communities.

We value and invest in economic, social, environmental and cultural initiatives and collaborations that have the potential to benefit our institution, our region and state, our nation, and the world.

We believe that a diverse faculty, staff and student body; inclusive programming and curricula; and a welcoming, respectful, and accessible environment are fundamental components of a quality educational experience and vibrant campus community.

We believe collaborative leadership through shared governance is central to the success of the University.

We believe in responsive leadership, with clarity and transparency in processes and communication.

We believe that strategic planning and purposeful assessment and evaluation of programs and processes are essential to the University's viability.

Strategic Priorities, outcomes, and key objectives

Strategic Priority Area 1: Actively engage learners at all levels.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 1.A.1

Evidence-based, continuous improvement practices are used to ensure quality and effectiveness of programs to support academic success.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
Assessment and Strategic Plans are updated annually through an internal website (GVAssess) which documents specified continuous improvement practices across the institution. In this, programs and services guiding academic success are able to provide assessment tools/data, strategic planning initiatives, annual reporting updates, analysis of findings, and strategy action/next steps. Brief progress reports are publicly accessible through university webpages.

Objective 1.A.2

Student Affairs programming and support efforts result in increased involvement in co-curricular activities.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
During the 2016-2017 year there were 221 unique programs that submitted data. For the Fall 2016 semester and 114 (52%) programs submitted with evaluations for the Winter 2017 semester, for a total of 107 (48%) programs for the year.Of the 221 programs, 200 programs had evaluation data. During the Fall 2016 semester, there were 109 programs with 3103 evaluations submitted out of the approximately 4070 attendees, 76% of attendees completed evaluations. During the Winter 2017 semester there were 93 programs 1775 evaluations submitted out of the approximately 3049 attendees, 58% of attendees completed evaluations. Combining all semesters there were 4878 evaluations submitted out of the approximately 7119 attendees, 69% of attendees completed evaluations.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 1.C.1

As part of the university's larger focus on community engagement, Community Based Learning (CBL) course designation is launched to ensure appropriate curricular review and help students identify these learning opportunities during registration.

Strategic Priority Area 2: Further develop exceptional personnel.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 2.A.1

Faculty and staff are hired and retained to ensure appropriate support and education of students.

Strategic Priority Area 3: Ensure the alignment of institutional structures and functions.

Outcome B: Grand Valley is diverse and inclusive.

Objective 3.B.1

Systems, policies and processes are communicated across the Division.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantive Progress
Established Noteworthy, an e-mail communication distributed regularly to leadership of the Academic and Student Affairs Division. Unit Heads forward this communication to faculty and staff within their units. Noteworthy communicates information, processes, and policies that assist faculty and staff in their jobs.

Outcome D: Grand Valley supports innovative teaching, learning, integrative scholarly and creative activity, and the use of new technologies.

Objective 3.D.1

University strategic planning and assessment processes are streamlined and simplified ensuring efficient use of resources and improved constituent engagement.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 3.E.1

An effective Faculty Qualifications policy is developed and implemented.

Progress

2017 Status
Substantial Progress
A Faculty Qualification Assurance (FQA) Form was introduced and implemented across the institution at the beginning of the Fall 2017 Semester.

Strategic Priority Area 4: Enhance the institution's image and reputation.

Outcome A: Grand Valley's learning environment is personal, challenging, and transformational, supporting excellent academic programs and co-curricular opportunities.

Objective 4.A.1

External recognitions of students, faculty, staff and programs increases.

Outcome C: Grand Valley has mutually beneficial relationships, partnerships, collaborations, and connections with local, state, national, and world communities.

Objective 4.C.1

The Carnegie Foundations Classification for Community Engagement is reviewed and, if appropriate, an application is submitted.

Outcome E: Grand Valley strategically allocates its fiscal, human, and other institutional resources.

Objective 4.E.1

Re-accreditation by the HLC for the maximum term of 10 years is obtained for the University.

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