Respondents generally gave high marks to our strategic planning efforts. Ninety-four percent agreed that Millersville University "engages successfully in ongoing institutional self-study," 97% agreed that Millersville "engages successfully in institutional strategic planning," 91% agreed that Millersville "engages successfully in ongoing institutional renewal," and 81% agreed that Millersville University "measures institutional outcomes successfully."

Respondents also spoke very positively of the University's mission and vision statements. Eighty-five percent agreed that they are "clearly written," 94% agreed that they are "appropriate given our resources," 97% agreed that they are "appropriate given constituent needs," and 97% agreed that they "reflect current priorities." Ninety-one percent agreed that the mission "defines primary constituents."

The mission clearly serves as the "parent document" and fulcrum for the development of the University's vision and institutional goals. The mission's tenets are clearly evident in the vision. In particular, the mission's principle of an "exemplary liberal arts-based education" is a recurrent theme that heavily flavors the vision. The vision presents, for example, the institutional intent "to be a model comprehensive, regional, learning-focused university." The first of the vision's six themes, strong responsive student programs for academic and personal growth, substantially supports a majority of the views of the mission.

Millersville's institutional goals, organized around the vision's six themes, are clearly developed to address the themes. The team that prepared this chapter draft reviewed the University's 1998-1999 institutional goals and concluded that they all had measurable outcomes. A goal to provide "one stop shopping" for our students for administrative services was met, for example, by the renovation of a former residence hall into an office building housing administrative support services to students. Another goal, to develop a comprehensive academic outcomes assessment program, has been accomplished (see Chapter 3).

Some of the 1998-1999 institutional goals seemed too detailed and would be more appropriate as objectives or milestones on the way to the accomplishment of a broader institutional goal. Some institutional goals, for example, announce the intention to perform a specific task such as purchasing equipment and furniture, relocating an existing program or facility, or developing a home page for an office or program. In these instances, the task represents a very short-term effort that contributes toward a long-range purpose or end, such as maintaining contemporary efficacy in the work place. The President's Advisory Council took these observations under consideration in developing new institutional goals for 1999-2000 (Appendix 2-3). The new goals are expressed as broad aims rather than tasks to be accomplished; they have a multi-year outlook; and they are fewer in number, giving us a better sense of where to focus our energies.

Planning efforts at Millersville University involve the University community whenever feasible and appropriate. For example,

• Millersville's fiber-optic backbone and network was planned and designed by a team of faculty, administrators, and staff.
• A task force comprising faculty, administrators and staff used substantial input from all sectors of the University community to draft our Information Technology Vision and Plan (see Chapter 7). The plan led to the reorganization of our technology support staff and the establishment of a new information technology leadership position (Vice President for Information Technology), and it supported the creation of a new Center for Academic Excellence, which provides instructional technology training and support to faculty.
• Academic Affairs goals were developed in response to faculty and staff answers to ten "conversational questions across the disciplines" posed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Deans' Council (see Chapter 3).
• A task force composed of faculty, staff, students, trustees, and municipals guided the development of a new capital facilities master plan (see Chapter 11).

As these examples suggest and this self-study will show, successful ongoing institutional self-study and planning enable us to sustain a high quality learning environment in an ever-changing world.