MU-Middle States Self-Study: Chapter 2. Institutional Planning: Mission, Goals, and Effectiveness

Chapter 2. Institutional Planning: Mission, Goals, and Effectiveness
Other Strategic Planning Activities

The Strategic Planning and Resource Council guides many other institutional strategic planning activities, which begin with institutional self-assessment and environmental scanning. Members of SPARC review and evaluate information from a variety of sources on an ongoing basis.

Another aspect of strategic planning is our annual resource request process, including requests for operating funds, equipment, facilities, and personnel. Many, but not all, requests are linked to the vision and/or institutional goals. Major requests must stem from the results of program reviews completed once every five years.

Yet another aspect of strategic planning is assessment, which takes many forms. Millersville University continually assesses how effectively it is fulfilling its mission and vision. Assessment strategies include:

Millersville University continually assesses how effectively it is fulfilling its mission and vision. Assessment strategies include:

Intensive program reviews of both academic and support programs, conducted every five years (see Chapter 3) ;
A wide range of academic outcomes assessment activities (see Chapter 3);
Specialized accreditations of numerous academic programs (see Chapter 3);
Continuous improvement reviews of a variety of administrative processes (see Chapter 10);
Annual reports prepared by each Vice President on progress toward achieving institutional goals;
The annual management performance appraisal process, in which all managers establish and are evaluated on annual goals, with pay increases often tied to performance; and
Middle States accreditation activities.

Strategic planning efforts are linked to other major planning endeavors, including capital campaigns and other fund-raising initiatives, academic planning, facilities planning, and enrollment planning. These links are informal and are intended to ensure that various planning activities are synchronized with one another.

The team drafting this chapter expressed some concern about how effectively our many planning and assessment activities are coordinated. Some did not see a clear relationship among the efforts of, for example, SPARC, capital campaign planning activities, facilities planning activities, curricular planning, departmental goal setting, and budget decisions. Employees, supporters, and students would benefit from a better understanding of the mission and vision, and help them connect the mission and vision to their daily activities. The mission and vision could be more frequently referenced, discussed, emphasized, and promoted in University publications, newspaper articles, and presentations to the greater regional community.