The team observes that Millersville has developed a mission statement reflective of its current goals and priorities. At the same time, the vision statement endorsed by the Council of Trustees in March of 1998 places greater emphasis on responsiveness to emerging regional needs than does the mission statement itself. Somehow, these two documents need to provide compatible informing principles for future institutional planning. For the most part, the goals enumerated for 1999-2002 are directed at continuous improvement of existing programs and services.

    During our discussions with various individuals and groups, including the Chancellor and the Council of Trustees, concerns were expressed about how the University will respond to various external pressures or developments that will almost certainly influence in some measure the future of Millersville University. Several of those are also noted in the Self-Study, including the expansion of competitive institutions in the area, including community colleges and institutions in the Pennsylvania State University System; the availability of distance and on-line learning opportunities offered by other institutions; and the rapidly changing demographics and educational needs of the region. The Middle States Commission states in its standards, Characteristics of Excellence, that "Good planning takes account of external forces that may affect mission, revenue, costs, enrollment, or programs."

    As noted in the Self-Study and elsewhere in our team report, the University has recently developed several academic programs responsive to identified regional needs, and several others are in the planning stage. During our meeting with community and business leaders in the area, several necessary but presently unavailable programs and services were identified that would benefit their organizations. The team strongly urges the University to include in its planning process a thorough analysis of external influences and needs and the development of pro-active, strategic responses that will assure the institution's continued health and viability in a changing, highly competitive environment. (More will be said about this topic in a later section of our report.)

    Millersville is clearly an institution committed to involving the campus community and other stakeholders in its planning processes. It is to be commended in that regard. At the same time, the team underscores the need, identified in the Self-Study, to coordinate the various planning efforts to avoid unnecessary duplication and achieve greater clarity of purpose and to concentrate effort on those high-priority initiatives most likely to be funded. Further, outcomes assessment, still in a rather embryonic state at Millersville, should routinely be integrated into the planning process. Finally, the Commission's standards require that resource allocations reflect institutional goals and priorities. Although new resources may occasionally be available to fund new initiatives, it is often necessary to reallocate resources from existing programs to fund those initiatives. The budget should reflect and support institutional priorities and should be developed as an integral part of the institutional planning process.

Recommendation: Develop a coordinated planning process that includes a thorough analysis of external factors, establishes over-all institutional priorities, provides budget allocations to support those priorities, and integrates outcomes assessment fully into the process.