EKU Strategic Goals

The vision expresses an ideal to which the university aspires and relates its future. The vision for the 2003-2006 University Strategic Plan was developed after gathering input from external and internal constituents, including top-down and bottom-up perspectives of EKU's future. The Vision for Eastern Kentucky University is:

Eastern Kentucky University will be the leading comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, earning national distinction, where students come first.

INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

Eastern Kentucky University's Institutional Goals chart the efforts that will enable the University to realize its Vision for the future and to fulfill the university's Mission. The goals encompass all the facets of the University's life. These goals advance Eastern's Vision to be a leading comprehensive university in the Commonwealth with national distinction. (Please note: these are not listed in any particular order or suggested priority.)

• To promote and support a climate that respects and celebrates diversity1.
• To continuously improve the programs, services, and infrastructure of the university through the use of inclusive and innovative processes.
• To promote learning through high quality programs and services.
• To provide intellectual and cultural opportunities which will develop and enhance scholarship and intellectual curiosity.
• To increase and enhance external and internal constituency engagement, while maintaining a connection with Appalachia.
• To attract, develop, and educate an increasingly diverse student body.

To direct the university's actions toward achieving the Vision, to support the university's Mission and Institutional Goals, and to function effectively within an environment of challenges and opportunities, Eastern Kentucky University has selected the following Strategic Directions for the 2003-2006 Strategic Plan. These Directions serve to focus our work to realize our Goals and will guide us over the next three years.

In addition, central to our plan and its Strategic Directions are Key Performance Indicators. As the Strategic Directions are linked to the Institutional Goals, the plan provides measurable indicators that will permit evaluation of progress. Key Performance Indicators provide us with the data necessary to evaluate progress toward goal achievement and supply the foundation for continuous program improvement. Some KPIs need operational definitions before the actual data are collected. The university office and/or committee responsible for each KPI is provided in parentheses. (Please note: the Goals and Strategic Directions are not listed in any particular order or suggested priority).

GOAL 1: To promote and support a climate that respects and celebrates diversity.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1.1: Enhance a climate that supports diversity.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1.2: Increase recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty, staff, and student body to reflect the global society.

Performance Indicators

• Enrollment in African/African American Studies Program and a Hispanic/Latino Studies program. (Institutional Research)
• Percentage of EKU faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds. (Institutional Research)
• Responses of faculty, staff, and students to a biannual climate survey. (Institutional Research; University Diversity Committee)
• Number of and participation in campus events with diversity themes. (Student Affairs)

• Percentage of EKU faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds. (Institutional Research)
• The targeted eight objectives set by the Council on Post-Secondary Education on recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and students set forth by the "Kentucky Plan for Desegregation." (President's Office; Institutional Research; Equal Opportunity Office)
• Goals of the University Affirmative Action Plan. (Equal Opportunity Office)

GOAL 2: To continuously improve the programs, services, and infrastructure of the University through the use of inclusive and innovative processes.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2.1: Enhance faculty and staff use of technology.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2.2: Improve institutional effectiveness by utilizing a strategic planning, budgeting, and assessment process that incorporates shared governance.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2.3: Increase base budget funding for deferred maintenance.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2.4: Increase financial flexibility.

Performance Indicators

• Percentage of smart classrooms. (UITC*)
• Percentage of courses that are web-based or web-enhanced. (UITC)
• Percentage of faculty and staff using Blackboard. (UITC)
• Percentage of staff using email. (UITC)
*University Information and Technology Committee

• Program accreditation and re-accreditation review results. (President's Office; Provost's Office)
• Comprehensive and institution-wide planning and evaluation process for quality enhancement that provides for the annual development of departmental/unit plans, an annual feedback report to communicate institutional progress, and an updating of Key Performance Indicators every three years; and that includes linkages of that process firmly to learning outcomes and corollary university plans for facilities, maintenance, technology, and budget. (President's Office)
• Expected outcomes for all educational programs and administrative and educational support services. (University Assessment Committee; Institutional Research, Planning and Reporting Units)
• Workshops to train appropriate Eastern personnel in the relevant methodologies and techniques of the strategic planning processes before January 2004. (Administrative office responsible for planning; Strategic Planning Committee)
• Guidelines and procedures to evaluate the extent to which educational goals are being achieved and to demonstrate the use of results of these evaluations to improve educational effectiveness, including the quality of student learning, scholarship, and service. (Administrative office responsible for planning)

• Deferred maintenance base budget. (Financial Affairs; Facilities Services)
• Actual spending on deferred maintenance. (Financial Affairs; Facilities Services) Strategic Direction 2.4
• Amount of unallocated unrestricted budget reserve. (Financial Affairs)
• Amount of contingency fund. (Financial Affairs)

GOAL 3: To promote learning through high quality programs and services.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3.1: Enhance student learning through excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3.2: Improve compensation to attract and retain high quality faculty and staff.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3.3: Increase opportunities for and participation in learning experiences inside and outside the classroom.

Performance Indicators

• Graduating student survey questions measuring satisfaction with the education in major course of study. (Institutional Research)
• Alumni survey questions measuring satisfaction with the education in major course of study. (Institutional Research)
• Student learning outcomes for each appropriate program in the university. (University Assessment Committee)
• Use of student learning outcome measures for program improvement. (University Assessment Committee)
• Student learning outcomes for University General Education. (University Assessment Committee)
• Use of student learning outcome measures for assessment of University General Education. (University Assessment Committee)

• EKU faculty and staff salaries compared to benchmark institutions or other appropriate comparators. (Institutional Research; Human Resources)
• Employee benefits package. (Human Resources)
• Institutional process and funding plan to identify and address faculty and staff salary issues. (Financial Affairs)

• Trends/characteristics of the student body as they relate to student engagement. (Student Affairs; Institutional Research)
• Graduating student survey questions and focus group results measuring satisfaction with learning experiences. (Institutional Research)
• Number of students participating in academic enhancement/enrichment activities. (Planning Units)
• Attendance at student events/activities. (Student Affairs)
• Student computer availability. (UITC)
• Student computer use. (UITC)

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4.1: Enhance professional development opportunities.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4.2: Enhance resources and opportunities for faculty/staff/student collaboration in scholarly and creative activities.

Performance Indicators

Strategic Direction 4.1

• A plan with measurable outcomes to assess faculty and staff development. (Teaching and Learning Center; Human Resources; Continuing Education and Outreach; Planning and Reporting Units)
• Use of outcome measures to enhance professional development of faculty and staff. (Teaching and Learning Center; Human Resources; Continuing Education and Outreach; Planning and Reporting Units)

Strategic Direction 4.2

• National Survey on Student Engagement questions measuring participation in research with faculty. (Institutional Research)
• Publications, presentations, and creative activities. (Provost's Office; Planning Units)
• Thesis credit hours (undergraduate and graduate). (Institutional Research)

GOAL 5: To increase and enhance external and internal constituency engagement, while maintaining a connection with Appalachia.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5.1: Increase net external funding with emphasis on grants, contracts, private support, and economic development activities.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5.2: Enhance partnerships with business and community entities.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5.3: Enhance external and internal marketing and public relations to increase visibility.

Performance Indicators

Strategic Direction 5.1

• General university support generated by contract and grant activity for instruction, public service, and scholarship. (Financial Affairs; Sponsored Programs Office)
• Private contributions to university and foundation. (Institutional Advancement)

Strategic Direction 5.2

• Cooperative proposals involving other educational institutions, businesses, communities, and government entities. (Provost's Office)
• Participants served through outreach activities. (Continuing Education and Outreach)

Strategic Direction 5.3

• Integrated marketing communications audit. (Public Relations and Marketing)
• Integrated marketing communications plan. (Public Relations and Marketing)

GOAL 6: To attract, develop, and educate an increasingly diverse student body.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 6.1: Develop and implement a comprehensive enrollment planning process.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION 6.2: Develop a student-centered support system for a diverse student population.

Performance Indicators

Strategic Direction 6.1

• Comprehensive strategic enrollment management plan. (Provost's Office)
• Annual enrollment, retention, and graduation goals set forth by the Council on Post-Secondary Education. (Institutional Research)

Strategic Direction 6.2

• National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) questions measuring student satisfaction with the student-centered support system. (Institutional Research)
• Biannual Climate Survey questions on student satisfaction with the student-centered support system. (Institutional Research; University Diversity Committee)
• Alumni survey questions measuring student satisfaction with the student-centered support system. (Institutional Research)
• Participation in International Studies and Study Abroad Programs. (Enrollment Management)