Worcester State College

1. Worcester State College Strategic Planning Subcommittee Membership Meeting December 11, 2008

2. Strategic Planning • A structured and data driven process of determining: • Where an organization is currently positioned relative to its internal and external markets, • What changes it should make to anticipate and respond to market changes, and • How it will accomplish these changes

3. Why do it? • To prosper in an ever changing environment • Improves decision making by aligning budget and priorities • Without it, run risk of losing relevance and market position

4. Progress to Date • Evaluated prior process • Completed SWOC analysis • Evaluated progress on prior plan • Developed a communication plan • Completed internal environmental analysis • Completed external environmental analysis • Assembled Steering Committee • Performed extensive data review • Identified strategic opportunities and goals

5. Prior Process • Small groups • Open membership • Communication • Expectations • Metrics • Accountability

6. Results of Prior Plan • Much achieved despite absence of metrics • See posted document • Global studies concentration, increasing diversity of faculty, facility improvements, graduate faculty recruitment and assistantship program • Two areas were goals weren’t fully met • Institution wide assessment activities • Broader input in institutional decision making

7. SWOC Analysis • SWOC • Strengths • Faculty, programs, affordability • Weaknesses • Funding, communication, library • Opportunities • Facility, diversity and affordability • Challenges • Facility and land limitations, budget constraints

8. What We Learned • Environmental scans • Internal and external • What has changed? • What is likely to change? • What are the implications for WSC? • What data will confirm or dispute our assumptions? • Data review

9. Components of Data Review • Demographics • WSC student profiles • Comparative student profiles • WSC access and success • Educational trends • Job growth and programs • Faculty • Facility • Technology trends • Finance – Budget formula, revenue, expense

10. Demographic Trends • Decline in 15-24 group • Population and labor force growing 45+ with largest growth 55+ • Diversity greater than statewide • Despite strong position, there is more diversity potential • Low income and ESL in Worcester are twice the state levels • Growth in financial aid requests and awards • 1/3 of requests denied/not taken • Educational attainment data shows growth potential for graduate and undergrad but larger opportunity for graduate

11. WSC Student Profile • Enrollment growth flat (1%) with biggest decline of non-degree seeking • 87% students undergraduate • Housing limitations inhibit growth • Waitlist 350+ students • Undergrad research and study abroad growing but numbers small • Students work more, study less • DSO services and counseling services declining

12. Comparative Student Profile • WSC is smallest in total enrollment but largest for undergraduate enrollment • Fitchburg growing 15% for undergraduate but Framingham and WSC are flat • Fitchburg growing 200% in graduate non-degree • 1/3 less resident capacity at WSC

13. WSC Access and Success • More students applying, accepting & enrolling • 25% fail Accuplacer; 23%-53% fail remedial math classes • 10% UG on warning or probation (08) • Retention below Fitchburg but above peer • Six year graduation above peer & below others • Lack of enrollment growth due to retention vs. new students entering • Area of enhanced focus going forward

14. Educational Trends • Shifting demand for majors • Growth projected for business administration, computer science applications, health care and science • Interdisciplinarity • Co-curricular approach • Research for all students • More interactive with technology and service learning • Expansion of on-line course options • Non-traditional class schedules • Assessment and accountability

15. Job Growth and Programs • Greater growth replacement vs. new jobs • Degrees needed for 1/3 jobs • WSC well positioned in UG for all but computer science • How to grow nursing? • Growth opportunities significant for graduate programs • Need focused efforts on expansion

16. Student Affairs • Co-curricular emphasis • Continued increase in diversity • Less distinction between resident and commuter students • Special needs of international students • Ongoing focus on security issues • Expansion of employer relations

17. Faculty • Well positioned from staffing and salary standpoint • Low turnover but looming retirements • More mobile and diverse • Entry of younger faculty with terminal degree and research interest • Research growing but record keeping needed • Expanded expectations relating to assessment, research, and new learning methods • Need for continued professional and educational development

18. Facility • Significant improvements • Significant limitations • State and Federal mandates • Multi year process from idea to approval to build • Need for annual update of Master plan

19. Technology Trends • Continued evolution of products and service capabilities • More web-based content delivery • Expansion of on-line resource access • Primary method for student communication

20. State Funding • State funding accounts for 43% of total funding • The college is never funded at the level of optimal operating costs. • There is no mechanism within the budget formula to increase state funding to support infrastructure development prior to increased enrollment. • Increasing revenue for program development and expansion can come from only: • Increasing enrollment (of any type) • Increasing efficiencies such that our costs are below the peer benchmarks • Obtaining external grants that do not flow to the college directly • Raising fees

21. Finance Comparison (Revenue) • Less money from state – good or bad? • Headcount and course intensity are key elements • Largest % of revenue from tuition/fees • Opportunity to grow grants/contract • Scholarship allowances • Bad data or student feedback accurate? • Significant reduction in share of capital appropriations (20% to 5%)

22. Finance Comparison (Expenses) • Largest % growth and highest $ for at WSC • Most $ for instruction & institutional support at WSC • Least $ for student services, academic support and plants/ops • More in auxiliary expenses than Fitchburg in 07 but fewer residents • Scholarship expenses? • Are enrollment numbers or expense levels off? • Need for peer benchmark and NCHEMS comparison

23. Synthesis and Integration • Who do we serve? • What are the key strategic opportunities? • What issues need to be addressed based on the data and environmental scans?

24. Stakeholder Needs BHE/State Accountability Outcomes Partnerships Students Amenities Convenience Housing Services Technology Affordability Quality Employers Reliable, adaptable, workforce Public Accessibility Transparency

25. Definitions • Strategic Opportunity • A critical issue that if addressed, significantly improves the prospect for organizational success. • Goal • A statement describing what organizations wish to achieve or create to respond to the strategic opportunities.

26. Strategic Opportunities • # 1 Academic Programs, Priorities and Academic Personnel • The changing needs of students, employers, the Commonwealth, and faculty as well as increasing global challenges will necessitate shifts in academic offerings and in the way in which academics are taught and supported. • #2 Attracting, Engaging, and Retaining Qualified Students • A continued decline in the population of traditional college age students will require changes in student recruitment efforts and student services in order attract a greater share of this declining market and/or new market segments.

27. Strategic Opportunities • # 3Learning Outcomes and Assessment • The state government and general public will increasingly demand evidence of educational impact and cost efficiency (value added) as justification for public financing. • #4 Core Infrastructure • Despite resource constraints, substantial ongoing support of facility and technology initiatives will be will be necessary to expand the quality of learning and meet the needs and expectations of students, faculty and staff.

28. Strategic Opportunities • # 5Financial Management and Resource Development • The college will experience continued and potentially increasing financial constraints in the foreseeable future. WSC must increase its capacity to generate resources that will allow it to pursue strategic, transformational goals.

29. Subcommittee Role • What is needed to get us from where we are to where we want to be? • What are the benchmarks against which we will compare ourselves? • How much of a stretch in performance is achievable?

30. Subcommittee Role • Recommend additions/revisions to existing goals if indicated • Develop measurable objectives and action plans to address the strategic opportunities and organizational goals • Address the related issues that were identified in the internal and external environmental scans as well as the data analysis.

31. Definitions • Objective • A statement that identifies a milestone that needs to be achieved to accomplish the goal. • Measures movement toward or away (outcomes) from a goal during a specific timeframe. • Specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic and time specific (S.M.A.R.T.) • Action – • A specific activity structured to help accomplish the goals and objectives. • Who will do what, when?

32. Example • Strategic Opportunity • The changing needs of students, employers, and faculty as well as increasing global challenges will necessitate shifts in academic offerings and in the way in which academics are taught and supported. • Goal • To enhance the scholarly culture through staff and student research and scholarship

33. Example • Objective • Secure a 20% increase in funding for faculty and student sponsored research by September 2010. • Actions • Grant officer will subscribe to email notification service for federal grant opportunities by December 31, 2008, submit at least 2 proposals in AY 09, and at least 3 proposals annually thereafter. • VP of Institutional Advancement with the Interim VP of Academic Affairs will contact biotech consortium by March 09 to explore financial support for faculty sponsored research.

34. Subcommittee Member Responsibilities • Prepare • Attend • Participate • Share workload • Report • Confidentiality

35. Subcommittee Support • Information packets • General information • Document templates and examples • Data • Ongoing data retrieval and analysis • Monthly chair meetings • Did we miss anything?

36. Questions?