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Trustees John Ellison and J.J. Raynor develop a strategic plan to improve UNC-Chapel Hill's quality in the face of enrollment growth and fiscal constraints, with the goal of becoming the best place to teach, learn, and discover. Areas of recommendation include undergraduate and graduate recruitment, faculty retention and recruitment, and improving the academic experience.
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Carolina OLD WELL PHOTO SAM KITTNER BEST PLACE TO TEACH, LEARN, AND DISCOVER REPORT Trustees John Ellison and J.J. Raynor
THE CONTEXT • 2009-2017: 30,000 additional high school graduates • UNC System enrollment growth • UNC-Chapel Hill’s share: an additional 4,000 to 5,000 students • Creation of a trustee study team of John Ellison and J.J. Raynor
THE GOAL • Develop a strategic plan to improve quality in the face of enrollment growth and fiscal constraints • Recommend ways for Carolina to become the best place to teach, learn, and discover
THE NEW REALITY • Economic downturn • Increased focus on positioning Carolina for even greater strength in the future
CAROLINA COMMUNITY INPUT • Students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni. • Consensus on mission:UNC-Chapel Hill’s mission is to be the best place to teach, learn, and discover for the citizens of North Carolina and of the world. Therefore, improving Carolina’s quality means improving all of the factors that go in to an environment that empowers our community to teach, learn, and discover.
AREAS OF RECOMMENDATION • Recruitment of the best undergraduate and graduate students • Recruitment, support, and retention of our faculty • Improving the academic experience
UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT • Inquirers to UNC-Chapel Hill are driven by perception of quality – good students, academics, faculty, majors, reputation and value. • Most important is inquirers’ perception of the academic quality of their potential classmates. • In-state inquirers – concerned that UNC-Chapel Hill is too large and their college experience could be affected by class size, lack of personal attention and less faculty access. • Growth that does not maintain quality will result in dramatic drops in applications that may equal 20% for in-state and out-of-state students. Applications would drop, and so would yield of those who did apply.
Market share of North Carolinians in top 5% of high school graduating class Goals: Increase the % of entering class represented by NC Top 5% by 12 points (from 37% to 49%), yielding 756 additional students. Increase applied market share by 5 points (from 63% to 68%). Improve Yield by 5 points (from 67% to 72%)
UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT Emphasize recruitment of students who will improve the quality of the incoming classes: Increase merit scholarships Train Board of Visitors to recruit students Take advantage of Chancellor Holden Thorp’s willingness to recruit top students Use current students to recruit from their former high schools Use distinguished faculty to recruit Use highly qualified students who have committed to Carolina to recruit others
UNDERGRADUATE RECRUITMENT • Expand academic opportunities not currently available for students • Emphasize the Carolina experience at a school with only 18,000undergraduates: • Counter misconceptions of size and multiple campuses • Emphasize advantages of a major research university • Highlight offerings that make UNC feel smaller and more personal • Create smaller communities of learning
GRADUATE RECRUITMENT • Oneyear, no-service obligation fellowships for first-year Ph.D.s • Expanded tuition remission program and in-state tuition awards • Cover graduate student fees • Summer research stipends • Best practices collaborative effort to improve recruiting and applicant pool quality • Firstyear support for master’s students in areas of need in North Carolina
FACULTY RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT • Increase faculty salaries through legislative increases • Raise endowment for new distinguished professorships • Increase tuition, apply a portion to faculty salaries • Increase research grants, apply some of the overhead receipts to salaries • Supplement/replace state benefits package with one that is competitive
FACULTY RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT Enhance the academic and research development opportunities at the UNC Center for Faculty Excellence Expand the personal and leadership development opportunities at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities Academic Leadership Program Leadership Fellows Chairs Leadership Program
IMPROVE THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE • Small class sizes: more honors classes, firstyear seminars • Academic advising: implement recommendations of Report of the Academic Advising Implementation Committee • Undergraduate research: expand opportunities regardless of major or year • Firstyear seminars: increase program for all first-year students • Honors Program: expand range of class offerings it provides. • 3+1 master’s programs • Minor in Solving the World’s Problems • Departmental curriculum evaluations
DISCUSSION • Maintain quality in face of enrollment growth, competition, fiscal constraints • Next steps