Department Chairs report annually on their goals. These reports include last year, next year, and five year goal documentation.
With the purchase of the A.M.S. tool, Chairs have been empowered to develop strategic plans for their departments and directly align those through the digital interface of A.M.S.
Department-level strategic plans, like University-level and College-level strategic plans, have broad goals, but align directly back to the university plan. The actions reported for the department include all department-level actions and plans for the department's future commitment to both the university and college strategic plans. Department-level strategic plans are used to further substantiate the college's achievement of its goals as it contributes to the overall success of the institution.
The annual reports also include all faculty data from their respective department that is housed in the Campus Labs database.
These reports are reviewed by the Provost.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness encourages all departments to develop a committee consistent of several faculty within the department focused on strategic planning and its operationalization.
If you require assistance with strategic planning, facilitating conversations, or operating A.M.S., please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
Building a Department-level strategic plan requires preparation and faculty involvement.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness encourages all departments use, or directly align to, the goals of their College. In some cases departments may choose to add one or two Goals in addition to the College's Goals when aligning one to one.
Once committee membership is determined, they will need to prepare for their initial meeting. Items to consider include:
Goals are broad themes developed by the Strategic Planning Committee that guide the priorities of the strategic plan overall. The Goals will be further defined by Objectives and Actions.
Examples of Goals might include, but are not limited to:
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness recommends a department use the Goals defined by their college-level strategic plan. Departments may choose to add one or more Goals, as needed.
Each Goal is supported by one or more Objectives.
Objectives should be SMART:
An example might be:
Goal 1 - Student Success
Objective 1 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will improve student retention rates 5% by the end of 2022.
Objective 2 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will improve graduation rates by 7% by the end of 2022.
Actions are the events, activities, or initiatives that contribute to the completion of an Objective. Each Objective should have one or more Action associated with it annually. In practice, most Objectives will have 3-7 Actions provided each year.
Here is an example:
Goal 1 - Student Success
Objective 1 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will improve student retention rates 5% by the end of 2022.
Action 1 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will host a COAS Freshmen Orientation, providing incoming students with relevant contact information, support structures, and academic success information.
Action 2 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will provide faculty training in Academic Advising the week prior to classes starting in the fall semester.
Action 3 - The Department of Institutional Effectiveness will implement the Academic Intervention Notification System to notify advisors when students are absent from class or at risk of failure.
This structure allows colleges to approach their Goals and Objectives in multiple ways while affording them flexibility as priorities and resources shift over time.
If a Department aligns to the college's strategic plan, then their actions directly align to the college's annual report and provides substantiating evidence of the college's commitment to their goals.