Progress noted as strategic plan enters sixth year
BY LINDA EVANS
Editor, RichmondNow
Five years into implementation of the University's 10-year strategic plan, substantial progress has been made on 11 of 17 major objectives.
That is the finding of a report released over the summer that examined and rated the progress made on each objective of the strategic plan, along with other related studies: an athletic department strategic plan, a campus master plan and a report of the task force on student life.
"The fundamental ingredients of the strategic plan included people, programs and resources, and the strategy can be boiled down to a few key elements," said Provost June Aprille, chair of the status report committee.
"First, we seek to recruit and retain the best students, faculty and staff. Second, we seek to develop innovative programs that facilitate integration of our schools, colleges and departments, interaction among students and faculty, and discovery of new insights and questions. Third, we seek to generate the necessary resources to achieve the first two aims and build the needed infrastructure to support them," Aprille explained.
Highlights of action steps taken to meet objectives include:
People
- Additional funding to bring 55 merit scholarships up to the equivalent of full tuition, in order to compete for the nation's best students.
- Creation of 38 new full-time faculty positions (84 percent of goal).
- Creation of 56 new full-time staff positions (130 percent of goal).
- 64 percent increase in external funding of faculty research through grants and awards.
- Increase in the number of external grants received by faculty from 33 in 2000 to 43 in 2004.
- 46 percent increase in internal support for faculty research.
- Significant increase in number of students engaged in independent or collaborative research.
- Competitive salaries, enhanced facilities and more manageable teaching loads and class sizes to enable Richmond to compete successfully with the best schools in the nation when hiring faculty.
- 11 percent increase in undergraduate applications during first four years; 3.4 percent increase in number of minority and international students in entering class during that same four years.
- Commitment to meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all students qualifying for aid, enabling any successful applicants to attend Richmond regardless of family finances.
Programs
- Renovated and expanded Gottwald Center for the Sciences provides more space for research, including offices and laboratories for 10 new faculty positions.
- Progress on a law school strategic plan that incorporates many elements of the University's strategic plan and builds on the school's core strengths.
- Curricular innovations in the business school, notably including the Professional Development Program for undergraduates.
- Creation of 19 new majors and minors, including majors in environmental studies, international studies-Asia, mathematical economics, and several combination majors. New minors include Jewish studies, law and the liberal arts, and Italian studies.
- Creation of the Richmond Research Institute, the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, and the Center for Civic Engagement.
- 72 percent increase in funding support for students doing independent or collaborative research or engaging in artistic creation during the summer; 45 percent increase in all types of funding of student scholarly and creative work outside the classroom.
Resources
- Capital campaign surpassed $150 million toward $200 million goal. (The campaign is currently at $169 million.)
- Improvements to infrastructure: Gottwald Center for the Sciences, construction of Weinstein Hall, renovations to Boatwright Memorial Library and Robins Center, creation of a campus forum, groundbreaking of Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness and completion of a campuswide wireless network.
- Endowment of $1.2 billion at end of 2004.
In athletics, Richmond's graduation rate for student-athletes ranked sixth in the nation in a recent comparison, while a committee continues to study how to enhance the collegiate experience for student-athletes.
Progress has been made on most residential life recommendations, particularly in the area of co-curricular programming, said Aprille.
The report noted such achievements as the College Fellows Program extension, Global House, RC XTreme and others. Men's and women's residence halls have been established on each side of Westhampton Lake, and more residential spaces have been air-conditioned. Major recommendations for expanding and renovating Tyler Haynes Commons have not seen progress, the report said, and the future of that project will require further discussion and planning.
The report recommends deleting two action steps from active consideration: a move to a five-year sabbatical program and creation of a post-doctoral teaching fellows and senior mentors program. "No progress has been made, and there appears to be little support for these items," the report concluded.
Assessing the impact of the University's investments is beginning under the new Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Strategic plan from page 1 Assessment. Aprille said beginning this academic year, a formal assessment cycle will be used by all programs to collect data, perform evaluations and use outcomes to guide changes.
The University will face challenges during the next five years, said Aprille, including national shifts in demographics that will affect admissions.
In addition, demands for office space in academic and support areas; improved classroom design and technology; attracting the best students in the arts and providing additional artists-in-residence; development of new curriculum; enhancing diversity; modification of residence halls; and increased student-faculty collaboration, teaching and advising outside the classroom are some areas that will continue to demand the University's attention in the next five years.
"Based on our progress to date, we should be able during the next five years to meet or exceed the principal goals of the 2000-10 Strategic Plan. Meanwhile, we continue to develop a culture of thoughtful planning and implementation that will serve us well in the next planning cycle and beyond 2010," said President Bill Cooper.
"I am grateful for the key role that each member of the University community plays in building one of the world's best learning environments."
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