The Next University Strategic Plan

  1. Share Elon’s strategic plan for 2030 broadly, after gathering Elon constituents’ feedback on preliminary draft in early fall and earning Board of Trustees approval in late fall. Structure teams and working groups in January to begin implementation.
  2. Celebrate the accomplishments of the Elon Commitment strategic plan and communicate the progress the university has made over the past 10 years.

An unprecedented university commitment to diversity and global engagement

  1. Continue robust efforts to make Elon a more diverse, inclusive, and culturally skilled community.
    1. Develop a dashboard of key performance indicators to monitor progress on inclusive excellence goals and benchmark, when possible, against peer, aspirant, and national metrics.
    2. Identify existing and create new intercultural development experiences (curricular and co-curricular) and implement the Phoenix Pathways Generator to assist students in identifying courses and opportunities to enhance intercultural development.
    3. Implement recommendations from university-wide diversity and global engagement focused efforts (e.g., Hispanic/Latino working group, Black communities presidential task force, global education external review, LGBTQIA advisory committee, first generation, and high need students), including expanded programming through the CREDE, increased Spanish-language translation at key events, and exploration of new orientation or pre-orientation experiences.
    4. Increase participation in global experience from 80% toward 85% of graduating undergraduate students and develop “reentry” plans with academic departments and partners including the Kernodle Center, CREDE, GLC, and others.
    5. Implement recommendations from the external consultant report on faculty and staff intercultural development.
    6. Implement individualized intercultural development plans for all members of the university senior leadership.

Supporting a world class faculty and staff

  1. Better support limited term and part-time faculty in their work by clarifying hiring protocols, enhancing onboarding, and continuing to develop and implement improved orientation.
  2. Enhance emergency training and preparedness programs for students, faculty, and staff, including communications to our campuses and constituents outside Alamance County.
  3. Implement programs to support an integrated Teacher-Scholar-Mentor development model that works across the span of a faculty career and responds to the distinct challenges and opportunities of different career stages.
    1. Execute report from the Taskforce on Department Chairs, including recommendations to improve writing effective evaluations of teaching faculty (Unit III).
    2. Complete report and implement recommendations on assessing and documenting effective, high quality teaching.
    3. Design and implement web-based resources for faculty growth and development across career stages, including revamping the existing new faculty website (full-time and part-time) and developing new overarching resources that highlight supports and opportunities for professional development
    4. Create a plan to sustain high-quality faculty scholarship and student undergraduate research support commensurate with institutional growth.
  4. Continue to advance women’s leadership skill sets within the university faculty and staff. This may take the form of workshops, certificates, or badges.
  5. Implement new programmatic and curricular enhancements.
    1. Develop a five-year plan for design thinking, and continue to generate, deliver, and assess opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to gain the confidence and ability to apply design thinking process, methods, and mindset to challenges.
    2. Establish a workgroup to evaluate current higher education trends related to credentials and develop recommendations regarding future possibilities for Elon, including engagement of local community members and alumni.
    3. Collaborate with campus partners, including the Department of World Languages and Cultures, Global Education Center, and Core Curriculum, to implement recommendations from the Taskforce on Second Language Learning at Elon to enhance second language study and the application of second language skills.
  6. Improve efficiency through improvements in software.
    1. Implement Campus Labs Planning platform for annual reports, priorities, five-year plans, and student learning reports. Explore the use of Planner for other processes.
    2. Finalize plans and implement the online administration of Student Perceptions of Teaching.
    3. Select and plan for the implementation of a new student planner (degree audit, advisor-student communication, and student integrative reflection).
  7. Develop plan to map and enhance community engagement by:
    1. Completing an economic impact study.
    2. Benchmarking institutions recognized as anchor institutions for their local communities and how they map impact of faculty and staff engagement in local communities.
    3. Implementing a campaign to connect and familiarize local community members with the university.
    4. Exploring a potential Alamance County summer internship focused on issues identified by the local community.

Attaining the highest levels of achievement across our academic programs

  1. Identify ways to deepen engaged learning and to enhance and support student ability to integrate their learning across their undergraduate and/or graduate experience.
  2. Conduct or begin accreditation self-studies for the following:
    1. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET engineering)
    2. American Bar Association (ABA – School of Law)
  3. Develop School of Law as the nation’s premier school for experiential legal education.
    1. Complete strategic planning process for 2019-2021 and begin process for self-study for reaccreditation visit in 2020-21.
    2. Complete report of the 3-year longitudinal assessment of the new curriculum with funding from Access Group, and share results.
    3. Enroll 155 students in fall 2020 (with average and median LSAT scores at least one point above those of the class entering in fall 2019).
    4. Meet Academic Success goals for improvement in bar exam support and bar pass rate (year over year improvement in bar pass rate and attaining at least 80% bar passage rate).
    5. Undertake comprehensive assessment of diversity, equity and inclusion practices to develop strategic plan and begin implementation to ensure inclusive practices are embedded in law school culture.

Launching strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education

  1. Develop a plan to establish an infrastructure and initial efforts to enhance innovative practices by:
    1. Creating a mission statement and goals for innovation to harness student, faculty, and staff interests and talents to the mission of the university.
    2. Developing processes, incentives, advocates, programs and website to support innovation.
    3. Studying, testing, and proposing means for advancing the use of predictive analytics and visualization in admissions, retention, student success, and graduation rates.
    4. Developing a set of pop-up student-learning opportunities, including data analytics and visualization, communication, design thinking, AI, and life skills.
    5. Establishing a competitive fund to encourage, explore, test, and select campus innovation proposals that align with the 2030 strategic plan.
  2. Enroll 1725 first-year and 75 transfer students in fall and 40 first-year and 40 transfer students in spring reflecting Elon values, especially academic ability, diversity, and a well-rounded high school experience appropriate for Elon’s style of engaged learning. The mid-SAT range for first-year students should be 1160-1300 with an average SAT of 1230 or an ACT of 27.
  3. Enroll new students in each graduate program to meet the following goals:
    • DPT: Enroll 44 students Januarys 2020 & 2021
    • PA: Enroll 36 students Januarys 2020 & 2021
    • M.Ed.: Enroll 12 students summer 2020
    • M.A. Higher Education:Enroll 12 students fall 2020
    • M.A. Interactive Media:Enroll 36 students summer 2019 & 2020
    • MBA: Enroll 55 students in AY 2019-20
    • M.S. Management: Enroll 15 students fall 2019 & 2020
    • M.S. Accounting: Enroll 15 students summer 2020
  4. Successfully implement the Common Application for first-year and transfer admission, including a complementary marketing strategy.
  5. Utilize market analysis data to:
    1. Evaluate the recruitment footprint.
    2. Identify opportunities for domestic and international expansion.
    3. Create a resource, marketing and communication plan to support continued undergraduate enrollment growth.
  6. Strengthen the recruitment and admission process for graduate programs and explore opportunities for future graduate programs.
  7. Expand first-semester abroad programming to include 40 new students in fall 2020 arriving on campus in spring 2021.
  8. Continue to enhance the first-year experience and assess the impact of changes on student satisfaction and retention.
    1. Develop a vision and mission statement for Elon’s first-year experience and align programming, goals, and outcomes around that mission to provide students with coherent and impactful experience.
    2. Implement curricular changes to the Elon 101 program and plan to implement new learning outcomes and a new course number for the next iteration of the course.
    3. Develop shared training materials or modules for peer mentors from multiple departments who work primarily with first-year students and develop possible models for future joint training experiences.
    4. Review the content of spring admissions weekends and consider the possibility of shifting orientation-related messaging for deposit-paid students and their families from spring programs to early summer events.
  9. Continue to implement recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Social Climate and Out-of-Class Engagement.
    1. Expand and enhance late night weekend programs through campus partnerships and a system for student organizations to sponsor late night weekend programs.
    2. In conjunction with student leaders and key stakeholders, develop a strategic implementation plan for fraternity/sorority improvement and continue the efforts with strengthening fraternity/sorority student leadership development, advisor support, and alumni engagement.
    3. Enhance communication and better address problematic off campus behaviors through the work of the Neighborhood Coalition.
    4. Implement collaborative strategies between Student Life and Athletics to support student fan engagement and the enhancement of school spirit.
    5. Convene a working group to develop recommendations for a structure and set of programs/initiatives to strengthen class identity and affiliation that carries from students’ first year on campus through their transition to alumni status.
    6. Convene a working group to develop a collaborative strategy to promote healthy masculinities and positive, holistic male engagement.
  10. Implement the JED Campus recommendations, integrating them with the recommendations from the Student Wellness and Well-Being work group.
  11. Implement initiatives designed to promote civic engagement, civil discourse, and active citizenship in preparation for the November 2020 elections.
  12. Launch accelerated pathways in health sciences.
    1. Plan for and implement recommendations from the working group on 3.5+ programs for Physical Therapy Education and Physician Assistant Studies.
    2. Conduct feasibility study for post-baccalaureate accelerated nursing program (BSN).
  13. Explore possible opportunities for collaboration with ABSS and ACC on new 2+2 programs.
  14. Continue to advance the goals of the Living and Learning at Elon, Residential Campus Plan.
    1. Design and implement an assessment strategy to examine the impact of living learning communities, residentially-linked courses, and other academic-residential partnerships.
    2. Establish a ten-year housing master plan, with a timeline for construction of future on-campus housing.
    3. Develop a long-term proposal for outdoor spaces that serve as places for engagement to bring students, faculty, and staff together.

Stewarding Elon’s commitment to remain a best-value university

  1. Successfully execute the first year of the public phase of the Elon LEADS campaign.
    1. Progress campaign gifts and pledges to $200 million by May 31, 2020.
    2. Complete campaign fundraising goal for the Inn at Elon.
    3. Secure $15 million in commitments, including the lead naming gift, for construction of Engineering building.
    4. Secure $15 million in commitments for scholarship priorities.
    5. Develop special fundraising initiatives for increasing annual and planned giving support of campaign priorities.
    6. Plan and execute a series of regional launches, including dinners and receptions, to carry the Elon LEADS message the strategic regions of New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Charlotte, Raleigh, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami and Burlington.
    7. With campus partners, plan and execute a series of high-profile events including a “Women in Philanthropy,” “Young Leaders in Philanthropy,” and an “Elon Entrepreneurs Summit.”
  2. Build a collaborative plan with academic deans to reimagine engagement and resource development.
    1. Review annual solicitation plans.
    2. Review gift funds and key staff responsible for each.
    3. Enhance annual stewardship of donors to funds.
    4. Develop regular review of activities encouraging regular annual support.
    5. Grow alumni involvement in boards and councils.
    6. Review annual recognition plans including Alumni Awards.
    7. Enhance staff liaison plans.
    8. Review communications strategies to alumni and parents.
  3. Advance the university’s ability to apply for, receive, and support institutional and multi-institutional grants (i.e. for Elon Academy, Access & Success, Computer Science, Information Assurance, and Engineering) and develop an annual target for grants in line with university capacity.
  4. Reach the following annual fundraising targets in support of the Elon LEADS comprehensive campaign:
    1. $2.9 million in Elon’s Greatest Needs
    2. $3.2 million in designated annual giving
    3. 1,250 members of the Elon Society
    4. Increase Phoenix Club annual giving to $1.6 million, achieve 2,400 donors and increase the number of IMPACT Circle level donors to 75
    5. $700,000 in annual giving for Elon Law
    6. Increase the number of alumni donors from 8,000 to 8,600 to achieve 27% alumni giving
    7. Achieve 35% current undergraduate parent giving and 6% grandparent giving
    8. Achieve 31% participation across milestone class reunions and increase the year-over-year alumni participation of the recognized affinity reunions by 10%
    9. Launch Planned Giving initiative to increase the number of Order of the Oak donors by 100 by 2022
  5. Communicate Elon’s transition to a U.S. News & World Report National University to internal and external audiences through production and mailing of a special print edition of the President’s Report, a dedicated website, social media plan and paid digital advertising.
  6. Launch “Today at Elon” as the successor to the E-Net website and promote its use to all Elon audiences.

Developing innovative alumni programs to advance and support the Elon graduate

  1. Host the seventh annual #ElonDay to expand engagement of alumni, families and friends across the globe.

Establishing a national tournament tradition of athletics success along with the highest academic standards for Phoenix athletics

  1. Employ an outside consultant and conduct an Athletics departmental Title IX review in the 2019-2020 academic year, in accordance with the traditional five-year review schedule.
  2. Provide leadership in hosting CAA conference championships.
    1. Establish and execute a plan to host the 2020 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
    2. Establish and execute a plan, and prepare athletic facilities, to host the May 2021 CAA Baseball Championships.

Significantly enhance Elon’s campus with premier new academic and residential facilities and a commitment to protecting our environment

  1. Successfully open and integrate the Inn at Elon and establish effective coordination with management company.
  2. Complete planning and assessment for the following projects:
    1. Assessment of learning spaces and student hangout spaces
    2. Future classrooms and residential neighborhood on former Elon Elementary school property
    3. An innovation quad that advances interdisciplinary collaborations, cross-programmatic engagement, and student learning and development, including a study of the feasibility of an Elon incubator that offers students, faculty, staff, and community members with resources to start innovative ventures.
    4. Explore the development of core equipment/instrumentation facilities to enhance collaboration between students and faculty from various department and schools; and to further enhance experiential learning and the development of new undergraduate research areas.
  3. Complete design for following projects:
    1. Engineering building (and begin construction)
    2. Student spaces
      1. Koury Center renovation
      2. Moseley 2nd floor renovation
      3. Smith Hall upgrade
    3. Business, Finance and Technology Spaces
      1. Auxiliary Services renovation
      2. Media Services renovation
      3. Campus design and collaboration space for Planning, Design and Construction Management
  4. Complete construction for the following projects:
    1. Inn at Elon
    2. Student Spaces
      1. Virginia Hall
      2. LaRose Student Commons
  5. Introduce new sustainability initiatives:
    1. Expand the Energy Conservation in Action program to reduce the University’s utility expense while reducing our total greenhouse gas emissions.
    2. Begin a multi-year implementation of a comprehensive master list of all potential energy conservation projects (for gas and electric use).