I. University Commitment to Diversity and Global Engagement

  1. Finalize a strategy to assure that 100% of Elon students have access to a global experience either domestically or abroad, including a process to create award packages for students participating in a global experience.
  2. Continue to implement enhancements to the Center for Access and Success at Elon, including the Watson and Odyssey programs, the Elon Academy, Collegiate Start, the Village Project, and new programming to support limited income and first-generation students.
  3. Enhance ongoing civic engagement curricular and co-curricular experiences for students to learn and practice the skills and habits of democratic citizenship, including dialogues and public debates on campus, political, and social issues.
  4. Develop a strategic implementation plan for recommendations from the LGBTQIA and Black Communities task forces. Continue work on identifying priorities for Hispanic/Latino populations.
  5. Support the development and implementation of a multi-faith strategic plan, including continued work on the assessment of initiatives and the continued development of the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society.
  6. Identify a location for and create a plan to implement an Elon Center in Asia to advance global education programming.
  7. Implement international recruitment strategic plan, including partnership with American Language Academy to continue increasing international student enrollment at Elon.
  8. Continue efforts at building a premier inclusive community environment and search for and hire the associate provost for inclusive community.
  9. Expand the model for career programming and employment preparation of students who plan to pursue international or domestic-to-international careers.
  10. Support completion of ADA compliance audit.

II. Supporting a World Class Faculty and Staff

  1. Implement Phase III of the faculty-staff salary enhancement plan.
  2. Propose a budget strategy to meet ongoing obligations to maintain an excellent teaching and learning environment.
  3. Develop a theory-based conceptual model of the mentoring done by faculty, and propose processes for more clearly and effectively integrating mentoring activity into the faculty evaluation system.
  4. Develop a plan to enhance programming and processes related to the mentoring of mid-career faculty.
  5. Evaluate and recommend changes to the ways new faculty are oriented to their work as teacher-scholar-mentors, considering the needs and supports offered to both full-time and part-time faculty.
  6. As called for in the Presidential Task Force on Scholarship Report (2007-2008), conduct a review of the progress and impact of the plan to date, and develop a Phase II plan responsive to the current context, attentive to goals established in the Elon Commitment, and reflective of the University’s new peer and aspirant list.

III. Attaining the Highest Levels of Achievement across Our Academic Programs

  1. Develop a shared vision for excellence in Elon College, including developing strategies for recruiting the next dean.
  2. Finalize and begin the implementation of the new strategic plan for the Love School of Business with particular focus on responding to increased enrollments.
  3. Develop a strategic plan for the School of Education, including curricular programs and a plan for the recruitment of a new Dean.
  4. Continue development of the School of Law:
    • Refine strategic plan and establish an implementation plan
    • Develop and implement new Elon Law admissions messaging to better position the law school in a competitive environment and communicate changes in the school’s curriculum
  5. Complete broad-based strategic planning process for the future of Belk Library.
  6. Prepare for successful reaccreditations and accreditation related monitoring:
    • Education – NCATE (Spring 2015)
    • Physical Therapy Education – Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (Fall 2015)
    • Physician Assistants – ARC-PA, provisional monitoring site visit (Fall 2014)
  7. Review early planning and progress on enhancing Elon’s intellectual climate, and develop a coherent, comprehensive three to five year plan and budget to enhance the depth and breadth of intellectual life at Elon, establishing concrete but decentralized structures with strong student leadership.
  8. Make progress toward enhancing and deepening student integration of curricular and co-curricular experiences, enabling students to more fully articulate their own transformative educational narrative.
  9. Work to fully integrate enhancements in the Elon Core Curriculum, including the new facility, new associate director, new coordinator for the independent major, and strategic efforts to improve the capstone.
  10. Implement year two of the Writing Excellence Initiative:
    • Support academic departments, the Core Curriculum, Student Life, and other actors in planning enhancements of writing instruction
    • Continue to develop resources that support student writing
    • Develop a process to assess the Writing Excellence Initiative work in ways that complement Elon’s existing assessment practices
  11. Continue to implement the Residential Campus Initiative:
    • Expand Global Neighborhood programs into new buildings and open Global Commons with policies and programs to support the global theme
    • Develop a strategic plan for Danieley, Colonnades, and Historic Neighborhoods, with unifying intellectual themes and faculty directors. Explore feasibility and benefits of enrolling all first year students in residentially linked common classes
    • Fill position of Faculty Director for Academic Initiatives to provide focused academic leadership for the residential campus plan
    • Assess the effectiveness of enhanced first-year experiences in the Global, Colonnades, Danieley, and Historic neighborhoods
  12. Formulate a systematic process to make strategic recommendations related to emerging teaching and learning technologies in support of Elon’s commitment to engaged learning, including flipped, blended, and online courses.
  13. Develop a plan to enhance second-language proficiency, including consideration of enhancements to current programs, strategic partnerships, and new initiatives.
  14. Begin implementation of data enhancements, such as a mining warehouse package, data dictionary, and data access policies.
  15. Identify and implement enhancements to current practices related to institutional effectiveness (e.g., annual reporting, academic catalog, course scheduling, accreditation compliance, and external reviews) including ways to leverage existing technology and propose the acquisition of new technology.
  16. Continue to implement the Academic Support and Advising strategic plan, evaluating the quality of the Elon 101 TA training, addressing the issue of advising loads across campus, implementing second major advisor assignments, and continuing work with schools to create degree planning advising templates for their majors.
  17. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current fellows programs.

IV. Launching Strategic and Innovative Pathways in Undergraduate and Graduate Education

  1. Develop a plan to enhance the current 3+2 Engineering program based on the feasibility study for a four- or five-year major in Engineering.
  2. Work to achieve a fully integrated communication funnel with prospective students, from the time they are admitted and through their first semester.
  3. Plan a successful Fall 2015 implementation of the new MS in Management program, as well as offering MBA courses in the Raleigh area.

VI. Developing Innovative Alumni Programs to Advance and Support the Elon Graduate

  1. Develop formal systems to clearly define, track, and support alumni roles, and to support alumni through a career services advising program.

VIII. Significantly Enhance Elon’s Campus with Premier New Academic and Residential Facilities and a Commitment to Protecting Our Environment

  1. Complete architectural planning for McEwen and Long renovations to coincide with the new Communications building.
  2. Assess facilities needs for natural sciences, and develop short- and long-term proposal for addressing needs and supporting excellence.
  3. Support planning for the development of new/remodeled campus facilities:
    • University archives and library storage
    • Arts West – Music Production and Recording Arts
    • Carlton Building – World Languages and Cultures and International Studies
    • Mooney Building (3rd floor) – Center for Access and Success
    • Moseley Center – expansion of Student Professional Development Center and Scheduling Office
    • Powell House
    • Long Building
    • Powell Building renovation after Admissions moves to Inman Welcome Center
    • Repurpose of South Campus Office Building after Financial Planning moves to Inman Welcome Center

The following new and ongoing initiatives will require the attention of Academic Affairs in 2014-2015 as work progresses on each item:

  • Continue curricular and pedagogical diversity infusion through diversity themed Winter Term, mini-grant opportunities, and resources for facilitating difficult discussions related to differences.
  • Conduct a needs-assessment of campus learning support that includes, but is not limited to peer tutoring, considering learning needs of special populations, as well as high risk programs and courses.
  • Implement a sustainable, high quality semester in New York.
  • Continue discussion and assessment of work-life balance within and across University units
  • Implement a new process for conducting formative reviews of academic administrators (e.g., associate provosts and associate deans).
  • Assess outcomes from the GAP program and make recommendations for improvement.
  • Review and implement as appropriate recommendations related to transfer students.
  • Study the feasibility of establishing an anatomical gift program.
  • Work with Colonial Academic Alliance to develop a Pedagogy Summit and other teaching and learning related initiatives across conference schools.
  • Develop a plan to respond to changes in AACSB accreditation.
  • Study enrollment patterns in arts and humanities.
  • Identify current practices related to e-portfolios and recommend enhancements as appropriate.
  • Support the work of the Greek Recruitment Study Group.
  • Support and assess the roll out of the Campus of Difference Program for first year students in Winter term.