Prior Strategic Plan (2015)

The University’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values were approved by the Board of Regents in June 2013 after obtaining extensive input from the campus community. The prior Strategic Plan was finalized in 2015 and included four themes:

Prior Strategic Theme: Student Engagement and Success

Descriptor: Foster an environment where students have the greatest opportunity to engage in purposeful learning and involvement so that they can successfully meet and maximize their education goals.

Goal 1: Create and expand purposeful learning opportunities inside and outside classrooms, in the community and globally.

Objective 1.1: Document, review and continue to expand field experiences (internships, practicum, co-op activities), leadership trainings, academic service learning, community engagement, and other learning opportunities across the university and beyond.
Objective 1.2: Continue to strengthen and cultivate distinctive and compelling experiences through undergraduate research programs and interactions with faculty.

Goal 2: Develop a comprehensive and systematic approach to improve services and processes that enhance student persistence and graduation.

Objective 2.1: Identify, design and implement seamless connections among academic/non-academic programs and services that facilitate student persistence and graduation.
Objective 2.2: Connect students through existing structures to resources that will support student well-being across the university (e.g., academic, social, physical, emotional, financial).
Objective 2.3: Use technology to optimize the delivery of student services.

Goal 3: Prepare students to successfully and meaningfully interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

Objective 3.1: Support students in becoming actively engaged global citizens with strong cultural awareness.
Objective 3.2: Build a university culture in which respect, responsibility, pride and diversity are valued, encouraged and celebrated.

Prior Strategic Theme: High Performing Academic Programs and Quality Research

Descriptor: Support and foster high quality academic and research programs that serve a demonstrated need in the community/region.

Goal 1: Provide students with high-quality instruction and learning opportunities.

Objective 1.1: Recruit and retain talented faculty.
Objective 1.2: Ensure the General Education program meets the needs of students to thrive in society.
Objective 1.3: Ensure faculty and instructors are supported to keep up with pedagogical and technological advances in the classroom and online.
Objective 1.4: Create and support innovative academic programs and pedagogy.
Objective 1.5: Ensure classrooms are equipped with appropriate equipment and resources.

Goal 2: Increase research to attract external funding and improve student education, with a focus on graduate education.

Objective 2.1: Increase research and creative activities.
Objective 2.2: Increase sponsorship of academic research and creative activities (grants, endowments, etc.).
Objective 2.3: Systematically address staffing and infrastructure costs of scholarship (lab equipment, data curation, library costs).

Goal 3: Ensure systematic processes are in place to identify programs to be created, expanded or maintained.

Objective 3.1: Develop a process for identifying programs to be created, expanded or maintained.
Objective 3.2: Encourage growth of successful existing programs and reallocate resources from programs that have outlived their usefulness or can be right-sized.
Objective 3.3: Create a framework for the development of new academic programs that meet community/regional and market needs.

Prior Strategic Theme: Institutional Effectiveness

Descriptor: Ensure EMU has the systems and processes in place that support the mission of the institution as efficiently as possible, while fostering innovation, diversity and ethical conduct in the workplace.

Goal 1: Foster a diverse, ethical, safe and respectful workplace with effective and transparent communications that support the university’s mission and values.

Objective 1.1: Develop and recruit leadership that reflects the diversity of the student body.
Objective 1.2: Encourage leaders to model ethical behavior.
Objective 1.3: Support employees in becoming actively engaged citizens with strong cultural awareness.
Objective 1.4: Facilitate effective, timely and transparent communication among university stakeholders.
Objective 1.5: Continue to implement measures to enhance the safety of the campus and surrounding community.
Objective 1.6: Foster an inclusive environment that provides opportunities for all members of the campus community to thrive.

Goal 2: Improve processes and resource allocation to enhance operational effectiveness and fiscal stewardship.

Objective 2.1: Examine university processes for improvement and functional realignment, and implement resource allocation to improve performance.
Objective 2.2: Invest in professional development and formulate an institutional knowledge management program to support succession planning.
Objective 2.3: Institute activities and procedures to ensure environmental sustainability and awareness at EMU.

Goal 3: Establish a culture of innovation by recognizing and rewarding new initiatives.

Objective 3.1: Establish mechanisms to encourage and support effective innovation.
Objective 3.2: Establish division/department goals and incentives for innovative revenue generation and cost reduction.

Prior Strategic Theme: Service and Engagement

Descriptor: Support community engagement and collaborations that create a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Goal 1: Enhance community engagement and partnerships.

Objective 1.1: Enhance and disseminate Academic Service – Learning opportunities.
Objective 1.2:OCreate institutional infrastructure to leverage EMU resources and talent to serve the community and Michigan as a whole.
Objective 1.3: Effectively utilize University activities to engage the community, including pursuing mutual community goals and priorities.

Goal 2: Enhance community knowledge and perceptions of EMU.

Objective 2.1: Assess the University’s impact on the community and the community’s perceptions of the University.
Objective 2.2: Develop systems to continually inform the public about Eastern’s positive impacts on the community and region.