Slippery Rock University MSCHE 2011 Self-Study
Chapter Two
that the next step should be to match the University’s mission, vision, and goals to the global trends that would have a strong influence on Slippery Rock’s direction in years to come. During the 2008-09 academic year, the Strategic Planning Steering Committee set about addressing these trends and integrating them into the University’s overall planning. Five sub-committees were organized (Figure 2.1), with each one focused on a specific trend—Changing Population Dynamics, Maintaining World Leadership in Science and Technology, Need to Understand Other Cultures, Challenges to Social Mobility and Public Access, and Sustainable Resource Use. Throughout the year these sub-committees worked on developing strategies for working these evolving concerns into the University’s academic curriculum and non-academic programs, given the institution’s current structures and resources in personnel and funding. Approximately 160 students, staff, faculty, and administrators have participated on these subcommittees, which presented their findings to the Steering Committee in September, 2009, and to the campus community as a whole in public forums held during the 2009-10 academic year. As the March 19, 2010 Strategic Planning Steering Committee meeting minutes and the emerging “Higher Education in 2025” document suggest, this part of the planning process is both ongoing and inclusive. (Exhibit 11) Standard 2-C, G, I and M, Standard 4-E, Standard 6-M and N, Standard 7-A, Standard 11-S, and Standard 14-HH and II
Evidence-Based Budgetary Decision Making During the past five years, through its Strategic Planning and Institutional Assessment activities, Slippery Rock University has further rationalized, articulated, and modified processes for resource allocation. In some instances these processes may have been part of tacit, established past practices that were not adequately communicated to all interested parties. For instance, the Comprehensive Institutional Assessment Plan now describes a specific set of steps to be applied each year by both academic programs and non-academic divisions while performing Figure 2.2 assessments and preparing budget requests. Those requests University Budget Committee must be clearly related to the goals and yearly objectives of the Provost (chair) budgetary unit, and those goals and objectives must in turn be VP for Finance & Admin. Affairs related to the University’s mission, vision, and specific planning Assist VP for Finance & Admin. Affairs goals. (Appendix T) Standard 2-D, K, and U, Standard 3-B and D, Budget Director Standard 6-R, and Standard 7-A, E and I Institutional Research Director
Two faculty members (one APSCUF
As an example, let us consider a $3,000 request for a onerepresentative) time purchase of instructional video equipment, a request made by the physical education department for the 2010-11 fiscal year. The request is directly tied to a departmental goal (namely, the use of “discipline-specific technology to master … disciplinary content”), and indirectly to a university-wide student learning outcome, i.e. Professional Proficiency. In making the request, the department must also articulate the hoped for learning outcome that will derive from the purchase. Standard 2-C, and Standard 7-E, N and O All such requests are reviewed in a series of budget meetings held in March and April and attended by the head of the division, a representative of the department or office making the request 36 | P a g e