(DRAFT)
Wells 2010
Foundations for the
Future
ba
A Strategic Plan for
Wells College
2005 to 2010
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Wells College
Aurora, New York
May 2005
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INTRODUCTION
COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT
VISION FOR STRATEGIC PLAN
FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES
Academic Program
Students
Faculty
Staff
Alumnae
And Alumni
Community
Diversity
History
Intercollegiate
Athletics
Physical
Environment
Funding
TIME LINE
The Wells College 2010 Strategic Plan seeks to address the
foundational needs of the College so that Wells can move into the future with
confidence and optimism. Our goal in
the strategic planning process has not been to chart new thematic vistas but to
build upon the strong foundational core of the College. We have focused in this
Strategic Plan on those areas of the College
that have been and continue to be its greatest assets: the quality of its academic
program; its dedicated students, faculty, staff, and alumnae; its co-curricular
programs; its diversity; its history; its beautiful physical environment; and
its supportive local, regional, and national communities. We call these unchanging assets the
College’s “foundations.” And we believe
that just as these foundations sustained Wells College through its humble
beginnings and through the growth, triumphs, and challenges of its past, they
will also-- with the strategic plan for improvements that we have set
forth—position the College for a bright and viable future.
COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT
The
mission of Wells College is to educate students to think critically, reason
wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Through Wells’ academic program, residential
atmosphere, and community activities, students learn and practice the ideals of
the liberal arts. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate
complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, and
to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong.
Committed to excellence in all areas of its reach, Wells College equips
students for lifelong learning and for sharing the privileges of education with
others.
VISION STATEMENT FOR THE
STRATEGIC PLAN
Wells
College will be a high quality institution with an exceptional liberal arts
academic program. This high quality
will be demonstrated in a sound, relevant, and rigorous academic program; a
respectful, inclusive, informed and vibrant campus culture; a diverse, engaged
and academically talented student body; and a professional faculty and staff,
supported by ample financial, academic, technological, and physical resources,
with on-going efforts to assess and plan for future development. In order to accomplish this goal we will
strengthen and enhance the following foundations that we believe are critical
for the future of Wells College.
Wells College will offer an
academic program of the highest quality, with a curriculum that is relevant,
culturally diverse, gender-balanced, and pedagogically sound.
Specifically, Wells will
A. Conduct internal reviews of the entire curriculum to assure
that it is coherent and reflects the mission of the college.
1. By Fall 2007, conduct a comprehensive self-study for each
academic program with the assistance of professional faculty colleagues from
other institutions.
2. By Fall 2008, fulfill the recommendations made by the New York
State Department of Education for accreditation of the Wells Elementary and
Secondary Certification Program.
3. Use information gathered in academic program self-studies
to prepare for the 2009 external review by the Middle States Commission on
Higher Education.
4. Periodically review the curriculum to ensure that course
content, where appropriate, is gender balanced and culturally diverse.
5. Continue to evaluate opportunities to expand the curriculum
to meet the needs of current students and to attract new students to the
College.
6. Strengthen cross registration arrangements with Cornell
University and Ithaca College.
B. Increase and strengthen academic support services for
students.
1. Establish a Learning Center that is a resource for all
academic support services at the college.
2. Identify, evaluate and improve study spaces for all
students.
3. Establish an orientation course that introduces all new
students to the College’s academic and student life resources.
4. Evaluate and improve library services including expanded
hours of operation and increased opportunities to use the Cornell library
systems.
C. Encourage
gender balance as a valued component of the College curriculum.
1. Support workshops for faculty to prepare models for gender-balanced
teaching and curriculum development.
2. Encourage and support ways for librarians and faculty
members to work together to compile teaching resources that include the
contribution of women to the disciplines taught in the College.
3. Encourage faculty to find ways to review their course
descriptions and syllabi annually to make sure that women scholars and writers
and women’s issues are duly represented where appropriate in their courses.
4. Encourage the continuation of gender-balance as a value in
faculty hiring.
D. Make experiential
learning a more integral component of the College curriculum.
1. Ensure that
students have opportunities for on-campus and off-campus experiential learning.
2. Hire an Off-Campus Study Director to centralize and facilitate
the administration of the off campus study programs.
3. Provide greater opportunities for internships.
E. By Fall 2007, conduct internal reviews of the Office of the
Dean of the College, Library, Career Services, Office of the Registrar and
Computing Services to ensure they are supporting the academic program.
1
Conduct a comprehensive
self-study for each academic support unit with the assistance of professional
colleagues from other institutions.
2
Use information gathered in self-studies
of academic support areas to prepare for the 2009 external review by the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education.
3
Continue to evaluate
opportunities to enhance academic support units to meet the needs of current
students and to attract students to the College.
Wells College will attract
and retain a student enrollment of 575 culturally diverse and academically
promising students who benefit from institutional initiatives that support
their academic and co-curricular pursuits and their holistic development.
Specifically, Wells will:
A.
Increase new student
enrollment to achieve an optimal student enrollment of 575 culturally diverse
and academically promising students.
1. Establish and implement a recruitment plan to achieve
enrollment growth.
2. Attract and enroll an entering class that reflects our
institutional commitment to diversity.
3. Develop and implement a merit scholarship program that
attracts a diverse group of students with a high potential for student leadership
and academic success.
B Increase and
strengthen academic support services for students.
1. Establish a Learning Center that is a resource for all
academic support services at the college.
2. Identify, evaluate and improve study spaces for all students.
3. Establish an orientation course that introduces all new
students to the College’s academic and student life resources.
4. Evaluate and improve library services including expanded
hours of operation and increased opportunities to use the Cornell library
systems.
C. Establish and maintain systems that support the holistic
development of students.
1. Provide on-going opportunities for incoming and upper class
students to discuss the challenges and successes of coeducation.
2. Improve ways to make the Wells College Honor Code an
integral and valued part of student life.
3. Evaluate, improve, and increase counseling services for all
students.
4. Strengthen student organizations through the establishment
of an active advisor system.
5. Establish a formal student mentor/advisee program for new
students.
6. Provide ongoing opportunities to engage non-resident and
non-traditional age students in the life of the College.
D. Establish and maintain open and effective channels of
communication for all students.
1. Develop and implement efficient systems to regularly
communicate pertinent College information to students that support their
intellectual, personal, and social development.
2. Evaluate and improve computer access in campus public
spaces where students gather and in the residence halls.
E. Provide a safe and healthy living environment for students.
1. Provide housing opportunities that reflect students’
desires to live in single-sex or coeducational residence halls.
2. Improve ongoing maintenance and housekeeping operations in
order to achieve overall optimal facilities management.
3. Evaluate dining services in order to provide healthy food
choices.
4. Evaluate and enhance campus safety and security program.
FACULTY
Wells College will attract, retain
and support a highly qualified, diverse and professional faculty dedicated to
teaching the liberal arts and sciences.
A. Provide
competitive compensation in line with appropriate external standards in order
to attract and retain high quality faculty.
1.
Develop a
schedule of incremental increases that will allow the College to reach
IIB-2 no later than 2009-2010.
2. Establish a long-term plan for periodic review of faculty
salary structure in order to maintain IIB-2 as a minimum average salary.
3. By 2010, choose a new higher external standard for faculty
compensation and develop a plan for reaching it.
B. Provide sufficient faculty to meet curricular needs of each
academic program.
1.
Hire at least three new tenure-track
faculty members each year for the next three years (Start Dates: Fall 2006, 2007, 2008), as designated by the
Fall 2004 College’s Transition Plan.
2.
Standardize the process to
review and report faculty staffing needs annually.
C.
Provide support staff,
equipment, and instructional opportunities that facilitate and improve faculty
work.
1.
Hire additional technology staff to assist in meeting the instructional
needs of
faculty.
2. Support training for faculty to become proficient in current technologies
available on campus.
3.
Provide well-equipped
classrooms for current needs in teaching and learning.
4.
Review needs of faculty for
administrative support in each department and provide support in areas where
need is greatest.
D.
Provide resources for
scholarly, curricular, and institutional development.
1.
Increase faculty travel
budgets to encourage faculty attendance and participation in activities that
strengthen teaching, scholarship, and curricular initiatives.
2.
Provide on-campus opportunities
--workshops, forums, and lectures-- for professional development.
3.
Provide opportunities for
faculty to become more familiar with the expectations of and procedures
governing the Wells College Honor Code.
E. Encourage
recruitment practices and a campus climate that continues the strong presence
of women on the College faculty.
Wells College will attract, retain, and support a highly
qualified, diverse, and professional staff that is well compensated,
technically proficient, and enjoys a flexible, comfortable, and supportive work
environment.
1. Implement and support the staff forum’s salary plan for
staff to meet the goals by 2009-2010.
2.
Conduct
an annual review and report progress towards benchmarks in achieving the salary
goals.
1.
Improve
and update the annual review document making it standardized for all
departments with one section developed specifically for the area the staff
member works.
2.
Implement
a consistent annual review timeline with supervisors.
1.
Develop
and implement a new employee orientation conducted within two weeks of hire.
2.
Provide
opportunities for staff to become more familiar with the expectations of and
procedures governing the Wells College Honor Code.
3.
Institute
ID system for all employees.
4.
Establish
a recognition program to honor staff contributions.
5.
Create
and support incentives for education and improvement of skills.
6.
Provide
opportunities for alternative work schedules for job sharing and seasonal
flexible work hours.
D.
Provide and support technology, equipment, and instructional
opportunities that facilitate and improve staff work.
1.
Establish
two staff development days per year.
2.
Establish
training classes for staff to become proficient in current technology available
on campus.
3.
Provide
tools to effectively meet job requirements.
E. Develop and sustain an environment that creates a sense of
community by encouraging and supporting staff involvement in campus activities.
1.
Encourage
staff to participate in the extracurricular life of the College.
2.
Establish
guidelines by supervisors for flexible work arrangements for staff members to
attend on-campus activities.
Wells will engage an alumnae
and alumni body that remains actively involved in the life of the College and
supports the College’s initiatives.
Specifically Wells will
A. Provide formal and informal opportunities to strengthen
communication between alumnae and alumni and the College.
1. Share information
about college programs, events, initiatives, priorities and needs on a
regularly, timely basis.
2. Collect feedback
and updated information about alumnae and alumni including responses to College
initiatives and priorities.
3. Work
cooperatively with the Wells College Alumnae Association Board (WCAA), the
Friends and Recent Graduates Organization Board (FARGO), the Board of Trustees
and other college-sponsored volunteer groups to strengthen the flow of
information and the lines of communication.
4.
Maintain active alumnae and
alumni participation in college traditions.
B.
Solicit
increased alumnae and alumni financial support for College priorities.
1. Launch a campaign
to generate new and increased gifts to support capital needs, current use, and
endowment growth.
2. Utilize the
Annual Giving program to raise alumnae and alumni gifts in support of the
College’s operating budget, to raise donor sights, and to establish patterns of
philanthropy.
3. Generate new,
increased, and multi-year pledges from alumnae and alumni through Reunion
Giving programs.
4. Engage alumnae
and alumni in project-specific fundraising initiatives as identified through
the strategic planning process.
C. Support
and strengthen the involvement of alumnae and alumni as volunteers in support
of College priorities.
1. Recruit talented and interested alumnae and alumni to
support the College’s priorities through current volunteer structures
including: Wells College Alumnae Association (WCAA); Friends and Recent
Graduates Organization (FARGO); Fund raising volunteers including class and
reunion chairs, agents; Class secretaries; and Alumnae Association Award
Committee.
2. Establish additional volunteer groups as needed in support
of identified strategic priorities including an Athletic Booster Club and Hall
of Fame Committee.
3. Engage alumnae and alumni as appropriate in the College’s
Experiential Education, internship and Career Development programs and as
visiting speakers, artists and experts-in-residence.
Wells will sustain and enhance its sense of community as a
college, its role as a welcoming neighbor and strengthen mutually beneficial
relationships within local, regional, national, and global communities.
Specifically, Wells will
A.
Support and enhance ways
to strengthen the sense of community, respect and inclusiveness on campus.
1.
Encourage all members of the
campus community to be familiar with and uphold the tenets of the Wells College
Honor Code.
2.
Create systems to ensure that
the Community Standards Statement is understood and embraced in the life of the
Wells community.
3.
Provide regular opportunities
and encouragement for all members of the campus community to participate fully
in the life of the College.
B.
Support formal and
informal opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the village of
Aurora and the College.
1.
Offer lectures, arts events,
and athletic contests that are open to the community.
2.
Encourage campus
participation in village life, including participation in cultural activities
and programs and in services to local libraries and civic and business
organizations.
3.
Continue to mail campus
publications such as Arts & Lecture Series brochures and the Express
to village residents.
4.
Continue to find ways to
share the resources of the College with the local community.
C.
Strengthen the
channels of communication with our internal and external communities.
1.
Invite local and regional
residents to campus events.
2.
Strengthen relationships with
media outlets.
3.
Improve use of the College’s
website for providing timely information, including links as appropriate.
D.
Develop partnerships
with organizations and individuals that support the College’s goals.
1.
Continue to strengthen
collaborative relationships with regional colleges and universities and seek
out additional opportunities for collaboration.
2.
Work to establish
relationships with educational, philanthropic, governmental, corporate,
economic development, and humanities organizations.
3.
Develop and strengthen
governmental relations and advocacy efforts.
4.
Increase and strengthen
articulation agreements with area schools and colleges.
E.
Explore ways to improve
understanding and to honor the land and culture of the Haudenosaunee
Confederacy, with special emphasis on the Cayuga Nation.
1.
Provide workshops and
programs that educate the College community regarding the history and current
issues affecting the Cayuga Nation.
2.
Support recruiting efforts by
the admissions office to increase the student enrollment of members of the
Haudenosaunee Confederacy at Wells.
3.
Encourage the inclusion of
the history and culture of the Haudenosaunee as important components of the
Wells College curriculum.
Wells College will cultivate and
sustain a community culture where respect, diversity, inclusiveness, and social
justice are understood, embraced, and supported.
Specifically, Wells will
A. Demonstrate an institutional commitment to diversity that promotes
respect and inclusiveness as core values of the College.
1.
Develop
and enhance systems and programs that support the diversity of our College
community (students, staff, faculty, and alumnae) during the 2005-2006 academic
year.
2.
Assess the
developing needs of the Wells community regarding issues of diversity.
3.
During the
2005-2006 academic year, search for an individual whose job, beginning July
2006, will be to support a community culture where respect, diversity,
inclusiveness, and social justice are understood and embraced.
4.
Develop a
long-range institutional diversity plan that uses the Community Standards
Statement as a guiding document.