WORKING DRAFT

OF

STRATEGIC PLAN

February 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

INTRODUCTION

COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT

AND VISION FOR STRATEGIC PLAN

FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

FOUNDATIONS—GOALS AND INITIATIVES

Students

Faculty

Staff

Alumnae

Community

Curriculum

Culture

History

Campus

Facilities

Funding

CHECKLIST FOR REVIEW

BENCHMARKS AND KEY INDICATORS

TIME LINE

INTRODUCTION ( Overview of the History of Wells and Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan at this Moment and how the plan comes to be how it fits in historically with other strategic plans at the college. Who is Wells College? What has it tried to do over the Years? How does transition to Coed Change the Life of the College. How can the strategic plan get Wells where it wants to go.

HISTORY

CHANGE

VALUES

FUTURE

THE PLAN

Wells College: Our History and Our Future

“A small gem of a school”

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. Commitment 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

By 2010, Wells College will be a financially stable institution able to sustain long-term growth and its commitment to the highest educational quality.  This quality will be demonstrated by an exceptional, sound, and relevant academic program; respectful, inclusive, and communicative environment; diverse and engaged student body; professional faculty and staff, supported by ample financial, academic, and technological resources; attractive, secure, and accessible campus; and on-going efforts to assess, reflect, 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.

FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

The Strategic Plan is broadly governed by a desire to strengthen the foundations that are necessary to sustain the College’s ability to carry out its mission. The Strategic Plan is designed to solidify, enhance, and nurture the foundations that support the life of the College so that Wells can move into the future with confidence and optimism. We call our work “Foundations for the Future.”

STUDENTS

In five years, Wells College will have successfully made the transition to a co-educational institution through sustainable co-curricular, academic, and institutional initiatives that support the academic pursuit and holistic development of students by offering a living environment that is safe, respectful, healthy, educational, and fun.

Specifically, Wells will

• ·Make efforts to retain all currents students

• ·Provide support systems for all new male and female students
• ·Ready dorms and other campus buildings for male students

· ·Provide opportunities for students to bond as a coeducational student body

·  Provide social support systems for new male students—mentors, big sister/little brother, etc.

· ·Conduct an on-going series of reflective workshops and rap sessions on the coeducational experience at Wells

· ·Provide larger number of opportunities for intramural and recreational activities in safe and attractive facilities

• Conduct evaluation of Career Services for ways to improve service to students

• Repair and refurbish dorm facilities so that each room is comfortable, safe and secure
• Seek to increase the applicant pool to 1000 students
• Increase full-time enrollment by 25%
• Select an entering class that reflects our desire for diversity while maintaining our long-standing commitment to the  education of women.
• Target recruiting areas in the South and Midwest with a goal of at least five new recruits from these regions each year
• Provide scholarships that attract a diverse student body with high potential for leadership and academic success

FACULTY

In five years, Wells College will support a professional faculty, comparable to the support given to faculty in the highest quality liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Specifically, Wells will

• Provide training for new coeducational classroom environment

• Hire the faculty needed to meet core teaching requirements for each department
• Provide competitive salaries, in line with IIB2 requirements, to attract and retain high quality faculty
• Provide instructional support, in terms of staff, technology, and classroom readiness
• Provide funds and other resources for professional scholarship and curricular and institutional development
• Provide and support up-to date technology and support staff
• Train faculty in technological resources

STAFF

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to see Wells have a staff that is well compensated, technically proficient, and who enjoys a flexible, comfortable, and supportive work environment.

Specifically, Wells will

• Train support staff to deal with new population of men
• Make staff salaries up to IIB2 requirements
• Establish merit raises tied to performance
• Improve and Update Performance Review Forms
• Develop system for financial rewards and incentives for education and improvement of skills
• Establish a policy for flexible work schedules and job sharing shifts
• Establish policy for staff attendance at on campus events during work time
• Establish two staff development days per year
• Hire outside consultants to study reclassification of staff positions
• Institute ID system for all employees of the college
• Develop Wells-supported child care center for faculty and staff on campus or in the community
• Hire professional technological support staff for the College community
• Hire more security and building and ground persons to ensure the timely upkeep of all college facilities
• Establish classes to teach current technology to Wells staff

ALUMNAE

In five years, the Wells community would like to have an alumnae that is formally and informally engaged in the life of the college, supports the college’s initiatives, communicates regularly with College.

Specifically, Wells will

· ·(first priority)

· ·(second priority)

· ·(third priority)

· ·(fourth priority and continuation as needed)

·

COMMUNITY

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to enjoy a communicative, collaborative, and caring relationship with its local, regional, national, and global communities.

Specifically, Wells will

• Make sure that website informs campus, local and regional communities of what is going on at Wells College
• Make a concerted effort to publish our successes among students, staff and faculty in local, regional and national communication outlets

• Work to resolve conflict between Cayuga Tribe and villagers regarding the land claim
• Host a greater number of service programs that are beneficial to entire local community (voter registration drives, exercise classes, commemoration ceremonies)
• Work to establish more formal collaborative relationships with Ithaca College and Cornell University

· Participate in those regional and national events that give greater, positive visibility to Wells as a premier liberal arts college

CURRICULUM

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to see its well-respected academic program reviewed to make sure that it is relevant, diverse, gender-balanced and pedagogically sound; that it is supported with faculty, facilities, curriculum, and technology that make it second to none among quality liberal arts colleges.

Specifically, Wells will

· ·Complete the construction of a new science building to support the work of students and faculty in the biological and chemical sciences

· ·Hire core full-time faculty for every major

· ·Conduct a self-study for each department in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each major program and to make sure that current faculty and staffing meet curricular and programmatic needs

· ·Conduct an overall review of the college curriculum for necessary updates, additions, and changes

· ·Meet the curricular and supervisory standards for the education program as recommended by the State Department of Education

· ·Hire outside evaluation team to help education department further strengthen the undergraduate program and assess the needs for launching a graduate program in education.

· Make experiential learning a more visible approach to learning in the college curriculum by expanding opportunities to enroll in courses that focus on experiential learning as a way of knowing

· ·Hire an OCS Director to centralize and facilitate the administrative and curricular duties required of the study abroad curriculum

• Provide greater opportunities for internships for students in science and math
• Conduct feasibility study for nursing and physical therapy programs.

CULTURE

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to see Wells College continue to be a place the College Honor Code is respected, where the Community Standards are upheld, and where diversity is understood, embraced, and supported through on-going inclusive gatherings, training, and recruitment efforts.

Specifically, Wells will

• Conduct two diversity workshops each semester-- one for students and one for faculty and staff. Workshops will address inclusion and respect for race, class, gender, and ethnicity on the Wells campus
• Seek to fund scholarships and make special recruiting efforts to reach out underrepresented students
• Establish domestic partner benefits
• Periodically review the Community Standards statement to make sure that standards are known and enforced.
• Explore ways to honor the land and culture of the Cayuga nation
• Establish policies that encourages respect in the nature and tone of campus wide communication
• Make the College Honor Code a visible and engaging part of campus life and conversation

HISTORY

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to see Wells continue to honor its history as a women’s college by demonstrating in programs and curricular initiatives a vibrant commitment to sex and gender equality and to the contributions that women have made to Wells College and the nation.

Specifically, Wells will

• Establish policy to make gender balance a valued component of the College curriculum, programs, hiring practices and general college culture
• Seek national funding for a series of programs that address ways to transition to coed and remember the past as a women’s College
• Seek funding for curricular and programmatic initiatives that focus on the development of women leaders
• Hold Founders day as a day to honor Women leaders and to remember our history

CAMPUS

In five years, the Wells College community would like to see Wells be a campus that is aesthetically pleasing, with clear attractive signage, that is accessible and secure, and which makes full and sustainable use of the lake and our surrounding natural resources.

Specifically, Wells will

• Take better advantage of local geographic resources to improve student life –especially the use of the lake for learning and recreational activities

• Post clearer, more attractive signage throughout campus
• Make College pedestrian friendly, including revisiting the feasibility of completing the campus Master Plan from 199___.
• Strengthen College Recycling Program and other Campus Green activities
• Develop nature trails with the help of students in sciences
• Develop Central Gathering Space for Campus Community
• Add more blooming flower gardens to green spaces on campus
• Purchase Welcome banners to hang during special College events
• Remove old signs, posters, covers, etc throughout the campus and replace with new signage as needed
• ·Appoint a campus beautification committee consisting of alumni, community members, Wells students, faculty, and staff to establish and implement five beautification initiatives for the college campus

FACILITIES

In five years, the Wells community would like to have a physical plant where facilities adequately support the college curriculum and the social and recreational life of the campus community; where facilities are efficient, safe, up to date, and attractive and the staff to support the ongoing upkeep of these facilities.

Specifically, Wells will

· ·Build a new, fully functional Science Building to meet the curricular needs of students

• Make every campus building assessable for individuals with disabilities
• Install more handrails and repair areas susceptible to icing in winter
• Remove the tarp and refurbish the greenhouse space next to Cleveland

• Hire the necessary staff to ensure the timely and safe upkeep of campus buildings
• Update College Website
• Improve classrooms to be “smart classrooms” with technology necessary to support teaching
• Install air conditioning in College public spaces
• Make college pedestrian friendly, including redeveloping center of campus according to Master Plan of 19
• Improve Security for Campus Buildings
• Make sure that all buildings are energy efficient

• Conduct overall assessment of building and grounds areas for necessary improvements in staff, equipment, and procedures.
• Open Walcott as a residence hall for WILL students and faculty guest stays
• Explore feasibility study for new library
• Explore feasibility of new student center (possibly using current library building) to include bookstore, mailroom, technology cafes, snack bark, movie viewing room, recreational rooms meeting rooms

FUNDING

In five years, the Wells College Community would like to see Wells financially stable with a balanced budget due to increased enrollment and a successful capital campaign with additional funds available to enhance academic life, student life, and physical surroundings.

• Launch capital campaign to help support the initiatives of the College’s Strategic Plan
• Increase tuition to meet the rising costs, but not so much as to make attending Wells prohibitive for our targeted students
• Reduce the draw from the College endowment from ___% to _____ over five years
• Increase corporate funding to Wells College via special programs initiatives and unrestricted contributions
• Make a new and concerted effort for major gift from the Wells Fargo Foundation
• Seek to increase the number of paid Summer Programs at Wells

BENCHMARKS	FY 05/06	FY 06/07	FY 07/08	FY 08/09	FY 09/10
Objective
Required Activities
Resources Needed
Key Indicators