Strategic Plan

Student Success

Policies and Practice

Objective: align academic policies and practices with best practices and remove artificial barriers to student success in partnership with campus constituencies

Strategy: review and update current academic policies and practices

• Outcome : policies and practices that reflect a modern higher education lens and that support the success of diverse student populations
• Example : major declaration earlier, grade appeal, academic misconduct, probation/suspension definitions, academic forgiveness review, reinstatement and readmission review, late enrollment timing, course transferability, full/part-time definitions, course evaluation utility, noon-hour classes, instructors of record listed at point of registration
• Progress : D2L Brightspace communications reviewed to prioritize academic messaging; residency degree requirements aligned

Academic Policies and Practices
Late enrollment (14 vs 2 weeks)	Complete	Completed
Academic Standing Policy (aka probation)	FS Resolution – received	Completed
Residency requirement (42 vs 30)	Complete	Completed
D2L academic messaging	Complete	Completed
Posthumous degree	Complete	Completed
Instructor Course Evaluations (ICE)	FS Resolution – Nov 2024 CTE – to be implemented	In Progress
Academic home for undecided/ undeclared majors (EXPO)	AA, ADEI, COLA	Completed
Textbook Access Program (Follett); OER resources	SA/Bookstore; Library	Completed
Reinstatement/readmission review	Piloted fall 2024	Completed
Major declaration earlier (45 vs 30)	FS UEPC – sent	Completed
Academic misconduct	SA – discussed FS – ad hoc group needed	In Progress
Academic forgiveness	Registrar – discussed	In Progress
Grade appeals	Registrar – discussed	In Progress
Second Bachelor’s degree (150 vs 120+)	FS UEPC – sent	In Progress
Course remediation (CC’s)	Campus units – discussions	In Progress
Incomplete grades completed in 1 term	Registrar – discussed	In Progress
Instructor of record listed w/registration	Registrar – in discussions	In Progress
Review restrictions on courses (modify or eliminate where appropriate)	Registrar pulling list for academic unit and advisor review	In Progress
Review override policies (modify or eliminate where appropriate: ex. Prerequisites, course repeats)	Registrar pulling list for APSS, Provost, academic units review	In Progress

Strategy: promote a Finish in Four with 15 campaign

• Outcomes: persistence, retention and 4- and 6-year graduation rates improved with encouraging enrollment in 15-credit hour per semester
• Example: review block tuition strategies, scholarship credit hour requirements

“15 to Finish” Campaign
Communications campaign	APSS, UCM – discussions	Completed
Block tuition strategies	EM, AF – to be discussed	Not Started
Scholarship credit hour requirements	EM, AA – to be discussed	Not Started

Strategy: develop individualized degree completion plans for part-time working adults

• Outcome: better understanding of the challenges or barriers to degree completion of working professionals and improved timely degree completion rates
• Example: coursework-only master’s degrees; Graduate School’s degree completion initiative; Degree Works integration

Individualized Degree-completion Plans
Degree Works (curricular and co-curricular integration	EM, AA, SA – to be discussed	Not Started
Scholarship credit hour requirements	EM, AA – to be discussed	Not Started
Online/degree-completion programs	EM, AA – defined personnel roles	Completed
Student Success Coaches for online	Online – completed; continue to refine	Completed

Strategy: enhance academic support for students in fully online degree programs

• Outcome: targeted student success support (recruitment and mentoring) via student success coaches for web-based students
• Progress: hired and trained three Student Success Coaches

Student Success Council (SSC)

Objective: coordinate and collaborate across campus constituencies (e.g., Enrollment Management, Center for Teaching Excellence, Student Affairs, First Year Experience, Institutional Effectiveness Planning and Research (IEPR), ADEI, Student Multicultural Resource Center, Career Development Center, First Saluki Center, Office of Student Engagement, SIU Global, recruitment and retention coordinators, academic advisors) to enhance student success

Strategy: form a representative council that meets monthly to address barriers, policy, procedures and practices that affect student success

Working Groups
Student Success Council	Active	Completed
Student Success Council subcommittees	APSS	Completed
Student Retention Executive Committee	Active	Completed
Student Retention Committee	Active	Completed
Inventory Student Success Staffing Roles	AA, HR	Completed
Build student success structure and staffing support based on best practices	APSS, AA	In Progress

Strategy: form an SSC executive team (E-SSC) that determines implementation protocols for identified issues

• Outcome: an actively engaged student success corps that is responsive to issues and concerns and moves initiatives forward
• Progress: SSC and E-SSC is meeting regularly with an initial project that looks at reports needed by advisors and retention coordinators

Strategy: identify staffing deficiencies and compensation

• Outcome: adequacy of staffing levels determined
• Progress: inventoried advisor caseloads

Objective: institutionalize best practices for supporting student success and collaboration

Strategy: define student success staffing roles at the undergraduate and graduate levels

• Outcome: consistency and collaboration throughout the student lifecycle among colleges/schools’ recruitment and academic advising structures; delineation of duties of advisors, field representatives, recruitment and retention coordinators, student success coaches and admission personnel at the undergraduate level and colleges/schools’ academic program coordinators, directors of graduate studies, recruiters and graduate school personnel at the graduate level
• Progress: recently defined roles between online and degree-completion program support for Illinois and outside-of-Illinois extended campus sites

Objective: create a better sense of inclusion and belonging for diverse student populations

Strategy: see course strategies below for UNIV101 and First-year Interest Groups (FIGs)

• Outcome: increased retention rates and fewer behavioral concerns

Strategy: create a culture of classroom attendance

• Outcome: increased retention and graduation rates

Data-Informed Practices

Objective: use data-informed best practices to achieve student success across all student populations in partnership with campus constituents, such as IEPR

Strategy: provide campus constituents with persistence and retention data and software training

• Outcome: advisors, retention coordinators and directors of graduate studies armed with the data needed to effectively support student success
• Outcome: program and school directors, associate deans and deans have data readily available to make informed decisions

Strategy: use predictive models to intervene earlier

• Outcome: advisors and recruitment coordinators prioritize students with high-predicted support needs

Strategy: use data to determine opportunities to support high DFW-grade courses

• Outcome: best pedagogical practices for high DFW-grade courses
• Outcome: best practices to support course success via peer tutoring, supplemental or co-requisite instruction, etc.
• Examples: essential report generation and predictive analytics knowledge development

Strategy: develop reports and workflows that allow advisors and retention coordinators to focus on student interventions

• Outcome: appropriate reports delivered in a timely manner through the academic year with specific expectations for student interventions; mandatory academic progress and progression checks
• Example: early academic-warning reports to advisors for contacting students; student athlete academic success program; campuswide coordination

Strategy: review of policy and practices for graduate students by Graduate School and Graduate Council

• Outcomes: policies and practices will reflect modern best practices that support, timely degree completion
• Example: plan of study, deadlines for advisory committee formation, degree milestones

Course Offerings

Objective: review and align specific courses, rotations and formats with best practices and microcredentialing to support students across all populations in partnership with campus constituents

Strategy: development of four-year course rotations for academic degree programs, clean up course offerings and degree sheets and imbed microcredentials

• Outcomes: students completing microcredentials and degrees in a timely manner

Strategy: update certificate policies and procedures

• Outcome: additional degree completion pathways for diverse student populations

Strategy: address misalignment of UNIV101 with student success

• Outcome: UNIV101 college/program focused to create and build a sense of community and belonging for students and support their acclimation to college-level academic and environmental expectations
• Outcome: diversified curriculum so that all students learn about ADEI; opportunity for students to start on the SIU System’s Leading for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Certificate
• Progress: COLA101 with peer mentoring practices

Strategy: integrate more First-year Interest Groups (FIGs) to create a sense of community and belonging

• Outcome: each college supports at least one FIG in each meta-major grouping
• Progress: COLA and COBA each already have a FIG

Strategy: add additional courses with differing modalities to allow for late- or re-starts, scheduling flexibility, etc. with input from academic advisors

• Outcome: each college supports 1-2, new 8-week courses annually, especially at the graduate level; additional online degree program offerings; timely degree completion
• Progress: Rise Point (Academic Partnership) 8-week course alignment in COBA and CHHS

Objective: align University Core Curriculum (UCC) with best practices

Strategy: examine UCC offerings and processes during academic year 2024-25

• Outcome: ease of transferability and alignment with major requirements and potential career needs; address State and IBHE changes as necessary

Strategy: move UCC under Associate Provost for Academic Programs (APAP)

• Outcome: communication and coordination for accreditation, new offerings and catalog processes enhanced

Objective: understand the alignment of math offerings with Complete College America’s Math Pathways best practices (CCA MP)

Strategy: form a campuswide taskforce in academic year 2024-25 to provide institutional recommendations for best practices alignment with CCA MP

• Outcome: student success in degree programs improved

Objective: align Writing Across the Curriculum with current best practices

Strategy: involve campus stakeholders in the COLA review process

• Outcome: student success in degree programs improved

Support Infrastructure

Objective: coordinate all campus activities related to academic student success and liaise with other student-success focused areas, such as Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

Strategy: hire an Associate Provost for Student Success (APSS)

• Outcome: one person leads and accountable for student success coordination and campuswide collaboration; campuswide onboarding, training and workshops (e.g., advising syllabus and calendar) to enhance student success offered
• Progress: advertisement out and review of candidates underway

Strategy: expand opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices

• Outcome: students participating in modern academic- and career-critical success activities, such as virtual internships, co-requisite instruction, group advising, peer mentoring, study abroad, etc.

Strategy: coordinate tutoring services across campus from general tutoring to college-specific programs for majors

• Outcome: tutoring services available to all students, including online ones, and offerings at the lower- and upper-division level are enhanced not duplicated

Strategy: enhance fundraising for summer bridge programs

• Outcome: more summer bridge programs offered to diverse incoming students to improve their academic preparation
• Example: graduate student financial support and professional development via bridge program instruction

Objective: coordinate activities related to transfer student success and community college partnerships

Strategy: align collaborative portfolios of the Associate Provost for Academic Programs, SIU Global and Enrollment Management

• Outcome: coordinated approach to serving our partners and future students with in-person and online infrastructure, services, supports, courses and degree programs
• Progress: significant efforts to determine partner and student needs and staffing levels has taken place and delineation of responsibilities is underway

Objective: leverage software platforms in a coordinated way

Strategy: determine a plan for integration of all technologies to support student success work

• Outcome: minimization of the numbers of platforms campuswide; high-impact reporting with actionable intelligence
• Progress: have gathered key stakeholders and identified low-hanging, high-impact opportunities

Strategy: update classroom and instructional technology

• Outcome: standardized classroom technology platforms and setups to facilitate instructor ease of use; laptops over desktops issued to faculty, as appropriate, creating a nimble and responsive working environment
• Progress: Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and Office of Information Technology (OIT) are developing a classroom technology replacement plan; all faculty are to be provided a computer upon hire with laptops preferred; computer refresh plan; laptop pool for temporary faculty

Objective: find ways to support students financially while improving the fiscal health of the University

Strategy: review scholarship distribution process and provide more spending guidance at the school level

• Outcomes: more effectively distributed scholarships, relieve pressure on income fund and identify “trapped” scholarships
• Progress: piloted a scholarship review program in FY24

Strategy: increase open-access course materials for students and faculty support to develop such materials

• Outcome: lower course material costs for students and enhanced advertising of course-development opportunities to faculty
• Progress: have programs in place for courseware development

Strategy: utilize Follett Inclusive Access Course Charge Program

• Outcome: lower digital textbook prices for students, early course materials access, enhanced academic performance
• Progress: piloting the program in accounting in summer 2024

Strategy: reviewing competitiveness of graduate assistantship packages

• Outcome: new GAU contract negotiated

Objective: provide an academic home to students with majors undecided and undeclared

Strategy: place students with HS GPA ≥ 2.75 who have a meta major interest but not declared major in a disciplinary college for advising with an undecided designation

• Outcomes: sense of community and belonging with peers with similar interests achieved; colleges assisting with major selection
• Progress: implementing initial phases for fall 2024

Strategy: place students with HS GPA < 2.75 who are undeclared majors (former EXP) in the university studies designation and academic advisement in COLA with wraparound services provided via a student contract with ADEI

• Outcomes: sense of community and belonging with peers in an academic setting; placed university studies or other major of interest
• Progress: implementing initial phases for fall 2024

Career Development

Objective: increase gainful employment for all graduates in partnership with Student Affairs, etc.

Strategy: identify a faculty fellow to partner with the Career Development Center to enhance internship coordination across campus and engage alums

• Outcome: enhanced opportunities for all students on and off campus; more research experiences and microinternships created; additional peer mentoring and tutoring opportunities offered
• Example: REU and REACH funding realignment
• Progress: reviewing fellow applications

Strategy: review software that supports career development

• Outcome: optimize our career development investments in highest utility platforms

Strategy: partner with community colleges to hire recent graduates with advanced degrees

• Outcome: employment pipeline for graduate student employment
• Example: assist with understanding the hiring process for international students

Faculty and Staff Success

Professional Development

Objective: provide ongoing professional development for faculty and staff in partnership with deans, school directors, human resources, etc.

Strategy: create appropriate career ladders for staff to ensure opportunities for professional growth within units and within the Institution

• Outcome: more highly trained and compensated staff
• Progress: planned rollout for advisors in fall 2024

Strategy: provide advisors and recruitment coordinators with best practice workshop opportunities

• Outcome: implementation of high-impact practices; creation of a culture of continuous improvement in support of accreditation standards
• Progress: identified staff and are investing via their attendance at national, best practice workshops

Strategy: integrate and elevate CTE programming

• Outcome: more visible, campuswide coordinated professional development offerings; integrated onboarding and orientations
• Progress: inventories of activities have been created and are being enhanced

Strategy: provide faculty and administrators with relevant, just-in time training

• Outcome: a leadership bench, a culture of succession planning, broader knowledge and support for ADEI and better faculty-graduate student work environment; faculty and staff knowledge of resources for students, such as Saluki Cares
• Examples: promotion and tenure, conflict resolution, multicultural competency, graduate student mentoring, emergency preparedness, research writing workshops
• Progress: offering several, well-attended workshops on timely topics; creating a resource sheet on how to manage emergent situations

Strategy: leverage the power of the D2L Brightspace learning management system to ensure student success is supported at the level of our technology

• Outcome: broad-based faculty use of the D2L gradebook feature so that academic performance, absenteeism and no-show reporting are automated; assessment of Student Learning Outcomes is integrated
• Progress: identified functionality to automate grade and report submissions

Strategy: review faculty and staff mentoring opportunities across the SIU System

• Outcome: an inventory of mentoring and membership initiatives on campus and across the System; development of new programs to create comprehensive mentoring opportunities to ensure faculty (tenure and non-tenure track, pre- and post-tenure and continuing status, respectively) and staff success

Strategy: budget regular attendance opportunities for faculty to participate in scholarly activities in collaboration with Office of Vice Chancellor for Research

• Outcome: enhanced institutional reputation, scholarly activity and faculty satisfaction

Climate of Continuous Improvement

Objective ensure continuous improvement and relevancy of the academic offerings in partnerships with academic degree programs, faculty, etc.

Strategy: provide faculty with opportunities to stay relevant in their fields

• Outcome: up-to-date degree programs with high student interest
• Progress: held workshops on the use of data analytics to ascertain job market demand for current and potential degree programs

Strategy: ensure faculty and staff resources align with program growth

• Outcome: ability to support growing degree programs, launch new academic programs, develop interdisciplinary programs and reimagine older programs; continuous improvement plans incorporated into the University Effectiveness Plan (UEP) process annually
• Progress: included in FY25 budget planning

Strategy: revamp the catalog and academic program review (APR) processes

• Outcome: plan for future offerings at the campus and system levels; reduced faculty, staff and program coordinator workloads
• Progress: reviewed catalog software with SIUE stakeholders

Strategy: improve communication between academic programs and campuses

• Outcome: new opportunities for external sites in Belleville, Chicagoland and Springfield
• Progress: undertaking system-level academic planning in AY24

Strategy: identify strategic investment opportunities to grow enrollment and support a Carnegie R1 classification

• Outcome: regrown enrollment to 15,000 students by 2030; requisite doctoral degree production to maintain R1 status

Recruitment, Retention and Recognition

Objective: remove barriers to recruiting high-talent faculty and staff in partnership with deans, school directors, academic programs, human resources, etc.

Strategy: review hiring policies, procedures and practices and onboarding training needs in collaboration with numerous campus constituencies

• Outcome: barriers to hiring high-talent individuals decreased; spousal accommodation practices updated; one-stop list for onboarding completed
• Progress: customizing NEOED hiring and onboarding system to reflect the specialized needs for faculty and executive-level hiring

Strategy: review faculty, staff and graduate assistant staffing levels and pay across colleges, schools and academic programs in collaboration with numerous campus constituencies

• Outcome: more equitable staffing levels across the institution with more competitive pay levels
• Progress: undertaking pay equity study; working with HR on academic advisors’ career ladders; working with OIT and CTE on faculty SIU credential availability upon employment-offer acceptance
  
• Outcome: faculty workloads align with Operating Papers and institutional expectations for teaching, research/creative activities and service
• Progress: working with deans on reviewing faculty workloads to align with teaching, scholarship and service expectations

Objective: recognition of faculty and staff for outstanding contributions to the University’s strategic direction and success

Strategy: identify, inventory and expand recognition opportunities for faculty and staff

• Outcome: comprehensive faculty and staff recognition programs
• Progress: newly promoted, continuing status and tenured faculty reception in Fall 2024; CTE training incentive program development

Strategy: review institutional policies, procedures and practices to ensure faculty and staff recognition is integrated into institutional fabric

• Outcome: update policies, procedures and practices in alignment with this objective

Fiscal Sustainability

Objective: develop a budget model that supports and invests in the initiatives that align with the University’s strategic plan, Imagine2030, in partnership with senior leadership, administration and finance, deans, school directors, faculty, etc.

Strategy: budget routine expenses in alignment with institutional priorities

• Outcome: transitional budget model for FY25
• Examples: faculty start-up packages, insurance costs, promotion, continuing-status and tenure salary steps, Honors Program courses
• Progress: in process of completing FY25 budget and planning for FY26 budget

Strategy: review University’s summer budget model in comparison to best practices

• Outcome: summer budget model that supports growth in enrollment in non-credit and credit offerings
• Progress: already reviewing summer camps; discussing summer model during faculty contract negotiations

Objective: grow enrollment to further support institutional fiscal health in partnership with Administration and Finance, Enrollment Management, Communications and Marketing, SIU Global, faculty, staff, etc.

Strategy: enhance outreach and expand the academic enterprise to other locations and student populations

• Outcome: additional and more robust community college partnerships; more premier programs using on-campus facilities at partner sites in Chicagoland; additional hybrid and/or executive-style graduate degree programs serving partner faculty and staff and other working professionals
• Progress: having program expansion conversations with faculty and current and potential partners

Strategy: review labor trends and “gaps” in markets (regional and national) to inform decisions on potential new academic program offerings (credit and noncredit)

• Outcome: more robust portfolio of offerings leading to high student demand and enrollment increases; new predictive tools identified
• Progress: campuswide workshop on the use of Gray Decision Intelligence software to look at market and market trend data

Objective: reduce redundancies and improve efficiencies across the SIU System

Strategy: leverage specialized expertise and purchasing power across System

• Outcome: cost and staffing savings leading to enhanced institutional resources
• Progress: reviewed catalog and cross registration software with SIUE and determining next steps for purchasing