Office of Graduate Studies
Strategic Plan 2010-15
Writing Group:
Jeffrey A. Potteiger, Dean of Graduate Studies
John R. Stevenson, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
David Cannon, Seidman College of Business
Mark Staves, College of Liberal Arts and Science
Special thanks to the following groups for reviewing this document:
Graduate Council
Graduate Program Directors
Academic Deans
Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence
Faculty Teaching and Learning Center
Office of Graduate Studies
Graduate and Professional Student Association Officers
Provost’s Office (University Assessment Officer)
Mission
To define and support excellence in graduate education and the scholarly and research activities associated with it. To articulate a vision of excellence in our actions and policies that affect students, faculty, and curriculum. To advocate for graduate education and graduate students within the university in terms of resources, services, and other activities that support graduate student endeavors and goals.
Vision
The Office of Graduate Studies will provide exemplary leadership and continuous support for the development and provision of distinctive and exemplary graduate education programs that prepare GVSU graduates to be effective leaders in their field, to be engaged lifelong learners, to succeed in attaining desired employment or admission to further graduate or professional study, and to excel in a global environment. By focusing on the promotion of distinctive and exemplary graduate education programs GVSU will become the university of choice for graduate students seeking a strong education in a Carnegie classification “Master’s Large” institution of higher education that is grounded in a liberal arts tradition.
Value Statements
As the primary advocate for distinctive and exemplary graduate education - for graduate students, faculty, and degree programs - our core values include:
1. Effective Teaching – Graduate faculty are excellent teachers and mentors at the graduate level, active in scholarly, research, or creative activity appropriate for the discipline, and active in service to graduate education.
2. Liberal Education – Graduate programs build on the liberal ideals of critical thinking, lifelong learning, academic inquiry and reflection, growth in self-knowledge, professionalism, and ethical decision-making in both a local and global context.
3. Scholarship – Active scholarship by faculty members and graduate students informs effective teaching, contributes to new knowledge, advances discipline-specific practices, and is an essential component of quality graduate education.
4. Service – Graduate education provides expertise, collaboration, and resources to professional organizations, lifelong learning and opportunity for partnerships with communities, and service learning and volunteer opportunities both local and global.
5. Inclusiveness – Graduate education emphasizes exposure to diversity of opinion and voices to further develop critical, reflective thinking. Engagement with a wider variety of backgrounds and experiences broadens graduate student and faculty perspectives in their discipline and world at large.
6. Community – Graduate education builds academic, professional, and social communities which value competence, integrity, and diversity.
7. Sustainability – Graduate education creates a sustainable future for the local community, state, and region by providing competent graduates who contribute to the efficient and effective use of resources for education, health care, business, government, the environment, and communities.
Strategic Positioning 2010-2015
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Goals and the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) Aligned Goals
GVSU Goal 1. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university grounded in the tradition of liberal education with well-integrated undergraduate and graduate programs appropriate to its Carnegie Classification as a “Master’s Large” institution through which students earn accredited degrees.
Aligned OGS goal: To enhance GVSU’s capacity to provide excellent graduate education experiences, by raising the voice, visibility, status, and quality of graduate education within the university and community.
GVSU Goal 2. Grand Valley provides a rich, inclusive learning and working environment that attracts, retains, and supports a diverse community.
Aligned OGS goal: The OGS will promote inclusiveness and diversity among our students, staff, faculty, and programs.
GVSU Goal 3. Grand Valley provides a student-centered liberal education experience that fosters academic success and prepares students for careers through degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate level that have clearly defined learning outcomes and a rigorous level of academic challenge.
Aligned OGS goal: To ensure that GVSU graduate programs build on a liberal education and provide opportunities for professional success.
GVSU Goal 4. Regular and rigorous assessment results inform decision-making at Grand Valley.
Aligned OGS goal: The OGS conducts regular, reflective and rigorous assessment of its activities and uses the results to guide decision-making.
GVSU Goal 5. Grand Valley has the human resources and the physical and pedagogical infrastructures it needs to promote effective learning and teaching in all disciplines at all levels.
Aligned OGS goal: The OGS supports the development of human resources, and physical and pedagogical support to promote effective learning and teaching at the graduate level in strategic disciplines.
GVSU Goal 6. Grand Valley educates well-prepared and well-rounded graduates who positively contribute to West Michigan, the state, the nation, and the world.
Aligned OGS goal: Graduate Programs educate well-prepared and well-rounded graduates of GVSU who positively contribute to West Michigan, the state, the nation, and the world.
GVSU Goal 7. Grand Valley’s stakeholders are aware of and supportive of the university’s financial decisions.
Aligned OGS goal: The OGS contributes to the awareness of and support for the university’s financial decisions by GS stakeholders; and GS makes its financial decisions with transparency on grounds aligned with strategic goals.
GVSU Goal 8. Grand Valley has extensive relationships with current and new constituencies that lead to these constituencies’ involvement with, participation in, support of, and contribution of resources to the university community.
Aligned OGS goal: The OGS supports the development and maintainance of relationships with current and new constituencies which are involved with, participate in, supportive of, and contributing resources to the university graduate community.
Goal 1. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university grounded in the tradition of liberal education with well-integrated undergraduate and graduate programs appropriate to its Carnegie Classification as a “Master’s Large” institution through which students earn accredited degrees.
Aligned OGS goal: To enhance GVSU’s capacity to provide excellent graduate education experiences, by raising the voice, visibility, status, and quality of graduate education within the university and community.
University Goal(s) / University Objective(s) / GS objective(s) / Metric / Strategy(ies)Action(s) / Responsible Person/Group / Timeline / Resources
/ Status as of 12/20/10
1 / 1.1. By the end of September 2010, all colleges and divisions have current strategic plans aligned with and
supportive of the university’s strategic plan. / 1.1 Align OGS strategic plan with University strategic plan. / Checklist – Yes or No / Update and revise OGS strategic plan and set goals/objectives as appropriate. / Dean, Associate Dean, OGS Staff
/ September to December, 2010
/ Complete
1.2 By the end of September 2010, all academic and non-academic colleges and divisions will begin
implementation of their inclusion plans. / 1.2 Implementation of theOGS Inclusion plan.
/ Checklist – Yes or No
/ Support faculty and staff participation in inclusion program. / Dean / Ongoing / OGS inclusion plan complete July 2010; Updated December 2010
1.2.1: By 2012, all academic and non-academic units have fully integrated
their college’s and division’s inclusion implementation and strategic plans and processes. / 1.2.1 Implementation of theOGS Inclusion plan. / Metrics contained in OGS inclusion plan / Continue to encourage and support faculty and staff participation in inclusion program. / Dean / Ongoing / In progress
1.3 By 2012, the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees will refine and reaffirm principles of
shared governance. / 1.3 OGS will refine and reaffirm principles of shared governance through support of Graduate Council, Graduate Program Directors (GPD), Graduate Faculty, Deans Council, and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA) / Checklist – Yes or No / Improve communication, transparency, and decision making between OGS, University Academic Senate (UAS), Graduate Council, Graduate Program Directors (GPD), Graduate Faculty, Deans Council, and Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA).
Posting of OGS governance information on website. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing to 2015
/ In progress with continued posting of OGS governance information on OGS web page.
1.4 By 2012, policies governing all graduate and undergraduate degrees, programs, and courses are
aligned and integrated institution-wide. / 1.4 Coordinate the alignment of all policies governing graduate courses, programs, and degrees across all academic units. / Checklist – Yes or No when polices are compared across academic units / Assemble and post on the website a compendium of policies and procedures for graduate education. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing-2012 / In progress
1.4.1: By 2012, appropriate oversight and infrastructure support for graduate
programs and graduate students are well established. / 1.4.1 Provide leadership to the university and academic units in developing oversight and infrastructure for graduate programs and graduate students. / Checklist – Yes or No / Review and align relevant OGS policies and procedures with university and individual academic unit policies. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing-2012 / In progress
1.4.2: By 2012, policies for hiring and determining workload for graduate and
undergraduate faculty are differentiated. / 1.4.2 Provide leadership to the academic units for developing a differentiated workload for graduate education / Checklist – Yes or No / Work with Graduate Council, GPD, Graduate Faculty, and Deans Council to identify and adopt best practices from peer-matched and aspirant institutions in developing policy, procedures, and program review that are appropriate for GVSU. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing-2012 / In progress
1.4.3: By 2012, policies for hiring, compensating, promoting, and earning
tenure for graduate and undergraduate faculty are based on best practices and monitored. / 1.4.3 Provide guidance and support to academic units for developing best practices for hiring, compensating, promoting, and earning
tenure for graduate faculty. / Checklist – Yes or No / Work with Graduate Council, GPD, Graduate Faculty, and Deans Council to identify and adopt best practices from peer-matched institutions in developing a differentiated workload for graduate education. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing-2012 / In progress
1.4.4: By 2011, an institution-wide system for calculating and balancing the
workloads of graduate and undergraduate faculty at all ranks is in place. / 1.4.4 Assist and support the efforts of academic units in developing an institution-wide system for calculating and balancing the
workloads of graduate faculty / Checklist – Yes or No / Work with Graduate Council, GPD, Graduate Faculty, and Deans Council to identify and adopt best practices from peer-matched institutions in developing a hiring, compensating, promoting, and earning
tenure for graduate faculty. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing-2012 / In progress
1.5 By 2015, secure re-accreditation for 12 currently accredited discipline-specific graduate and 23
discipline-specific undergraduate degree programs. / 1.5 Assist GPDs and academic unit heads in securing re-accreditation for any currently accredited discipline-specific graduate degree programs. / Checklist – Yes or No / Meet with GPD to identify key issues by which the OGS can support reaccreditation efforts of programs. / Dean, Associate Dean, GPD, academic unit heads / 2015 / In progress
1.6 Through 2015, as a result of thoughtful, comprehensive analysis of both the benefits and costs to
the unit and university community, seek accreditation for all current unaccredited graduate and
undergraduate programs as determined appropriate. / 1.6 Assist GDPs, unit heads, and program faculty in securing accreditation for all currently unaccredited graduate programs, as appropriate. / Checklist – Yes or No / Inquire of units if additional accreditation options exist.
Meet with GPD to identify key issues by which the OGS can support accreditation efforts of programs. / Dean, academic unit heads / 2015 / In progress
1.7 By 2010, determine the university’s strategic intent with respect to online education. / 1.7 Support university efforts to determine strategic intent with respect to online education. / Checklist – Yes or No / Participate in university discussions related to online education.
Assist Graduate Council in review of online graduate courses with respect to online degree programs. / Dean, Associate Dean / 2012 / In progress
1.8 By 2011, the university develops a health strategy and plans for necessary infrastructure to engage internal and external constituents to promote inter-professional health education, scholarship, and
service programs for the 21st century. / 1.8 Support university efforts to promote interprofessional health education, scholarship, and service in graduate education programs as appropriate. / Checklist – Yes or No / Engage internal and external constituents in discussions of ways to deliver high quality inter-professional health education, scholarship, and service programs for the 21st century. / 2011 / Implement in parallel with university efforts
1.9 By 2012, develop a strategy which integrates the Office of Charter School’s activities within the
broader university. / 1.9 Support university efforts to integrate Office of Charter School's activities within the broader university. / Checklist – Yes or No / Assist graduate faculty in COE in preparing teachers and administrators for improvement of Charter Schools. / Dean, Associate Dean / 2012 / Implement in parallel with university efforts
1.10 By fall 2010, all community engagement efforts on campus are well documented and coordinated. / 1.10 All community engagement efforts on campus involving graduate education are well documented and coordinated. / Checklist – Yes or No
/ Document and coordinate community engagement through strategic planning.
Highlight community service activities in OGS Newsletter. / In progress
1.12 By 2011, faculty service to the unit, college, university, and professional communities will be
recognized through systematic processes based on best practice standards. / 1.12 Support university efforts to ensure that faculty service is recognized through systematic processesbased on best practice. / Checklist – Yes or No / Assist academic unit heads and deans by providing data regarding faculty recipients of graduate education honors. / Dean, Associate Dean / 2011
1.13 By 2011, staff performance review criteria are examined to include best practice standards. / 1.13 Assist the supervisors of staff involved in graduate education to include best practice standards. / ePDP / Utilize the new online ePDP process. / 2011 / ePDP / In progress
1.14 By 2015, the university has a well-established reputation as a leader in sustainability efforts and
model for best practices by establishing a process to evaluate campus sustainability efforts and
establishing aggressive goals to promote social responsibility, encourage environmental stewardship,
and create efficiencies and value for the work we perform. [Baseline will be established in 2010.] / 1.14 OGS to model sustainable practices and support university efforts to promote sustainable practices. / Checklist – Yes or No / Lower paper use.
Make documents available on the web site.
Recycle.
OGS to continue to print, on FSC and Green Seal Certified paper.
Promote sustainable practices and green research in PR activities.
Promote links between faculty researching and teaching in fields relevant to sustainability.
Showcase sustainability activities that units have been engaged in terms of graduate teaching, service, and scholarship. / Dean, Associate Dean / Ongoing / In progress
Goal 2. Grand Valley provides a rich, inclusive learning and working environment that attracts, retains, and supports a diverse community.