SECTION FIVE: FUTURE PLANS

Looking ahead to the 2012 visit, Fitchburg State College has identified a number of initiatives that will be in progress or completed in the next five years. These include: review of the college mission and its goals and objectives; continuation of the strategic planning process;development of a comprehensive academic plan and continuation of the program review process; implementation of the newly approved Liberal Arts and Sciences core requirements; further development of the culture of assessment, including annual analyses of the data; annual audits; a capital campaign; the construction of new campus facilities and the improvement of existing physical and technological resources; and regular review of the college web site to insure all information is accurate and up to date.

The current Mission of the college has been in existence since 1998. At that time, the overview statement was revised and there were some modifications of the goals and objectives which had been identified in a college wide revision of the mission in 1992. The Mission and the goals and objectives need to be reexamined by the college community to delineate a vision of the future for the college and its students. The Executive Cabinet recommends that this process occur in 2008 to insure that it is well-established prior to the 2012 visit. As part of the Mission development process, the college’s special focus on Leadership will be reviewed to determine whether it meets the needs of the college, its programs and its students. Student outcomes related to the mission will also be established for the college as a whole.

The current Strategic Plan will be concluded in 2009. By examining the Mission in AY 2008, the college will be prepared to identify planning goals which will carry the college to 2012 and beyond. As noted in Standard two, the Vice President & Provost for Academic Affairs began working with the department chairs and academic affairs administrators on a Comprehensive Academic Plan in AY 2006. This work is continuing and is expected to be ready for submission to the ACC in spring 2007. The Comprehensive Academic Plan will further strengthen the planning process of the college as a whole and encourage departments and disciplines to plan more effectively for the future. The program reviews which are essential components in the comprehensive academic plan will be continued for the next five year period.

The Liberal Arts and Sciences Program, a new set of core requirements which are identified in the Overview and in Standard Four, is in the implementation phase. The LAS Committee, an ACC committee composed of ten faculty members from a variety of academic disciplines, is working with the Associate Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education to facilitate this implementation. The committee is currently developing clarification and methods for approving courses that will meet the requirements of the new program. Full implementation of the program will begin in fall 2008 for all incoming students. Students enrolled in the institution will be allowed to transfer to the new set of requirements in spring 2008. The new requirements also will have an impact on college publications such as the catalog and the college web site. New degree audits will need to be developed and additional advisor training workshops to insure that all advisors understand the requirements will be conducted. Full implementation will take at least three years.

As identified in section two under the special emphasis on assessment and in the relevant standards, the College will continue to develop a culture of assessment in a number of ways. First, the data from various assessment instruments being used by departments will be collected into a database that will enable reports to be generated and used by the departments for continuous improvement. For most departments, this will be TK20 although this may not work for all. Second, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Program and the LeadershipAcademy honors program assessment measures will be used to measure outcomes of students under each of these programs. Third, the NSSE survey will be given periodically to identify how the College is doing on student engagement measures. This data will be reviewed for the institution and goals for the institution with regard to the NSSE measurements will be established. Fourth, the office of Academic Affairs will continue to provide support for individuals and departments to attend conferences and workshops on assessment. These events include discussion with their peers about what is working in assessment. Fifth, outcomes assessment data will continue to be included in the program reviews.

In the area of Finance, the College will have annual financial audits to insure that it is following best auditing practices and to provide the president and the board of trustees with confidence that we are fulfilling our fiduciary responsibilities.

The College is currently in the silent phase of a capital campaign by the Fitchburg State College foundation. The goal of the campaign is to raise $12.5 million for the following priorities: laboratory equipment and technology; athletic facilities; campus renovations; academic programs; student scholarships; and faculty development.

The President has identified new facilities for the delivery of science courses as critical to the students, the faculty and the academic programs of the college. Working closely with the Board of Higher Education and DCAM, the College has developed a plan to demolish Parkinson Gymnasium on the central quadrangle and add a new wing to the CondikeScienceBuilding which also would be renovated in the process. This project is included in the list of one to five year projects in the Master Plan which has been developed for the College, the BHE and DCAM. Also included in the Master Plan for the same time period are renovation of the AnthonyBuilding to be a one stop service center, the construction of residential housing in Mara village, and the continuation of the reclamation of North Street in collaboration with the city of Fitchburg.

The College will also continue to improve existing physical and technological resources. Classroom modernization, the creation of additional technologically enhanced classrooms, the improvement of faculty offices, necessary and desirable technological upgrades, and the modernization of college facilities will continue to be college priorities.

Finally, since the web has become the major site for information for prospective students, current students, college employees and the interested public, all college publications will be reviewed and analyzed in terms of how they are presented on the web. This will include the college catalog and the student handbook.