STRATEGIC

ACADEMIC PLAN

2014-2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC / PAGE
Executive Summary / 3
  1. Introduction
/ 4
  1. The Essence of the International University of Grand-Bassam
/ 7
  1. The International University of Grand-Bassam Today
  1. Campus Growth
  2. Academic Programs
  3. Intellectual Community
  4. Physical Space
  5. Resource Decisions
/ 8
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  1. The International University of Grand –Bassam: Priorities, Goals, Strategic objectives, and Action Plans
  1. Priority 1: Ensuring Academic Excellence
  2. Priority 2: Enhancing and Growing the diversity of the Student Population
  3. Priority 3: Develop the Professional capacity of Faculty and Staff
  4. Priority 4: A comprehensive foundation-Reinforce the University US style of Education at IUGB
  5. Priority 5: Establish a System of Governance for Faculty, Staff, and Students
  6. Priority 6: Promote the Center for Continuing Education(CCE)
  7. Priority 7: Provide for Quality Assurance and University and Program Accreditation
  8. Priority 8: Supporting Education
  9. Priority 9: Enhance the engagement with Industry and University Partnerships
  10. Priority 10: Ensure resources are optimally allocated to Priorities
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25
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  1. The Path to Implementation
  1. Institutionalization of the Plan
  2. Structuring of the Implementation
  3. Establishment of Responsibility
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  1. Challenges and Benefits
/ 32
  1. Appendices
/ 34

STRATEGIC ACADEMIC PLAN (2014-2017)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The International University of Grand-Bassam (IUGB) faces both profound challenges and opportunities in the years ahead as it tries to achieve its stated aim: being a US model university that is well anchored, with practices and procedures recognized by both national and international accrediting agencies.

The following Strategic Academic Plan (SAP) uses as a benchmark IUGB’s goal of firmly establishing itself as a US accredited institution known for its transparency, accountability and academic excellence with equal access to all students, irrespective of socio-economic status, gender, or ethnicity.

The Strategic Academic Plan used as a foundation for its vision, mission, priorities, and goals, the Institutional vision, mission, goals, and priorities as stated in the Strategic Business Plan of 2011-2015. The Strategic Academic Plan seeks to outline the goals, strategic objectives, and action plans in a 3 year timeline with a defined implementation process based on these principles.

This following document includes the processes used for reviewing the current courses and future course needs for the various undergraduate degree offerings suggested. The process for the restructuring of the Pre- University Program and the Continuing Education Center is also discussed.

The support areas to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) were also evaluated and will be addressed: admissions, advising, library, registrar, human resources,educational technology (IT hardware and software needs),faculty and staff recruitment and hiring procedures, student life and services, medical services, student organizations and faculty and staff governance issues.

The Strategic Academic Plan will conclude with challenges as well as benefits and identify areas for further investigation and detail.

STRATEGIC ACADEMIC PLAN (2014-2017)

  1. Introduction

The International University of Grand-Bassam has stated in the Strategic Business Plan its strategic goals as:

1.High quality, regional and relevant education through the provision of innovative, market driven and environmentally sensitive education, research and services in areas critical to the regional economy and future development;

2.Establish a strong and effective governance structure to ensure accountability, transparency and high standards;

3.Recruit and build an ethnically, regionally and gender diverse student body, faculty and staff;

4.Secure and properly utilize the financial resources necessary to sustain the students, faculty, staff and its operations;

5.Establish collaborative partnerships with local and international organizations to enhance the educational and experiential opportunities for students and faculty to attract financial and human resources.

It became clear that a Strategic Academic Plan to ensure IUGB’s investments in the academic programs and physical improvements reflected a sound, coherent, and ambitious vision. This Strategic Academic Plan has been put in place to implement the first phase of this ambitious project.

It is acknowledged that as the University of Grand-Bassam enters a new phase in moving forward it faces the following challenges:

  • To grow enrollment by 30% a year starting with a projected 500 students in the 2014-2015 academic year, if new degrees are approved. Therefore having 650 students in the period of 2015- 2016 and 845 by 2016-2017,
  • To pursue exciting new paths of community service, teaching excellence, and applied research activity for faculty, students, business and community needs
  • Toenhance the campus infrastructure with a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) building, providing needed on campus science labs for the ones presently being offered off campus and for future computer and engineering labs. This building will house a studentwork room, offices for faculty and for lab technicians. .
  • To strengthen the academic enterprise by becoming an undergraduate and later graduate accredited degree granting university,
  • To provide the opportunity for deserving youth a strengthened program which focuses on the development of English and Math skills in order to achieve the necessary TOEFL and SAT or equivalent scores needed to enter an undergraduate degree program,
  • To serve the people of Cote d’ Ivoire while expanding throughout the region, the continent, and the international arena.

For these reasons the future development will require not only the guidance of a Strategic Academic Plan but also a strong implementation effort to ensure that the IUGB investments in both academic programs and physical improvements reflect the vision projected in the Strategic Business Plan.

This plan has been prepared by the Executive Leadership of the University as a path forward.The VPAA began to outline the vision for the OAA with the President, COO, and the Associate Deans. The Academic Vision and Mission used the University Vision and Mission as a foundation to build on, so that true cohesion will result. The following Vision and Mission statements for the Academic Office were created as follows.

VISION

To put in place an internationally recognized university based on the US model of higher education. This institution will offer a full gamut of degrees from undergraduate to doctorate levels..

MISSION

To ensure that academic excellence of the students at IUGB is achieved by offering Excellence in teaching, applied research and service by the faculty, to provide a supportive and student focused set of services and campus experiences by the staff, and to provide programs and degrees that are of interest to the students but also needed in the local, regional and global workforce. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) will strive to offer students of diverse nationalities, gender and ethnicity an education that enhances critical thinking, problem solving, and a lifelong learning attitude.

During the last week of January, 2014, a faculty meeting was held to discuss the Path Forward and the need for a close collaboration if the plan was to be successful. This was followed by the VPAA developing an overall work plan. This was shared with the COO and the Associate Deans. The VPAA and Associate Deans then began the work of defining the details for each of the Schools specific work plans. The Principles for Program Review used in this planning process included obtaining external input from the business community and governmental agencies, internal input and discussions, input from the business consultants, and from the partner institutions. This step was followed by the School of Business and Social Science and the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics faculty meetings and work team efforts. The results included the development of both a Strategic Academic Plan and the development of the degrees with supporting documents. An outline of the degree offerings seeking approval include: 5 supporting documents for each degree or minor. These were reviewed using the Criteria for new Academic Initiatives (Appendix 1)

The Pre University Program (PUP) Interim Director and a full-time faculty member met with the VPAA and COO. A discussion of the needs and goals for PUP were discussed and a work plan was developed; which included a review of the current structure of PUP in light of the admission requirements of an end goal of a TOEFL score of 71 and a SAT (or its equivalent) score of 1100. It also benchmarked other US institutions offering developmental opportunities for students seeking a university degree. The Interim Director and full time faculty member formed a work team with the VPAA to restructure and revise PUP according to the Principles of Program Review and the Criteria for new Academic Initiatives. They have also suggested a name change from (Pre-Undergraduate Program) PUP to the University Preparatory Program (UPP).

The Coordinator of the Center for Continuing Education (CCE) and the VPAA met to discuss the outreach needs of IUGB. A draft reorganization of categories of offering was defined. Dr. Jeffrey Morgan was contacted at the University of Houston (UH), a partner university, to review and give suggestions and insight for a future center and the staff needs required. A new structure containing five divisions and a name change from Continuing Education(CE) to Center for Continuing Education(CCE) was suggested.

Each of the support areas including the Registrar’s office, the Library, Human Resources, Information technology, Student Services, Medical Services, and Student Organizations were reviewed. Faculty and Student governance processes and procedures and the existing Faculty and Student handbooks were reviewed.

Student surveys were conducted to obtain the intent of students with 81 or more credits, 80 to 71 credits, and under 71 credits regarding interest in transfer to partner Universities or to obtain IUGB degrees, if approved. This allowed a Faculty sponsor to work with students in devising the survey, getting the data, compiling the data and presenting it for inclusion to this report. The importance of students giving input to future educational desires and working with a Faculty member to provide the data was seen as a step in involving students in this plan. (Appendix 2)

Private, governmental, and nonprofitorganizations were visited and/or interviewed related to future work force needs and the goals of IUGB. These included: Standard Chartered Bank, Coca Cola, Eco Bank, APEX-CI, SIR, the African Union, the African Development Bank, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The US Embassy, Unilever, Anadarko, Schlumberger, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). References including reports and studies, both domestic and international, were also consulted. Examples included the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the National agency for Employment promotion and the labor market (AGEPE) and the Confederation Generale des Entreprises de Cote-d’Ívoire (CGECI)..Several attempts were made to obtain workforce needs surveys from the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and professional associates. (Appendix 3)

Information obtained led to inferences made for Degree Programs to move forward. A faculty document containing the names of all full-time and part-time faculties in the Schools of BSS, STEM, and PUP was developed. Each faculty member’s profile indicates their name, institution granting terminal degree, degree obtained, and classes taught in the academic year of 2013-2014. (Appendix 4)

The resulting Strategic Academic Plan describes the key priorities and challenges that the Office of Academic Affairs willface in the coming years. It lists the goals and strategic objectives and an action plan for the years 2014-2017. The action plans are not as specific as intended and need to be revisited and given detail in the summer of 2014; however, the most immediate actions are cited.

The total time from beginning the research to this resulting document consisted of 6 weeks. The Strategic Academic Plan is a framework that outlines a road map for the future.

II.The Essence of the International University of Grand-Bassam

At its heart, our academic strategy must reflect and further the values that make IUGB unique and forward looking:

  • The Breath and Quality of the Pre-University Program and Future Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs. IUGB believes in providing youth regardless of gender, ethnicity, or income level an opportunity to gain a higher education. A rich variety of programs in the academic enterprise at IUGB can create a setting conducive to critical thinking, varying cultural perspectives and paradigms, an attitude of inquiry for new knowledge, and a sense of community and social responsibility.
  • A Comprehensive Foundation. IUGB believes that every student that graduates should possess literacy and numeracy across a broad range of disciplines in a standard University core and believes that this is as fundamental to success as specific knowledge within a discipline.
  • The integration and synergy of education and applied research and field experiences. IUGB aims to provide an education in which critical thinking, analysis and discovery are integral to course work. Our students can contribute to discovery through student- faculty projects, internships, field experiences and mentoring. Under the guidance of faculty, staff and private and public enterprises, students can experience a sense of application to theory for identified business or social problems.
  • The synergy of professional, lifelong learning and workplace offerings. IUGB believes that a strong Center for Continuing Education (CCE) can provide outreach to the business community, the public sector, instructors, staff, and local and regional community members. Language acquisition in English, French, and additional languages as requested , work place skill development, academic test preparation and examination, professional and management seminars, training for specific in house business needs can all provide a connection with just in time learning needs for our constituency.
  • The value of contiguity. IUGB believes that a vital intellectual community can thrive when the entire scope of the academic facility is located in close proximity in order to foster formal and informal interactions that lead to productive collaboration.
  • The primacy of public service. IUGB recognizes a core purpose is to serve and benefit the people of Cote d’ Ivoire and the region. It is important to provide outreach to underserved communities and to provide for economic growth and innovation through the development of human capital.
  • A partnership of students, faculty and staff. IUGB recognizes the contributions of all parties and believes that they are essential and inseparable. No group can excel without the support of the others and each must have adequate resources for IUGB as a whole to succeed.
  • Excellence in every endeavor. IUGB must ensure each element of the academic areas of teaching, applied research, and service contributes to academic excellence. This requires IUGB to recruit and retain the right people from the full talent pool and to provide the resources needed for them to excel. However, the thrust of the university is to put in place a robust set of high quality undergraduate degrees that meet local and regional needs.

III.The International University of Grand –Bassam Today

The need for a sound and coherent academic strategy at IUGB is driven by a confluence of several factors, both internal and external:

  1. CAMPUS GROWTH

The Ministry of National Education projects the number of university age students in Cote d’Ivoire to grow to 273,559students by 2015-2016. As part of the University-wide strategy to accommodate this increased demand and the demand of the future workforce of a frontier economy such as Cote d’ Ivoire, we look forward to expanding our efforts. This expansion encompasses the implementation of four year undergraduate degrees in the School of Business and Social Sciences and in the School of Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics.

We will continue to offer transfer opportunities as well as future study abroad programs through our partner universities in the United States. We will also seek to design workforce-friendly graduate degree programs in fields such as Project Management and Business. We will continue to offer the Pre University Program for deserving youth in their preparation for a US model university experience.

The campus will also need to serve the continuing education and lifelong learning efforts of community participants. There will need to be a facility in Abidjan and in Grand-Bassam for this purpose.

This growth will affect the present location and the future campus. These efforts will require a strategy to expand our physical facilities. This will be addressed in a separate section.

We must manage our portfolio to ensure that IUGB students obtain a quality university experience at the IUGB campus. It must also serve the participants from the community in achieving their lifelong learning goals.

  1. ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Not only do existing fields of study continue to evolve, but new fields that transcend traditional schools will emerge. The future lies in collaboration and IUGB will nurture and encourage such initiatives, through the organization of the initial School of Business and Social Sciences and the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The physical and organizational design must meet challenges ahead. The schools will continue to grow as needed.

The profile of demand for our academic programs will also evolve as the workplace and outside world changes. One trend of concern to IUGB is the number of Pre-University students and two-year completion students, that at the present time, cannot complete their bachelor’s degree at a US modeluniversity in Cote d’ Ivoire. This is due to our lack of undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees offered at the present time.

We have a priority of seeking approval for a few well planned degree offerings that meet student needs and that are in demand in the work place. For these and future degrees, we will seek approval so that faculty can be hired, courses and curriculum can be developed, labs can be designed and interested students can be recruited. The timeline will reflect this intent. We want to retain what makes IUGB unique; however, it is also essential to be able to respond to long term fundamental trends. Wewant to change the current statistics obtained from the Office of the Registrar that indicated in the student exit interview the main reason for leaving IUGB was to transfer to a degree granting university. We want to become the degree granting university that students choose first.