Members absent: Charlene Alexander, Shaheen Borna, Linda Hanson, James McKenzie, David Ober, Ben Tietz, Marilyn Weaver
Interim Provost Deborah Balogh convened the meeting at 7:40 a.m.
Announcements
Dr. Balogh thanked the group for meeting at a time when many people are on vacation.
She said that President Gora has asked the task force to re-think its timeline. There needs to be time for vice-presidential areas, colleges, and departments to become involved in the strategic planning process and time for the new Provost to become a part of the planning.
With this in mind, the task force will finalize Goals, decide upon a few Objectives, and perhaps expand upon the Operating Principles. The next step will be for units, beginning mid-Fall, to work on their part in the plan. Dr. Sabatine and others will help provide for consistency within the plan. Dr. Balogh asked the group to finish the skeleton of the plan during the meetings of today and tomorrow.
Discussion of Values and Culture
Dr. Balogh then turned the meeting over to Dr. Sabatine, who called upon Dr. Whitaker to explain what his subcommittee had done.
As background, Dr. Whitaker explained that he had led a Ball State team to a conference of the Higher Learning Commission this summer, at which time the team learned of a list of new criteria for accreditation. Dr. Whitaker distributed the Commission's "Criteria for Accreditation" dated January 1, 2005, and stated that it is now necessary to incorporate those criteria into our strategic planning. The criteria will be circulated within the university, and assessment will play a major role.
Dr. Whitaker reported that his subcommittee had met to brainstorm Goals and also to discuss a proposed Values and Culture statement. In the process, attempts were made to complement the Vision and Mission statements. The subcommittee saw the Values and Culture statement as a preface to the Strategic Plan. An attempt was made also to define key words that were not defined in the Values portion of the current Strategic Plan. In addition, the subcommittee tried to make the Values and Culture statement inclusive because it was thought that in the last cycle of strategic planning, many people, including staff, did not see themselves as part of the plan. Dr. Whitaker acknowledged the work of Linda Hanson in drafting the proposed statement distributed to the task force for discussion.
In the discussion that followed, these comments were made:
- Sentence l: It expresses what happens at Ball State beyond the classroom (for example, the CICS Social Learning program).
- Sentence 1: Can we leave out this sentence? It sounds like the public schools' open-walls classroom concept, popular at one time. Another possibility would be to use a different modifying phrase at the end of the sentence.
- Sentence 1: Some task force members thought that it could mean anything, but others thought it was a "rich statement" because it could mean so many things.
- Sentence 1: Perhaps there should be a period after "open learning community."
- Sentence 1: The word "unfettered" does not fit the style of the rest of the document. Instead, there should be a word that is inspiring, but stylistically appropriate. However, some task force members felt that because the statement should inspire, language "over the top" might be a good idea.
- Sentence 1: This would be a good sentence to discuss in our colleges.
- The first sentences of sections 2 and 3 are very effective.
- The second section connects well to the first.
- Section two, sentence 2: In regard to "celebrate," can "celebration" be mandated? "Respect" would be better. (By consensus, it was agreed to substitute "respect" for "celebrate.")
- Section two, sentence 2: Should we say that we "invite diverse cultures" or "welcome diverse cultures"? It was suggested that one of our Key Strategies might be to invite diverse cultures (such as the growing Hispanic population) to our institution.
- Section two, sentence 3: Re-word the end of the sentence to read ". . . and we seek to serve, engage with, and learn from members of our community, the state, nation, and world. (By consensus, it was agreed to accept this re-wording.)
Dick Bellaver moved that the amended "Values and Culture at Ball State University Statement" be approved with the proviso that the Communications Subcommittee would yet revise the first sentence. Marilyn Buck seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Discussion of Vision Statement
After a short break, the task force re-convened to review its proposed Vision statement. There were a few reservations about the phrase "national model." Other members stated that because Ball State is "a well-kept secret," there does need to be a focus on striving to be a national model; the phrase is really all about the pursuit of excellence.
Marilyn Buck moved adoption of the Vision Statement of June 21, 2005, without further emendation. Michael Maggiotto seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Discussion of Mission Statement
A question was raised about whether professors create scholarship. However, no change in wording was proposed.
Kevin Smith moved adoption of the following Mission statement:
Ball State University is an innovative, supportive academic community that inspires students by:
- Providing extraordinary access to professors who create scholarship to advance knowledge, improve teaching, and transform learning;
- Offering action-oriented learning, including immersive out-of-class experiences, research, and study-abroad; and
- Engaging state, national, and international communities to enhance educational, economic, and cultural development.
Tom Kinghorn seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Discussion of Goals
Dr. Whitaker stated that his subcommittee had been dissatisfied with the six goals of the existing plan. The members prefer concisely stated, but broad goals. Therefore, it recommends the following three goals:
- Learning: Ball State University will be a best practice institution for undergraduate and graduate learning.
- Scholarship: Ball State University will support and reward faculty and student scholarship in discovery, application, teaching, and integration.
- Engagement: Ball State University will engage in professional activities to address local, state, national, and international needs and foster a collaborative, mutually beneficial relationship with its diverse constituencies.
In the discussion that followed, the following comments were made:
- The goals have to be broad in order for departments to find their place within the plan.
- Will these three goals work for vice-presidential areas other than Academic Affairs? (Task force members from other vice-presidential areas said that they would.)
- There is a longevity value in these goals. They might not have to change in five years, but the objectives could.
- Instead of writing a lot of objectives, we should leave it to the units concerning how to "fit in." Units should also respond to the whole plan rather than just the goals.
- These three goals are the core business of higher education.
- Can we leave it to chance that units will understand how to think about and write objectives? Dr. Twibell commented that another university's plan used bullet points under goals to provide "characteristics" in the writing of objectives.
Discussion of Key Strategies [or Operating Principles]
Discussion included the following comments:
- The second Key Strategy should read "Create an inviting environment for diverse and talented students, faculty, and staff."
- The last four Key Strategies have already been integrated into our current Strategic Plan.
- We need to be certain that some of the strategies we have been holding in abeyance do not get lost
- These are not really principles.
- We need to say somewhere that we value all parts of the university in attaining the goals. We need to be explicit.
- Why not use the proposed Key Strategies in an "implementation guide"?
- The procedural part should come last in the Strategic Plan.
- The final SWOT Analysis should be part of an implementation guide or handbook. Or should it be omitted altogether from both the Strategic Plan and the proposed guide?
- Maybe the box labeled Proposed Key Strategies [or Operating Principles] should "go away" from the Strategic Plan and fit into a "how-to guide."
- We need a timeline from units for achievement of objectives because objectives should be re-written in three to four years.
- Would two documents (i.e., the Strategic Plan and an implementation guide) be confusing? Is it better to provide more information or less?
- Should we utilize the idea of "characteristics" found in another university's document?
- It would never be too early to provide the HCL criteria to the units, so perhaps the criteria need to go into the implementation guide.
- It would be wise for the Administrative Group to meet again. It was a good vehicle for providing information.
Continued Discussion of Goals
After a short break, the group continued to discuss the three proposed Goals:
Goal l: The comment was made that it needs to reflect that we do selective admissions. The goal was re-worded to read: "Ball State University will be a best practice institution for undergraduate and graduate learning for students seeking a rigorous academic experience."
Goal 2: There were no further comments.
Goal 3: There was some concern that there was no mention of engagement in professional organizations. The goal was reworded to read: "Ball State University will address local, state, national, and international needs through professional activities that foster collaborative, mutually beneficial relationships with its diverse constituencies."
Michael Maggiotto moved to accept the goals as amended. Dan Lutz seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Continued Discussion of Implementation
Renee Twibell explained in more detail the idea of giving units "characteristics" or strategic directives to work with as they determine objectives. She thought it might be better, however, to place these in the implementation document. Perhaps a list of strategic directions might serve as a preface to a section on "Setting Objectives."
Dr. Twibell moved that "characteristics" (strategic directives) be given to units. Marilyn Buck seconded the motion. The motion carried.
Renee Twibell will meet with volunteers Lawrence Cunningham, Dan Lutz, Michael Maggiotto, Frank Sabatine, and Don Whitaker to draft some characteristics (strategic directives). The recommended strategic directives will be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the Strategic Planning Task Force.
A final suggestion was that a series of workshops should be held across campus to introduce the Vision, Mission, and Goals with the implementation document serving as a tool for units.
Continued Discussion of Goal 1: Learning
At the request of several members of the task force, the group returned to a discussion of Goal l.
Michael Maggiotto moved that the goal be amended to read:
- Ball State University will promote academic excellence among undergraduate and graduate students seeking a rigorous learning experience.
Dan Lutz seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Announcements and Adjournment
Dr. Balogh announced that because of the progress made during the morning's meeting, tomorrow's scheduled meeting would be canceled.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.
RELATED LINK:
Agenda for August 9, 2005