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STRATEGIC PLAN 2003-2008, JANUARY 2004 Viewable in PDF or MS Word format [About the School of Ed] [CCSU Home] [CCSU Strategic Planning Homepage]
School of Education and Professional Studies / Central Connecticut State University Copyright © 2004 [Central Connecticut State University]. All rights reserved. Modified: E-mail the [webmaster] Section I: Mission and Context
In the fall of 2003, members of the School of Education and Professional Studies (SEPS), representatives from our Advisory Councils and key practitioners, participated in several departmental, school-wide and Unit-wide meetings to engage in a Strategic Planning process. This plan identifies the major goals and initiatives that the SEPS will undertake over the next five year period. Throughout these meetings the current Mission Statement for the SEPS was reaffirmed as the foundation from which to consider future goals and initiatives.
The Mission of the School of Education and Professional Studies The faculty of School of Education and Professional Studies constitute a professional school dedicated to the quality preparation of professionals in education and other human service settings. As an integral part of Central Connecticut State University’s history and traditions, the faculty in the school embrace the university’s mission and commitment to "encourage the development and application of knowledge and ideas through research and outreach activities." Guided by the purpose of preparing leaders for service in diverse communities, it is our mission to provide leadership for: Preparing beginning teachers to serve in the region, the state, and the nation; providing advanced preparation to administrators, teachers, counselors, specialists, and other educational leaders; providing advanced preparation to specialists in physical education, counseling, and nursing; applying principles of learning and assessment through a variety of technologies to guide our own best practice and that of practitioners in the professions; developing knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for professional practice and community service through learning experiences that are rich in diversity of perspectives, values, attitudes, and beliefs and that are enhanced by active reflection; influencing educational and social policies at the local, State, and national levels.
Context and Rationale Profound changes have taken place in recent years, changes that require the School of Education and Professional Studies to rethink and realign its programmatic and structural priorities (See Appendix A). Specifically, state and federal legislative action in the form of No Child Left Behind, Title II and renewal of the Higher Education Act placed a heavy emphasis on the use of standardized tests and scientific-based research for evaluating the efficacy of schools and will have a significant impact on public education. Failing schools, that is, schools where students fail to make adequate yearly progress or fail to meet testing goals can be reconstituted or taken over by the state or a for-profit group, and teachers who fail to pass state mandated exams (Praxis) will not receive certification. Concurrent with the pressure exerted by these legislative actions, the employment market in education will require more highly qualified and skilled professionals (teachers and administrators) to fill central and school-based administrative posts as well as teachers for regular and special need classrooms; consequently, alternative routes to certification and competition from out-of-state for-profit colleges and agencies is growing. Future conditions of K-16 public education require that our graduates understand the moral and ethical imperatives of their work in a society that is continuously changing, that is driven by unbelievable advances in technologically in all fields, in a diversifying culture that is dominated by corporate hegemony and unequal distributions of wealth and power. Further, our graduates will need to know how to balance the expectation for public accountability with their own need for life-long professional advancement. Specifically, the skills of performance analysis (student learning) and peer collaboration (organizational improvement) will be expected at all entry level positions. The role of educational professional, as well as physical and mental health professionals, will continue to change as new modes of learning are supported via the introduction of new technologies and the continuing expansion of human growth. Pressures exist in the all areas served by the School of Education and Professional Studies. In the field of Physical Education and Health Fitness Studies, for example, countless reports indicate the decline in the health and wellness of America’s youth--thus the clear need exists for more and better trained physical educators and health promotion specialists. In nursing, the dearth of well-trained practitioners beyond the RN level is an exceedingly pressing issue state-wide. Counselors and therapists must be prepared to face the numerous challenges to the provision to high quality mental health services to an ever-changing society within a managed care environment. These needs define our challenges and opportunities, and lead us naturally to both affirm many of our current priorities while also suggesting new initiatives that complement or restructure existing priorities. The following section details the strategic priorities of the SEPS for the next five years.
Section II: Current Priorities Strategic Directions To effectively plan for the future, fulfill our mission and structure priorities to ensure their relevancy, the faculty strategic planning meetings held in the fall of 2003 (See Appendix B) focused on the complex and profoundly important political and economic forces shaping the intellectual and professional landscape our students will encounter upon graduation. Based on discussions at all levels of the Unit (See Appendices C and D), the following five strategic directions were identified. Each strategic direction will be used to frame current and future initiatives of organizational priority as perceived by the faculty, the SEPS Advisory Board, and other representatives of our professional partners.
Program Quality a. Undergraduate Programs b. Graduate Programs c. Certification Programs d. Centers and Labs Student Performance and Success Faculty Quality and Development Partnerships with Constituent Communities Organizational Effectiveness e. Structure f. Administrative Functions g. Alumni Outreach and Development
The strategic directions were used to classify the many initiatives generated throughout the strategic planning process (See Appendix E). In Section III the strategic directions will be used to identify broad goal areas for the SEPS to invest its human, financial, and organizational resources in over the next five years to move our School closer to the vision expressed in our mission statement.
Sections III & IV: Gap Analysis, Goals and Strategic Initiatives
The external and internal factors identified in the context section of this report, along with the expressed priorities, present a dynamic environment that will require the SEPS to be far more responsive to the needs of our respective professional fields, the state and local communities. To achieve this higher degree of responsiveness, five goal areas have been developed to address the difference between where the SEPS is currently and where it would like to be in the future. Based on these five goal areas and the environmental scan, strategic initiatives were identified through a prioritization process involving faculty, community members and administrators. These initiatives, representing both continuing priorities and new opportunities and directions, are presented below within each goal area.
Goal Area 1: Enhance Program Quality Rationale: As a state institution, CCSU must continue its leadership role in the preparation of educators and professionals who work in educational and human service organizations. Our changing society demands highly-adaptive professionals and educators who are prepared to work in diverse urban, rural, and suburban settings; with English speakers and speakers learning English; and with learners with a wide range of abilities and previous experiences. We need a more culturally diverse educational force, and we need to stem the tide of educator dropout and burnout. We need professionals who understand research-based practices and can help transform the institutions in which they work. Long-range trends involving accelerating changes in diversity, technology, and global economic structures require professionals in all these settings to be highly innovative, adaptive and accountable. We must take a multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach that builds on the inherent expertise in our faculty, departments, Centers and Labs, and across the university to create programs that are aligned with these important local, state and professional needs.Strategies: Enhance Program Quality h. Undergraduate Programs i. Graduate Programs j. Certification Programs k. Centers and Labs Maintain the school’s full NCATE, Nursing, Athletic Training, and Marriage and Family accreditations Clarify and strengthen the role, purposes and activities of our centers and labs so they can better serve the educational needs of our students, faculty and community partners. o Assess the management of all clinical placements (field experiences, students teaching, etc) to ensure all departments and all students are being served efficiently and effectively to meet educational objectives Continue to improve and expand the use of web-based platforms and on-line options to enhance course delivery and provide a managed approach to the use and purchase of available technologies Develop performance outcome requirements in technology Strengthen and refine the Ed.D. program to establish and maintain high quality doctoral level research for all students Develop innovative options (structures and programs) to those currently available at CCSU that will allow qualified students to become certified teachers. These options must meet CCSU high standards of scholarship and skill development while attending to the needs of the growing number of second career adults looking for teaching certification. An uncompromising attention to quality will guide the development of these programs—programs that will help CCSU meet the marketplace demand for highly qualified teachers with uncompromising skill. Weekend and summer programs and targeted cohort models aimed at particular areas of teacher shortages are under consideration. Develop an MAT in all fields in which we currently provide teacher certification Develop new majors, programs and programmatic links to ensure students have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to succeed in their chosen fields. o 2) a Special Education track that provides certified special education teachers with needed advanced training, 3) a Department of Physical Education and Health Fitness track that would enable certification candidates in physical education to also become certified in health education, 4) a new major in Physical Education and Health Fitness focusing on Health Promotion, 5) a Counseling and Family Therapy Department effort to broaden and refine its offerings to secure CACREP and CORE accreditations, and 5) a Nursing initiative to create a MS program.Consider ways to strengthen programs through interdisciplinary connections Improve reading preparation throughout all teacher education programs and revisit subject major and general education requirements and make appropriate adjustments to ensure program quality. Strengthen program assessment systems and develop systems for areas that do not have assessment systems in place. Link courses and syllabi with the unit conceptual framework
Goal Area 2: Enhance Student Performance and Success Rationale: The overarching aim of the SEPS is to ensure our graduates attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be highly qualified, caring, and competent professionals, exhibit leadership skills that lead to student success, and advocate for excellence and equity in education. This requires an attention to student performance and engagement at all levels of the program. Our student-centered philosophy must go beyond the activities in the classroom to account for such important variables as the quality of advising, mentoring, and professional socialization and support. The SEPS is committed to preparing students to enter the workforce with the technological, analytic and leadership skills to be successful in today’s professional environment. Developing effective relationships with students on campus is one thing, maintaining that relationship over their career is another. The SEPS will explore methods to create and energize our alumni base to help maintain our vitality and to help new graduates enter their profession in Connecticut. Strategies: Student Performance and Success Strengthen and refine recruitment, advisement and retention policies and practices. Monitor course availability, course offerings and professional activities, such as clubs and organizations that support student success and ensure timely graduation. Provide clear and accessible information to students on program requirements, policies, and procedures through multiple media, including the web page Emphasize the need for clear and correct advising Encourage support for student diversity Encourage students to learn and apply skills in technology Develop procedures to assess student dispositions
Goal Area 3: Support Faculty Development and Collaboration
Rationale: The SEPS will continue to support faculty collaboration within and across departments and the university. The need for interdisciplinary programs, innovative certification programs, and for dissertation advising of Ed.D. students will require faculty collaboration and support. Only through faculty collaboration will we be able to model a variety of effective instructional, technological, and evaluation practices for diverse student populations. Support to engage faculty and external partners in action research projects that foster organizational improvement and client learning is a growth need to be explored. Faculty collaboration is at the heart of continual professional development to ensure currency and accuracy in our scholarly work and promote excellence in teaching, research, and professional growth. Finally, collaboration contributes to the vitality and advancement of the University, the School, Department and one’s discipline and can be used as a magnet for recruitment and retention of a highly qualified and diverse faculty. Strategies: Faculty Quality and Development Recruit, mentor and retain the best faculty. Develop effective relationships and strategies within and outside the university to secure grants and contracts that support the work of faculty in service to the student and professional communities. Provide appropriate staff development for faculty who will teach and supervise dissertations in the Ed.D. program. Provide faculty development in assessment and technology Encourage faculty to pursue opportunities for research and scholarship
Goal Area 4: Enhance Professional Partnerships with Constituent Communities Rationale: A defining characteristic of the future will be the creation of a variety of sustaining partnerships aimed at improving the quality of teaching, scholarship and practice. With limited state funding opportunities, external funds will be necessary. Extending the relationship with our PDS network and other K-12 and professional organizations helps maintain CCSU’s presence at the state, national, and international level. The SEPS is committed to developing more responsive, collegial, and effective models of interaction called for by the complex challenges faced by today¹s communities. The SEPS seeks to become a School whose faculty, students, and staff anticipate and respond to societal challenges through direct involvement with constituents in its programmatic efforts in research, teaching, and outreach. Strategies: Partnerships with Constituent Communities
Continue to work closely with community schools through our PDS network and the other agencies affiliated with the Nursing, Counseling and Family Therapy, and Physical Education and Health Fitness Studies programs Create a Center for Research and Professional Renewal that will work closely with public schools to help them meet state and federal student achievement and professional development needs. This center is envisioned to be a fee-generating entity providing needed support to schools along with the opportunity for CCSU faculty to provide leadership in the educational community through their scholarship
Goal Area 5: Improve Organizational Functioning Rationale: The SEPS will continuously examine its goals, structures, and resources, including space and facilities, in order to be responsive to the needs of our students, faculty, the people of Connecticut, and other national and international constituents. We will work to develop a process of continuous improvement that incorporates feedback from faculty, staff, graduates and other stakeholders to critique and revise policies and procedures that promote student learning and faculty collaboration. Fundraising, grant writing and management, and self-sustaining programs will be more important in the future, the structures and policies of the SEPS must be aligned to facilitate these funding possibilities to enhance the overall effectiveness of the School.Strategies: Organizational Effectiveness Refine and improve methods, procedures and technology for the gathering, entering, managing and analyzing data for the purposes of quality assurance, program improvement and mandated reporting requirements. Review and clarify the SEPS unit structures, policies, practices and relationships within the university and throughout the community, and adjust to support quality education. Review existing space resources and identify needs for facilities linked to program growth, changes, and innovations Encourage communication among programs and departments in SEPS Develop effective links to CCSU the SEPS alumni to support and enhance the school’s reputation and program quality Explore ways to more efficiently coordinate international programs across the school and the university Assure that all NCATE policy recommendations are implemented by SEPS These are the types of changes in the university structure that are associated with achieving the goals of the SEPS Strategic Plan. These are offered as suggestions for conversations that may benefit other Schools of the University, not just the SEPS. A. Direct development support A stronger link with the Office of Institutional Development is necessary to establish the capacity to work directly with the many the SEPS alumni. B. Direct financial control A re-examination of the financial policies and practices of the University should be considered. Establishing cost centers at the level of the School to result in a more efficient and expedient allocation of resources that can be directed to the achievement of strategic initiatives. C. Seed Funding for Center for Research and Professional Renewal To assist school districts, human service agencies, and health related organization to engage in professional and organizational renewal, the initial funding for a .5 director and .5 clerical staff will be required until such time that sufficient contracts are generated which will cover the costs of the Center. D. Grants Person/Office of Management Within the SEPS there should a .25 FTE professional staff member who will be able to help faculty identify and secure grants and contracts. This office requires a .5 clerical staff member to assist with the management of grants and contracts.
APPENDIX A
Environmental Scanning and Working Assumptions
Thoughts and Assumptions Regarding Strategic Planning for the School of Education and Professional Studies Ellen Whitford
Within the next five to ten years: The School of Education and Professional Studies should work to achieve its mission and goals with the expectation of quality preparation for our graduates. Most of our graduates will live and work in Connecticut and will be expected to meet the workforce demands of Connecticut. As we transition in our mission to include doctoral study, we must maintain high standards for our programs, students, and faculty. The teacher shortage will persist with significant retirements among the current teaching force. There will be increased pressures for alternate routes to certification and Schools of Education will need to be response to this need while maintaining consistent quality in teacher preparation. An emphasis on scientific-based research, scientific-based decision making, and scientific-based assessment data will be increasingly necessary. Teacher preparation programs will be expected to prepare teachers to make decisions based upon scientifically based research/evidence. There will be scrutiny regarding the teaching of reading and mathematics. Teachers and administrators will be held accountable for safe schools and classroom management. The nursing shortage will persist at all levels, including the Ph.D. in nursing for faculty in university programs for the preparation of nurses. Health care and wellness will be important issues for society. Health Education and Parenting issues will become an emphasis in schools. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act may result in greater accountability for higher education overall, and teacher education in particular. Changes in Title II will require more specific data on success of teacher candidates in passing tests of content and pedagogical knowledge. There will be increasing accountability for higher education: Cost of higher education/Value of higher education Accountability for outcomes Accountability for faculty productivity Assessment data/Scientific basis for decision making Quality of advising, including retention and graduation rates No Child Left Behind will continue to be an influence on K-12 Education and Teacher Preparation Our Ed.D. will require development as the first cohorts of students advance through dissertation stages and complete the degree program. This will impact faculty resources for dissertation committees. Faculty will need to be engaged in research and scholarly activity appropriate for doctoral level advising and teaching. This has implications for qualifications of new faculty hired. There will be other areas that may initiate doctoral programs, some within the school and others within the university. Growth of the Ed.D., if it occurs, should be carefully monitored to assure that programs are high quality and have adequate resources. Our current level of resources will remain unchanged or decline. It is unlikely that additional faculty lines will be available. In order for new program development to occur, we will have to reallocate resources from current, low productivity programs. We must consider where we want growth to occur: undergraduate/graduate. Although this does not have full agreement across campus, it seems that the university will project more growth at the graduate level while maintaining current levels of undergraduate students. The role of the community college will become increasingly important and articulation agreements from 2-year to 4-year colleges will need to be developed. This will require additional resources for advising. The School of Education and Professional Studies will continue to attract sizeable numbers of transfer students. Accreditation standards for all of the programs in the SEPS will guide program revisions and development and we will need resources to maintain these accreditations. We will need to achieve CACREP accreditation while maintaining all others. Our linkages with the community – schools, agencies, health care facilities – will be of increasing importance. Partnerships and collaborations will be necessary. Our PDS network will require focused attention – changes in the partner schools may occur. We should consider our outreach programs and determine the extent to which growth is appropriate. This is particularly true of international programs. We will be expected to seek and acquire external funding; however, these activities must be relevant and aligned with our mission and goals.
The Process of Strategic Planning for the SEPS
The Process for Strategic Planning October 1, 2003 – The existing Strategic Plan is shared with the Department Chairpersons October 7, 2003 – A packet of materials, including assumptions for university planning and school planning, are shared with the Department Chairpersons to be used for department meetings focusing on priorities. Department Chairs will review materials and begin to develop priorities with department faculty. October 15, 2003 – Chairs Council will meet with the dean to discuss priorities and departmental feedback on the existing strategic plan; Chairs Council will review gaps, focus priorities, determine emergent issues, and provide some ideas based upon the questions: If we had a crystal ball, how would we see the SEPS 5-10 years from now: Which units and activities in the SEPS will still be in tack pretty much the same as today? Which units and activities will still be present but substantially modified? Which units and activities will have been eliminated? Which units and activities will have been added to the SEPS as a result of launching school-wide or university-wide strategic initiatives? In the short term how should we prioritize our existing activities In order for us to achieve our vision of the future, what has to happen in other Schools, the University, and in the CSU system? Following this discussion, the Dean and the Chairs Council will plan for School-wide review of strategic planning priorities (following a process of similar questions; and establishing of priorities) October 29, 2003 -- Department Chairs will refine priorities and bring feedback from meetings/discussions with department faculty. Ongoing discussion of priorities will lead to clarification of issues for school-wide meeting. November 3, 2003 - Meet with faculty representatives on the Long-Range planning committee to analyze and summarize initial priorities/ideas from departments. November 13, 2003 - School-wide meeting for strategic planning to be held at ITBD in New Britain. Faculty and the SEPS Advisory Group will be invited. Focus will be on establishing and ranking priorities using process If we had a crystal ball, how would we see the SEPS 5-10 years from now: Which units and activities in the SEPS will still be in tack pretty much the same as today? Which units and activities will still be present but substantially modified? Which units and activities will have been eliminated? Which units and activities will have been added to the SEPS as a result of launching school-wide or university-wide strategic initiatives? In the short term how should we prioritize our existing activities In order for us to achieve our vision of the future, what has to happen in other Schools, the University, and in the CSU system? November 17, 2003 - Meeting with Faculty Long-Range planning group to review and summarize outcomes from the SEPS school-wide meeting; Develop draft of strategic plan document November 20, 2003 - Draft of the Strategic Plan document, -- based on school-wide planning meeting -- will be shared with the SEPS-GC for discussion. Request feedback and comments no later than December 1. December 3, 2003 - Council of Chairs will review draft of the Strategic Plan, consider faculty feedback, and finalize document. Following this meeting, Chairs will share document with departments. December 4 - Council of Chairs and the SEPS Advisory Council will meet to review and discuss the Strategic Plan and NCATE UAB/BOE reports.
December 17, 2003 - Strategic Plan for the SEPS will be submitted to Provost Arends.
Challenges and Directions Generated at November 13 The SEPS Planning Session Challenges Organized by Group Nov 13, 2003 The SEPS Strategic Planning Meeting (Raw Brainstorm Data)
Directions Organized by Group Nov 13, 2003 the SEPS Strategic Planning Meeting (Raw Brainstorm Data)
Minutes of the SEPS Long-Range Planning Committee November 17, 2003
November 17, 2003 Notes- Long-Range Planning Committee
Prioritized Initiatives by the Council of Chairs December 4, 2003 SEPS PrioritiesCouncil of Chairs December, 2003
STRATEGIC DIRECTION ONE: Program Quality A. Undergraduate Priorities
B. Graduate Priorities
Certification Options
D. Centers and Labs
STRATEGIC DIRECTION TWO: Student Performance and Success
STRATEGIC DIRECTION THREE: Faculty Quality and Development
STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOUR: Partnerships with Constituent Communities
STRATEGIC DIECTION FIVE: Organizational Effectiveness A. Structure
B. Administrative Functions
C. Alumni Outreach and Development
The SEPS--Strategic Planning I. Current Priorities II. Gaps and Goals III. Strategic Initiatives IV. University Changes A. Direct development support V. Cost-Benefits |
