Strategic Plan

Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan 2009-2014

Historical Context
The Division of Student Affairs created its first Strategic Plan for the years 2008-2013 to support and guide the mission and vision of Student Affairs, as well as to define our position and goals within The University of Akron structure. A Strategic Planning Committee was formed in January 2008 to begin discussions on the content and structure of a major strategic plan for the Division of Student Affairs. The committee was made up of nineteen members representing fourteen different departments within Student Affairs.  

Structure of the Plan

The plan is intended to:

1. Provide an overview of the Division of Student Affairs mission, vision, and core values.
2. Serve as a guide for each Student Affairs department in meaningful planning of its goals for each year; it will support the development of the Division in its planning of goals and strategic initiatives and direction.
3. Show that the Division is committed to the priorities of The University of Akron as outlined in the Design for Our Future Academic Plan, as well as the State of Ohio Strategic Plan.
4. Serve as a basis for decision making throughout the Division and provide guidance for both short-term and long-term strategic planning and goal-setting for programs, services, facilities, staffing and budget. The plan will evolve over time and will be updated each year to ensure that goals that are relevant to the Division and the growth of the University and students are being met and addressed.

The plan also includes an assessment document to be used consistently by all departments that report to the Division of Student Affairs. This document provides a structure to match departmental goals to those within the Division.

The Strategic Plan is intended to help facilitate progress toward establishing outstanding student service, accessible technology, and impeccable ethics. The Plan will allow for the flexibility to grow and adapt to continuing changes both on and off campus while maintaining consistency in the Division of Student Affairs.  

Section Summaries

The Strategic Planning Purpose and Process provides an overview of when and how the plan was developed during the spring 2008 semester. Throughout the spring and summer sessions, the Strategic Planning Committee met to formally discuss the purpose of the Plan, as well as to review other important strategic planning documents. Updates were provided to the Vice President and Associate Vice Presidents within Student Affairs, as well as to the Directors in the Division. The charge of the Strategic Planning Committee was to identify a method and process to enable all Student Affairs Departments to record and manage goal setting and assessment ensuring that the strategic plans and goals of each department were in line with the goals of Student Affairs and The University of Akron. The Directors of each department within the Division reviewed and discussed the Strategic Plan for Higher Education, 2008-2017, as well as the report on the Condition of Higher Education in Ohio to ensure the accuracy of the Division's Strategic Plan draft.

The Plan provides the final mission, vision and values of the Division of Student Affairs at The University of Akron.

Mission Statement

Student Affairs serves, engages and empowers all students to learn, grow, develop and succeed.

Vision Statement

Engage all students to achieve their dreams, develop pride and celebrate success.

Values Statement

Students: Our work is student centered.
Leadership: Accountability, responsibility, courage and character are the cornerstones of our practice.
Education: We develop students.
Integrity: We model honest and ethical practices in our daily lives.

The Division created several overarching Strategic Priorities for 2009-2014. All initiatives provide the Division the opportunity to focus on the success of the students at The University of Akron, and to blend with the Design Principles of the Academic Plan (leadership, engagement, innovation, inclusive excellence and assessment).

Student Affairs Overarching Strategic Priorities

The University of Akron Division of Student Affairs will:

1. Honor diversity and promote inclusive excellence and access to and in the campus community;
2. Provide accessible services and programs to promote student success, involvement and satisfaction, leading to increased retention of all students;
3. Educate and serve the students and campus community regarding personal health, wellness and safety;
4. Strategically analyze available resources and make higher education affordable for all students by advocating for additional funding to maximize financial assistance for students;
5. Meet the enrollment targets of the University and University System of Ohio by aligning our recruitment and marketing strategies to promote educational opportunities to all potential students;
6. Identify and apply state-of-the-art technology to enhance services, learning opportunities and communication;
7. Dedicate and share its professional expertise and scholarship with the campus and global community;
8. Develop an operational expense and capital improvement plan which identifies and prioritizes capital projects and purchases, and identifies options for acquiring additional internal and external funding;
9. Recruit, support and retain highly qualified Student Engagement and Success professionals to provide exceptional customer service initiatives for campus community;

10. Develop a broad assessment plan in accordance with the University's academic plan, the Student Engagement and Success mission and strategic plan and each department's mission.

Future Considerations/Recommendations

Each year, the Division will refine the Strategic Plan to ensure that the plan is aligned with the initiatives of The University of Akron and the State of Ohio. New initiatives and approaches will be added as discussions continue to take place among our students, faculty and administrators and other important constituents.

 

   Click here to see the full version of the Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan 2009-2014. 

   Click here for a blank template of the strategic plan for departments.

   Click here for an outline of department goals for 2011-2012.