Using Multiple Methods to Assess Progress on a Strategic Plan

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Using Multiple Methods to Assess Progress on a
Strategic Plan

• Barbara S. Pennipede
• Assistant Vice President
• Marianne M. Hricay
• Associate Director of Institutional Research
• Office of Planning, Assessment, Research and
  Academic Budgeting
• Pace University
• The AIR Forum
• May 16, 2006

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Topics

• I. Pace University overview
• II. The 2003-2008 assessment matrix
• A. Development
• B. Indicators
• C. Outcomes
• III. Lessons Learned

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I. Pace University Overview
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Pace University

• Large urban/suburban university (NYC Metro
  Region)
• Carnegie Classification Doctoral /Research
  University
• USNWR 3rd Tier National
• 4 campuses
• 8 sites
• 14,177 students
• 10,921 FTE
• 63 Undergraduate
• 37 Graduate/Professional

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Pace University

• Six Schools/College
• Arts and Sciences
• Business
• Computer Science/Information Systems
• Education
• Law
• Nursing

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II. The 2003-2008 Strategic Plan Assessment
Matrix
Development
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Moving Towards Continual Assessment
First Strategic Agenda (1992-1996) Assessment at
conclusion of plan
Pace University Strategic Plan Reaching New
Heights (2003-2008) Assessment on yearly basis
Second Strategic Agenda (1997-2002) Assessment
near conclusion of plan Assessment findings
inform new plan
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Broadening Participation
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Key Players and Relationship to OPARAB
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Building Trust Through Ownership

• Suggested indicators were submitted to academic
  and administrative units
• Deans, Directors and V.P.s with input from
  faculty and staff decided what data and
  information best represented the units results
• Indicators could be added, subtracted, or changed
  if appropriate
• Internal data primarily collected by academic and
  administrative units
• OPARAB primarily collected external data and
  assembled internal data

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Building Trust Through Ownership

• Data collection throughout the University allows
  the offices and constituencies charged with
  specific responsibilities to have input on
  determining indicators of success.
• Persons responsible for the assessment process
  also participate in analyzing results.
• Consequently, focus on the culture of evidence
  increases and trust is built in the assessment
  process.

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Strengthening Methodology
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Use of Both Quantitative and Qualitative Methods

• Quantitative
• Demographics
• Passage Rates
• Retention/Graduation Rates
• Enrollment Data
• Participation Data
• Qualitative
• Narrative
• Focus Groups
• Accreditation
• Open-ended survey questions
• Academic Program Reviews

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Diverse Sources of Data

• Internal
• Institutional research data
• Pace Scorecard
• Academic Review
• Locally developed surveys
• Internal benchmarking
• External
• NSSE
• CIRP
• Benchmarking
• US News
• AAUP
• IPEDS
• Chronicle of Higher Education

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The Resulting Indicators
were guided by four assessment decisions

• Continual assessment
• Broad participation
• Use of both quantitative and qualitative
  methods
• Use of information from diverse external and
  internal sources

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focused on the four major goals of Pace
Strategic Plan 2003-2008
The Resulting Indicators

• Strengthen Paces Academic Excellence and
  Reputation
• Reinforce Commitment to Be a Student-Centered
  University
• Strengthen Paces Financial Situation
• Celebrate the Universitys Centennial

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II. The 2003-2008 Strategic Plan Assessment
Matrix
A Representative Sampling of Indicators
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Core Objective I Strengthen Pace's Academic
Excellence and Reputation
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1. Pace faculty are essential to our success and
the emphasis on faculty excellence will be
continued. a. Pace must do all it can to recruit
and retain faculty representative of its student
body and reflecting the intellectual, ethnic,
racial and social characteristics of todays
society.
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1. Pace faculty are essential to our success and
the emphasis on faculty excellence will be
continued. b. Replace all full-time faculty
retirees and resignations on a one-to-one basis
throughout the University.
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1. Pace faculty are essential to our success and
the emphasis on faculty excellence will be
continued. d. In order to improve our full-time
faculty/student ratios and to decrease the
reliance on adjuncts, four new faculty positions
will be added each year with a total of 20 by
2008.
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1. Pace faculty are essential to our success and
the emphasis on faculty excellence will be
continued. d. In order to improve our full-time
faculty/student ratios and to decrease the
reliance on adjuncts, four new faculty positions
will be added each year with a total of 20 by
2008.
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3. Implement a strategy to become a Tier II
(U.S.News World Report) national comprehensive
University by 2008. a. Increase the recognition
and reputation of our academic strength and
emphasize the value added for each student.
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3. Implement a strategy to become a Tier II
(U.S.News World Report) national comprehensive
University by 2008. a. Increase the recognition
and reputation of our academic strength and
emphasize the value added for each student.
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3. Implement a strategy to become a Tier II
(U.S.News World Report) national comprehensive
University by 2008. a. Increase the recognition
and reputation of our academic strength and
emphasize the value added for each student.
Based on (U.S.New World Report). Years
reflect when data was collected, not the USNWR
edition.
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3. Implement a strategy to become a Tier II
(U.S.News World Report) national comprehensive
University by 2008. a. Increase the recognition
and reputation of our academic strength and
emphasize the value added for each student.
Based on (U.S.New World Report). Years
reflect when data was collected, not the USNWR
edition.
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Core Objective II Reinforce Commitment to Be a
Student-Centered University
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2. Implement programs, training and
administrative reorganization where necessary to
emphasize quality in all student, staff and
faculty contacts.
Local administration of NSSE
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Core Objective III Strengthen Paces Financial
Situation
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1. Student enrollments at the graduate and
undergraduate levels are to grow at 1.5 per year
for the next five years. This is an obtainable
and desirable growth rate.
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1. Student enrollments at the graduate and
undergraduate levels are to grow at 1.5 per year
for the next five years. This is an obtainable
and desirable growth rate.
FTEs full-time students (part-time students/
3)
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Core Objective IV Celebrate the Universitys
Centennial
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3. The celebration should be festive, sustained
and represent Paces many strengths.

• List of Events
• Kick-off events (Feb 06)
• Leaders in Management (Apr 06)
• Commencement (May 06)
• Founder's Day (Oct 06)
• University Fest (Oct 06)
• Campus Birthday Parties (Oct 06)
• Student Concerts (Oct 06)
• Employee Recognition Day (Dec 06)

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4. University Relations must develop a media plan
so that the Centennial celebration is used to
position Pace for greater media exposure and
recognition, and enhance its recognition and
reputation.
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II. The 2003-2008 Strategic Plan Assessment
Matrix
Outcomes
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Retention
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Retention

• Sophomore to Junior retention
• NSSE information
• Sophomore survey development
• Focus groups

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Retention

• Resulting actions
• Creation and piloting of Pace Plan
• Development of career exploration course
• Sophomore Kick-off Day
• Restructuring of registration, bursar, and
  financial aid offices

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Academic Restructuring

• Academic Review Commission
• Five year enrollment trends
• Contribution Margin 3 years
• Chairs responded to criteria established by
  Commission
• Review of external reviewers reports
• Provost conferred with Deans
• Initial draft
• Additional opportunities for chairs
• Continued discussion with Deans
• Final draft
• Implementation Fall 2006

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III. Lessons Learned
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Areas for improvement

• Loss of open forum
• Labor intensive
• Not user friendly
• Difficulty in seeing big picture

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Accomplishments

• Shared vision
• Shared responsibility
• Concrete goals
• Collective effort
• Broader perspectives
• Greater focus on change and improvement

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Using Multiple Methods to Assess Progress on a
Strategic Plan
Questions or comments?

• Barbara S. Pennipede
• bpennipede_at_pace.edu
• Marianne M. Hricay
• mhricay_at_pace.edu