REDIRECTION AND BUDGET PRIORITIES: 1998-99
Indicators From Strategic Goals of 1997
Introduction
The following constitutes the president’s initial thinking concerning redirection and budget priorities for the next five years. This is considered initial thinking because the university community has not yet spoken fully on institutional priorities. This document is, in part, designed to provide a bridge between the goals and priorities identified in the Savannah State University Plan:1998-2001, dated March 5, 1997 and those that the institution might identify under a new administration and a new planning process and a new administrative demeanor.
The administration is still in the early stages of defining a planning and development process for the institution. It is expected that a full plan and process will be revealed by February of 1998. In the meantime, several formal and informal interactions have occurred with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the cabinet and other constituent groups. These interactions do not lead to contradiction with the major goals previously identified. However, this document will reveal some differences in plans to address these major goals.
Most importantly, however, this administration has identified important elements that are conspicuously absent from the University Plan: 1998-2001. These elements are most noticeably in the areas of student support, student services and campus cultural life. Additionally, the reader will find less attention in this document to image issues.
Priorities
1. Integrate Planning and Budgeting into Management Processes.
a. The University Strategic Planning Group must redefine the institutional planning and budgeting processes.
b. Planning and budgeting processes must be responsive to program, process and personnel evaluations.
c. Cause all evaluation and assessment processes to become responsive to goals and plans.
1. Enhance the Quality, Effectiveness and Scope of Academic Programs.
a. Intensify the program review process.
b. Identify priority areas for program resource enhancements.
c. Reduce the number of program offerings by eliminating low priority/low productivity programs.
d. Aggressively pursue key accreditations: AACSB, SWK, MPA (professional and regional).
e. Establish annual student/program outcomes assessment process.
1. Establish a Student Enrollment Management Program and Plan.
a. Appoint an Associate or Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs for Enrollment Management.
b. Redefine the entire recruitment to graduation process for Savannah State University.
c. Intersect enrollment management with scholarship fund enhancements.
d. Intersect enrollment management with alumni, faculty and all supervisory personnel.
1. Develop and Enhance Appropriate Technologies for Learning, Management and Research.
a. Focus enhancements on science and technology laboratories.
b. Develop more sophisticated and responsive campus and university community communications systems.
c. Create greater student accessibility to technology and information through residence hall connectivity and other means of student connection.
d. Implement web page
e. determine proper placement and identification of webmaster.
f. Enhance and strategically use distance learning and communications technologies.
g. Enhance faculty and staff technological capacity and desire.
1. Improve Physical Facilities.
a. Establish more systematic and responsive maintenance and care processes.
b. Establish a full, academically responsive Facilities Master Plan.
c. Develop aggressive pursuit of facility enhancements.
1. Human Resources Development.
a. Assess and train clerical personnel in new technology and office procedures.
b. Provide mandatory training for administrative and supervisory personnel.
c. Establish minimal standards of competence for major categories of personnel, e.g.; clerical, custodial, mechanical, etc.
d. establish new salary scale and advancement procedures.
e. Complete a comprehensive personnel audit to provide the basis for a through d.
1. Establish Regular and Usable Communications Organs.
a. Follow a pattern of regular meetings with each major constituent group.
b. Use other existing means to communicate, e.g.; residence hall meetings, school faculty meetings, staff meetings, etc.
c. Develop a president’s newsletter or similar vehicle to dispense information to all members of the university community.
d. Complete hiring of Director of Communications and Community Relations.
1. Develop and Enhance the Public Service Activities of the University.
a. Develop and implement a major business development entity for the community.
b. Continue historical and archeological developments.
c. Continue the pursuit and support of programs of volunteerism for students, faculty and staff.
d. Pursue state p-16 initiatives more aggressively.
e. Enable new degree program in African and African American studies to pursue research and development issues for local region.
f. Pursue continued enhancement of value of SWK program to community.
1. Increase Non-State Support for the Institution and Its Needs.
a. Press issue of increased grantsmanship for all faculties and programs. Include as unit and faculty evaluation measures.
b. Hold all corporate partners to responsible account.
c. Increase alumni support measurably.
d. Pursue foundation and corporate support in key areas.
e. Enable support organizations to achieve greater success.
1. Improve the Institution’s Internal and External Image.
a. Increase administrative visibility on and off campus.
b. Orchestrate public events, ceremonies and press.
c. Tell SSU story aggressively and systematically.
1. Enhance Student Support and Services.
a. Improve campus cultural and intellectual environment and institution impact on the cultural and intellectual life of the community.
b. Improve impact of career planning, grad school placement, and internship opportunities.
c. Assess student counseling and psycho-social needs and systematically develop needed services.
d. Empower students to assist each other in their address to personal and campus problems.
Process
1. Each unit must review their section in University Plan 1998-2001 and affirm, revise, or change by January 15, 1998.
a. Report must show evidence of faculty, staff, student, involvement as appropriate.
1. Plans must be submitted to President’s Planning Group by January 20, 1998 through appropriate Vice Presidents with their review commentary and statements of priority,
a. Plans must include all redirection proposals, special initiation, new funding requests and rationales (if different from University Plan: 1998-2001).
b. Rationale must clearly connect to mission.
3. Redirection plan will be revised and finalized by January 23, 1998.
