STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
2004-2009

Goal I: Continue to design and implement academic programs that are responsive to the UMES mission and are systematically reviewed for sustained quality, relevance and excellence to meet the challenges of a highly competitive and global workforce.

The five year academic plan will: (i) reflect the University's Land Grant Mission and allocate resources necessary for successful implementation of programs essential to meeting the needs of students and the State of Maryland, (ii) ensure that all academic offerings are current and relevant to challenges of competitive global workforce and intellectual expectations of post-baccalaureate education, (iii) provide traditional and nontraditional students with numerous opportunities for intellectual growth and development, as well as sociological and cultural enlightenment by offering flexible and innovative curricula, co-curricula and extra-curricula programs, (iv) promote an environment of personal and academic integrity among students and faculty, (v) continue to identify opportunities for professional development for faculty to strengthen and improve student learning, especially in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), and (vi) promote excellence in all areas of scholarship. Strategies to be used will include the following:

I.1 The University will conduct regular academic program reviews to monitor program productivity and remain relevant to workforce needs of the state and nation.

I.2 The University will seek national program accreditations for eligible programs to add value to the degrees and to position the programs for greater funding opportunities and improve placement for graduates.

I.3 The University will develop a comprehensive international program to support: (i) Student Study Abroad, (ii) international students and scholars, and (iii) globalization of the curricula.

I.4 The University will increase the use of ICT for teaching and learning and further develop its distance education course offerings.

I.5 The University will infuse more research and creative activities to improve the learning experience of undergraduate students.

Goal II: Promote and sustain a campus environment that supports a high quality of life and learning and that responds to the needs of a diverse student population.

The University must continue to provide a nurturing and supportive environment that will promote student satisfaction, encourage leadership and intellectual pursuits and make allowance for a diverse student population. The belief that a high quality of life and learning can coexist in an educational environment must be solidified by the university continuing to offer a wide range of learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom.

In order to achieve this goal, members of the university community must engage in the ongoing development of students. The environment must reflect a deep commitment to students' academic, moral, and personal development. Additionally, the environment will be one that models positive attitudes and fosters a system of reasoning based on principles, ethics, an interaction with other students and faculty. Strategies to be used will include the following:

II.1 The University will target new program initiatives to enhance the campus environment through student engagement and community partnerships.

II.2 The University will use multiple approaches to provide student-centered financial services to both undergraduate and graduate students.

II.3 The University will continue to develop the visual, verbal & performing arts to enrich t he cultural environment for students and the larger community.

II.4 The University will increase collaboration among student/faculty/staff governing bodies.

II.5 The University will advance a seamless approach to enrollment management using student-centered approaches to application, admission, advising, matriculation, and graduation processes.

II.6 The University will develop and conduct ongoing customer service training workshops for all campus personnel.

II.7 The University will update and periodically monitor the UMES Campus Crisis Emergency Plan in order to reduce or eliminate loss of life and property damage due to natural, technological and/or criminal hazards (e.g. floods, hazardous materials, etc).

II.8 The University will continue to maintain the physical facilities to ensure a safe, healthy, and attractive place for living and learning.

Goal III: Enhance university infrastructure to advance productivity in research, technology development and transfer; contribute to an enhanced quality of life in Maryland; and facilitate sustainable domestic and international economic development.

UMES aspires to become a Carnegie "Research-Intensive University". To attain this status, the University will promote excellence in all areas of scholarship, particularly graduate education and research, and enrich its undergraduate teaching with research opportunities. The plan calls for (i) the development and implementation of a University-wide Research and Development Plan that sets priority themes for research, scholarship and creative activities consistent with Carnegie classification of "Research-Intensive University", (ii) continuation of attracting and retaining high caliber faculty, and (iii) provision of adequate research and development infrastructure.

The University is committed to providing educational services that attract and support economic development initiatives. The University will initiate new research and development activities that will facilitate sustained economic development while addressing environmental issues critical to the Eastern Shore and the State. The University's teaching, research and community services in allied health, agribusiness and related industries will be enhanced to contribute to the quality of life in Maryland. Strategies to be used will include the following:

III.1 The University will target academic, research, and cultural programs that contribute knowledge and solutions to state, national, and international problems with special priority in the areas of information technology, teacher education, allied health, and international development.

III.2 The University will enhance the Research and Development Infrastructure to advance productivity in research, and technology development and transfer.

III.3 The University will seek funding to increase opportunities for interdisciplinary research between UMES' academic schools and establish a Center for Social, Human, and Economic Development Research.

III.4 The University will (i) recruit and retain a highly qualified and diverse faculty, (ii) enhance research and laboratory facilities, and (iii) collaborate and partner with other universities and agencies in biosciences and technology to advance knowledge and solutions for the state, and the nation.

III.5 The University will enhance its faculty development program to increase faculty productivity in learning, inquiry, and engagement.

III.6 The University will enhance its honors undergraduate program and increase research and experiential opportunities for undergraduate students.

III.7 The University will leverage the reputation and strengths of existing UMES Research and Development Programs to increase local, national, and international research and development partnerships with public and private institutions.

III.8 The University will advance its commercialization and community outreach initiatives by developing and marketing university resource capabilities, innovative product research and intellectual property in order to enhance economic development locally and throughout the state.

III.9 The University will develop programs to prepare faculty and students to resolve environmental problems in the state.

Goal IV: Redesign administrative systems to accelerate learning, inquiry and engagement (outreach)

An effective infrastructure for high quality academic programs, innovative research, and mutually beneficial engagement requires ongoing review of administrative systems in order to maintain progress towards eminence. Excellence is created and sustained by systematic synergy between resource capability and stability, resource allocation, curricular reform and program review, faculty recruitment and retention, and philanthropic and entrepreneurial partnerships which are all crucial to sustained excellence and essential to the support of student learning. Administrative systems will be consistently reviewed and adjusted to ensure a firm infrastructure capable of sustaining progress and excellence throughout the University. The redesign of administrative systems will target enhancement in the areas of strategic planning and resource allocation, faculty recruitment and retention, faculty development and scholarship, capital planning and improvement, technology infrastructure and resiliency, commercialization and entrepreneurial innovation, and community collaboration/partnerships. Strategies to be used will include the following:

IV.1 The University will allocate resources to support academic programs and research that contribute knowledge and solutions to address state, national, and international priorities.

IV.2 The University will use systematic visioning and planning strategies to create and maintain UMES Centers of Excellence.

IV.3 The University will allocate resources to support and maintain consistency with the Maryland Technology Plan and support academic scholarship in learning, discovery, and engagement.

IV.4 The University will revitalize its recognition and reward system to acknowledge productivity in learning, discovery, and engagement.

IV.5 The University will review its Capital Improvement Master Plan to ensure support of strategic initiatives in learning, discovery, and engagement.

IV.6 The University will consistently use the UMES Designated Research Initiative Funds (DRIF) Plan to support faculty research, commercialization, and partnerships.

IV.7 The University will (i) expand partnerships with business and industry, (ii) governmental agencies, (iii) community-based organizations, and other institutions of higher education.

IV.8 The University will enhance its engagement with the community and constituents to increase student, faculty, and staff contributions.

IV.9 Continue to maintain and expand the University's land-grant mission in the Eastern Shore community with a special focus on outreach initiatives in Somerset and other counties.

Goal V: Efficiently and effectively manage the resources of the University and aggressively pursue public and private funds to support the enterprise

Conventional wisdom indicates that the cost of higher education to students will increase in the future, while state and federal government funding may continue to decline. There will be cost increases in tuition, books, special fees and living expenses for students. In order to ensure that high quality education is accessible to all students including those who are economically and socially disadvantaged, UMES will strive to explore and utilize a variety of methods to support student access and success. As necessary, current policies and procedures will be revised and developed that encourage efficient management of resources. Different technologically enhanced methods of delivering instruction/learning will be utilized to make the university enterprise more cost-effective. In addition, course redesign strategies that reduce instructional costs will also be explored. More resources will also be leveraged from partnerships with business and industry, through grants from philanthropic organizations, from alumni contributions and capital campaigns to ensure adequacy of resources to fulfill the University's mission. Strategies to be used will include the following:

V.1 The University will conduct baseline assessments throughout all divisions to understand current trends to inform future decision-making and best practice in resource management.

V.2 The University will develop process and procedures manuals to standardize daily operating procedures throughout the University to serve as a guide to new employees.

V.3 The University will establish and implement policies and procedures that ensure the integrity, accuracy and completeness of institutional data used for accountability and to support continuous improvement initiatives

V.4 The University will continue to implement a comprehensive and integrated assessment process for institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes and use results of assessment to make changes in programs and services.

V.5 The University will develop policies and procedures that motivate managers of budgets to manage their budgets responsibly.

V.6 The University will encourage all its divisions, departments and units to seek continuously new ways of enhancing the resources available to it including increasing grants from government, business, and industry and philanthropic organizations.

V.7 The University will increase alumni giving and diversify sources of grants for developing research infrastructure, scholarship, and student support.

V.8 The University will support faculty development and opportunities by providing training and technologies they need to deliver high quality instruction and conduct research.

V.9 The University will collaborate with communities, including business and industry and keeping them informed of activities, events and programs at UMES.

V.10 The University will continue to implement an integrated institutional strategic plan which links planning decision-making, enrollment management, budgeting, resource allocation, and evaluation.