Strategic Plan & Mission Statement A Philosophy of Excellence

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1 Strategic Plan & Mission Statement A Philosophy of Excellence Montana Tech through exemplary undergraduate and graduate education, workforce development, research, and service builds on a strong heritage in engineering, science, and technology blending theory with practice in meeting the changing needs of society and the responsible development and use of natural resources. Theme 1: Be a National Leader in Educating Undergraduate and Graduate Students a. Be Excellent in Instruction and Student Learning Use best practices to improve retention and learning in introductory math, science, and service courses o Strive to have the best instructors in our lower level service and general education courses o Evaluate and mentor regular and adjunct faculty members to ensure quality especially in lower level courses o Evaluate staffing to determine if increasing the number of full-time faculty members and decreasing class size increases instructional quality Use or develop methods to quantitatively measure student learning b. Deliver Excellent and Responsive Advising, Retention Tools, and Placement Service Develop an advising model based on a dedicated group of well-trained faculty, and/or a professional advising office for first- and second-year students where well-trained in-discipline faculty advise upper division students Increase recruitment of students who do not require remedial coursework Develop/implement placement tools for prerequisite science, communication, mathematics, etc. courses for all entering students. Assess student s ability to use technology, reason quantitatively, and think and read critically Provide alternative courses or programs for students not meeting prerequisites for the 1st semester in their major Evaluate non admitting students until they are qualified to enroll in all the courses of the 1 st semester of their major Create a more student friendly campus environment with a commitment to customer service, more oncampus social events, and healthy traditions Continue to place more than 90% of students prior to graduation c. Use Assessment Proactively to Improve Teaching and Learning Measure student achievement against national benchmarks when and as appropriate Provide professional development opportunities for faculty in the development and use of both formative and summative assessments, including pre-assessment, in the classrooms Assess whether instructional material and methods are effective for student learning outcomes in courses and whether students are working effectively to achieve the outcomes Wherever possible seek external accreditation or certification of degree programs Establish formal periodic external reviews for programs that are not subject to external accreditation or certification Use external reviews to determine program performance leading to decisions on program continuation 1 P age

2 d. Create a General Education Curriculum that is Unique and Transforming Inspire students to read, think, and write critically Assess general education curriculum regularly, reporting every two years to the General Faculty e. Develop National and International Exchange and Service Opportunities Create a committee for international educational and research opportunities that focuses on: o Finding and advertising exchange opportunities for Montana Tech faculty and students o Encouraging and supporting faculty and students from other countries to come to Montana Tech o Developing visiting educator/research programs to bring national and international faculty to campus o Increasing support for local, national, and international service learning opportunities Theme 2: Support and Grow Research, Scholarship, and Technology Transfer a. Capitalize on Montana Tech s role as Montana s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Broad University Integrate research into undergraduate curricula including increasing the number of students involved in interdisciplinary undergraduate research/scholarly activities that include all majors o Consider requiring undergraduate research for all students in all degree programs Develop strong collaborations in undergraduate research activities that involve the humanities, communication sciences, and business with science and engineering majors Actively solicit resources to support interdisciplinary student research activities including: o Internal reallocation of funds, support for research projects from industry, research grants that include support for undergraduate teams, and grants in support of STEM pedagogy Make Montana Tech a destination school in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, & health and energy Engage Montana high school teachers and create friendships/partnerships that lead to students attending Montana Tech Increase the number of students who complete the teacher certification (with Western) in STEM areas b. Strengthen the Campus Faculty and Staff Expertise, Campus Space, and Research Equipment Expand access to appropriate scholarly journals Improve, expand, and maximize shared use of research resources and facilities with specialized equipment Develop metrics and strategies for reducing faculty instructional workloads for research active faculty in order to provide time for graduate student advising, research, and scholarly activities c. Engage and Build upon the Montana Bureau of Mines & Geology s (MBMG) Strengths as Montana s Center for Geological and Hydrogeological Research Align and integrate MBMG strategic plan with the overall Montana Tech Strategic Plan Increase the number of collaborative research projects with other campus departments Increase and take advantage of opportunities for MBMG personnel to engage in undergraduate and graduate education including having joint appointments and shared service on graduate student committees 2 P age

3 Build/create a MBMG Regional Geologic/Mining/Mineral Institute that would house the Mineral Museum Develop and annually host a Montana Geology Symposium, similar to the annual Tobacco Root Society meeting Develop more visibility and support for the Mineral Museum including considering: o Charging an admission fee for the museum o Developing an active Friends of the Museum program o Providing K-12 and/or community education opportunities o Writing grants to support the collection and for community education d. Grow the Graduate School and Graduate Programs Increase the number of graduate courses available on-line for distance learning in niche areas Create professional Master s degrees in Professional Science and other high-demand areas Create and implement doctoral programs in a small number of niche strategic areas Provide outstanding academic and career advising to current and prospective graduate students e. Create and Support Strategic Centers of Excellence (COE) Aligned and Integrated with Montana Tech s Mission Evaluate and establish a viable model and organizational structure for COEs by: o Developing metrics for reviewing and evaluating COEs on a yearly basis o Evaluating current COEs on effectiveness and relevance o Terminating inactive COEs or develop a strategy to re-start activity o Establish a level of base support and plan for both internal and external funding Task Research Office with assisting COEs in achieving national excellence by: o Identifying, winning, and applying for funding that strategically promote the centers mission o Effectively use IDCs to invest in the mission of the COEs f. Effectively Transfer Technology into Products Launch a Montana Tech colloquium series on technology transfer Provide grants to pursue entrepreneurial ideas that lead to intellectual property (IP) or funded grants or contracts Revise and maintain IP policies that include incentives for IP creation or funded research Evaluate Montana Tech s ability to convert IP into a products o Consider partnering with the private sector in order to transfer IP into profitable products 3 P age

4 Theme 3: Respond to Industry, Community and State Needs a. Support Regional Economic Development Widely communicate the synergy of education, research and economic development Increase interaction with local/regional/state industry by: o Strengthening relationships between faculty and staff with industry o Establishing Industrial Advisory Boards (IABs) in all departments b. Provide Service to Community and State Build strong relationships with high schools and in particular with schools in the surrounding five county area Integrate into curricula student engagement and public service for the community c. Develop Continuing and Professional Education Establish a Technology Committee for advancing technology use for continuing and professional education by: o Expanding distance learning courses especially at the graduate level while providing proper service o Utilize expertise on campus to develop continuing education coursework o Meet the needs of industry through certifications & training seminars o Recognize and market the current efforts in providing continuing education Theme 4: Improve our Recognition and Reputation in the State, Nation, and World a. Build a Sense of Pride in which Faculty/Staff Members Naturally Market Montana Tech Improve communication between faculty/staff and marketing department Creatively encourage faculty/staff to be more involved with events, outreach and marketing Work with faculty/staff on developing and maintaining faculty website templates b. Expand Marketing and Development to Expand and Better Serve our Communities Coordinate and improve marketing/public relations/alumni/recruiting campaigns and programs including athletics, the Foundation, departments, and all units within Montana Tech Create and maintain a high quality website with activities that include: o Hiring and retaining a skilled webmaster o Using staff or freelance creative designers/photographers effectively o Soliciting feedback from website users c. Pursue First Choice in Athletics Recruit and retain quality student-athletes, athletic staff, and coaches Expand the positive impact of Montana Tech athletics across the campus, local community, state and nation Strive to be competitive and to frequently compete for Frontier Conference championships in all sponsored sports Expand the athletic and wellness opportunities that are available to the Montana Tech community 4 P age

5 Theme 5: Secure Resources that Support Excellence a. Engage Alumni/Constituents and Create Friendships Engage key constituencies: alumni, industry, friends, community through the Foundation and Montana Tech Alumni Association (MTAA) o Effectively use faculty and staff to build/strengthen relationships with these key constituencies b. Increase Enrollment and Retention Rates Strategically recruit students who fit Montana Tech programs o Use social media to recruit students including hiring outside help for best-practices in student recruitment o Optimize recruiter travel to focus on high yield demographic areas o Identify targeted groups for increasing success and diversity of students Utilize Highlands College as a feeder system for placing remedial students into Montana Tech s 4-year programs Develop strategic on-line offerings and/or use existing on-line courses to prepare remedial students Develop scholarship award strategies that increase retention, meet student need, and increases enrollment Offer courses with a wider array of time and date options c. Recruit and Retain World-Class Faculty and Staff Benchmark, assess, and create profiles of faculty and staff reasons for coming and/or staying at Montana Tech Create opportunities for growth for current faculty and staff (career ladders, development opportunities) Establish individual and departmental goals and standards and then reward high performing faculty members Develop internal programs that encourage scholarly activities for new recruits and to retain current faculty Develop an equitable salary structure that funds the highest performing faculty members at 100% of CUPA or higher Establish endowed professorships to grow faculty Plan for cross-training continuity and replacement of key positions as we diversify our faculty and staff d. Develop and Maintain Quality Campus Facilities and Programs Update the Campus Master Plan to include: o A plan for buildings and projects including shovel-ready projects that feed into the LRBP including landscaping, architectural, and conceptual plans o Develop an acquisition plan for the North Campus o Implement/update a deferred maintenance plan and make the plan transparent to the campus o Build quality and affordable housing for students and possibly visiting faculty or visitors Have the Foundation seek naming opportunities for endowing campus buildings Evaluate the feasibility to renovate the swimming pool including supporting programing in ensure use Develop a plan for providing daycare for the children of Montana Tech employees Explore the use and feasibility of providing intra-campus and intra-city transport beyond existing bus service Build an all in one SUB that includes an Auxiliary Gym, Climbing Wall, Ballroom, Student Services, Food Court Have high quality intramural and recreation programs for students, faculty and staff 5 P age

6 Theme 6: Create a Culture and Workplace Environment that Fosters Engaged Citizenship Across Local, National and Global Communities a. Embrace and Support Diversity of Opinion, Ethnicity, and Culture Establish a Diversity Committee that will help guide the university in issues that could include: o Offering, maintaining, and expanding extra-curricular activities related to issues within diversity o Offering academic study and research-related to issues within diversity b. Foster a Culture of Collegiality and Respect Formally assess employee morale with the goal of improving or addressing troubling issues Develop a Digger Central for faculty and staff where comprehensive communication can be found Provide training and encouragement which promotes both the continual, professional growth of employees and effective interaction within the Montana Tech community 6 P age