Mission, Goals and Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan
2017 - 2026

The university plan is intended to be the guiding document for academic and administrative units when developing and prioritizing their strategies for achieving the strategic goals of the university and to guide budgeting and resource allocation decisions. The hope is that decision-making will become a more decentralized process that will encourage innovation among the units, and this template is an extension of that process.

Vision

Developing a world-class environment to enhance student success and improve the
quality of life in the region and beyond.

Mission

ETSU provides a student-centered community of learning, reflecting high standards and
promoting a balance of liberal arts and professional preparation, and continuous improvement. The university conducts a wide array of educational and research programs
and clinical services including a comprehensive Academic Health Sciences Center. Education is the university’s highest priority, and the institution is committed to increasing the level of educational attainment in the state and region based on core values where:
PEOPLE come first, are treated with dignity and respect, and are encouraged to achieve their
full potential; RELATIONSHIPS are built on honesty, integrity, and trust; DIVERSITY of people
and thought is respected; EXCELLENCE is achieved through teamwork, leadership, creativity,
and a strong work ethic; EFFICIENCY is achieved through wise use of human and financial
resources; and COMMITMENT to intellectual achievement is embraced.

Values

• ETSU endorses the value of a liberal education and provides enriching experiences in honors education, student research and creative activity, study abroad, service-learning, and community-based education.
• ETSU honors and preserves the rich heritage of Southern Appalachia through distinctive education, research, and service programs and is actively engaged in regional stewardship.
• ETSU affirms the contributions of diverse people, cultures, and thought to intellectual, social, and economic development.
• ETSU offers students a total university experience that includes cultural and artistic programs, diverse student activities, a variety of residential opportunities, and outstanding recreational and intercollegiate athletic programs.
• ETSU awards degrees in over one hundred baccalaureate, master, and doctoral programs, including distinctive interdisciplinary programs and distance education offerings that serve students from the region and beyond.

Core Goals

Six institution-wide areas of focus are fundamental to the University’s vision, mission and
future success:

1. Supporting a strategic growth agenda that maximizes the student experience both inside and outside the classroom.
2. Ensuring the diversity and inclusion of people and ideas.
   
   
3. Empowering employees to make ETSU a great place to learn, work, and grow.
   
   
4. Supporting Excellence in Teaching.
   
   
5. Expanding the foundation for scholarly (research and creative activity)
   excellence and innovation in all disciplines.
6. Leading the region forward through community engagement and service.

College/Unit Overview

Strategic Mission and Vision

The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences is to support the 18 academic departments, 3 Centers of Excellence, and 3 museums in their efforts to help students develop responsive intellects: minds attuned to the beauties, the demands, and the opportunities within our natural, social, and cultural worlds.

Shares Values

• Build a strong and diverse faculty.
• Maintain high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Encourage interdisciplinary approaches to learning.
• Establish new graduate programs in appropriate areas.
• Expand faculty and student research and increase research collaborations within and beyond the college.
• Promote community involvement.
• Maximize cultural opportunities in the region.

College Overview

The College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 50 percent of all student credit hours at ETSU and is home to over 250 full-time faculty and staff. Disciplines across the college range from Art to Astronomy, from Bluegrass to Biology, and from Communication Studies to Criminal Justice. In total, the college includes 18 academic departments, three Centers for Excellence, and three museums and galleries. The college also houses the Medical Professions Advisement Program and the Behavioral Health and Wellness Clinic.

Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are nationally and internationally known researchers and scholars who are actively engaged in their various academic fields. They are also dedicated teachers and mentors to the more than 3,700 undergraduate/graduate students within the college. Programs across the college provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research in every department, with 200 undergraduate students directly involved in research projects with faculty. In addition to the many majors and minors available, students may also elect to pursue a variety of study abroad programs, field trips, internships, and community activities.

The college is expanding its offerings at sites in Kingsport, TN, and Sevierville, TN. The college offers the world’s first bachelor’s degree in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies, as well as being the hub for a university-industry, enterprise-level partnership with Adobe, also the first of its kind. The ETSU Marching Band has consistently grown over three years to become the largest in university history. In fall 2018 the Hands On! Regional Children’s Museum will relocate to Gray, TN, and partner with the college’s Natural History Museum to create an all-ages discovery center with state-of-the-art exhibits and educational programs. Finally, after years of anticipation, the James C. and Mary B. Martin Center for the Arts will open in fall 2019.

In short, faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Sciences influence the lives of students and community members through their diverse contributions and programs that make it the
largest, most vibrant college on the ETSU campus.

Major Strategic Initatives

1. Supporting a strategic growth agenda that maximizes the student experience both inside and outside the classroom.

• Support projects and initiatives that drive increased enrollment in our unique offerings and in programs where we have an advantaged offering aligned with growth opportunities.
• Enhance and expand existing academic programs to improve the competitiveness of the departments and the college to better attract and retain new students.
• Evaluate and develop significant interdisciplinary opportunities that would grow our academic offerings across departments and among colleges, providing
  new majors, minors, or concentrations to attract new students in adjacent and new discipline spaces.
• Continually improve our academic offerings in core areas to better deliver content and drive learning outcomes.
• Invest in facilities, technology, and equipment that will enable growth of our leading programs.
• Develop initiatives that support and complement university recruitment and retention efforts.

2. Ensuring the diversity and inclusion of people and ideas.

• Invest in college resources that support and promote diversity.
• Coordinate college-wide efforts with other resources and unites within the university.

3. Empowering employees to make ETSU a great place to learn, work, and grow.

• Invest available funds and resources in departments and units that allow for an increase in operating funds earmarked for professional development, travel, research support, and training.
• Evaluate and address adjunct and lecturer pay structures in order to improve employee satisfaction, reduce turnover, and improve the learning experience for students.

4. Supporting Excellence in Teaching.

• Support effective and innovative teaching methods and strategies.
• Review our courses in the general education core to ensure they are relevant, have appropriate learning outcomes and measures, and meet the needs of students pursuing majors across ETSU’s several colleges.
• Support instructional initiatives that drive efficient production of student credit hours and optimal faculty teaching loads while continuing to be attentive to student learning outcomes.

5. Expanding the foundation for scholarly (research and creative activity) excellence and innovation in all disciplines.

• Support scholarship, research and creative activity through effective application of the university’s workload policy.
  
  
• Increase the level of external grant and contract funding in several areas in the college.
• Expand grant and research activities through innovative ideas for collaboration and service.

6. Leading the region foward through community engagement and service.

• Expand and improve access to our museums, collections, archives, and related resources both physically and virtually.
• Provide access to affordable, evidence-based behavioral healthcare for families in our surrounding region through the Behavioral Health and Wellness Clinic.
• Leverage our Centers of Excellence to create positive exposure for the underlying academic programs, college, and university through outward facing programs and initiatives.
• Maximize the utility and use of the Martin Center to foster community engagement and outreach to the region, and to promote our academic arts programs.
• Intensify and expand efforts for advancement, fundraising, and alumni connections and interactions.