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president's message introduction vision strategic plan acknowledgments

strategic plan

This is a strategic plan designed for changing times. Spare in structure, it identifies seven goals designed to further the University's mission in good times or bad. The objectives and outcomes that accompany each goal give specificity and direction to the strategies that follow, and provide a means of marking progress. The strategies will generate actions that can be adapted to alterations in the University's external or internal circumstances.

Underlying this flexibility, however, is a set of bedrock values and a redefined vision of this institution as a "bridge to opportunity." San Francisco State University remains committed to access; to pairing that access with excellence; to seeking and supporting diversity in all its forms; to educating students for lives of principled, compassionate and active citizenship; and to modeling on campus the world in which we would like to live.

The strategic plan which follows is designed to take us forward toward these ends.

Goal I
San Francisco State University demonstrates commitment to its core values of equity and social justice through the diversity of its students and employees, the content and delivery of its academic programs and support systems, and the opportunities for both campus and external constituencies to engage in meaningful discourse and activity.

Objectives
1. SFSU facilitates teaching, learning, and work experiences among students, faculty, and staff that promote equity and social justice within a respectful and safe environment.

2. SFSU facilitates understanding and appreciation of human diversity expressed in the world's rich array of cultures, languages, religions, intellectual and political perspectives, ethnic and racial backgrounds, and disability, gender, and sexual identities and experiences.

3. SFSU develops the cultural and professional skills students and employees need to participate as informed, responsible, and active members of diverse communities at levels from local to global.

4. SFSU promotes a sense of intragroup and intergroup understanding, pride, and community.

Outcomes
1. There will be increased diversity in both the hiring pools and the employment and advancement of administrators, faculty, and staff capable of promoting understanding of equity and social justice.

2. Faculty, staff, and administrators will participate increasingly in training activities to support teaching, research, and service related to equity, diversity, and social justice.

3. The ideals of equity, diversity, and social justice will be increasingly incorporated into academic curricula, student and faculty research, and co-curricular activities.

4. Members of the University community will exhibit increased cultural and global competency through greater participation in cultural, ethnic, and international collaborations.

5. An increased number of graduates will be prepared to advocate for equity and social justice in their careers.

6. Students will exhibit an increased capacity to interact, learn, develop, and thrive within the complexities of SFSU's diverse community.

Strategies
1. Provide resources to the University community for training programs and professional development regarding diversity, equity, and social justice.

2. Provide leadership to implement diversity plans for the recruitment, hiring, and retention of faculty and staff.

3. Provide opportunities for faculty to incorporate equity and social justice issues in teaching and learning.

4. Increase efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate students from underrepresented groups.

5. Develop and provide opportunities for ethnic, cultural, and international collaboration.

6. Develop activities that promote civil discourse, understanding, and pride within and among groups.

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Goal II
San Francisco State University makes writing central to education and ensures
that its graduates write proficiently.

Objectives
1. SFSU promotes excellence in its students' writing.
2. SFSU values and supports research and scholarship in the field of writing, including the pedagogy of writing.

Outcomes
1. Within two years of approval of the strategic plan, all departments will set forth criteria, at all levels including the master's thesis, that define performance expectations for writing. These criteria will measure students' proficiency in writing and their capacity to reflect critically on work in their chosen discipline.

2. There will be more student, department, college, and University journals and forums devoted to the production, dissemination, and scholarly discussion of writing.

3. Greater numbers of papers on writing pedagogy by faculty, students, and staff will appear in refereed journals.

4. All General Education Segment III courses will conform to the requirements for proficient student writing, including the revision process and attention to style as well as content.

Strategies
1. Assess current writing programs and policies.

2. Provide adequate support services for students, faculty, and staff to develop and improve writing and writing pedagogy at all levels.

3. Encourage capstone and/or portfolio reviews of student writing at the program level.

4. Seek external funds to establish a campus center or institute devoted to writing and writing pedagogy, support special writing programs, and endow a chair in composition.

5. Identify a person or committee to take the lead in implementing strategies for improving writing.

6. Hold all students to stated standards for writing, including critical analysis in written exposition, by basing assessments on the explicit criteria articulated by departments and providing students with examples of poor, good, and excellent writing.

7. Integrate into General Education and the various majors specific requirements for student writing.

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Goal III
San Francisco State University offers high-quality post-baccalaureate education
widely recognized for its intellectual value and contribution to society.

Objectives
1. SFSU fosters the rigorous intellectual skills necessary for a diverse population of graduate students to succeed professionally and continue learning throughout their careers.

2. SFSU supports faculty and graduate student scholarship, professional practice, and creative endeavors that contribute to knowledge within and across disciplines and also serve the community.

3. SFSU evaluates its graduate programs on a regular basis for continued quality and currency.

4. SFSU supports effective, high-quality, graduate programs and promotes a limited number of "signature" programs.

Outcomes
1. SFSU will be a campus of choice for graduate study in recognized program areas.

2. SFSU will employ procedures and criteria that evaluate all graduate programs in terms of their currency, quality, viability, and relationship to the University's mission.

3. There will be increased support for faculty and graduate student scholarly and creative endeavors, especially those that promote equity, social justice, and diversity; interdisciplinarity; internationalization; and collaborations beyond the University.

4. Graduate students will demonstrate their acquisition of program-defined intellectual skills and their fulfillment of clearly defined performance expectations.

5. Increased numbers of SFSU students, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, will obtain graduate degrees at SFSU and beyond.

Strategies
1. Establish University-level criteria to assess graduate program quality and viability and integrate those criteria into a revised process of academic program review.

2. Establish a broad-based process for designating "signature" graduate programs.

3. Call for individual graduate programs to develop and enforce clear performance expectations, conforming to field or discipline-determined standards, both for themselves and for their students.

4. Increase resources for faculty and graduate student scholarship and creative endeavors by supporting discipline-specific, interdisciplinary, and University-wide seminars, symposia, workshops, and public events that facilitate both intra-University intellectual discourse and engagement with scholars, practitioners, and artists from beyond the University.

5. Provide training in grant writing supportive of the University's graduate endeavor for a greater number of faculty in all fields.

6. Support increased opportunities for graduate students to secure teaching and research assistantships, internships, and traineeships.

7. Provide increased outreach and support for highly qualified SFSU students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, who aspire to attain advanced degrees at and beyond SFSU.

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Goal IV
San Francisco State University provides its students, faculty, and staff
with international experiences, perspectives, and competencies.

Objectives
1. SFSU infuses international content into its curriculum.

2. SFSU promotes study abroad for students and international exchanges for faculty as priorities for internationalization.

3. SFSU engages international students and scholars as important resources for internationalization.

4. SFSU ensures campus-wide support of internationalization at all levels of the institution.

Outcomes
1. All graduates will demonstrate knowledge of international issues and skills in interacting with cultures other than their own.

2. One-third of all graduates will have significant international experience, with the number of students in formal study-abroad programs doubling.

3. Two-thirds of all graduates will be able to communicate in more than one language.

4. Half of the University's faculty will have significant international experience and expertise.

5. There will be more diversity in study-abroad participants, locations, and disciplines covered.

6. There will be more diversity in international student/scholar origins and their fields of study at SFSU.

7. International students and scholars will play a prominent role in campus internationalization.

Strategies
1. Integrate international components into the curriculum.

2. Engage international students and scholars as resources in teaching, learning, and community life.

3. Require a second language for graduation in disciplines with an international focus.

4. Increase faculty international expertise through participation in international seminars, conferences, exchanges, and professional travel.

5. Reward faculty contributions to internationalization.

6. Review campus policies, procedures, practices, and priorities to ensure support for internationalization.

7. Create a community advisory board and increase fund-raising efforts to support international education.

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Goal V
San Francisco State University provides its students, faculty, and staff with the resources
that enable them to participate fully in university life.

Objectives
1. SFSU facilitates an open, participatory process through which institutional practices are continually aligned with the University's values, vision, and strategic plan.

2. SFSU ensures that all campus, satellite, and virtual environments are clean, navigable, and accessible to graduate and undergraduate students, employees, and community members.

3. SFSU makes its curriculum accessible to all students through expanded support for course and program offerings that are flexibly scheduled and available in alternative formats and locations.

Outcomes
1. Levels of participation in decision-making and planning will increase.

2. There will be an improved sense of trust and respect among all areas of the University.

3. The level of student satisfaction with course availability and access will be higher.

4. Delivery of educational services will be more cost-effective.

5. Orientation and navigation for all SFSU locations, both real and virtual, will be improved.

Strategies
1. Establish career planning and mentoring services for employees to identify paths for professional development and advancement.

2. Bring together small groups of employees and students from various departments and other units to develop improved and more effective work practices and systems.

3. Offer high-demand and targeted courses year-round, on weekends, and/or via distance learning to facilitate scheduling and to accommodate student needs.

4. Conduct ongoing assessment and prioritization of environmental, technological, and informational needs followed by implementation of appropriate solutions.

5. Enhance and develop programs to make SFSU physically safe and accessible.

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Goal VI
San Francisco State University is a recognized leader in providing intellectual,
social, and cultural resources to the expanded community.

Objectives
1. SFSU is a vibrant and readily accessible center of intellectual, social, and cultural activity for campus and community participants.

2. SFSU transcends traditional boundaries of time, space, pedagogy, and accessibility in providing educational resources to the community.

3. SFSU promotes and highlights increased levels of civic engagement among students, faculty, and staff.

4. SFSU is widely recognized as an institution of professional development and lifelong learning.

Outcomes
1. The number of both on-campus and off-campus individuals who attend and participate in SFSU events and activities will increase.

2. The number of SFSU faculty and staff who serve as resources to the broader community, including the K-14 educational community, will increase.

3. There will be an increase in courses delivered through alternative methods, schedules, and locations.

4. The number of students, faculty, and staff participating in community-based service partnerships will increase.

5. The number of individuals in targeted populations (e.g., alumni/ae, professionals, older learners) seeking educational opportunities focused on career advancement/change and/or personal enrichment will increase.

Strategies
1. Create a process to examine and improve the relevance, convenience, visibility, and appeal of University events.

2. Create a process to showcase SFSU students, faculty, and staff who serve as intellectual, cultural, and social resources to the broader community.

3. Establish roles for SFSU faculty and staff as intellectual resources involved in long-term regional projects.

4. Support outreach and partnership efforts focused on improving the quality of education for K-14 students, including providing professional development opportunities for K-14 faculty.

5. Support and recognize faculty members and departments/programs for delivering instruction by alternative methods that rely less on campus resources, especially facilities, and/or extend the population of students served.

6. Provide incentives and/or assistance for faculty, staff, students, and partner organizations to engage in community-based service activities.

7. Develop self-sustaining instructional programs focused on professional development for the evolving employment market.

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Goal VII
San Francisco State University's internal and external constituencies understand
its purpose and value and find these a source of connection and pride.

Objectives
1. SFSU enhances its visibility, image, and name recognition through coordinated and integrated publicity efforts both within and outside the University.

2. SFSU makes a strong institutional commitment to developing long-term relationships with key stakeholders: alumni, friends, past donors, potential donors, and community and civic leaders.

Outcomes
1. The packaging, delivery, and visibility enhancement of the many images of the University will be better coordinated.

2. SFSU will be recognized as a premier public urban university of choice for education, service, and research.

3. There will be greater understanding of the University among both internal and external stakeholders who can be a source of support for University efforts and programs.

Strategies
1. Using the University's new vision statement, create and generate support for an integrated action plan that communicates consistently about the University and enhances its public image.

2. Present consistent messages in materials produced by all University units in order to help increase the public's awareness of and respect for the University's work.

3. Develop more ways to track and enhance relations with recent graduates and other significant stakeholders.

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Goal I

Goal II

Goal III

Goal IV

Goal V

Goal VI

Goal VII

See also:

Strategic goals for the President, 2006 (pdf file)

president's message : introduction : vision : strategic plan : acknowledgments : report home