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.
BACK TO TOP
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.
BACK TO TOP
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.
BACK TO TOP
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.
BACK TO TOP
Goal I
Goal II
Goal III
Goal IV
Goal V
Goal VI
Goal VII
See also:
Strategic
goals for the President, 2006 (pdf file)
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