Armstrong Atlantic State University—Strategic Plan 2007

Leadership through academic excellence in the arts and humanities, sciences and technology, health professions, and teacher education

Goal 1: Renew Armstrong Atlantic State University’s commitment to excellence in education.
Rationale: To provide an educational environment that facilitates the development of students into knowledgeable, ethical, thoughtful, responsible, and creative citizens.

Strategies:

1. Enhance and develop programs that emphasize critical reading, informed analysis, problem solving, written and oral communication, and other intellectual skills needed for leadership as citizens and professionals.
2. Expect and support the intellectual vitality of the faculty as teachers, scholars, advisors and mentors.
3. Assure student success as measured by student learning outcomes, academic achievement and readiness to contribute to a competitive global society.
4. Assure that academic programs are relevant and appropriate to emerging higher education needs and knowledge-based workforce demands in a dynamic, interdependent society.
5. Ensure that systematic and responsive student services are provided from the point of recruitment through graduation and continuing education.

Goal 2: Establish Armstrong Atlantic State University as a leadership institution and a dynamic partner in advancing the success of the coastal region.
Rationale: To cultivate, sustain, and expand relationships to encourage academic leadership, economic and community development, and achievement of the mutual goals of the university and its regional partners.

Strategies:

1. Forge strategic alliances that strengthen and expand existing programs, support student learning, foster economic development, and promote regional leadership.
2. Anticipate emerging knowledge-based workforce needs of the region and develop flexible, responsive and accessible academic programs, research centers, and community partnerships.
3. Communicate the university’s mission, aspirations, goals, plans, and actions, through clear, focused and consistent messages to internal and external constituencies.
4. Diversify and increase resources, achieving a mix of foundation, individual, corporate and government funds to support the mission of the university.

Goal 3: Enhance the quality of life for all members of the university community and cultivate traditions.
Rationale: To create a culture that inspires commitment to achievement of the goals of the university, supports leadership opportunities for students, faculty, and staff, encourages development of a diverse community of learners, and celebrates the unique traditions of Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Strategies:

1. Enhance the student academic and extracurricular experiences for all students, both traditional and non-traditional, within a safe, welcoming, interactive, and supportive environment.
2. Support the quality of life of employees through appropriate compensation, recognition, professional development, opportunities for leadership, and participatory governance.
3. Develop and support the corps of instruction to increase the number of tenure track faculty and maintain highly qualified part-time faculty to provide excellent teaching, scholarship, service, and faculty governance.
4. Cultivate diversity, multi-ethnic participation, and international opportunities to promote understandings of cultural differences.
5. Share and celebrate Armstrong’s history, traditions, vision, and spirit to encourage loyalty and pride among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community.

Goal 4: To achieve effectiveness and efficiency through intentionality in decision making, resource allocation, and assessment.
Rationale: To optimize the use of university resources through strategic allocations, data-driven decisions, and systematic assessment.

Strategies:

1. Establish a system of operations that assures transparent, accurate and open communication of processes and decisions related to budget, planning and capital development.
2. Develop systematic assessment within each division to ensure that measurable goals are established, reviewed, and used for on-going improvement and allocation of resources.
3. Align university resources to create a comprehensive and collaborative framework for the recruitment, retention, academic success, and personal development of all students.
4. Assure efficiency in operations through conservation of resources, preparedness for safety and security, and optimization of current technologies.