RETENTION: GOAL: By 2020 75% of students who are new to UAA will successfully complete their first semester. Success is defined as completing the admissions requirements, attaining a minimum GPA of 2.0, and fulfilling financial obligations to the University. GOAL: Increase student retention by 10% by reducing institutional barriers through the clarification of academic pathways, program requirements, course sequencing, and availability and scheduling of degree critical courses. GOAL: Increase student retention by 10% by improving the entry point experience to UAA with: Clearer communication about required steps and how to navigate UAA's processes, enforced deadlines, and improved processing times. GOAL: UAA will increase by 60% its retention of second year students by 2020. Strategies could include: (1) curricular and scheduling reforms, (2) improve advising to be more tailored to different needs of first-year, second-year, and upper division students, (3) expansion of tutoring and other academic supports for difficult gateway courses such as lab sciences, certain mathematics and engineering courses, and (4) implementation of learning communities for specific sub-populations. GOAL: Increase second to third year retention by 10% through clearer student-centered communication and the implementation of systematic, coordinated, timely, and proactive student outreach and advising.
GRADUATION: GOAL: Increase IPEDS graduation rate by 10% through clearer student-centered communication and the implementation of systematic, coordinated, and proactive student outreach and advising. GOAL: UAA will meet or exceed the national average for degree completions 3 by 2020. The details of this goal will need to be agreed-upon by the institution since we offer both the 2-year and 4-year degrees, which nationally have different rates for completion. The key is that this goal will help UAA move the needle on completion. Specific strategies could include: (1) financial and other supports to allow more students to attend full time, (2) use of automated degree audits, (3) required first-year seminar that builds on required orientation, and/or (4) summer bridge and similar supports for targeted sub-populations. GOAL: By 2020, produce more, highly qualified graduates to fill Alaska's High Demand Job Area (HDJA) positions by increasing enrollments in professional degree programs (e.g. nursing, engineering, education, and technology) by 5% and improving the 6-year cohort graduation rate. This goal would drive focused strategies in recruitment (local/state/national/international outreach, scholarships), retention (advising, scholarships, teaching, research), completion (advising, scholarships, job placement), excellence (programs offered, teaching quality, research emphasis, community/industry engagement), student-centric customer service processes, and tailored course delivery modalities (in-class, distance, partnerships with UAF, UAS, partner institutions, etc.). GOAL: Increase the graduation rate by 6% in each major in CAS by 2020 by simplifying the curriculum and enhancing advising. The goal will be to increase completion rates 2% per year for 3 years for a 6% improvement by 2020. It is anticipated that by extending the efforts at the point of recruitment and admissions, that the University will be able to continue improving the completion rate over an additional 3 years, for a 6-year improvement of 12% by 2013. This will place us at the top of our peer group assuming they don t undergo similar transformation.
WORKFORCE: GOAL: UAA will supply 40% of all workforce in Alaska by 2020 in preparing and maintaining a workforce to meet the needs of Alaska. GOAL: 80% of all graduates will obtain employment in their chosen field within 6 months of graduation. PARTNERSHIPS: GOAL: UAA will develop 50 new partnerships with communities, businesses, schools and people. GOAL: Increase collaborative projects between the City and the University by 10% to address community and regional issues such as educational attainment, health care access, housing, cultural richness, and/or economic diversification. The goal is to increase the collaborative projects between City and UAA by 3.3% each year for 3 years to increase such projects by 10% for UAA 2020. This will need to involve the dean, faculty, students, CCEL, Advancement, Administration, and City Officials and organizations such as AEDC.
ACCESS & ENROLLMENT: GOAL: Increase the number of elearning (online) student credit hours UAA-wide by 20% by 2020, while experiencing no decrease in face-to-face or overall SCH. Through coordinated campus efforts, increase number of new students taking elearning while maintaining status quo enrollment in F2F classes. o Goal addresses the SWOT Threats: declining budgets; declining enrollment; and increased competition from Outside universities. GOAL: Increase options for Alaska students to earn degrees and certificates through a competencybased education (CBE) option. Increase options for earning a degree and keep costs of earning a degree down, and potentially help those with some higher education to complete. The goal would be to have 1 disciplinary degree available in the social sciences and 1 in the humanities divisions ready to admit students AY 2020-2021. This will need to involve the dean, faculty, professional advisors, Academic Affairs accreditation, pricing, and instructional design, Student Affairs admissions, advising, the Registrar and Financial Aid, and Administration to create CBE degree and certificate programs.
RESEARCH & CREATIVE ACTIVITY: GOAL: Progressively increase student and faculty creative activity and research productivity 2%, 3%, and 5% over the next 3 years by improving underlying processes and support systems. This will be measured by monitoring number of students participating in creative activities and research and an increase in student credit hours generated as a result. There will be an increase in the number of on and off campus performances and exhibits, peer-reviewed publications and books, edited book chapters, and extramural funding by students and faculty. There will be a 67% decrease in the amount of time needed to review and grant permissions, order supplies, and receive reimbursements. This will be sustained or exceeded over the 3-year period. GOAL: Enhance and continue the growth of: research that is aligned with sustainable research and technology trends to provide impact solutions to complex problems within the state and globally; creative works of excellence in the arts and humanities; commercialization of research that will benefit society and gain recognition nationally through a quality patent portfolio and startup companies. 1) Growth of research and creative activities metrics: Year-to-year research funding growth. Annual target values: 5% increase in 2018 from 2017. 7% increase in 2018, and 2020 from previous years. Proposal success rate. Annual target values: 41% in 2018. 50% in 2019 and 2020. Number of peer reviewed publications, books, book chapters, conferences attendance and presentations, symposia, performances, and congresses. Target value: 90 per year. Number of internationally recognized creative activities (performing arts, literature, journalism) exhibitions, performances. Target value of 10 per year. 2) Commercialization of research and creative activities metrics: Number of new patent application filings (Provisional and non-provisional), will include student co-inventors. Target range: 8 to 10 annually. Conversion rate from provisional to non-provisional. Target of 70%. Number of UAA IP-based startup companies. Target value: 1 per year.
INSTRUCTION: GOAL: To improve student success by increasing the use of high impact practices by 10% per year (such as undergraduate research and other practices as best fit programs or courses) across the curriculum. We focus on the GER's because they are common to all students and provide the greatest opportunity to impact student retention, completion, satisfaction, and success. We believe that students who become more engaged through HIP's in their first year or two of courses will be more likely to pursue activities in community engagement, undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity, and pursue internships, practica, and study abroad opportunities. SUSTAINABILITY: GOAL: Build community support for & investment in UAA. Conduct a broad alumni outreach campaign to reach 30% of UAA alumni by 2020. Will be influential in helping to influence public opinion of and support for the UA, thus ensuring a bright and productive future. GOAL: Each Administrative Services unit will conduct at least one LEAN process improvement project annually which will measurably reduce complexity of an administrative service leading to: Reduction in time between request and completion of task by 20% or more, and/or Reduction in the cost to provide the service by 10% or more, per unit of service, or Elimination of an unused service, Such that excellence in service delivery is maintained or improved as affordability is supported by avoidance of cost increases.
NON-MEASURABLE GOALS SUBMITTED: GOAL: To strengthen, enhance and improve the learning environment at UAA to support student success and academic achievement. UAA departments and units can identify specific measurable objectives that will enhance the learning environment over the next three years. For example in the Library, enhancing the learning environment will include increasing access to more resources, expanding hours for study, improving the building and campus security, and involving more students in the library s information literacy instruction and in research assistance activities. GOAL: Make the university more interactive and more important to the local communities where it has a presence. GOAL: Enhancing multiple points of access to university offerings regardless of where the student may physically reside. GOAL: Creating a universal marketing campaign for all campuses, not competing recruitments.