Goal 1: Strengthen student learning
Strategies
· Promote the value of a Liberal Arts & Sciences education and its place at the College to ensure that all students understand the value of the liberal arts experience.  (PI 4, 5, 6)
· Ensure the high quality of all undergraduate disciplinary programs. (PI 2, 3, 4, 6)
· Improve the quality of instruction at all levels in all disciplines. (PI 1, 2, 6)
· Support and nurture interdisciplinary and international programs. (PI 5, 6, 7)
· Ensure the quality of graduate programs. (PI 3)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1.  As a result of 50 new faculty hires and a decrease in freshman enrollment under the Fourth Century initiative, average class size at the College will drop from 25 to 23, the FTE-IFTE student-faculty ratio will drop from 15:1 to 14:1, the percentage of classes at the College with fewer than 20 students will increase from 28 percent to 31 percent, the percentage of adjunct faculty (excluding teaching assistants) will drop from 27 percent to 23 percent.

2. The Provost will establish an ad hoc Committee to study class size and to report its findings to the faculty by fall 2003.  The Committee will consider the pedagogical, facilities, and staffing implications of various combinations of class sizes.

3.  Using the Accreditation and Peer Review fund in Provost’s Office, allocated on recommendations by the Deans, all majors in disciplines with appropriate external accreditation and all graduate programs subject to external accreditation will be accredited.  Where accreditation does not exist, each major and program will be demonstrated to conform to recognized disciplinary norms based on an external, independent review every five years.

4.  Each major will have a synthesizing and/or capstone experience. Departments will use funds allocated by the Deans of their Schools to create or enhance such experiences. Actions taken will be presented to the Provost in the annual reports of departments and schools.

5.  By providing enhancement funds to the Schools, the Provost and Deans will establish an appropriate framework to ensure the high quality of interdisciplinary and international programs. The Office of Academic Affairs will ensure that these programs be regularly evaluated and, where appropriate, strengthened and better integrated with the curriculum.

6.  The Honors Program will enhance the learning community of its students with improved living spaces, services, and academic guidance. By improving the quality of services, accommodations, and co-curricular activities, the number of students living in Honors residence halls will increase by 10 percent per year for the next three years. The additional assistance provided by enhanced Honors housing, mentors, and staff will result in a 5 percent increase in retention in and graduation from the Honors Program.

7.  The access to study and travel abroad programs will be increased by twenty additional students per year through the awarding of need-based scholarships for this purpose.
 
 
 

Goal 2: Assure a high quality, diverse, and engaged student body
Strategies
· Strengthen programs to recruit a high quality and diverse student body. (PI 6, 7)
· Strengthen programs to retain and graduate a high quality and diverse student body. (PI 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)
· Increase student participation in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. (PI 1, 3)
· Increase the number and quality of post-graduate scholarships and fellowships awarded to our students. (PI 9)
· Promote the values of integrity, diversity, civility, and collegiality as integral to curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs. (PI 1, 3)
· Strengthen student-faculty research and scholarship at the undergraduate and graduate level.  (PI 3)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1. The College will develop a proposal for a holistic, common student experience that focuses on the first year. Components of this holistic experience will include a common academic experience, orientation, pre-enrollment communications, advising, Convocation, Residence Life, extra-curricular activities, alumni communications and activities. Some aspects of this experience might be distinguished for freshman and transfer students. In addition to creating a sense of community, the First-Year Experience should demonstrate to students the complexity of the intellectual experience and help them to develop higher order thinking skills. The Academic Planning Committee will assume responsibility for the academic component of the First-Year Experience and submit to the Faculty Senate a proposal for this component by Fall 2003. In developing this proposal, the committee will coordinate its efforts with those of the Ad hoc Committee on Retention, the Ad hoc Committee on Communication across the Curriculum, and Student Affairs.

2. The Provost will constitute an Ad-hoc Committee on Communication across the Curriculum. The Committee will develop a proposal coordinating College efforts to improve students’ oral and written communication skills and present this proposal to the Faculty Senate by fall 2003.  This committee should coordinate its efforts with the Academic Planning Committee with the idea that the academic component of the First-Year Experience might incorporate the goals of the Communication across the Curriculum program and vice versa.

3.  Student involvement in active curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular experiences will increase as the result of the establishment of an Office of Student Involvement/Service Learning, the creation of a framework for designing and implementing a common first year experience, the increase in funding for faculty-student research, the hiring of a graduate assistant for co-curricular activities, the establishment of course development stipends, the creation of a framework for strengthening the Honor Code, and various other initiatives listed above. This increase will be measured by tracking the number of students with co-curricular transcripts and the responses to student-engagement surveys such as NSSE.

4. As a result of hiring and retaining a high quality and diverse faculty, of developing of a holistic student experience that focuses on the first year, of creating a multicultural center, and of implementing other Fourth Century Initiatives, the freshman to sophomore retention rate of College of Charleston students will be at or above 90 percent, and the six-year graduation rate of College of Charleston students will be at or above 65 percent

5. As a result of the hiring and retaining a high quality and diverse faculty, of developing a holistic student experience that focuses on the first year, of creating a multicultural center, and of implementing other Fourth Century Initiatives, the freshman to sophomore-year retention rate of African-American and other minority students will be at or above 90 percent and the six-year graduation rate of African-American and other minority students will be at or above 65 percent.

6.  The average of combined SAT scores of first-year entering students will increase to 1200 or above and the percentage of first-year entering students graduating in the top 10 percent of their high school class will increase to at least 35.0 percent as the result of new staff positions and other recruitment initiatives.

7.  The applications of qualified African-American and other minority students will increase by 30 percent in three years as the result of new staff positions and other recruitment initiatives. The yield rate (percentage of applicants who matriculate) of these same students will increase to 40 percent.

8.  As the result of the opening of the new dormitory in fall 2002 and the reduction in the size of the entering freshman class, on-campus housing will be available to all students requesting it.  This will enable all first-year students except transfers to live on campus.

9. A steering committee, with a stipend for the coordinator, will establish a framework to inform, encourage, and support student applications for prestigious post-graduate fellowships and scholarships.
 
 
 

Goal 3: Assure high quality and diverse faculty and staff
Strategies
· Recruit high quality and diverse faculty and staff. (PI 1, 2, 4, 6)
· Retain high quality and diverse faculty and staff.  (PI 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1.  As a consequence of hiring 50 new faculty under the Fourth Century Initiative and of converting at least 25 existing visiting and/or instructor lines to tenure track, with priority given to positions that have the greatest impact on introductory courses, at least 88% of roster faculty will be tenured or tenure-track and the quality and diversity of the faculty will be enhanced; the student/faculty ratio will be no higher than 14/1; the average class size will be no more than 23; and overall adjunct dependence will be no more than 23 percent.

2.  A comparative faculty compensation study will be conducted by an Ad hoc Committee on Compensation consisting of representatives from the Faculty Welfare and Senate Budget committees as well as representatives from the Riley Policy Institute and the Institutional Planning and Budget offices.  The study will identify appropriate peer institutions or groups, set benchmarks and goals appropriate for an institution whose vision is to become a nationally pre-eminent public liberal arts and sciences college, and establish a plan with a timeline for achieving the goals. Initial steps will be taken to implement the faculty compensation plan.

3.  An ad hoc Committee with representatives from the Faculty Welfare Committee and from Institutional Research will conduct a faculty workload study that will gather data, set benchmarks and goals appropriate for an institution whose vision is to become a nationally pre-eminent public liberal arts and sciences college, and establish a plan with a timeline for achieving these goals. Their recommendations should include initial steps to be taken within the next three years.

4.  As a consequence of funding the sabbatical program at a level consistent with the size and quality of the faculty, and at a level consistent with a nationally preeminent liberal arts and sciences university; of increasing the funds budgeted for internal competitive faculty research and development support (excluding sabbaticals) by 100% (from the 2001-2002 level); of establishing a system within the College of Charleston Foundation to track funds for faculty research and development; external grants and fellowships and publications, presentations and projects by faculty and by faculty and students will increase proportionately.

5. As a result of raising the adjunct salaries in critical needs areas (to be determined by Academic Affairs) and ensuring regular performance reviews of all adjunct faculty, departments will ensure and enhance the quality of instruction.

6.  As a consequence of hiring new staff and establishing new programs under the Fourth Century Initiative, of establishing a budget to support appropriate searches and a comprehensive institutional orientation program for staff positions, of implementing a staff evaluation system that provides for professional recognition and merit raises for classified staff, and of reviewing, enhancing, and funding the College’s staff development program to ensure that it serves staff and institutional needs and contributes to the retention and promotion of staff, steps will have been taken to provide adequate staffing to the size and aspirations of the institution.

7.  As the result of a study of the existing classification and compensation of temporary employees, pay adjustments will be made as funds become available to ensure salary equity.
 
 
 

Goal 4: Enhance relationships with constituents
Strategies
· Strengthen appropriate collaborations and partnerships with other educational institutions (including K-12 as well as post-secondary schools), government, business and industry, community agencies, and friends of the College such as parents and neighborhood associations. (PI 1)
· Expand graduate and professional programs identified as needed in the region and of strategic importance to the College of Charleston. (PI 2)
· Promote College cultural and athletic programs that enrich the quality of life for external and internal constituents. (PI 2, 3, 5)
· Strengthen the Alumni Association, engaging alumni in the life of the College and promoting the importance of lifelong connections with the College. (PI 4, 5)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1. As the result of utilizing the Teacher Education Council and All-College Certification Committee to develop a framework for liaisons with PK-12 South Carolina schools (with an emphasis on schools serving primarily minority populations), collaborations and partnerships with the educational community will be improved and increased.

2.  By increasing the effectiveness of advisory boards established and maintained for programs at the College; by engaging in on-going assessments of graduate and professional program community needs, including non-credit, certificate and non-degree programs; by engaging the assistant webmaster to create a user-friendly web site to disseminate campus and student information; the communication of the College’s programs, image, and reputation will be enhanced.

3. By hiring a College Relations liaison and by establishing a student organization database and activity calendar, communication will be enhanced among elements of the College community (faculty, students, staff) and between the College community and surrounding neighborhoods.

4.  As the result of adding two new staff positions in the Alumni Services Office; by developing comprehensive membership brochures, additional member benefits, and on-line directories; by marketing a plan for alumni continuing education programs to at least half of the total alumni population; by increasing awareness of the services and benefits of the Alumni Association through the growth of the alumni association and chapter networks, alumni events, alumni publications, and a stronger physical presence on campus; and by creating at least four new programs involving alumni to provide additional learning, cultural, and social experiences for current students, such as mentoring programs, leadership workshops, and internships; alumni participation and College booster clubs will increase by 40 percent.

5. The College will offer a highly competitive, mid-major Division I athletic program, which provides participation opportunities for outstanding student-athletes, spectator opportunities for the College’s internal and external constituencies, and reputation enhancement for the institution.
 
 
 

Goal 5: Enhance campus environment and technology infrastructure
Strategies
· Provide and maintain physical facilities appropriate for a preeminent liberal arts and sciences university and address space needs of faculty, staff, and programs in developing and implementing the campus master plan.  (PI 1)
· Assure state of the art technology for faculty, staff, and students. (PI 2, 3)
· Provide and maintain physical facilities that promote civility, collegiality, and diversity. (PI 1, 3)
· Strengthen student information technology competency. (PI 4)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1.  As the result of developing and implementing a campus master plan, physical facilities appropriate for curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities will be provided and maintained, and all facilities will be made ADA compliant, where possible.

2.  As the result of grants from the S.C. Lottery and of moneys targeted for new faculty and staff hires under the Fourth Century Initiative, faculty and staff will have appropriate state-of-the-art technological support available.

3.  As the result of the Technology Quality Initiative, a campus wireless network will be established, the percentage of smart classrooms will increase from 25 percent to 33 percent, a new computer classroom will be added and computers replaced as necessary in existing computer classrooms, efforts will be made to expand and enhance faculty use of course management systems and other pedagogically useful software, Student Computing Centers on campus and satellites in the residence halls will be upgraded, and the College will establish Faculty Technology Center.  The Committee on Educational Technology will investigate the feasibility of expanding and converting the latter into a Student-Faculty Technology Center.

4.  As the result of the Technology Quality Initiative and the establishment of an IT framework, students will meet appropriate levels of information technology competency before graduation. An ad hoc Committee on IT Competency will determine how this competency will be assessed.
 
 
 

Strategic Goal 6: Improve institutional effectiveness
Strategies
· Increase financial resources to support the institutional mission and goals. (PI 3)
· Link the assessment, planning, and budgeting processes to ensure that results will be used for improvement of services or programs.  (PI 1, 2)
 

Performance Indicators
Performance indicators include but are not limited to the following:

1. As a consequence of hiring a half-time administrative assistant in Institutional Research, an annual College report to communicate institutional progress toward long-range strategic goals will be created and disseminated.

2.  As the result of restructuring the Office of Assessment and Planning, a plan will be implemented for linking the assessment, planning, and budgeting processes to ensure that the results will be used for the improvement of services and programs.

3.  As a result of hiring a Vice-President for Development to work with the Director of Major Gifts, the Director of Alumni Services, and the Director of the Annual Fund and as a result of setting new institutional advancement goals for annual giving, major gifts, cash received, and pledges, new strategies will be developed to identify prospective donors and to increase the College’s annual giving, major gifts, and endowment.  For 2002-2003, Annual Funds Raised will increase to $1.3 million yearly; Funds Raised for Building Projects will total $10 million; Major Gifts for scholarships and programs will increase to $2.5 million yearly; Alumni Membership/Financial Support will increase to 35 percent; Alumni use of on-line technology with increase to 35 percent; Career Network participation will increase to 10 percent; a new prestigious scholarship program for top scholars will be initiated. These development goals will be updated annually.

Approved by the College of Charleston Board of Trustees, 8 April 2003
 

Long Range Coordinating Committee Homepage
Strategic Plan Preamble
Fourth Century Vision