Huntington College

Strategic Long Range Plan

Action Steps Initiated in 1997-1998
Mid-Year Update February 1998

Objective 1: Increase the responsiveness of the curriculum to the interdependent needs of the student, faculty, discipline, and the external environment.

• Accelerate the evaluation and improvement of theological education.Jerry Smith

• The appointment of Associate Dean Dave Rahn has reinvigorated the graduate school. The Graduate Council is charting an exciting and different course for theological education. The formal proposal will be presented to the Faculty for approval by mid-February.

• Investigate improved methods for the determination of faculty load.Jerry Smith/FATC

• The FCC has been reviewing the working paper developed by the Dean last spring. Some modifications have been made but substantively the approach outlined in the paper is being applied.

• Investigate curricular opportunities associated with the relocation of the county's primary health care facility adjacent to the college.Jerry Smith/ACC/Div. III

• Prenursing program with Goshen College is being reconfigured; consideration of preservice clinical exposure with HMH is possible if enrollment would warrant local nursing courses.

• Assess faculty curricular development activities.
  Jerry Smith/FCC

• No update.

• Identify an academic area to be the College’s next center for excellence. Jerry Smith/ACC

• Several academic areas have been identified with potential for development as centers of excellence.

• Increase the amount of practical and service learning experiences for students.Jerry Smith/ACC

• Expanded opportunities have been developed during the past year. (Example – Business has a new requirement for internship or simulation course.)

Objective 2: Increase the emphasis on faculty development.

• Establish a strong faculty development program.

Jerry Smith/FCC

• A possibility of taking January off for professional development will be extended to faculty who have taught several successive JTerms. We will continue the summer program for technology applications in curriculum development.

• Improve and provide institutional support to ongoing assessment of the academic process beginning with the classroom.Jerry Smith/CPA

• Dr. Ann McPherren has been assigned to give leadership to departmental assessment—she has met with several departments to continue improving assessment processes.

Objective 3: Increase the valuation of the academic process across the campus.

• Identify and implement unique activities, such as an honors program or an academic day, which rewards student academic achievement beyond activities currently in place.

Jerry Smith/Norrie Friesen

• No update.

• Increase library and computer facilities accessibility.

Jerry Smith

• NC computers have been installed in the HUB and will be installed in the Library when the server has been set up. Plans are to install NC computers in dorm lounges and in the Loew hallway.

• Develop and pilot a student-faculty summer scholarship program. Jerry Smith/ACC

• No update.

• Identify the first opportunity for a strategic academic alliance.

• The possibility of a graduate education alliance may be considered after completing the restructuring of graduate programs.

Objective 4: Increase interfaculty communication.

• Create a moderated faculty discussion list that routinely addresses issues of common interest to the teaching faculty.

Jerry Smith/FCC

• The use of hc_faculty list serves this purpose.

• Develop a monthly faculty forum program. Jerry Smith/FCC

• No update.

Objective 1: Improve the awareness and understanding of the Christian college as community.

• Continue to emphasize in the hiring process an indication of the candidate's ability and willingness to nurture students spiritually.Bill Fisher

• Procedure completed for faculty application.

• Include in the new faculty and staff orientation program an emphasis on the traditions, heritage and commitment to students of the College. Jerry Smith/Tom Ayers

• Have done for past two years.

• Allocate a portion of the Faculty Workshop to faculty and staff spiritual development. Jerry Smith

• Workshop Steering Committee has incorporated spiritual development into planning for Workshop.

Objective 2: Increase the deliberate and tangible efforts by the college to engage the student in thoughtful spiritual introspection.

• Create a center to consolidate the planning and involvement of students in cross-cultural experiences.
  Bill Fisher

• It was originally thought that the Lilly Retention Grant might provide funding to create a center for academic and mission-oriented student trips in an effort to retain at-risk students. It has been determined that adequate systems are already in place to facilitate a broad range of travel opportunities. Lilly funding will be effectively applied in other directions to benefit at-risk students.

• Investigate the possibility of modifying the current academic calendar to provide more flexibility and opportunities for cross cultural experiences. Jerry Smith/ACC

• No further investigation after Faculty endorsed current calendar last spring.

• Investigate the nature of load allocation as a function of both the academic and spiritual development of the student.

Jerry Smith/FCC

• FCC has concurred in current load allocation as appropriate for academic and spiritual development of the student.

• Create an all day campus symposium focused on the issue of integrating faith, learning, and living in Christian higher education.
  Bill Fisher/CMC

• After drafting a purpose/rationale statement for this event, the Campus Ministries Committee has delayed action until the new academic dean is in place. The vision, support and leadership of the new dean are critical for the success of this event. This discussion will be continued in the fall of 1998.

Objective 1: Complete the installation of the campus infrastructure related to the use of existing and anticipated technology.

• Proceed with the installation of a conduit and fiber backbone to all existing buildings with appropriate consideration given to enabling access to proposed new buildings as outlined in the master facilities plan.

Jerry Smith/Tom Ayers

• Fiber cable installation completed in December; on-going upgrades for equipment at ends of fiber is needed to convert signals to optical transmission.

• Evaluate system security.Jerry Smith/Kerry Arnold

• We continue to evaluate firewall solutions to optimize security.

Objective 2: Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the use and management of technology.

• Identify and review existing technology usage plans at similar institutions.
  Jerry Smith/Kerry Arnold

• The Technology Advisory Council has visited several locations and will continue to do so in the future as appropriate.

• Assess current technology usage and availability.

Jerry Smith/Kerry Arnold

• The Technology Advisory Council completed the survey.

• Establish a team to develop a comprehensive plan for technology usage and management.

Jerry Smith/Kerry Arnold

• The Technology Advisory Council continues to evaluate and recommend appropriate technology applications for the classroom.

• Temporarily employ an external consultant to assist in the development of the comprehensive plan for technology usage and management.

Jerry Smith/Kerry Arnold

• The Technology Advisory Council is pursuing the retaining of a consultant.

Objective 3: Focus on the development of faculty and staff to enhance the use of existing and new technologies.

• Provide on-campus workshops for faculty and staff focusing on the use of available technology.
  Jerry Smith/FCC

• Faculty presentations in the fall demonstrated use of new technology carts. Individual training (or small groups) on an as-needed basis has proven to be more effective than group training in most instances. The appointment of the technology support specialist is intended to provide the staff support necessary to carry this out.

• Plan a pilot program demonstrating the use of technology in the academic process.
  Jerry Smith/ACC

• The Lilly Endowment proposal submitted in December requests support to enable the English department to become the pilot project.

• Budget for frequent faculty and staff attendance at regional and national conferences focusing on the application of technology to the learning process.

Jerry Smith (Faculty)/Tom Ayers (Staff)/Budget Council

• Continued strong support is given for faculty (and staff) to participate in workshops and training sessions, including the professional development allowance for each faculty member that was expanded to include enhancement of teaching skills (such as technology) in addition to professional conferences.

• Plan the construction of five multimedia classrooms.

Jerry Smith/Tom Ayers/Budget Council

• Multimedia carts have been put in different buildings on campus. There is a need to install more permanent systems in classrooms as funds permit. The new science building is being planned with every classroom equipped for multimedia, and one classroom is planned to be equipped as a distance learning classroom.

Objective 1: Increase the College's endowment.

• Conduct a capital campaign to significantly increase the endowment by the year 2000 and to raise gifts for specific projects in support of the College’s strategic initiatives and Master Facilities Plan of the College.
  Ned Kiser

• During the first half of fiscal year 1998, the Office of Advancement continued to work on issues raised in the internal readiness assessment conducted by the consulting firm of Barnes & Roche. Specifically, the staff was reorganized to increase the emphasis on fund raising. Jim Hoffman was appointed director of alumni and church relations and Jeff Roloff was appointed coordinator of the annual fund. Michele Kehlor was hired as a support staff person to help keep the fund-raising staff as productive as possible. In September, Budget Council approved the addition of a full-time major gifts fund raiser to the Advancement staff. In February, Jim Elliott joined the staff as director of major gifts. Initially, he will focus on expanding the major donor base of the College.

The other primary focus of activity was the selection of new fund-raising counsel to conduct a campaign feasibility study. Three firms were interviewed—Benz Whaley Flessner, Campbell & Company, and The Timothy Group. In late January, Campbell & Co. was selected to conduct the feasibility study. The first order of business will be to plan and execute a meeting of a special Natural and Mathematical Sciences Task Force. This meeting is scheduled on March 5 and will provide an opportunity for early involvement for a group of influential people who might be helpful in a campaign for a new science building. In parallel with preparation for the Task Force meeting, efforts are being made with Campbell & Co. to identify individuals who will be interviewed during the feasibility study. The goal will be to conduct all interviews during the last two weeks of March and the first two weeks of April. This would allow Campbell & Co. to give a preliminary report on the feasibility of a capital campaign to the board of trustees at their meetings on April 23-24.

• Assess the capability of the Advancement Office’s computing systems for supporting future fundraising activities and make improvements as appropriate. Ned Kiser

• During the first half of fiscal year 1998, further progress was made in the utilization of the EdVanta (i.e., CARS) Alumni/Development software. A concerted effort is being made to develop policies and document procedures related to the use of the EdVanta database.

Several hardware upgrades have improved our ability to process large mailings. The lack of user friendliness and flexibility of mail processing in the EdVanta software continues to present significant challenges. It was hoped that the new client-server Windows 95-based advancement software modules would address these issues, but—to date—the client-server software has not been made fully functional.

CARS has released an updated version of their Open Database Connection (ODBC) driver which should ultimately be useful in facilitating the exchange of data between the EdVanta world and the personal computer world. This may allow the Office of Advancement to address some of the remaining system concerns.

Objective 1: Research, develop, and implement a comprehensive institutional enrollment plan to achieve targeted increases in student enrollment, academic preparedness, and diversity.

• Achieve enrollment goals of 205 first time freshmen for the fall of 1997 and 235 first-time freshmen for the fall of 1998.
  Jeff Berggren

• First-time freshmen enrollment for the fall of 1997 was 199. As of February 15, 1998, the first-time freshman enrollment for the fall of 1998 is projected to meet the goal of 235.

• Increase the diversity of the student body reflected in part by an enrollment of at least 20 students of color and at least 25 non-North American international students.
  Jeff Berggren

• As of February 15, 1998, it is possible that the goals for new minority (3) and international (4) students will be met for the fall of 1998. Scholarship funding will be a key issue in the decisions of these students.

• Achieve an average SAT score of 1100 for incoming freshman in the fall of 2000. Jeff Berggren

• As of February 15, 1998, projections indicate that the 1998 interim goal (1070-1075) for incoming freshmen SAT scores will be achieved.

• Develop a clear definition of retention at Huntington and create a database to inform the retention process.
  Jeff Berggren

• Progress has been made in this area during the past two years with the ongoing ICI, Lilly and CCCU project involvement.

• Develop an explicit retention improvement plan.
  Jeff Berggren/Jerry Smith

• The Retention Improvement Plan has been developed and is being implemented. The appointment of Joanne Miller, director of retention programs, has strengthened this effort.

• Participate in the Independent Colleges of Indiana study of retention.
  Jeff Berggren/Jerry Smith

• This is the second year for Huntington College to participate in the ICI study, having received the second $15,000 mini-grant installment.

• Identify the key characteristics of the student likely to persist at Huntington.
  Jeff Berggren/Jerry Smith

• The ICI study has provided excellent data tools to use in this area. The CCCU Retention Study and Student Satisfaction Inventory data have helped to more clearly define a student profile.

Objective 3: Improve the college's name recognition in the region.

• Research, develop and implement a comprehensive institutional marketing plan.
  Jeff Berggren/Ned Kiser

• The Institutional Marketing Plan was developed by the Marketing Task Force and implementation is on-going. The Task Force continues to meet periodically to discuss marketing-related issues as they arise to be sure that these matters are dealt with in a manner that is consistent with our overall marketing approach and objectives. The marketing plan facilitates a consistency of message and identity for Huntington College centered on the concepts of academic leadership and spiritual vitality.

An action element of the Marketing Plan, an institutional graphics standard, was developed in conjunction with the adoption of a new College logo. Training sessions have been conducted for faculty and staff on consistent use of the College logo and graphic images.

Objective 4: Review the process by which financial aid is awarded to students.

• Simplify the financial aid process.
  Jeff Berggren

• Progress was made in simplifying the financial aid process by switching to electronic transmission of federal aid data to our financial aid office, moving to more electronic processing of loan applications, and continually refining institutional aid forms.

• Identify and track key financial aid variables and investigate their relationship to student decisions to attend Huntington.
  Jeff Berggren

• New, more specifically targeted scholarships and grants which were developed by tracking decision making variables proved very successful in the fall of 1997. These scholarship programs (Impact, Merillat, Presidential/Dean’s/Trustee scholarships) will be continued for the fall of 1998.

• Develop and Implement a comprehensive financial aid plan which improves our competitive position in the marketplace.
  Jeff Berggren/Tom Ayers

• The plan is still in the developmental stage with progress being made in the area of more specifically targeted scholarships. Financial aid expenditures have been a recurring topic of discussion among senior leaders, Budget Council and Financial Aid Committee.

Objective 5: Review and reestablish commitment to the HC student profile.

• Revitalize the present student profile in a series of brief community forums.
  Jeff Berggren

• The student profile has been revitalized and integrated into the marketing plan, enrollment plan, retention plan and strategic initiatives. As these various plans have been distributed and discussed throughout the campus, the student profile has been highlighted.

• Articulate the revitalized profile for the multiple constituents of the College. Jeff Berggren

• The student profile has been shared with the trustees, alumni board members and leadership of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. This has occurred primarily through the distribution and discussion of the marketing and retention plans and also through diversity discussions in Board of Trustees meetings.

Objective 6: Create an alumni recruiting network (ARNet)

• Develop a description of the alumni network and articulate its purposes and budget requirements.
  Jeff Berggren/Alumni Office

• The Director of Alumni Relations, Director of Retention Programs and Dean of Enrollment have worked together to define an alumni network. The Alumni Board has been involved with the development and early implementation of ARNet, which has been funded through existing budget sources.

• Provide appropriate staffing to coordinate efforts of the ARNet.
  Jeff Berggren/Tom Ayers/Alumni Office

• Provide appropriate staffing to enhance alumni involvement including ARNet.
  Jeff Berggren/Tom Ayers/Alumni Office

• Identify and implement strategies to include current students in the recruiting process.
  Jeff Berggren

• The admissions office personally distributed several hundred viewbooks to Huntington College students in order to have them do recruiting for the College during Christmas break. Early responses have been positive.

Objective7: Improve the working relationship between the College and the UB Church.

• Identify church liaisons representing the College in their congregations.
  Jeff Berggren/Ned Kiser

• During the first half of fiscal year 1998, a number of College faculty and staff have been appointed to various boards and commissions of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. This was a result of the reorganization of these groups following the 1997 quadrennial General Conference. The Office of Advancement will continue to engage in a Church Relations effort, but the objective of that effort continues to be more "good will" than fund raising.

• Identify college personnel to coordinate activities with the church liaisons.
  Jeff Berggren/Ned Kiser

• Develop the church liaison network through multiple on-campus activities.
  Jeff Berggren/Ned Kiser

• Raise the level of College student participation in the church’s summer camps, mission efforts and outreach programs.
  Jeff Berggren

• The formation and sponsorship of Huntington College ministry teams under the direction of the Dean of Christian Faith and Life is being considered. The teams would live and work in United Brethren summer camps to augment the efforts of Live Bait and the All-Star Revue.

• Demonstrate a more visible admissions focus during UB conferences.
  Jeff Berggren

• The College is evaluating ways to be more effectively involved in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ conference schedule, including the possibility of helping to sponsor