Eastern Illinois University :: Strategic Summary

Eastern Illinois University will provide its students, whether residential, off-campus or online, with rigorous, relevant curricula and personal attention in a collaborative, supportive educational environment. Academic programs will be increasingly integrative and interdisciplinary, developed by an accomplished faculty who use their research and creative activities to inform their teaching and engage students.

Goals and Actions

Be the institution that creates a culture of academic rigor.

Pending | Link rigor to program identity, with academic programs identifying their own unique and distinctive hallmarks of rigor within the larger context of integrative learning, student-faculty research/creative activity, study abroad, and practicum/internships. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $260,000 annually.
Pending | Review and update advisement processes to ensure that all students are intentionally advised to participate in an identified program of rigor at the designated key points during their academic curriculum. Implementation Phase II.
Pending | Conduct a longitudinal study of critical thinking in order to provide a substantive report on the issues that contribute to the development of critical thinking among Eastern students. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $25,000.

Update 12.10.12 - Provost Lord is reviewing a proposal from the Committee on the Assessment of Student Learning which identifies the benefits and parameters of expanding the Collegiate Learning Assessment initiative into a longitudinal study of a larger sample of students.

Be the institution of opportunity and access for students, both traditional and non-traditional, who seek rigorous academic programs.

In Progress | Develop a flexible continuum of 100 new scholarships and/or tuition-waiver programs specifically directed toward increasing yields from a wide variety of student populations. Implementation Phase I. Estimated cost, $200,000–$500,000 annually for each of four years.

Update 6.21.12 - $500,000 from the FY13 budget has been reserved to create the Commitment to Excellence Scholarships, an immediate $1,500 award to prospective students with above-average academic qualifications.

Update 12.10.12 - The new Commitment to Excellence Scholarship was offered to 2025 freshmen admitted in Fall 2012; 462 students accepted the award. (Their average ACT was 24.2.) A companion scholarship is being implemented for Fall 2013 transfer students.
In Progress | Create an enrollment leadership group to work strategically and collaboratively to tap into emerging educational markets and improve Eastern’s application, marketing, and yield strategies. Implementation Phase I. Estimated cost, $25,000.

Update 6.21.12 - The EnrollmentWorx group, chaired by Mary Herrington-Perry, has been meeting every two weeks and is actively sharing data and implementing strategies recommended by the Noel-Levitz consultants. President Perry has announced his intention to create an assistant vice president position to lead enrollment management efforts.

Update 12.10.12 - Enrollment Worx, a committee comprising EIU’s frontline enrollment managers, was created in February 2012. Members work collaboratively to develop strategies to improve marketing, recruitment, yield, and retention.
Pending | Conduct a longitudinal access study to provide data on the value of our high-impact learning opportunities (e.g., integrative learning experiences such as student research, study abroad, internships, and practica) and how they impact enrollment. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $25,000.

Be the institution that creates the best opportunities for success including degree completion, advanced studies, and career preparation.

In Progress | Form a task force to conduct a thorough analysis of those factors that contribute to the success of Eastern students in areas such as degree completion, pursuit of advanced study, career entry, and professional advancement. Implementation Phase II.

Update 12.10.12 - While no task force has been charged with this work, much of it is being done by the Academic Programs subcommittee of the Strategic Enrollment Planning Council.
Pending | Create a mentoring excellence program to analyze faculty mentoring strategies that foster student success and provide training and development programs to assist faculty in adopting best practices in mentoring. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $30,000 annually.
Pending | Establish a center for emerging studies that examines emerging academic needs in the economy and helps the university to re-structure its existing degree programs to meet emerging needs within the context of its mission. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $30,000 annually.

Eastern will be home to an increasingly diverse community of students, faculty and staff who are globally aware and globally connected. Eastern will equip its graduates with the skills, knowledge and abilities they need to be productive and successful in an interdependent world.

Goals and Actions

Develop and expand national and international partnerships so that students and faculty have the widest exposure possible to a globally diverse community.

Pending | Continue research into the needs of community college transfer students, and increase the number of dual enrollment, degree completion options, and other programs that reduce the barriers to transfer. Implementation Phase II.
Pending | Develop new markets for recruiting international students, and expand financial support for students who study abroad. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $100,000 annually.
Pending | Increase participation in National Student Exchange and study abroad, and expand participation in faculty exchange programs and develop new partnerships with other universities worldwide. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $30,000 annually.

Enhance efforts promoting campus understanding of student diversity.

In Progress | Create a data-rich knowledge base of student characteristics, with summary statistics accessible by all faculty and staff. Implementation Phase II.

Update 6.21.12 - The EnrollmentWorx group has started analysis of characteristics of students at various stages of the enrollment funnel.
Not Started | Promote campus-wide understanding of the significant characteristics of our student body. Implementation Phase I.
Pending | Continue comprehensive campus dialogues on the many facets of diversity (e.g., race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and gender identification, veteran status, students with disabilities, non-traditional students, international students), with a special focus on expanding engaged campus-wide participation in these dialogues. Implementation Phase II.

Strengthen the university’s commitment to diversity and its global impact.

In Progress | Enhance our efforts to recruit and retain faculty, staff and students who will represent and strengthen the university’s commitment to diversity and global awareness. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $100,000 annually.
In Progress | Expand our use of best practices in diversity programming (e.g., speaker series, visiting distinguished community and business leaders, professional enrichment programs). Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $120,000 annually.

Update 6.21.12 - An expanded Program Priority Request to expand diversity programming is being included in the FY14 budget request.
In Progress | Strengthen our support structures that serve students and employees with disabilities, significant personal challenges, and other special needs. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $120,000 annually.

Update 6.21.12 - A new Program Priority Request to form a Mental Health Center for students is being included in the FY14 budget request.

The university will continually explore emerging technologies based on the needs of its students, faculty and academic programs. The university will strive to support its academic and administrative functions with reliable, seamless information technology services.

Goals and Actions

Make targeted investments in our technology infrastructure.

Pending | Assess the trends in demand for learning technologies and the university’s ability to respond to the growing demand for ubiquitous learning (any time, anywhere, any device). Implementation Phase II.
Pending | Develop a new technology investment plan that outlines the infrastructure investments required for continued support of best practices and innovation in learning technologies. Implementation Phase II.
In Progress | Address identified infrastructure needs (e.g., expanded wireless access, off-site data disaster recovery), with support from consultants as needed. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $2,000,000.

Update 4.18.13 - With identification by CATS staff and the Instructional Support Specialists of academic areas needing immediate additional wireless capabilities, ITS has begun the analysis of adding the desired functionality in those areas.

Update 4.18.13 - ITS is working with the technology leaders of the state universities to identify possible colocation opportunities for the purpose of disaster recovery.

Increase transparency of technology funding.

Not Started | Develop a dashboard that provides summary data on technology expenditures. Implementation Phase I.
Pending | Analyze the current technology-funding model and determine if any systemic inequities result from the current system. Implementation Phase II.
Pending | Explore alternative models for administering technology funding and expenditures, and adopt changes that enhance end-user support and reduce overall costs. Implementation Phase III.

Centralize and standardize select technology services with clear and uniform policies and procedures.

In Progress | Complete a comprehensive inventory of technology assets. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $50,000.
Update 4.18.13 - ITS has begun the process of gathering information about desktops used on campus, including operating system versions and software installed.

Update 12.10.12 - The listing of techology-related positions in ITS and CATS has been completed. The process will now move to complete the listing for positions external to those areas. ITS is testing software that will allow the inventory of Windows-based hardware and sofware installed on those machines.

Update 6.21.12 - The Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) is generating a listing of the technology-related positions that exist across campus.
In Progress | Review and refine the core set of standardized technology services provided by Information Technology Services. Implementation Phase II.
Update 4.18.13 - ITS has initiated the process of cataloguing the services provided by ITS.
Pending | Review and assess the effectiveness of the current administrative structure for technology to provide core services and support specialized technology needs with minimal duplication of effort. Implementation Phase III.

Eastern will be a regional economic development partner and cultural center that recognizes its responsibility to the area’s economic development and enriches the community with academic, artistic and athletic events. Students and the community will benefit from a vibrant campus life with a strong tradition of volunteerism and community service, and faculty will guide students to reflect on how their co-curricular activities connect to their classroom learning.

Goals and Actions

Enhance participation and community collaboration in campus activities, service and engagement through an effective and streamlined planning process.

In Progress | Form a core leadership group to gather information, review current offerings, and coordinate event scheduling. Implementation Phase I.

Update 4.26.13 - Rachel Fisher, Director of Student Community Service, will lead this initiative to formalize the review and coordination of event offerings between campus and community.
In Progress | Promote increased sharing and coordination of resources between the campus and community. Implementation Phase II.

Update 4.26.13 - Digital display boards have been installed through campus to provide information about upcoming events/programs. Criteria has been developed for utilization of the boards.
Pending | Develop a marketing plan to enhance and increase participation in campus events and service activities. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $30,000.

Create a collaborative landscape/streetscape plan from the Neal Welcome Center to 18th Street to more strongly connect campus and community and to provide a welcoming corridor along Lincoln Avenue.

In Progress | Identify and partner with those in the community who are already working on improvements along Lincoln Avenue. Implementation Phase I.

Update 4.26.13 - A proposal is being submitted to add 2 more flagpoles in front of Old Main so the State Flag and the EIU Flag can be flown next to the American Flag.

Update 4.26.13 - The Student Action Committee will be working on this initiative, specifically the installation of poles along Lincoln that can be used to display banners.

Update 6.21.12 - The university and the EIU Foundation are in discussions to provide a new electronic message board at Lincoln and Douglas.
Pending | Establish a campus/community coalition to identify and prioritize needs and resources. Implementation Phase II.
Pending | Create a phased plan for improvements. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $50,000.

Establish a new campus landmark to enhance tradition and school pride across campus and community.

In Progress | Select and fund a project from the campus landscape master plan that can be leveraged to result in a new, engaging, campus-wide symbol. Implementation Phase I. Estimated cost, $150,000.

Update 4.26.13 - Widespread opinion among the students is that the new campus landmark should be a panther statue located on the academic campus, which could be incorporated into the campus landscape master plan, as well as incorporate the GPS marker.

Update 4.26.13 - Research has been conducted to determine a general budget for the project. Discussions have begun about possible student-led fundraising initiatives.

Update 6.21.12 - A GPS landmark and new landscaping is planned for the north end of the Library quad just south of the Martin Luther King, Jr University Union. The EIU Foundation has located a donor for whom this project may be a naming opportunity.
In Progress | Engage the campus community in the process of designing, selecting, and constructing the landmark. Implementation Phase II.

Update 4.26.13 - Members of student government have been involved in the initial research into both budget and fundraising.
Pending | Create campus events around the new landmark to increase school spirit. Implementation Phase III.

University resources will be allocated based on strategic priorities established within a structure of shared governance. Stable enrollments, sound business practices and increased philanthropy from alumni and other friends of the university will help ensure financial sustainability.

Goals and Actions

Maintain stable enrollments consistent with previous studies on institutional capacity (11,600–11,800 headcount).

In Progress | Determine the optimal mix of residential, international, off-campus, and online students. Implementation Phase I.

Update 4.15.13 - A 10% increase in new students has been targeted for AY 2013–14. Strategic Enrollment Planning, eWorx, and Noel Levitz consultants are engaging weekly to analyze applications and admissions at various stages in the enrollment funnel.

Update 6.21.12 - A new target of a 10% increase in new students has been set for AY 2013–14. The EnrollmentWorx group is analyzing the profile of students at various stages in the enrollment funnel.
In Progress | Mobilize a marketing/recruitment program that is congruent with our academic profile. [Coincides with a Marketing and Communication action.]

Update 4.15.13 - A nationwide search for a new assistant vice president for integrated marketing and communication has been completed. The new position reports to the vice president for university advancement and is deeply integrated with the enrollment development work cited above.

Update 6.21.12 - A nationwide search for a new assistant vice president for integrated marketing and communication has been started. The new position will report to the vice president for university advancement.
In Progress | Provide scholarships to attract and retain students interested in academic rigor. [Coincides with an Academic Excellence action.]

Update 4.15.13 - $701,250 has been expended in FY13 in Commitment to Excellence Awards; $609,866 has been awarded under the President’s Scholars initiative. For FY14, expected budget authority for these academic excellence incentives will increase to nearly $3,000,000.

Update 6.21.12 - $500,000 from the FY13 budget has been reserved to create the Commitment to Excellence Scholarships, immediate $1,500 awards to prospective students with above-average admissions qualifications.

Increase gifts and endowments, and strategically target the effective use of these funds.

Completed | Continue efforts to achieve a successful and early completion of “EI&U: The Campaign for Eastern.” Implementation Phase I.

Update 4.15.13 - The campaign concluded with $63,696,747 raised, $13.7 million and 27% over goal.

Update 6.21.12 - The campaign has exceeded its $50-million goal by more than 13%. A celebration of the campaign success is scheduled for September 2012.
Completed | Conduct a formal review of the campaign. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $30,000.

Update 4.15.13 - Campaign Review was conducted by University Advancement Staff and Campaign Volunteers. The following areas were evaluated with subsets for each: Gift Goals; Regional Campaigns, Events and Volunteers; Support Services; Consultant and Planning; and General. These areas were then rated in three sections: Successes, Needs Improvement and Enhancements Moving Forward.
In Progress | Begin the stewardship phase of the campaign, and initiate new specialty campaigns to fund strategic initiatives. Implementation Phase III. Estimated cost, $250,000 annually.

Update 4.15.13 - Stewardship phase officially underway with larger events conducted in Arizona and Florida and smaller dinners and events in St. Louis, Chicago and Florida. More cities will be scheduled for FY14 including Chicago, Champaign and Springfield. Development and Alumni staff continue to express appreciation to our donors and volunteers on an ongoing basis.

The specialty campaign will be a university-wide initiative to raise both endowed and annual scholarships. Efforts are currently underway and a goal will be announced by September 2013.

Eliminate academic and administrative programs and positions that are neither financially sustainable nor academically central to our mission.

In Progress | Mobilize transparent, comprehensive budgeting and planning efforts. Implementation Phase I.

Update 6.21.12 - Financial managers have been trained in the use of the new Budget Management Report. Members of CUPB were consulted regarding the use of capital reserves to address continuing cash flow issues and the submission of new Program Priority Requests in the FY14 budget request.
In Progress | Assess relevance to core mission to provide guidance; develop guidelines and benchmarks for program and function evaluations. Implementation Phase II.

Update 4.15.13 - In October, 2012 President Perry commissioned a 22 member committee, under the leadership of VP Dr. Weber, representing the shared governance, academic, and administrative entities across the university. The committee was charged with the design a program analysis template by May, 2013. Finalizing and populating the template will transpire in the period May through August 2013.

A final draft of the program analysis template is in circulation and under review. This template is designed to guide future, university-wide budget decisions. The collected data and analysis will inform decisions on: Allocating and reallocating university resources to support academic excellence; Strengthening programs that foster sustainable enrollment; Supporting university financial sustainability; Identifying opportunities to decrease costs.
In Progress | Review for possible reduction or elimination those academic programs, academic support functions, and administrative programs that may not be sustainable or central to the university’s emerging mission. Implementation Phase III.

Update 4.15.13 - The program analysis committee will deliver its statistical analyses to program heads during the summer of 2013 for qualitative narrative inputs and to review the data presented. The template will be made available for public viewing.

In fall, 2013, the President’s Council and the Council of University Planning and Budgeting will review the Program Analysis Committee’s complete template and Program Heads’ inputs. A very specific programmatic and budgetary course of action will be articulated.

The campus and surrounding communities will take pride in the university’s many accomplishments and in the successes of our students, faculty, staff and alumni. Prospective students will increasingly identify Eastern as their first choice.

Goals and Actions

Effectively communicate who we are.

In Progress | Implement select recommendations from enrollment management consultants. Implementation Phase I. Estimated cost, $250,000 annually.

Update 6.21.12 - The EnrollmentWorx group has created an action list, based on the Noel-Levitz recommendations, of improvements and adjustments to make in upcoming months.

Update 12.10.12 - Additional marketing materials have been created in consultation with admissions and financial aid. Website is undergoing a major facelift on a department by department basis and the student portal – myeiu – continues to be updated and enhanced. As a result, traffic has skyrocketed on the portal and admissions staff now have new tools – including ongoing performance metrics – available to assist in managing prospect and their individual territories. The MyEIU portal now also has text messaging capabilities and we are carefully rolling out this very effective albeit more intrusive communications vehicle to those prospects who have indicated a willingness for us to use texting with them.
In Progress | Enhance our institutional image with our prospective student markets. Implementation Phase II.

Update 6.21.12 - The Center for Academic Technology Support (CATS) has completed a major upgrade to the myeiu portal based on the needs and interests of potential students.

Update 12.10.12 - Initial marketing plan has been created and is now being implemented with strong emphasis on targeted communications vehicles. New project tracking system has now been implemented to enhance on-time performance and new marketing analytics system is being implemented which will provide real-time metrics for continual assessment and improvement of the marketing effort. The analytics provided will allow us to more closely track the effectiveness of our marketing activities on student recruitment and will be ported into the student portal to provide richer information to recruiters and to the new predictive modeling system which is under development.

We continue to work with Noel-Levitz to create the long-term enrollment management strategy and the accompanying action plans.
In Progress | Identify and promote centers of excellence. Implementation Phase II.

Update 6.21.12 - New Program Priority Requests to support the Center for Clean Energy Research and Education (CENCERE), a new Center for Entrepreneurship and Growth, and an expansion of Student Success Center programming are being included in the FY14 budget request.

Develop a structure to enhance communication about marketing and branding.

Complete | Create a marketing action team. Implementation Phase I.

Update 6.21.12 - A nationwide search for a new assistant vice president for integrated marketing and communication has been started. The new position will report to the vice president for university advancement.

Update 12.10.12 - Nationwide search for a new assistant vice president for communications and marketing has been successfully concluded and that role has been filled since mid-August 2012.
In-Progress | Leverage internal marketing expertise and create an online community of campus marketing advocates to enhance the university’s presence on social networks. Implementation Phase I.

Update 12.10.12 - Work has begun on gathering a community of campus marketing advocates with particular interest and expertise in the field. We have already been recruiting faculty volunteers and the official faculty representative from the Faculty Senate is already in place. Active work will begin in January.

Social media enhancements are also underway with an emphasis on a more planned and intentional use of social media outlets in support of the university’s enrollment goals. These efforts will be measured by the new marketing analytics system and special content is being created to enhance our performance in “organic” searches on major search engines such as Google.
Pending | Assess marketing activities for the impact they have on student recruitment. Implementation Phase II.

Increase communication with alumni, donors, and external audiences.

Pending | Distribute a hard copy of a new newsletter-style publication to all alumni and donors every year, aligned with the university’s recruiting cycle. Implementation Phase II. Estimated cost, $50,000 annually.
In-Progress | Distribute a hard copy of the alumni magazine to all alumni and donors every year. Implementation Phase I. Estimated cost, $50,000 annually.

Update 12.10.12 - We are updating the style and content of the alumni magazine to include more stories and information about the university while still covering achievements of alumni. What’s more, that publication will be provided – on a slightly delayed basis – to all alumni in the region in electronic form. A hard copy of the magazine will first be mailed to members of the alumni association but the electronic version will assist in outreach to the thousands of non-member alumni who are still important donor prospects and who are valuable referral sources for recruitment. Doing the wider distribution in electronic form will add very little to the cost of the magazine, but we will end up spending some additional money in creating new campus-based content as we hire interns and freelance writers to assist in the creation of that content.
In Progress | Create an online clearinghouse for select EIU publications. Implementation Phase II.

Update 6.21.12 - Booth Library has created the Keep, an online, open-access repository of the scholarship, creative output, and administrative records of Eastern Illinois University.

Academic Excellence

Be the institution that creates a culture of academic rigor.

Be the institution of opportunity and access for students, both traditional and non-traditional, who seek rigorous academic programs.

Be the institution that creates the best opportunities for success including degree completion, advanced studies, and career preparation.

Global Competition and Changing Demographics

Develop and expand national and international partnerships so that students and faculty have the widest exposure possible to a globally diverse community.

Enhance efforts promoting campus understanding of student diversity.

Strengthen the university’s commitment to diversity and its global impact.

Emerging Technologies

Make targeted investments in our technology infrastructure.

Increase transparency of technology funding.

Centralize and standardize select technology services with clear and uniform policies and procedures.

Campus and Community Life

Enhance participation and community collaboration in campus activities, service and engagement through an effective and streamlined planning process.

Create a collaborative landscape/streetscape plan from the Neal Welcome Center to 18th Street to more strongly connect campus and community and to provide a welcoming corridor along Lincoln Avenue.

Establish a new campus landmark to enhance tradition and school pride across campus and community.

Financial Sustainability

Maintain stable enrollments consistent with previous studies on institutional capacity (11,600–11,800 headcount).

Increase gifts and endowments, and strategically target the effective use of these funds.

Eliminate academic and administrative programs and positions that are neither financially sustainable nor academically central to our mission.

Marketing and Communication

Effectively communicate who we are.

Develop a structure to enhance communication about marketing and branding.

Increase communication with alumni, donors, and external audiences.