March 7, 2007
TO:
Mark Taggart
Chair of the Faculty
FROM:
S. BALLARD
RE:
Draft Strategic Plan
I am happy to attach to this message the latest draft of the
ECU strategic plan for review and comment.
Please note that this part of the plan is the
overview. The details, the programs, and the real value of the planning
process will come from the divisional and departmental plans. Dr. Smith
is coordinating this effort.
Mark, this part of the plan is getting close to
completion. That said, we welcome constructive suggestions to better
articulate the great traditions, the spirit, and the quality of
The planning process began in the fall of 2004 and the Board
is anxious to conclude phase 1 (that is, this overview document) during their
meeting on April 19 and 20th. In this regard,
there are a few “givens” to the document. Most importantly, the five
strategic directions have been approved by the Board; of course, we will
continue to search for the best labels and the best explanations of each of
these 5 directions. Also, the vision is approved in form but not
finalized. In other words, the vision will say something to the
effect that we provide opportunities for thousands of students and that their
success often starts at ECU. Finally, please note that this mission
is largely new or at least a new articulation of ECU’s job. It tries to
incorporate the best of the old mission, our national responsibilities, and our
distinctiveness at ECU. It is essential that this mission distinguishes
ECU from other public universities both within and outside of NC.
Thanks for your help on this important document.
EAST
DRAFT
Strategic Plan sb
30707
VISION
As we celebrate our 100th
anniversary in 2007, we have emerged as a national doctoral university,
committed to the three traditional missions of the public university: service, teaching and research. With 25,000
students, we have been the fastest growing university in
The traditional missions of the
public university will continue to drive our programs. As a national
university, we are committed to the education and transformation of our
students and aware that no great university excels without great faculty. As
Our commitment to these five
areas of distinction will be successful only with strong fidelity to the values
that began with
Among the values that have guided
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
The strategic directions that will enable us to
create these opportunities include: ensuring 21st century education;
being the leadership university; and enhancing economic prosperity, health, and the arts.
1. 21st
Century Education
The legacy of ECU over its first 100 years is in
transforming its students. Education at ECU is about the whole student and
making a difference for all of our students.
Education
today is radically different than it was even a generation ago. We live in a knowledge-dependent, technology driven
economy. Our students will compete in
the job market with people from
The
university will offer undergraduate and graduate programs that provide the skills
and competencies necessary for the 21st century, with strong foundations
in arts and sciences, critical thinking, communication, and professional
preparation. We expect our students to develop the ability to interact
effectively with people from many cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences
and to be able to use multiple ways of knowing to solve problems.
Because
of our history and commitment to innovative approaches to teacher preparation
programs and the training of school administrators, we will improve the
performance of public schools and hence the college-going rate, especially in eastern
At Windows on the World in Roper,
support
to realize the promise of higher education.
Through our Legislators’ School, we bring middle and high school
students to campus to put them in touch with the college experience.
We are committed to increasing access to higher education
for all students.
·
Our distance
education programs will be expanded.
They will remain high quality and reach thousands of
·
Pilot
programs will be launched for first generation students and the underserved.
·
We will
tailor programs to working, low-income adults through weekend and distance
education models.
We will work closely with
high schools in eastern
·
We will seek
a federal Trio Grant to support the transition of low-income students from high
school to college.
·
Our
·
Outreach
staff will work closely with high school guidance counselors to create seamless
transition programs like Teacher Cadets.
·
Innovative
partnerships that target minority and underrepresented groups will be designed
as part of the Office of Admissions.
·
We will
create a $5 million endowment to insure the dissemination of access
scholarships.
We will insure that all students learn as we prepare them
to enter the global marketplace.
·
We will
provide additional support for minority students to build on ECU’s national
prominence in minority retention.
·
We will further
enhance our EC Scholars program to include a fully endowed scholarship for a
·
Because
retention is vital, we will make our First Year Experience program among the
best in the nation.
·
We will embed
meaningful assessments throughout the college experience to insure useful
learning outcomes.
·
We will
create a $5 million endowment to support international internships and travel
experiences for our students.
·
Global
competence is required for tomorrow’s economy; ECU will add foreign languages
to our general education curriculum.
2. The
ECU prepares tomorrow’s leaders. We believe that every student should prepare
for leadership; and every employee should have opportunities to enhance his or
her leadership skills.
As we enter the 21st
century, new models of leadership are needed to empower all members of our academic
institutions to embrace change. We will
support our faculty and staff and prepare our students for an approach that
involves teamwork and collaboration, global perspectives, ethical decision
making, and social responsibility.
Thus, ECU emphasizes the concept of leadership
through service and transformative
change in keeping with its core mission and values.
ECU will become a
nationally-recognized leadership
university through the accomplishment of four key goals:
The Center for Change
Leadership in Eastern North Carolina (CCLENC) will underscore the importance of
service as a vehicle for change. It will
have a regional focus and place particular emphasis on the needs and priorities
of the eastern part of the State.
Emphases
of the CCLENC include:
·
Articulation
with economic development initiatives
·
Collaboration
with K-12 schools to enhance leadership capacity of students, teachers, and
administrators
·
Networking
with government officials and community agencies in local areas to build
leadership capacity
The
Specific
objectives include:
ECU’s
Through
targeted initiatives, supported by a $1 million endowment, all members of the
university community will have opportunities to develop and hone their
leadership skills:
ECU’s Center for Student
Success will ensure that all students graduate with demonstrated competencies
in leadership. The Center will also
serve as the centerpiece for coordinating the various student leadership and
service programs operating in individual colleges and units across campus. This process begins with orientation and the
Freshman seminar and concludes with a Senior seminar in the student’s major.
Emphases
will include:
3. Building the Economy of the East
ECU is the catalyst for the emerging prosperity of
Investment in people and programs. ECU will
lead the development of innovation in health sciences, information technology,
and consumer products that will be able to compete in the knowledge based
economy. Our innovative capacity began 40
years ago with our academic medical center and the evolution of and outstanding
science and health care programs over the last 20 years. Innovative academic programs, including
systems engineering, designed to shape the new engineer, and the M.D/M.B.A. and
Science MBA programs will have a significant impact on the region’s
economy. These programs serve as a
catalyst for attracting new industry and in building clusters of pharmaceutical,
bioscience and medical device companies.
Through investment in interdisciplinary research centers we can help
support the regions’ growth in health care, tourism, education, marine trades,
and biotechnology.
Innovation. Research at ECU results in
world-class technologies, the acceleration of innovation and the creation of an
entrepreneurial culture will create new jobs and lead to greater prosperity
throughout the East.
ECU’s research programs create
new products and business ventures. The
University ranks in the top 10 in five measures of technology transfer (the
Milken Report). Our best known product, the SpeechEasy device, a major
anti-stuttering technology, was recently named one of the 25 best products
developed in university labs.
ECU will strengthen its
Entrepreneurial Initiative whose mission
is to foster practical experience for ECU students in an entrepreneurial environment, to create regional partnerships
and to help the university develop companies and to take products to market. ECU is one of only five universities in the
country with its own network of investors.
The support of this investment community will allow us to develop
business opportunities and grow our economy.
Impact. Working with our partners in business, elected
officials and economic developers we will help achieve the economic and
community development goals for the region. The University will reward faculty
and student engagement with the community, will create teams of social and
natural scientists to address community socioeconomic issues and will foster a
climate which is supportive of innovative partnerships.
ECU’s aspirations for the transformation of our economy include:
▪ We will be the third
largest research university in the
▪ Our research emphasizes the health of our citizens. It is applied, translational, and externally focused. We will provide the knowledge to solve tomorrow’s problems;
▪ We are nationally known for technology transfer…using our knowledge to make lives better. We are committed to being among the nation’s best in creating new technologies to help people;
▪ Better economies depend on communities. We will be recognized for having regional development services that are among the best in the nation.
4. Health Care and Medical Innovation
ECU saves lives.
We are nationally known for primary
health care and family medicine in our Brody School of Medicine. We are a world leader in minimally invasive
surgical technologies. Our colleges of
Allied Health and Nursing are among the nation’s best, and both meet critical
state needs and train North Carolinians to provide health care to
ECU is a driver of economic development
through its clinical excellence, bio-medical research, and growth of our
comprehensive academic health center.
ECU has a higher percentage of physicians, nurses and allied health
professionals who practice in this state than any other institution in
ECU faculty members are internationally
known for their work in robotic surgery, gastric bypass and the development of
the SpeechEasy anti-stuttering device. ECU is an academic health center where
the best educational technologies help prepare health care professionals to
work in settings that range from complex academic health centers to individual
clinics in small towns and communities.
We are proud of our tradition of nurturing leaders for tomorrow’s health
care by teaching practitioners to work in teams and to share accountability for
excellence in clinical care. Our
clinical education programs care for all patients regardless of gender,
ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Diverse
learning environments help students learn best practices, build stronger health
care provider teams of the future, and stimulate research aimed at improving
the health and well-being of all citizens of
To address the health concerns of the region, biomedical research focuses on the study of acute and chronic conditions prevalent in our area, especially obesity, diabetes and cardiac disease. Accelerating knowledge development that solves the mysteries of human illness and offers the promise of new cures and better therapies is a priority and a responsibility that ECU takes seriously.
As we build a legacy for
Our dedication to the health of our citizens includes these aspirations:
Programs
and Services
§ We will expand the Brody School of Medicine class size to 120 students, adding 3-5 medical specialties to the faculty and service mix, and we will extend clinical services to every county in the eastern region through effective partnerships with local providers.
Facilities
§ We are committed to three major new facilities: the East Carolina Heart Institute, School of Dentistry building and 10 regional dental practices, and the Family Medicine Center.
Research
§ We will expand bio-medical and health-related research funding to $75 million a year, primarily in the areas of clinical and translational research in rural health care, health disparities, diabetes and obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, sensori-motor defects and quality care and patient safety.
Outreach
▪ We will establish BSOM East, a primary care satellite campus in one of
the rural areas
of
5. The Arts, Culture and Entertainment
ECU lights up lives. Its
students, faculty and graduates inform, challenge and entertain audiences nationwide
and inspire the hope and the pride of the region.
Our faculty members have
national prestige and distinction. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, had
their work displayed at the Smithsonian, and created sculptures, painting,
jewelry and music that have won worldwide honors. ECU performances in eastern
Pirate athletics contests
draw hundreds of thousands of fans every year. They come from
The economic impact of
the arts and entertainment is often overlooked. It is seen, of course, in
ticket sales, in meals bought, in hotel rooms filled. But perhaps more importantly,
it elevates the quality of life of the region. The “creative economy” speaks
not just to dollars changing hands around a headliner event, but to the
attractiveness of the region as a place to live and work and invest. It speaks
to and of the soul of the East, filling its days and evenings with delight,
wonder and magic. It helps spirits soar and optimism to bloom.
ECU’s history in the
artistic arena is remarkable; its future one of transformation. In the next
decade, we will:
Plan, finance and build a
In partnership with the City and private
entrepreneurs, forge a true renaissance of downtown
Strengthen the athletics program to
allow it to build the conference relationships and venues that best reflect the
university and the region. The
university will find the right conference fit. It will expand the football
stadium and improve other fields. It will be a national model for doing
intercollegiate athletics the right way…with integrity, with commitment, and
always with student success at the center.