Institutional Priorities

“Enabling” Priorities:

–open all budget processes to cabinet/executive council discussion and chancellor’s prioritization. Leadership consists in working collaboratively to achieve common purposes. It is an institutional priority underlying the effective achievement of all other institutional priorities that such collaboration occur. Without shared knowledge and collectively formulated rationales, divisions cannot work together for the achievement of common purposes, so collaboration requires broad communication. Without this foundation, the major relationships in the University become private transactional relationships, deans and others have little or only diffuse awareness of institutional direction, and the teamwork that could otherwise occur is prevented.

–increase financial growth internally and externally by creating “a culture of giving” and by working with state, OP, and patrons. While an institution can always improve finances by working harder, ECU is in a particularly positive position to lobby for and create increased funding through creating a culture of giving. Externally compelling arguments can and must be presented for increased State funding the BSOM and for distance education. Additional patron support must be found for extending our successful missions.

“Targeted” Priorities:

–develop diversity and compensation plans that value the efforts of all persons in the ECU community. ECU should develop a diversity council that encourages diversity efforts both within the curriculum and beyond it. Also, as compensation improves with assistance from the Legislature, we must continue in this direction with both enhanced remuneration and other benefits. This applies to our SPA employees as well.

–work internally and externally to consolidate the financial stability of the BSOM. Given the history and mission of the BSOM and the importance to the region of making continued progress in achieving that mission, ECU must work as a team to secure this stability while minimizing the impact on other vital University programs and services.

–accelerate our commitment to research excellence and specific areas of national academic strength. Faculty and administration alike have noted infrastructure limitations in support areas that hamper the development of research excellence and national academic strength. The recently established Research Institute, designed to advance ECU research endeavors, must attract faculty confidence as the University leverages available resources to maximize research success. The Institute should be reviewed by the recently established research task force. Recommendations from that task force must be formulated with adequate faculty input and carefully directed to the goal of maximizing available resources. Improving faculty support and increasing collaborative involvements is paramount. Developing an appropriate graduate student support plan tied to adequately articulated research goals must be part of the infrastructure improvement.

–continue economic development through partnerships with the city and with service leadership and academic outreach. ECU always has contributed to the economic development of the area it serves. This contribution has occurred, for example, with graduates’ career contributions and with facilities development job creation. Our interactions with the City of Greenville can create a more highly qualitative environment for the region. Moreover, a specific action plan that will leverage our potential in every area, including the use of academic programs, especially in cooperation with the community colleges, is needed. With the appointment of committees to make recommendations on such action plans, the institution’s contributions can be pro-active, specific, measurable, and, hence, more effective.

–allocate significant resources to selected academic programs that best fulfill regional missions. Productivity and need intersect in several areas of the University. Continuing prospects of limited funding requires that resources be allocated in ways that will both reward productivity and extend the University’s contributions to the region. Deans and vice chancellors must work together to prioritize these needs on sound programmatic, productivity, and regional contribution bases.

–provide ECU undergraduates a nationally competitive “leadership experience.” To serve is to lead. Leadership is a historical hallmark for the ECU community. In our vision for the future, tomorrow does start here for the leadership development of our present and future students. In classroom and extra-curricula activities, students will see and hear about how their experiences contribute to developing their leadership potential, no matter their chosen majors or professions. A central feature of every profession is the autonomy extended to its members to contribute to the professions. All divisions of the University will work together to provide those pathways for all students as they advance toward those professions.

The Postcard Summary:

--open all budget processes to cabinet/ executive council discussion &chancellor’s prioritizations

--increase financial growth internally (“culture of giving”) and with State, OP, and patrons

--develop diversity and compensation plans that value the efforts of all in the ECU community

--work internally and externally to consolidate the financial stability of the BSOM

--accelerate research excellence and targeted areas of national academic strength

--continue economic development through partnerships with the city and with curriculum/outreach

--allocate significant resources to targeted academic programs that best fulfill regional missions

--provide ECU undergraduates a nationally competitive “leadership experience.”