STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY

DATE: Wednesday, April 7, 1999
TIME: 8:00 a.m.
FACILITATOR: Mary Shimabukuro
NOTETAKER: Yvonne Johnson

STRATEGIC GOAL: Quality

Question #1

Telephone and website registration have been helpful.

Computers have been beneficial ? make faculty "technophyles" (sp)

Money provided through the Stategic Planning process has provided for some needs on campus.

We are keeping more students and bringing in more students.

Teaching is great. However, there is less emphasis on making students accountable. The learning process is not emphasized as must as it could be. Students? participation is much less. They are no longer reading texts. They do not turn in assignments. This is a problem across campus. Consequences are not applied to students. If there is a consequence, the student appeals and wins. They expect success without effort.

Question #2

Participation in student organizations should be mandatory. Require students to attend events in the community. Assist them in knowing this kind of participation is part of the learning process. "Practice what you will become."

We should not be so lenient on appeals.

Communication is important.

Have expectations of students and adhere to these expectations.

Question #3

Class attendance should be required.

Lab classes (example: B1 courses) gets students to class; then they can learn.

Question #4

We must toot our horn more. We are a very well kept secret. We must market ourselves better. There are far more articles about MSU in the Forum in the past. This should increase even more. What about the use of billboards?

Question #5

Some instructors do not grade individually. Everyone gets the same grade.

Staff development ? talk about different ways to assess students.

People learn differently. Lives are more complex. Even those who are not stars need to feel comfortable and at home here at MSU.

Question #6

Require more writing in courses. Look at content and critical analysis.

Give students clues about how much reading, writing and speaking will be required on the job.

Continue to place importance on the liberal studies. Convince students of need to be able to converse.

Require every student to take English, speech and logic.

Expand the Honors Program. This is not a well known program.

Very positive comments about staff. They are more conscious about being considerate.

Question #7

Marketing of MSU ? Be more efficient in how we market. Allocate money differently.

More effective fund raising.

Faculty and student involvement.

Give new faculty more time to learn about writing grants (release time). New faculty have new, great, fresh ideas. This would bring in outside money. Invest in faculty when they are at the most productive phase.

Find new venues of providing students (nontraditional) with different ways of attaining educational goals.

Have higher expectations of students and they will rise to that level.

Provide awards for improving classes

Goal #4 ? Technology ? could be placed under careers after this next year. Perhaps the goals of Transition, Community and Technology could all be placed under careers.

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