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Strategic Planning and Budgeting University Reaccreditation 2007 MSU Moorhead |
November 2003 Campus Update November 13, 2003 To: The Campus Community
From: President
Barden Re:
Campus Update Communicating our Institutional Strengths:
What do you believe are the top three to five strengths of MSUM as an
institution? I want to know. Please take the time to share your thoughts
in a short online survey available at http://www.mnstate.edu/president/CampusStrengths.asp As I shared with you at the start of the academic
year, during the 2003 summer presidential retreat (for budget
administrators) an exercise led by the Executive Director for the Alumni
Foundation revealed a troublesome lack of agreement when it comes to
articulating this institution’s best strengths. We were asked, as an
academic community, what do we agree are the hallmarks of MSUM’s
identity? What sets our University apart from the others? What are we
“really good at?” Interestingly, the answers to these questions were
extremely varied. Moreover, people outside our campus community also
seem to have difficulty in naming the top strengths of Minnesota State
University Moorhead. At the October meeting of the President’s
Regional Advisory Board, my off-campus advisors were uncertain of our
top programmatic strengths. We have a good reputation for our emphasis
on academics and for building community, but we have documented repeated
difficulty with articulating the consensus. Clearly, both MSUM’s
identity and its image are ripe for sharper definition. Resources from prior field studies that focused on
campus communications (recall the series of in-depth focus groups
conducted by the Strategic Planning Committee in 1999, our Strategic
Budgeting Initiatives focusing on communication in 2000-2001, and the
President’s Summer Retreat on Communication in 2000) are available and
inform our thinking. Information from surveys of students and student
focus groups is also available, as well as a record of an in-depth
discussion with the President’s Regional Advisory Board on the topic
of MSUM’s strengths. Now, what do you, as a key member of our campus
community, believe are the top strengths?
I look forward to your responses to the survey. Open University Forum: Q&A with the
President: The campus community is invited to join me for an open
forum titled “Q&A with the President” on Monday, Nov. 24,
2003 at 3-4:30 p.m. in the CMU Ballroom. I’ll take a few minutes
to update you on recent developments from the Office of the President,
and then the majority of the time will be devoted to addressing your
questions. I hope to see you there. Faculty Development Day – What’s Next?
It has been a month since our faculty development day on the topic of
teaching and technology. Since that time, the President’s Task Force
on Technology (the group charged with creating the University Technology
Plan) held two open forums for the purpose of seeking additional insight
into the campus’s technology needs and interests. The Task Force will
be making recommendations to me regarding improvements for both
classroom technology and faculty computing. I expect their
recommendations before the end of this fall semester. At that time, I
will be able to make final decisions regarding the allocation of the
equipment dollars we have available for FY04. In the feedback gathered from the faculty
development day, several of you expressed concern regarding the
increasing workloads that each one of us are expected to carry. I share
this concern. Today, our professional lives are characterized by rapid
technology changes, shifts in the demographics of our student body,
adjustments to the learning styles of our current and future students,
and changes in public support and attitudes. As an institution of higher
learning, we must carefully consider how we will adjust to the changes
that are already here – ready or not. We must find creative and cost
effective solutions that preserve our ability to achieve our tradition
of excellence in teaching and learning. I have said it before in public speeches to you;
there is no other group of faculty and staff that I would rather work
with in these uncertain times. The core of our enterprise is a stellar
faculty and staff. I am proud of the ways in which we have been able to
address the need for change in the recent past. I expect no less of our
campus community as, together, we look to opportunities and challenges
in the years just ahead Strategic Planning at MSUM: The MSUM
strategic plan, annual work plan, diversity plan draft (still to be
approved by the Chancellor), and the campus technology plan are all
posted for your review and information at http://www.mnstate.edu/president
. Our Mission: At Minnesota State University
Moorhead, our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning is our
foremost mission. Our claim is that: “We develop knowledge, talent,
and skills for a lifetime of learning, service, and citizenship.” This
new shortened version of MSUM’s mission statement supplements
the official version of the University mission statement; it was adopted
as an aid for quickly and concisely communicating our foremost mission.
The condensed version does not replace the long version or the
University aims/goals, both of which conform to guidelines set by our
regional accrediting association and are approved by the Board of
Trustees. Administrative Searches Update: Searches for
the positions of Registrar and Athletics Director are underway. The
search committees for both positions have been identified, the position
description finalized, and advertisements placed. When the search
processes identify the finalists who will interview for each position,
the campus community will be notified and informed of opportunities to
participate in the interviews. The
search process for the position of Human Resources Director will be
finalized after the holidays. The MSUM Alumni Foundation is also in the
process of searching for the position Executive Director of the Alumni
Foundation. Ads have recently been placed for this important position. December Commencement: The Commencement
ceremony for our December graduates is Friday, December 19 at 2 p.m. The
event will be held at the Fargo Civic Auditorium. Further information
will come your way from the Office of Administrative Affairs. Please
join us to celebrate the great accomplishments of our 2003 graduating
class. Take Care of Yourselves and Each Other: All
of us are dealing with additional stresses this semester. Times of
financial uncertainty undoubtedly raise the toll on our mental and
physical health. Please look out for each other. Get the help that you
may need and assist your colleagues and students in doing the same. The
MSUM Counseling and Personal Growth Center (260 Bridges Hall) recently
distributed tips for recognizing distressed students. Read it and take
the advice to heart, not only for our students, but for yourselves and
one another. Best wishes for the remainder of the semester.
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