Town Hall Meeting February 2014

1. Town Hall MeetingFebruary 2014

2. TOPICS • Strategic Planning Initiative • Enrollment Management Consultation • “Unplugged” • University Marketing • Student Engagement Center • Eagle Athletics

3. Strategic Planning Initiative • Where we’ve been (Process) • What we’ve learned (Insights) • Where we’re going (Vision) • How we’ll get there (Path)

4. Where we’ve been – The Process • Town Hall Meetings • Community Advisory Groups • Facilitator-led Planning Meeting • (held at Red River Army Depot • community center) • Review of Findings

5. What we’ve learned - Your Insights • Key Themes (from town halls) • Core Values • Strategic Objectives

6. Key Themes—Strengths • Personal connections • Association with the A&M System • Support of local community • Quality of faculty • Physical setting • Campus-wide concern for students

7. Key Themes—Areas for Development • Emphasis on quality academics rather than low tuition • More opportunities for hands-on learning • Additional student activities and recreation space • Academic technology • Global learning opportunities • Enrollment processes • Scholarship funding

8. Themes—our niche? • Liberal arts and sciences vs. professional orientation • Face-to-face vs. expansion of on-line • Traditional undergraduates vs. non-traditional and graduate students • Developing depth in majors (content) vs. liberal learning (“soft” or essential skills)

9. Core Values • Passion for Excellence • Culture of Success • Integrity, Honesty & Visibility • Community Leadership • Learning Community • Stewardship of Valuable Resources

10. Strategic Objectives (Action Steps) • Develop comprehensive academic master plan • Integrate, update, improve enrollment management services • Re-establish First-Year Experience • Create strategic communication plan

11. Strategic Objectives (Action Steps) • Enhance student activities - strategic, aligned with academics • Revisit and document advising process • Create and distribute codes of conduct for faculty & staff and honor code for students • Hold campus “Unplugged” event

12. Strategic Objectives (Action Steps) • Develop comprehensive faculty orientation • Establish Office of Professional Development (extended learning opportunities) • Develop community service initiatives

13. Strategic Objectives (Action Steps) • Develop and enhance global and international programming and opportunities • Create student “lingering spaces” • Refine budget process and align with strategic planning

14. Where we’re going – The Vision • Comprehensive and focused • Best undergraduate experience in Texas from freshman year forward • Common themes/approaches across curricula (liberal learning, community as classroom, high-impact practices) • Non-traditional and graduate programming responsive to community needs • Community resource and leader

15. How we’ll get there– Next Steps • Refine and vet core values • Responsible parties develop plan to execute strategic objectives according to timeline • Academic master plan refines university vision • Revisit and possibly redraft mission statement • Monitor progress on strategic objectives and develop new goals on annual basis

16. Enrollment Management Consultation • American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers • Dr. Stanley Henderson, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management & Student Life, University of Michigan-Dearborn • Planning should function as a restart for “downward expansion” and a recommitment to core values

17. Consultant Observations • Texas A&M University has a world class reputation for excellence; Texas A&M-Texarkana is a beneficiary of that reputation for excellence in that the campus gives an A&M degree – the excellence is assured by the governing board • A&M Texarkana is, obviously, not the same kind of place as College Station; the Texarkana campus overlays the excellence with small campus atmosphere and concern for individual students, faculty involvement with teaching, etc.

18. Consultant Observations • The campus has had exceptional support from the Texarkana community, as well • Parents are reported as being very impressed with the campus • Students specifically reference the campus as a “community” • - They mention interactions with faculty • - They claim more opportunities to be involved • than on other campuses • - They sense a concern for their well-being

19. Consultant Observations • - They speak about the campus’s overall care for them • - They warmly describe the campus’s friendliness • - One student during the on-site visit disclosed very personal • information in front of other students that gave an • incredible testimony of how safe she felt among her peers – • she credited that to the sense of community on campus • - Graduate students seem exceptionally involved on campus • as part of the community rather than just unconnected • people taking classes, as grad students often are; they • appear to be remarkable, contributing citizens • of A&M-Texarkana

20. Consultant Observations • President Cutrer picked up on this sense of community in her investiture speech • The consultant had the experience of a faculty member coming up to him in the University Center and saying in a welcoming manner, “I don’t think I know you. I’m so-and-so,” and then proceeding to show genuine interest in what I was doing on campus

21. Consultant Observations • It could safely be said that Texas A&M-Texarkana is not an institution of higher education where things happen to people in a passive environment, but, instead, is a community of higher education where people are members, where they participate, contribute, and watch each other’s back

22. “Unplugged” Heath Coston Undergraduate Student Representative Strategic Planning Board

23. University Marketing • Royall & Company • Super Sunday

25. Student Engagement Center

29. Eagle Athletics • Future Town Hall with Mike Galvan • NAIA Application • Coaching Staff • Focus on Student Athletes

30. What’s on your mind?