Southeast president lays out goals for coming school year

Although Southeast Missouri State University president Kenneth Dobbins announced his retirement Sept. 8, he has many goals lined up for the coming year -- everything from evaluating and revising the department chair and faculty annual performance process to surpassing the $40 million goal for the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

Board of regents president Doyle Privett said nothing on the list is new. Along with the goals, regents will participate in the search for a new president with the help of a 16-member Presidential Search and Screening Advisory Committee consisting of faculty, staff and students.

Objectives include:

* Work with Chairperson's Forum, Faculty Senate and deans to evaluate and revise department chair and faculty annual performance appraisal process. Regents asked the yearly process be evaluated and revised after discussion about annual merit increases.

The current annual performance appraisal process does not clearly allow for evaluation of a chair's administrative role, as well as a faculty member, so the board asked this be reviewed to better allow for meaningful evaluation of both roles, university officials said.

* Review and adjust procedures for online course delivery to ensure continued high-quality programs, including course structure review with the Quality Matters standards for all Winter Intersession 2015 courses and all online courses starting with summer 2016.

Quality Matters is a set of standards used to certify the design of online and blended courses. It's a peer review for assessing online and hybrid courses. Instructional development staff use it to help faculty facilitate student success online.

* Solicit feedback on the strategic plan and develop goals for each of the priorities, including review and implementation of Space Utilization Study recommendations.

The draft strategic plan has been reviewed and revised several times during the past year, as feedback has been received from constituent groups. Though not yet finished and approved by the board, officials said they think the revised strategic plan better reflects what the university is as an institution and reinforces its priorities moving forward.

On the space plan, at the February board meeting, regents asked a Facilities Space Utilization Ad-Hoc Committee be formed to recommend renovation projects and explore ways to accomplish projects outlined in the plan, officials said. The committee is meeting to discuss those projects, but hopes to present a final report at the December board meeting.

* Follow up on work of Southeast in the Year 2020 and Academic Visionary Committee as it relates to accelerated degree options, health-related academic program options and other program recommendations. This year, the university has added a bachelor of science in mathematics with an option in actuarial science and a number of new health-care initiatives as recommended by the Academic Visionary Committee.

* Implement collaborative advising concept and improve the advising process for incoming students at First STEP orientation.

Collaborative advising allows for a more centralized advising for first-year students. The process aims to ensures a more coordinated, consistent experience for incoming students at First STEP, Southeast's orientation program for incoming students.

* Finish the review of Title IX/sexual assault procedures and policies and update as appropriate.

Periodically, the university reviews how it's complying with Title IX provisions. More than six months ago, Southeast began reviewing provisions and procedures under that and sexual assault. Officials said this is an important issue they want to be proactive in addressing.

The Responsible Redhawk Guide, distributed this year, is not directly related to Title IX or sexual assault, but is a compilation of basic information for students so they are more informed and aware of resources for them.

* Work on improving the diversity of faculty members to better reflect the student population.

The university says it is committed to ensuring diversity among faculty members to foster a varied learning environment for its students. As new faculty members are hired, Southeast said it will continue to identify qualified faculty members from minority and underrepresented populations.

* After completion of the branding study, implement best practices in integrated marketing, branding and communications. This spring, the university selected Ologie, a Columbus, Ohio, firm to perform market research and brand analysis.

Jeff Harmon, executive director of university communications and marketing, wrote in an email in May the work, meant to offer a more focused approach to attract students, would be done between July and December at an estimated cost of $193,000.

* Surpass the $40 million goal for the Southeast Missouri University Foundation's comprehensive campaign.

The campaign is meant to directly support current and future students and is focused on increasing scholarships and supporting programs and renovations that benefit students.

* Solidify relationships with community colleges for 2+2 degree programs. The 2+2 degree programs are transfer relationships with community colleges for students who complete an associate degree and transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor's degree. Southeast is working with the colleges to ensure a smooth transition for these students by comparing courses and degree requirements.

Moreover, by state law, any student who has completed an associate of arts degree from a Missouri community college has automatically met the lower-division general education requirements of Southeast.

Southeast's biggest community college transfer student populations come from Mineral Area College and Three Rivers College regionally; St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson community colleges in the St. Louis area; and Shawnee Community College in Illinois. It has more than 700 students enrolled in bachelor's degree programs who have completed an associate degree, officials said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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