Wayne State University

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Senior Leadership Retreat

The university’s senior leadership team embarked upon the process of reviewing Wayne State’s 2001-2006 Strategic Action Plan on Sept. 27 and 28, 2005. The session began with participants examining and discussing a study of demographic trends in Southeast Michigan presented by Kurt Metzger, formerly of the Wayne State Center for Urban Studies. This set of data provides a long and short term outlook for the region, and has important implications for the university’s strategic direction. For a summary of these demographic trends, please click here.

In addition to demographic information, retreat participants identified several key trends that may impact the university in the next five years. A summary of key trends are listed below:

• Wayne State’s strong identification with Detroit may affect the university’s state funding as political influence in Michigan shifts.
• Term limits coupled with changes in the makeup of the state legislature may affect the university.
• Responding to the challenges of an aging workforce.
• Providing access to first-generation college students while building competitive and nationally-ranked programs.
• Facing high expectations among faculty and students for pervasive and ubiquitous use of technology.
• Balancing the demands of a growing research enterprise with those of a teaching university.
• Preparing students for flexible careers given the fact that most will change jobs several times in the course of their work life.

In addition, participants examined opportunities in the current environment that may result in institutional growth and development. The following is a summary of opportunities:

• Increasing numbers of high school graduates through 2013 could result in substantially higher numbers of FTIAC (First Time in Any College) students attending Wayne State.
• Leveraging our metropolitan setting as a means of becoming a national leader in researching issues crucial to urban populations.
• Increase learning opportunities for a growing population of adult learners, particularly those students who have not completed their bachelor’s degree.
• Capitalize on our attractive and unique location in the heart of the city’s cultural center.
• As a university of opportunity, recruit and enroll growing numbers of students from diverse ethnic and international backgrounds who currently reside in the region.
• Forge international research partnerships with counterparts from Canada and around the world.

After considering the demographic study and identifying key trends and opportunities, participants were then asked to make a critical assessment of the five strategic directions contained in the current plan. Splitting into five small groups, discussions were held on the viability of each direction, and if adjustments should be made. Below is a brief summary of the small group recommendations on the current strategic directions.

1. Learning experience: Establish and sustain a superlative learning experience that builds upon the unique values and attributes of WSU.
   
   This direction clearly remains an important part of the university’s strategic focus. It was proposed that the direction should be changed to reflect the challenges faced by today’s graduate and undergraduate students and faculty. The following recommendations were made:
   • Faculty: Develop a scholarly culture among faculty for teaching and learning; increase the quality and quantity of scholarship for teaching and learning; enhance faculty development; attract and retain faculty with excellent teaching abilities; develop a reward system for excellence in teaching.
   • Student Learning and Success: Develop an achievement-centered culture; set high goals for learning and retention; enhance student development to ensure academic success.
   • Curriculum: Develop relevant curricula for lifelong learning; set clear student outcomes; utilize student outcome data for continuous improvement.
     
     
     
2. Pre-eminence in research and scholarship: Strengthen our performance as a nationally recognized research university by focusing on our competitive advantages, enhancing our scholarship, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to research, and collaborating with government, industry and other institutions to enhance economic growth and the quality of life.
   
   Strengthening the university’s research and scholarship enterprise remains an important direction in Wayne State’s strategic development. Below is a summary of the subgroup’s key recommendations:
   • Improve our national NSF ranking in research to place WSU in the top 60 universities based on total research and development expenditures.
   • Recruit and retain mid-career scholars and research teams.
   • Construction of a new wet-lab, IT facilities and interdisciplinary research building.
   • Focus university resources on academic programs with strong research, scholarship and performance.
   • Increase opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in research and scholarship.
   • Foster technology commercialization with additional collaboration with industry; and recognize and reward faculty innovation that contributes to economic growth.
     
     
     
3. Quality of campus life: Enhance the quality of life on campus by nurturing a culture of success and excellence.
   
   Creation of a vibrant campus experience continues to be a top priority at Wayne State. Building on the successes of the past five years, the small group made additional recommendations in three key areas identified in the current plan:
   • Enhancing residential and campus life: Explore the need for a new Student Center; look at constructing faculty/staff housing; expand the role of sororities and fraternities; develop a master plan for housing; expand intramural sports and determine next steps to move athletics program to Division I, upgrade the integration of art and culture into campus life; continue development of retail infrastructure; and enhance the sense of campus community at the Oakland Center.
   • Improving the quality of services to students, faculty and staff: Upgrade the quality of student services, advising and financial aid; streamline the university’s business processes to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness; set universitywide standards for delivery of high-quality services; enhance the workforce through the development and implementation of more effective hiring and training programs.
   • Enhance the physical environment and infrastructure of campus: Update the facility master plan; continue to improve parking accessibility to complement the aesthetic plan of the campus; develop a funding model to address the deferred maintenance backlog and the university’s physical plant, and improve the perception of campus safety.
     
     The small group also recommended dropping section 3.1.4 of the third strategic direction which called for increased employment of students on campus.
     
     
     
4. Engaged university: Develop mutually beneficial partnerships with our community as catalysts for the social, cultural, economic and educational enrichment of the region.
   
   The small group recommended that Wayne State expand our partnerships beyond the community to include government, external organizations, supporters, alumni and friends of the university. In addition, special emphasis should be placed on achieving the goals of the university’s first capital campaign. Other key areas were identified:
   • Continued growth and development of TechTown and the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor.
   • Create opportunities for colleges and divisions to develop key external partnerships.
   • Serve as a catalyst for improving the quality of life in the city of Detroit and promote partnerships between the city of Detroit and faculty and staff.
   • Expand opportunities for adult learners, executive education and community colleges.
   • Add pre-college enrichment programs with measurable outcomes.
     
     
     
5. Educational opportunities for renewal and advancement: Enhance and increase educational opportunities both for the benefit of Michigan citizens and to attract others to the state from throughout the world.
   
   Looking to the future, the small group believed that the current plan should be modified to reflect demographic trends indicating a growing undergraduate student population through 2011. Specifically, it was suggested that this direction be modified to include a goal of increasing the university’s enrollment to 40,000 by 2011. To coincide with these changes, the small group recommended ways to achieve that goal.
   • Increase opportunities for adult learners, web-based learning and high school dual enrollment.
   • Recruit students from targeted ethnic groups living in Metropolitan Detroit and increase enrollment of international students.
   • Develop tuition packages aimed at attracting middle and high school students based on the concept of “viral” or word-of-mouth marketing.
   • Cultivate interest among 15-year old high school students and increase opportunities for younger students to visit campus.
   • Offer customized master’s programs and certificate and professional development degrees.
   • Explore the possibility of expanding the Macomb Center.
   • Expand ‘bridge’ programs enabling undergraduates to move automatically to graduate or master’s program.
   • Assess infrastructure to determine if current levels of service and facilities can accommodate 40,000 students.

After reviewing the five strategic directions, the leadership group concluded their review by exploring the option of adding a new strategic direction to the 2006-2011 plan. Retreat participants noted that substantial reductions in state appropriations in the past four years have severely impacted Wayne State. Since diminished state support is likely in the coming years, it was agreed that additional revenue sources should be identified. To that end, it was suggested that a strategic goal on achieving revenue diversification should be added to the new plan.