5. Campus Culture

Foster a strong community spirit based on openness, mutual trust, appreciation, and sharing of common goals.

 1. Foster an environment that cultures and values excellence in all respects through continuous improvement and innovation.

​2. Continue the training of faculty and administrators in progressive communication skills to serve all University constituents, so they feel they engaged in dialogues about important topics of discussion.

​3. Expand communication aimed at greater openness and transparency about University objectives and policies.

​4. Promote a culture of inclusiveness for all students, faculty, and staff who share our core values.

​5. Continue improving outcome-based performance and accountability standards for all departments and University administrators.

Foster a strong community spirit based on openness, mutual trust, appreciation, and sharing of common goals.

 1. Foster an environment that cultures and values excellence in all respects through continuous improvement and innovation.
University-wide, we are adopting the principles and practices of Lean. Theme of this initiative is Do less and accomplish more. The goals include continuous streamlining all University processes, increasing customer satisfaction, enhancing employee engagement and morale, and building capacity for enrollment growth.
More than 20 University leaders and other staff have been trained to be Lean facilitators, and we have purchased a comprehensive online Lean training course that is available to all faculty, staff, and students. We have done Lean events on more than a dozen University processes thus far and are continuing to move forward.
– Craig Pearson, Executive Vice President

2. Continue the training of faculty and administrators in progressive communication skills to serve all University constituents, so they feel they engaged in dialogues about important topics of discussion.
Workshops at the annual Faculty Development Seminar in August and monthly Faculty Development Workshops have included training in communication, including role-playing activities, as well as in cross-cultural communication. Student feedback includes fewer concerns about communication skills.
– Catherine Gorini, Dean of Faculty

 3. Expand communication aimed at greater openness and transparency about University objectives and policies.
Following each Board of Trustees meeting (three times annually), we hold a meeting of all the faculty and staff to summarize for everyone what was presented and discussed at the Board meeting. Since Board meetings review all aspects of University functioning, this has proven an effective and welcome way to keep people informed of important University developments.
– Craig Pearson, Executive Vice President

4. Promote a culture of inclusiveness for all students, faculty, and staff who share our core values.
Workshops at the annual Faculty Development Seminar in August and monthly Faculty Development Workshops have included training in communication, including role-playing activities related to our core values. Feedback from faculty and staff indicates a greater appreciation by students of our core values.
– Catherine Gorini, Dean of Faculty

5. Continue improving outcome-based performance and accountability standards for all departments and University administrators.
We are in the process of having each academic and administrative department specify annual goals and create metrics for monitoring performance in key processes. These goals and metrics will be posted on departmental websites, available to University leadership.
We have established a system of performance review at all levels — self-assessment by the Board of Trustees, assessment by the Board of Trustees of the President and the Executive Vice-President, assessment by the President and EVP of the members of the Executive Committee, assessment by EC members of the department heads and other leaders who report to them, and assessment by these managers of individual staff and faculty. At each level, goals are specified for the year to come, against which performance can be evaluated the following year.
– Craig Pearson, Executive Vice President