Vision 2010 Assessment Report
(August 2006)
Priority 1: Focus on Internationalization and Leadership
Goal 1: Develop & implement a January term
- Progress
- J-term committee has been appointed and began meeting; identified other institutions with J and May terms; research underway (Page)
Goal 2: Increase global connectedness
-
Progress
- Partnerships to bring in students from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – one student from each country entering in 2006 (Jackson)
- Travel abroad for Meredith staff/faculty who master another language – one making trip this summer in addition to group joining students in England (Page)
- Planning
- Define “internationalizing” courses and develop baseline measurement for international courses (Page)
- Working with Study Abroad Office in planning for growth and fund raising to increase resources for study abroad (Hartford)
- More partnerships underway to bring international students to Meredith - Taiwan, China, Uganda (Jackson)
Goal 3: Institute for Women’s Leadership
- Progress
- Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership – Meredith chosen as one of 55 institutions in nation to participate (Jackson)
- Sloan Family Leadership Program launched (Jackson)
- Gifts to support Center for Women in the Arts and Center for Women in Science and Math (Harris)
- Planning
- Ad hoc committee to form the Institute for Women’s Leadership to be appointed summer 2006 and begin work fall 2006 (Jackson)
- Issues
- J-term calendar can polarize campus; faculty concerned about impact on workload, CRC cooperation, length of spring semester
- Need clarification of the goals/operation of the Center for Ethical Women’s Leadership
Priority 2: Infrastructure for Excellence
Goal 1: Enrollment growth, diversity, staffing and financial aid
- Progress
- Freshman deposits = 465, on track to be largest freshman class in Meredith history (Jackson)
- 59 out of state students (from 18 states) and 5 countries 12.6% non North Carolina) - moving toward goal of 20% out of state (Jackson)
- Met goal for full-time students making up at least 80% (82% in 2005-06) of the undergraduate population (Jackson)
- 2005-06 17% of Meredith students were minority students - goal of 20% by 2010; on track (Jackson)
- SAT scores of paid deposits same as last year’s entering freshmen (Jackson)
- Faculty/student ratio now at 1:10.8 (goal is 1:12) (Page)
- Freshman to sophomore retention rate is predicted to improve for 2006-07 (Jackson)
- Planning
- Brailsford & Dunlavey (consultants) examining need for expanded housing options on campus (Wade)
- Work with Human Capital Resources on increasing financial aid resources for academically well-qualified students with financial need (Jackson)
- Reducing dependence on part-time faculty - need to increase percentage of credit hours taught by full-time faculty from current 70% to 80% (Page)
- Increased focus on retention efforts (Jackson)
Goal 2: Quality of life for faculty & staff
- Progress
- 4% merit salary program for faculty & staff implemented this year (Hartford)
- Increased faculty retirement benefits from 5% College contribution to 7.5% (Hartford)
- Gender equity salary study completed (Page)
- Survey of employees about health & other benefits (Wade)
- 43 faculty/staff members took advantage of tuition remission program and took 68 classes (Wade)
- Planning
- Staff comparative salary data being collected (Wade)
- Gather data on all employee development opportunities (Wade)
- More opportunities for wellness and health service
on campus (Wade & Jackson)
Goal 3: Supportive Environment
- Progress
- Active Diversity Council - study circles, speakers, events (Jackson)
- Student activity fee programming (Jackson)
- Joined USA South athletic conference (Hartford)
- New class ring for post-baccalaureate graduates now available (Jackson)
- Business & Finance subcommittee examining the Facilities Condition Assessment and Facilities Master Plan to combine facilities planning materials (Wade)
- Joyner in process of aesthetic upgrades (Wade)
- Two residence halls renovated in 2005-06 (Wade)
- New storage facility for library in construction (Wade)
- New facility for computer servers and staff in construction (Wade)
- Consultant examining feasibility of apartment-style housing (Wade)
- Increased hours for dining hall, book store and Beehive established (Wade)
- New campus access card approved (Wade)
- New landscaping and courtyard improvements (Wade)
- New fall and spring events calendars developed for 2006-07 (Eaves)
- Planning
- Class calendar issues will be deferred until work of J-term committee completed (Page)
- Planning in process to identify best possible organizational structure for campus events/facilities scheduling/information (Hartford)
- Finalize Technology Plan (Wade)
Goal 4: Review of Academic Programs
- Progress
- Number of majors/concentrations reduced from 62 to 56 for 2006 (Page)
- Delaware Study - identifying costs by credit hour for each academic program completed (Page)
- Committee reviewing all academic offerings and seeking additional program reviews from multiple departments (Page)
- Issues
- Need to assure that academic programs of study that remain are well supported with appropriate number of faculty
- Still have major shortage of funding for facilities – both new construction on Master Plan and deferred maintenance
- Athletic/recreation/exercise sport science facilities
have emerged as greatest need, after housing issues are
resolved
Priority 3: Greater Recognition
Goal 1: Strengthen Meredith’s branding
- Progress:
- Website improvements - 9 academic departmental sites update, 6 additional by end of summer; 15 planned for 2006-07 (Eaves-McLennan)
- Continued work with Generation consultants (Eaves-McLennan)
- Presidential Speaker Series launched in partnership with BCBSNC (Hartford)
- Speaker series and summer reading for 2006-07 set around theme – Status of Women: Our Future, Our Responsibility (Hartford)
- Planning
- Work with JKG (Generation) on developing a way of grouping our Vision 2010 efforts to achieve greater regional and national recognition (Eaves-McLennan)
- Plan Ethical Leadership as theme for 2007-08 to tie in with launching Institute for Women’s Leadership (Hartford/Jackson)
Goal 2: Targeted student recruitment
- Progress
- More guidance counselor events in 2005-06 (added Winston-Salem and Charlotte) and more planned for 2006-07 (Jackson)
- Ongoing use of alumnae admissions’ voucher working well – 18% of entering 2006 freshmen used a voucher (Harris)
- New staff member in Admissions tied to Alumnae & Parent Relations (Jackson and Harris)
- Planning
- Work with HCR to identify new areas for more intensive recruitment
- Refinement of financial aid grid
Goal 3: Expand communication
- Progress
- Website has been updated and subsequent levels are being updated (Eaves-McLennan)
- New electronic newsletter for alumnae, Lux, was initiated in 2005-06 (Harris)
- Statement on relationship with families developed – now on website and used in sessions with families during orientation (Jackson)
- Issues
- Resources for special program that targets middle and high school girls
- May need more staff in Alumnae and Parent Relations to deal with growth of programming
- Need better information on parents
- Need extra communication and media attention to get Meredith’s name more recognized
Last modified: March 2007
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Sue E. Kearney, Assistant to the President and Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at 919.760.2364
Page maintained by Mary Wahl Schmitt, Assessment and Technology Associate