1. Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Strategic Plan Framework
Goals, Initiatives, and Metrics
Prepared By
Tom Grayson

2. Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Indicators Work Group - Members
Brian Farber, Office of Student Conflict Resolution
Mulugeta Ferede, Illini Union
Priscilla Fortier, Office of Minority Student Affairs
Tom Grayson, Evaluation and Assessment in Student Affairs
Jennifer Larson, Assembly Hall
Gary Miller, Campus Recreation
Mary Anne Miller, McKinley Health Center
Gail Rooney, The Career Center
Jim Rooney, Housing
Kenneth Wang, Counseling Center

3. Background
Department Heads Retreats – In-depth discussions of SA’s strategic plan including vision, mission, values and initiatives and goals were held. Consensus on four priority strategic goals was reached.
Creation of the Student Affairs Indicators Work Group – In December of 2008, Department Heads appointed members to the work group. First meeting of the work group was on January 7, 2009.
Charge of the work group: 1. To identify progress indicators that could be used to assess whether Student Affairs was making progress toward achieving its four priority strategic goals, and 2. To determine how such progress data could be captured, reported and used.
Modus Operandi – Reviewed both the University of Illinois’ strategic plan and Student Affairs strategic plan with an eye toward alignment; Employed practical guidelines for identifying and developing metrics; Held multiple thoughtful discussions on substantive areas leading to a draft of a strategic framework for data collection and reporting; Wrote multiple iterations of drafts; and, sought and received feedback from the Provost’s Office, and the Vice Chancellor and Associate Vice Chancellors for Student Affairs.

4. University of Illinois – Vision, Mission & Strategic Goals
Become the preeminent public research institution
Mission
The University of Illinois will transform lives and serve society by educating, creating knowledge, and putting knowledge to work on a large scale and with excellence.
Leadership for the 21st century
Academic
excellence
Breakthrough knowledge and innovation
Transformative learning environment
Access to the
Illinois experience
Strategic Goals
A l i g n m e n t
Student Affairs – Vision, Mission & Strategic Goals
Vision
Student Affairs successfully transforms the lives of students, preparing them for citizenship in a global community. Its programs and services will attain a preeminence that will serve as a model for other universities.
Mission
Student Affairs transforms lives. We provide quality programs, services, facilities and living environments that create the Illinois experience at Urbana-Champaign which empowers students to achieve the greatest potential in their personal and academic development.
Enhanced knowledge & appreciation of diversity
Environmentally sound & culturally relevant facilities
Clarity and enhancement of the student experience at Illinois
Creation and sustainment of collaborative partnerships
Strategic Goals

5. The vision and values of Student Affairs drive its strategic goals
Student Affairs successfully transforms the lives of students, preparing them for citizenship in a global community. Its programs and services will attain a preeminence that will serve as a model for other universities.
Values
Student Affairs subscribes to a set of core beliefs that informs and guides staff members in carrying out their responsibilities and working with colleagues, students, and other constituents. Through words and actions, Student Affairs aspire to serve students and treat students campus colleagues, and other key constituents with honesty, respect, and civility. Our values include: Excellence -- Diversity and inclusiveness -- Risk taking, innovation and the ability to recognize failure as part of the learning process -- Responsibility, accountability and integrity -- Education and development of the whole person -- Life-long learning and achievement

6. Strategic Goals Goal I: Enhanced knowledge & appreciation of diversity
Goal II: Environmentally sound & culturally relevant facilities
Goal III: Clarity and enhancement of the student experience at Illinois
Goal IV: Creation and sustainment of collaborative partnerships

7. Strategic Initiatives or Work Streams for Goal I
Goal I: Enhanced knowledge & appreciation of diversity
Develop intercultural competencies (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, behaviors)
Recruit, support and retain underrepresented and low-income populations
Expand and enhance programming to meet priority needs of diverse populations (e.g., under-represented students, veterans, individuals with disabilities)
Hire and retain underrepresented staff

8. Strategic Initiatives or Work Streams for Goal II
Goal II: Environmentally sound & culturally relevant facilities
Plan for the development and construction of environmentally sound and culturally relevant facilities (e.g., gender sensitivities, ADA requirements)
Continue to update and maintain existing facilities (e.g., Arcade, Turner Building, McKinley Health Center, etc)
Promote the sustainability and energy conservation in all Student Affairs buildings
Invest in management of information and technology infrastructures
Continue rebuilding the Champaign area residence halls and dining center
Continue involvement in the Orchard Downs project to meet the housing needs of students with families
Continue renovations of infrastructure and mechanical systems in the Illini Union for energy conservation and air-conditioning
Develop a plan to restructure the Assembly Hall to meet future needs

9. Strategic Initiatives or Work Streams for Goal III
Goal III:  Clarity and enhancement of the student experience at Illinois
Gain greater understanding of the student experience though evaluation and assessment of programs and services
Increase students’ transformative learning experiences (e.g., critical thinking, civic engagement, humanitarianism, persistence and academic achievement, interpersonal and intrapersonal competence, knowledge acquisition, integration and application, and practical competence)
Expand and strengthen civic engagement, career development and leadership opportunities for students
Create new or expand existing programming and services to enhance the health and wellness of students
Create and sustain a welcoming and safe community for students
Promote a campus climate that is conducive to the learning and development of students
Increase engagement or connections of students with public service programs and local schools

10. Strategic Initiatives or Work Streams for Goal IV
Goal IV:  Creation and sustainment of collaborative partnerships
Develop mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships within student affairs and with other University units and departments
Promote the collaborative identity of student affairs and partners to enhance fund-raising and serve students
Coordinate and enhance communication with students’ parents
Continue to enhance the student affairs website for effective communication with on and off-campus constituents

11. Indicators can be both quantitative and qualitative
Indicators Criteria
Understandable Can the performance measure be easily and clearly communicated?
Controllable Can the results be controlled or significantly influenced under a designated plan? Is the measure time-bound?
Actionable Can action be taken to improve performance?
Credible Is the measure resistant to manipulation?
Measurable Can the measure be quantified?
Cost effective to access Can the data to support the measure be accessed cost effectively?
Aligned with goals Is the measure aligned with a goal?
Integrated Can the measure be linked both down and across the departments?
Relevant Is the measure reliable, realistic, achievable?
Indicators can be both quantitative and qualitative

12. Strategic Plan Framework - Metrics
Vision
Student Affairs successfully transforms the lives of students, preparing them for citizenship in a global community. Its programs and services will attain a preeminence that will serve as a model for other universities.
Values
Excellence; Diversity and inclusiveness; Risk taking, innovation and the ability to recognize failure as part of the learning process; Responsibility, accountability and integrity; Education and development of the whole person; life-long learning and achievement
Goals
Clarity and enhancement of the student experience at Illinois
Creation and sustainment of collaborative partnerships
Enhanced knowledge & appreciation of diversity
Environmentally sound & culturally relevant facilities
Metrics
# and type of programs, services or events offered to students
# of students having participated in each program, service or event
# of academic professionals having participated in multicultural training programs or conferences
% of underrepresented academic professionals employed in SA units
% of underrepresented academic professionals hired by SA units
# of new and/or renovated facilities planned
# of new and/or renovated facilities completed
Amount spent for management and technology infrastructures ($000)
Level of deferred maintenance ($000)
Energy consumption (BTUs)
Utility Expenses ($000)
# of students having participated in leadership experiences by program
# of students having participated in career development by program
# of students having participated in civic engagement by program
# of student employees working in SA units
# of student volunteers working in SA units
# of students having participated in internships or practicums offered by SA
# of students having participated in research experiences (grant awards) offered by SA
# of students having participated in programs to enhance health, safety and wellness
# of students having participated in non- credit programs
# of students having participated in courses with joint SAs sponsorship
Amount of funds dedicated to support collaborative partnerships
# of parents having attended programs or events
Amount of grant awards with a focus on partnerships acquired
# of partnerships with local community-based organizations
# of collaborative programs between SAs and AAs units
# of collaborative programs across SAs units
# of credit-bearing courses jointly sponsored by SAs and AAs

13. Data Capture Responsibilities
Division Level Progress Indicator
Division Profile Metric (in DMI)
Department Specific Metric
Captured centrally
Input into Campus Profile *
Captured by department
Minimum of 3-5 years of data (assuming availability)
Up to 10 years worth of data into the Campus Profile
* Qualitative metrics stored by the department

14. Proposed Annual Report of Student Affairs’ Strategic Plan Progress
Enhanced knowledge
& Appreciation of Diversity
Environmentally Sound
& Culturally Relevant Facilities
Clarity and Enhancement of the Student Experience at Illinois
Creation and Sustainment of Collaborative Partnerships
Are we making progress toward
achieving our goals?
Executive Summary of:
Relative trends
Peer benchmarking
Key actions taken
Internal Version: Student Affairs report format, with detailed metrics for all goals with specific commentary regarding division and individual department progress
Public Version: Color booklet highlighting key division-level metrics with select benchmarks and commentary

15. Committee Insights
Creating a strategic framework is recursive or iterative; it keeps looping around instead of simply unfolding in a linear fashion. There is overlap as well as discontinuity.
The strategic framework is not fixed. Things happen, priorities shift, change occurs. Identifying and selecting strategic goals are marked by ambiguity and uncertainty, and clarification is almost certain to prove to be a requirement.
A decision on what to measure is primarily determined by the strategic goals. However, the decision is not necessarily a choice from among alternatives but it is mostly a commitment to a particular course of action. The axiom is, “what gets measured, gets done” or “if it's not measured, it won't get done.”
Even after being informed by data, the making of strategic decisions is (or can be) a hotly and intently political activity; it’s not all neat and rational; there is bargaining, persuading and co-opting to consider.
Like any other process, assessing progress toward achieving strategic goals must be managed and supported by the top down.