Strategic PlanAdopted October 27, 2011

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Introduction

Strategic Plan2011

Throughout its long history, Montclair StateUniversity has anticipated the evolving needs ofthe community it serves and expanded its missionand programs to fulfill its role as a publicinstitution. Driving its evolution has been a boldvision of what the University could and should be,exceptional creativity in implementing the vision,and the adaptability to embrace change thatderives from the commitment of the University tonurture excellence in any endeavor it undertakes.

As it was evolving to serve changing societal needs,the University was, simultaneously andintentionally, working to differentiate itself fromthe other state colleges and universities in theregion by providing access to the verycomprehensive array of excellent programs andfaculty associated with a large university whileretaining the educational experience of a smallcollege.

Over the years since its founding in 1908, theUniversity’s responses to the educational needs ofthe community have changed both its shape andits direction. Significant milestones in theevolution of the University include:

• Becoming the first of the normal schools withinthe state to initiate four-year degree programs.

• Becoming the first of the state colleges to offerMaster’s degrees.

• Becoming the first of the state colleges to beawarded University status.

• Becoming the first institution in the state collegeand university sector to offer a Ph.D. programand multiple doctoral programs.

Connecting to Tomorrow: Vision, Creativity, Adaptability

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• Becoming the first institution in the state collegeand university sector to significantly expandenrollment in order to address the State’s needfor additional capacity in higher education.

• Becoming the first in the state college anduniversity sector to join and make active use ofthe internet.

The University has met successfully thedemanding provisions specified in Montclair StateUniversity at the Centennial 1908-2008, therecently completed strategic plan which guided theUniversity over the period leading up to itsCentennial celebration in 2008. Achieving thegoals established in the plan provides ampleevidence of a deep reserve of vision, creativity andadaptability that will be necessary to meet thechallenges that await the University over thecourse of the next ten years.

In the near term the challenges imposed fromwithout the University include:

• Continuing uncertainty in levels of financialsupport from all external sources.

• Higher societal expectations for return oninvestment in education.

• Higher expectations that the University be ableto document the effectiveness of its learningenvironments.

• Demographic changes in high school graduatingcohorts and rapidly changing trends in demandsfor graduate education.

• The pace of technological change and its impacton instruction, scholarship and administration.

• The expansion of the University’s “community”to embrace the opportunities and to meet thechallenges of the global economy.

• Increased competition from alternativeeducational institutions which are helping toreshape the higher education landscape.

As demanding as the challenges appear, recenthistory suggests that the University will besuccessful in crafting imaginative and effectivesolutions to them. Since Fall of 1998, statesupport for the operating budget decreased from48% to 25% of the total. Using an alternatemeasure, state appropriation per FTE studentdecreased 46% from $4,610 to $2,490. Yet overthis same period the University:

• Increased student enrollment by 45% from12,756 to 18,498,

• Increased the number of full-time faculty by46% from 411 to 599,

• Increased the number of degrees grantedannually by 73% from 2,217 to 3,830,

• Increased the number of students housed by118% from 2,012 to 4,377

• Increased the academic square footage by 68%from 770,000 sq. ft. to 1,295,000 sq. ft.,

• Increased revenue from external sources by244% from $3.4M to $11.7M, and

• Increased assets under management by theMontclair State University Foundation by 217%from $18.0M to $57.1M.

Thus, the University faces any new challengesknowing that it has been successful at turningchallenges into opportunities over the past decadeand that the reservoir of vision, creativity andadaptability, all hallmarks of the institution sinceits earliest years, remains undiminished. As theUniversity faces its next decade, it has identified

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five overarching goals, four of which share thetheme of connecting.

Connecting Students with a SuccessfulTomorrow. Of all of the roles the University has embraced,that of preparing students to be productive,enlightened and engaged citizens is foremost in itsimportance. This outcome is critically dependenton the existence of academic programs whichconform to the highest disciplinary standards,which set high expectations for students andencourage their aspirations, which provide bothbreadth and depth of knowledge, which exerciseadvanced communication and critical reasoningskills, and which stimulate a level of intellectualcuriosity that will lead our graduates to be lifelonglearners. The preparation of undergraduatestudents is also dependent on an array of co-curricular opportunities that develop leadershipskills, civic responsibility, self confidence, andprofessional goals and values.

Connecting People and Ideas. The intellectual activity which characterizes theunique culture of the academy, whetherscholarship or learning, is dependent on theconnections that form in the open and freeexchange of ideas and information among

colleagues, between a teacher and her/his students,and among students themselves. The Universitywill cultivate a campus climate of scholars andlearners which encourages and expects openinquiry and the free exchange of ideas within andacross discipline boundaries to generate newknowledge and ways of knowing and support forcreative expression. Of particular importance willbe connections that yield new fields of inquiry andthose that connect the University to the externalenvironment. Technology will provide ourscholar/teachers with new ways of connecting withstudents via the internet and utilizing the evolvingarray of multi-media resources available toenhance learning.

Connecting to Place.As a public institution, the University has aresponsibility: to serve as a source of professionaland scholarly expertise to the public schools, tostate-wide boards and task forces, government, andthe business community; to enrich the communityby presenting a wide range of cultural activities;and to encourage expanded civic engagement bystudents and faculty in community service projectsand various experiential learning/internshipopportunities that will enable them to makemeaningful contributions to the region.

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Connecting Globally.The concept of community has been extended toencompass the globe and the University now has anexpanded responsibility to connect faculty andstudents with colleagues across the world to sharpentheir international perspectives. The University hastraditionally utilized faculty exchanges, studentstudy abroad programs and international studentsin residence to accomplish this goal, but in thefuture, the University will take full advantage of theadditional opportunity afforded by technology toprovide for virtual interchanges. The Universitywill develop joint degree programs and othersignificant partnerships with universities in strategiclocations around the world.

Meeting the Challenges and Opportunities onthe Way to Tomorrow.The list of challenges facing the University on theway to tomorrow is formidable. The following arethe most significant:.

• The uncertainties of state support compels theUniversity to seek funding from alternativesources and to exercise an entrepreneurial spiritto sustain and enhance its excellence.

• Ensuring that the University remains accessibleto students with the least possible regard to theirfinancial circumstances requires careful attentionto tuition and financial aid policies and thedevelopment of creative mechanisms to supportstudents with financial need from admissionthrough graduation.

• Ensuring that the University has access to, andutilizes effectively, new technologies in itsinstructional programs, research and scholarship,and administrative functions requires rigorousattention to the development of broad-basedtechnological expertise within the University andan institutional culture that encourages flexibilityand creativity.

• Ensuring that our facilities provide enough spaceof high quality and maximum flexibility toachieve the goals set forth in the strategic planrequires continuing efforts to identify capitalfunding sources, prioritization of facilities needs,and highly professional design, construction andmaintenance services.

• Ensuring that the quality of life on campusmakes the Montclair experience a rewarding andsatisfying experience for all members of thecampus community requires intensified attentionto sustaining and developing those opportunitiesfor engagement on campus that create thefoundation of a vibrant academic community.

While this document is intended to be a ten-yearplan, many goals are set within a five-year periodin recognition of the breathtaking rate of changein the world generally and in higher educationspecifically. It is expected that the goals will berevisited in five years and updated and adjusted asconditions then warrant.

Commitment to Evidence-based Indicatorsof Success The accomplishments specified in this strategicplan presume substantial gains in key performanceindicators of institutional and learning outcomes.By the end of January 2012, the University’sInstitutional Research Office will compile baselinestatistics against which to measure progress on thestated goals and objectives that comprise this plan,and annually thereafter will assemble data whichreports that progress.

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Connecting Students with a Successful Tomorrow

Goal 1: Connecting Students With aSuccessful Tomorrow

Montclair State University will provide acomprehensive array of undergraduate andgraduate programs characterized by both academicexcellence and intellectual rigor. Undergraduateacademic programs will generate the knowledge,values, and communication, information literacyand critical thinking skills gained through study inthe liberal arts and sciences with the focuseddisciplinary knowledge and skills imparted bymajors and professional programs. Undergraduateco-curricular opportunities will add a valuabledimension to the university experience byproviding experiences that engage students activelyin campus life. Graduate programs will offertheoretical, methodological and applied learningthat reflects contemporary practice and directionsin the field. Embedded in all programs will beelements that are intentionally designed to fosterthe vision, creativity and adaptability needed toensure a successful tomorrow for graduates.Preparing students to become productive,enlightened and engaged citizens is our foremostgoal. To that end the University will provideoutstanding academic programs and experiencesthat are intellectually challenging, focused, andreflective of best practices in the disciplines.

Objective A: The University will actively andstrategically recruit, retain and graduate adiverse, increasingly selective undergraduateand graduate student population.

• By 2012, complete a review and revision of bothundergraduate and graduate admissions policiesthat takes into account the changingdemographics of the University’s applicant pool,changing modes of program delivery, the

University’s intellectual and physical resources,and the evolving nature of workforce demands.

• By 2016, the enrollment will rise to 20,000,structured as follows: undergraduatefull-time – 12,550; undergraduate part-time –2,450; graduate full-time – 1,500; graduatepart-time – 3,500.

• By 2016, out of state enrollment will increasefrom the current level of 2.7% to at least 6% oftotal enrollment.

• By 2016, the mean GPA of entering freshmenwill increase from the current level of 3.1 to 3.4.

• By 2016, the first year retention rate will increasefrom the current level of 81% to at least 88%.

• By 2016, the overall six-year graduation rate willincrease from the current level of 62% to 70%.

• By 2017, the six-year graduation rate for maleswill increase from the current level of 55%to 60%.

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• By 2014, the minority undergraduate studentpopulation will increase from 33% to 38%.Hispanic student population will increase from23% to at least 25%, making the Universityeligible for Hispanic Serving Institution status.

• By 2016, the average GRE scores of enteringmaster’s students will increase from the currentlevel of Verbal – 463(148*) and Quantitative –533(152*) to Verbal – 500(150*) andQuantitative – 550(153*).

• By 2016, the average GRE scores of enteringdoctoral students will increase from the currentlevel of Verbal – 462(147*) and Quantitative –552(153*) to Verbal – 525(151*) andQuantitative – 575(155*).

*Note: The GRE Scores listed are reflective ofthe previous scoring system (200-800), and thenewly adopted scoring system(130-170).

Objective B: All academic programs,undergraduate and graduate, will reflect thecurrent state of, and best instructional practicesin, their respective disciplines, while selectedprograms will seek and attain national rankingor recognition. The university is committed tobeing at the forefront in the creation of new andinnovative strategies for pedagogy, learning,research and campus co-curricular life.

• By 2014 the College of Science & Mathematicsand the School of Business will create atleast three Professional Science Master’sdegree programs.

• By 2015, the University will award at least 20research doctoral degrees per year.

• By 2016, each college/school will count amongits programs at least one or two, and overall theUniversity will have at least 7 programs that have

sustained or achieved national ranking orsubstantial national recognition. These willinclude Accounting, EnvironmentalManagement, Music, Communicationand Media Studies, Teacher Education,and Audiology.

• By 2016, each program, undergraduate andgraduate, will be able to articulate its distinctivestrengths and why it is highly competitive withinthe region.

• By 2016 the University will create a minimum oftwo additional doctoral programs ininterdisciplinary areas where we can demonstratecredible demand matched with exceptionalfaculty strength.

Objective C: Expectations of student performancein undergraduate and graduate programs will behigh and will increase progressively during thecourse of the programs.

• By 2012, implement a Sophomore YearExperience program; by 2014, implement aJunior Year program; and by 2015, implement aSenior Year (Capstone) experience.

• By 2012, all courses within a program sequencewill exhibit advancing rigor as the course levelincreases, and individual course prerequisiteswill be consistent with this expectation andrigorously enforced.

• By 2013, define a plan for the implementationof a campus-wide academic advising model forall undergraduate students; by the same dateeach graduate program will have clear advisingguidelines in place.

• By 2013, the majority of courses in any programwill contain formal elements that require thecontinued development of student writing,communication skills, and analytic and

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quantitative capabilities at an appropriate level;the General Education requirement of a specifiedwriting-intensive course in every major will beresuscitated and observed.

• By 2014, engage 85% of all first year students inat least 15 distinct learning communities whichlink courses and majors from all colleges andschools, and use assessment data from thoseexperiences to support effective courseadvisement for the sophomore and junior years.

Objective D: The University will plan andimplement a comprehensive, integrated, andinstitution-wide student learning outcomesassessment of the General Education programthat will inform academic planning and assurethat students have in fact acquired the essentiallearning skills they will need in careers and in life.

• By 2012, establish the protocol for utilizing theresults of the Collegiate Learning Assessment(CLA) in assessing the effectiveness of theGeneral Education program.

• By 2012, complete the development ofassessment plans that include learning goals,multiple measures of goal attainment and anassessment schedule for each undergraduate andgraduate major and degree program.

• By 2014, building on the still relevant vision ofGeneral Education’s role in the curriculum andits four competency goals—communication,critical thinking, national and global issues,integration and application—the Universitywill transform its implementation tofocus on the demonstrated achievement ofthose competencies.

• By 2014, the first year that same-cohortcomparative data is available from the CLA,apply the data to revisions of GeneralEducation curricula.

Objective E: The faculty will continually assesscurricula in the majors to ensure that they reflectthe evolution and expansion of fields and providethe knowledge and the skills needed for thefuture success of our graduates.

• By 2011, include assessment of learning amongthe areas evaluated by Five-Year External Review(FERC) teams.

• By 2012, include in the guidelines for FERCteams a significant emphasis on identifyingfuture program directions and strategies forimplementing necessary changes.

• By 2014, each Department, in conjunction withthe Career Center or the College/School careerServices Offices and with the support of Alumni

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Services, will have in place a method forevaluating student success after graduation.Indicators will include information collectedfrom the graduate and her/his employers,placement in graduate or professional schoolprograms, evidence of career advancement andawards/recognitions received.

Objective F: The University will cultivateflexibility and imagination in curricular designand implementation.

By 2012, all academic departments will beregularly engaged in:

• Evaluating opportunities to implement newcurricula; reviewing, revising and realigningexisting curricula, and eliminating obsolete orunsuccessful programs.

• By 2013, significantly increase the utilization ofexternal professional, work, and culturalresources to enhance real-world learningexperiences for students.

• By 2014, increase internship and co-opexperiences by 50% and service-learningexperiences by 20% to enhance knowledge,improve job placement opportunities and benefitarea employers.

Objective G: As the resident student populationincreases, increase student participation inco-curricular and cultural activities.

• By 2014, provide an expanded array ofopportunities for part-time undergraduate andgraduate students to increase their engagementwith the University.

• By 2015, increase student participation inco-curricular activities by 40% over the 2010-11baseline levels.

• By 2015, increase student participation incultural activities by 30% over the 2010-11baseline levels.

• By 2015, increase student participation inService Learning to increase communityengagement and student volunteer activity by30% over the 2010-11 baseline levels.

• By 2015, increase the number of baccalaureategraduates who have engaged in communityservice at some point in their undergraduateprogram to 20%.

• By 2020, increase the number of baccalaureategraduates who have engaged in communityservice at some point in their undergraduateprogram to 50%

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Connecting People and Ideas

Goal 2: Connecting People and Ideas

Montclair State University is its people and theirideas. It is a place where scholar-teachers andstudents can connect with their peers and eachother in a disciplined—that is, defined by themethodology of academic disciplines—explorationof those ideas and the creation of new knowledgeand ways of expression. All members of theUniversity benefit from the intellectual stimulationgenerated within the milieu of ideas, old and new,which is nurtured and shared by the community

of scholars that constitutes the essence of theuniversity. From that environment emerges theresearch that generates new knowledge, thescholarship that leads to new understandings andways of knowing, the creativity that pushes the

limits of the Arts, and the ability to share theseexperiences with students in innovative andchallenging ways.

Scholars have traditionally sought colleagues fromwithin their disciplines, both on campus andbeyond, for their communities of inquiry.However, complex issues of investigation in thesciences and social sciences, new questions ofmeaning and interpretation in the humanities,unique tools and technologies in the arts andincreasing sophistication and diversification in theprofessions are requiring more cross- and multi-disciplinary approaches to knowledge.Consequently, the University must develop newscholarly frameworks that will maintain theintegrity and strength of the essential disciplineswhile developing new configurations that willstimulate and nurture the cross-disciplineconnections that are increasingly relevant in arapidly changing world. Mirroring these extendedconnections on campus, technology will allow forgreatly enhanced intra- and cross-disciplinarynetworking across the globe and opportunities forscholarly partnering. Closer to campus, thepursuit of collaborations with researchorganizations, businesses, government, and non-profit organizations will provide a source of bothintellectual capital and, potentially, new fundingopportunities.

The rapid changes that are occurring in howstudents communicate and pursue learning requirethat online, on-demand, 24/7, and just-in-timeelements be included in the learning mix and thatthe University be nimble in embracing newmodalities of communication which are adaptableto the social media-based and collaborative toolsstudents increasingly rely upon to learn.

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Objective A: Extend and enhance theconnectivity that forms the basis of thecommunity of scholars.

• Augment, annually, the number of full-timefaculty in high-demand programs and those forwhich the addition of faculty will have an impacton the maintenance or achievement of nationalranking or recognition.

• By 2012, develop personnel guidelines that willfacilitate joint faculty appointments and theaffiliation of faculty members with structuresbeyond their departments and across colleges, forexample, centers and institutes.

• By 2013, building on rigorous core disciplines,identify two programs for development that arebroadly trans-disciplinary, meet evolving needsin society, with a focus on our region, and thatare compatible with existing faculty expertise.By 2014, the University should have two centersor institutes with either a broad cross-disciplinary or narrowly-targeted focus that candemonstrate progress toward building a nationalreputation. By 2016, there should be four suchcenters or institutes.

Objective B: Increase partnerships and jointventures with research organizations,businesses, government, and non-profitorganizations.

• By 2015, each college/school will seek toestablish self-supporting ventures with externalorganizations in which the intellectual capitalresident on campus is paired with that from thepartner organization. These ventures will involvestudents whenever feasible.

Objective C: Increase extramural support forscholarly activity.

• Increase the number of competitive proposalssubmitted to federal funding agencies by 5% peryear through 2016, with ORSP support staffaugmented as goals are met.

• Increase each year the number of grant proposalsthat include support for full-time graduateassistants.

Objective D: Incorporate new modes ofinstruction into the curriculum.

• Ensure that every student has ready access tonetworked devices (e.g., PC, laptop tablet,smartphone, etc.) internet services and access toadequate training in their use.

• Incorporate social media and mobile computingtechnologies in the instructional programwherever feasible and whenever it will enhancethe effectiveness of the learning experience.

• Provide faculty members with the trainingand professional development necessary toincorporate emerging technologies intotheir teaching.

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• Expand the extent to which hybrid instruction isutilized across all appropriate curricula.

• By 2012, fully implement the student-drivenlearning model in the First Year Writing Programand the Center for Writing Excellence, and inthe Red Hawk Math Learning Center wheredefined levels of competence, rather than timeon task, will be utilized to document thefulfillment of academic requirements.

• By 2012, offer 3 graduate programs and oneundergraduate degree completion program fullyonline. By 2016, offer 10 graduate programsand at least 30 credits of undergraduate GeneralEducation courses fully online.

• By 2014, 3% of the total annual undergraduateStudent Semester Hour production will begenerated by on-line courses. By 2016, 8% willbe generated by on-line courses.

• By 2016, 50% of graduates will have taken atleast one course completely online.

• By 2013, 5% of the annual graduate StudentSemester Hour production will be generated byon-line courses and programs. By 2016, 15% ofthe annual graduate Student Semester Hourproduction will be generated by on-line coursesand programs.

Objective E: Provide support services for facultyresearch, grant acquisition, and the uses oftechnology in instruction. Faculty developmentservices and support services will be alignedwith the objectives of this goal.

• By 2012, review the range and level of servicesprovided by the Office of Research andSponsored Programs and the support available togrant-seeking faculty, and develop a plan forproviding and funding improvements to theseservices.

• By 2013, expand existing and develop newprograms of the Information Technology Trainingand Integration Unit and the Research Academyfor University Learning designed to help allfaculty make effective use of new learningtechnologies.

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Connecting to Place

Goal 3: Connecting to Place

Consistent with its status as a public university,Montclair State University is committed toextending its scholarly, research, technical,intellectual, professional and cultural resources forthe benefit of the communities, state and region itserves. Recognizing the long and effective historyof the University as a national leader in civicengagement and cooperative education, we willcontinue to model and promote an ethic ofcommunity service for our students throughService Learning, cooperative education,internships and student volunteer activities. Wewill seek to model environmentally responsibleand sustainable business practices, working toreduce the University’s carbon footprintincrementally and continuously over the period ofthis Plan.

Objective A: Continually assess degree and non-degree programs to ensure that among them areofferings aligned with evolving critical workforceneeds within the state.

• By 2012, begin a schedule of regular monitoringof data from the U.S. Department of Laborand other sources regarding labor force trends,and utilize that data in admissions andprogrammatic decisions.

Objective B: Provide the scientific and policyexpertise needed for innovative and productiveapproaches to local, state and regional issues.

• Members of the University community willseek opportunities to serve on local, state andregional agencies, boards and task forces,and act as professional consultants toexternal organizations.

• University Communications will create aneffective and updated protocol for identifyingand sharing with the public the expertise ofmembers of the University community.

• Faculty members will seek local applications ofthe research/scholarly projects in which they areengaged and methods for focused sharing of thatresearch to relevant public audiences for thebenefit of the region.

• By 2013, and biannually thereafter, cooperativeeducation and internship placements of studentswill be reviewed and evaluated for economicimpact, community advancement and socialbenefit as well as for student learning.

• The College of Education and Human Serviceswill continue to build its already excellentrelationships with K-12 education in the stateand maintain and enhance its nationalreputation in teacher preparation.

• The School of Conservation will expand andenhance its impact as an environmental and

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conservation awareness experience for thechildren of New Jersey, and grow its capacity as aresearch venue for issues of environmentalsustainability in the state.

Objective C: Serve as an innovative resourcefor the New Jersey business communityin the areas of consulting, training andeconomic development.

• By 2011, initiate aggressive implementation ofan internship program to place students withcorporations and businesses represented in theNorth Jersey area so that, by 2015, at least 10%of our students will have experience in acorporate/business setting.

• By 2013, the School of Business will establishactive programs offering executive education andconsulting services for businesses.

• By 2013, the College of Science andMathematics will expand its engagement withthe pharmaceutical and other science-basedcompanies in the region as well as with start-upR&D companies geared toward collaborationsthat will generate opportunities for students andrevenues for the University.

Objective D: Continue to enhance the University’sgrowing distinction as a center for innovationand professionalism in the performing andvisual arts.

• Annually, the Kasser Theatre will seek to increaseboth non-student ticket sales and studentadmissions by 4%. The Segal Gallery willincrease attendance by a similar amount.

• Annually, the College of the Arts will seek toextend its reach beyond the campus byestablishing collaborations and partnerships withprofessional arts organizations and by sponsoringperformances, exhibits and forums whichshowcase the talents and creativity of students.

• The College of the Arts will expand existingprograms for pre-K to12 students andcommunity programs that serve children andadults and generate net revenue.

Objective E: The University will seek to minimizeits carbon footprint in construction, maintenanceand residential living activities.

• Where practical, all new construction atthe University will be, at the least, LEEDSilver Certified.

• The University will replace the existing heatingand cooling plant with a co-generation plant thatwill reduce current carbon consumption inUniversity buildings by 38% over current levels.

• The University will enhance its status as the firstpublic university in the nation to sign an MOUwith the Environmental Protection Agencythrough sustainable practices in its parking andtransit services, storm water runoff mitigation,solar installations, and urban forest managementand landscaping.

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Connecting Globally

Goal 4: Connecting Globally

To meet the challenge of career success in a globalcommunity, the University must provide aneducational experience which will enable studentsto internationalize their perspectives; to developthe necessary knowledge and skills to functioneffectively in multiple international milieus; and tobe prepared to adapt to rapidly changingeconomic, social and political landscapes. Inaddition, recognizing that the discovery of newknowledge, its applications, and the evolution ofnew forms of expression are now internationalendeavors, faculty members should seekopportunities to engage in scholarly activities withcolleagues around the globe.

Of all the international options available tostudents, international study abroad, with theattendant immersion in the language and cultureof the host country, is by far the most effective incultivating a consciousness of cosmopolitancitizenship and international engagement. TheUniversity’s study abroad programs are firmlyestablished, but the range of students who are ableto take advantage of them should be expanded.Additionally, for the Montclair State Universitystudents who will be unable to participate in astudy abroad program, the University willcontinue to enhance their opportunities to havemeaningful contact with international students oncampus, learning with them in the classroom,living with them in residence halls, and formingfriendships through co-curricular functions. TheUniversity will actively promote the recruitment ofa strong international cohort in every enteringclass and provide semester- and year-long visitingopportunities for internationals, encouragingalways the active engagement of these visitorswithin the campus community.

Faculty exchanges provide an opportunity forprofessors to pursue a scholarly and instructionalagenda in an international setting and bring backto the University’s students an internationalexperience and perspective on their disciplines.Technology now provides a potentially rich set oftools to allow the University to expand upon thetraditional faculty and student exchanges andcreate new ways to interact electronically in realtime with partner institutions around the world,expanding and enlivening existing relationships orestablishing new ones.

One of the enduring features that differentiates aMontclair State undergraduate degree from thoseof similar institutions is the existence of a worldlanguage requirement for every student. TheUniversity continues to be committed to theintellectual value and cultural importance of in-depth exposure to a language in addition toEnglish and the experience of learning tocommunicate in a second language.

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Objective A: Extend existing partnerships andestablish new partnerships with selected foreignuniversities, focusing on collaborative research,jointly offered instructional degree programs,and entrepreneurial opportunities.

• By 2012, clearly articulate the policy,criteria, priorities and expectations whichwill guide the ongoing establishment ofinternational partnerships.

• By 2013, initiate synchronous and on-line jointinstructional opportunities with a limitednumber of partner universities.

• By 2014, have fully functioning joint orcombined degree programs with partneruniversities in two countries, and by 2016 infour countries.

• By 2016, expand the Teaching in Englishprogram to at least 15 international partnerinstitutions, generating net revenue.

Objective B: Increase the involvement ofMontclair State faculty in the area ofinternational research collaborations, and thenumber of international faculty hosted by theUniversity annually.

• Encourage faculty efforts to secure internationalfellowship and research grants (NSF, Fulbright, etc.).

• Maintain and expand the sponsorship ofinternational scholars through the agency ofInstitute for International Education.

• By 2013, become certified by the UnitedNations as a UN chartered NGO.

Objective C: Increase the number of studentswho participate in a study abroad program, anddevelop appropriate financial mechanisms toassure the accessibility of that opportunity forstudents of all economic means.

• By 2013, conduct experimental offerings ofseveral undergraduate and graduate coursessynchronously via internet with partneruniversities in other countries.

• By 2014, 3% and by 2016, 5% of MontclairState students will study for a full term at auniversity abroad.

• By 2014, we will implement internationalcomponents within selected experientialeducation programs.

Objective D: Increase the number of internationalstudents at both the undergraduate andgraduate level.

• By 2012, design and implement a comprehensiverecruitment program for undergraduate andgraduate international students.

• By 2013, increase the F-1 undergraduateinternational student cohort from 3.3% (2010)to 5% and the F-1 graduate internationalstudent cohort from 2.9% to 7%.

• By 2016, increase the F-1 undergraduateinternational student cohort to 8% and the F-1graduate international student cohort to 10%.

• Strengthen by corresponding levels the ESL,writing and cultural transition services whichwill help guarantee the academic success ofinternational students.

• Create co-curricular programs and protocolsspecifically designed to introduce internationaland U.S. students to each other.

Objective E: By 2014, departments that offerWorld Languages will provide students with adynamic communicative approach to learning alanguage and its key cultural constructs;placement policy will promote languageproficiency outcome objectives.

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Meeting the Challenges and Opportunitieson the Way to Tomorrow

Goal 5: Meeting the Challenges andOpportunities on the Way to Tomorrow

Public higher education in general and MontclairState University in particular face a numberof serious challenges that may be summarizedas follows:

External Funding: The University faces theongoing decline in the level of state support. Sincethere are limitations to the opportunity forenrollment growth, and given that affordability isa core institutional value, thereby ruling out largeincreases in tuition, the University is compelled toseek external funding from a wide range ofalternative sources to bridge the gap between“good” and “excellent.” The University must focuson federal and state agencies, the corporate sector,private foundations and other non-profits, alumni,and friends of the University in the search for theresources needed to achieve and sustain excellence.

Since the support of alumni, once established, hasthe potential to be more constant from year toyear, and, hence, a more reliable component of ourannual revenue, it is critically important that boththe percent of alumni giving regularly and thetotal amount given be raised significantly.Additionally, the University must be moreentrepreneurial in establishing joint ventures,transferring knowledge, and providing professionalservices that will yield income.

Cost Control and Efficiency: Over the past tenyears, the University’s ability to fund many of theobjectives identified in the previous strategic planhas been made possible, in part, by significantenrollment growth. With lower enrollmentgrowth than in the previous period, combinedwith the uncertainties attendant upon statefunding, the University community must exercisecontinual vigilance over its budgetary resourcesand seek opportunities to operate in ways that areefficient and cost-effective.

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Affordability: Assuring that a Montclair Stateeducation is accessible to students with minimalregard to financial circumstances is a core value ofthe University. Affordability is, however, stronglyinfluenced by a complex equation, the terms ofwhich include state operating and capital supportand state and federal financial aid programs.Working within these externally-imposedparameters, the University is committed to:providing high quality and affordable programs;ensuring that the cost of a Montclair State degreeis regarded as an astute investment in the future;and delivering access to an education that isavailable to most without regard to family income.

Technology: The largest technological challengeand opportunity the University faces over theforeseeable future is not the acquisition of newtechnology, but the harnessing of its vastlyincreased processing power to serve itsinstructional, scholarly and administrative needs.The University must be nimble in evaluating, andadopting where appropriate, new technologies thatwill advance its objectives and increase theeffectiveness and efficiency of our actions.

Facilities: In spite of increasing academic spaceby 68% to 1,295,000 sq. ft. over the past 10 years,the amount of academic space available remainsmore than 500,000 sq. ft. below the levelsavailable to comparable institutions nationally forinstruction and research.

Service-oriented Campus Culture: Whether astudent passing through in four years or anemployee spending an entire career at theuniversity, the quality of life experienced oncampus is an important determinant ofsatisfaction – satisfaction that will yield loyalalumni and dedicated employees. While manyaspects of life on campus have an impact on theoverall quality of life, there is one fundamental

characteristic which is most determinative of thequality of life experienced on campus and thatis a culture which is dominated by an ethos ofservice, a genuine desire to assist students andcolleagues to achieve important academic andinstitutional goals.

Communication: As an institution, MontclairState has an important history in this state and asignificant story to tell about the fundamentalcharacteristics of the institution, how it has servedthe State in the past, and the quality ofcontributions it is capable of making in the future.For Montclair State, the effective telling of itsstory to our multiple constituencies should serveto convince them that the University is worthy oftheir respect and support.

Innovation: By challenging the orthodoxies ofacademic structures, traditions and a culture thatoften mitigates against an institution’s ability tomeet the needs of a changing marketplace,Montclair State University is committed to beingat the forefront in the creation of a university forthe 21st century. By creating and maintaining anenvironment that supports and encourages facultyexperimentation, by nurturing a culture ofcreativity and innovation, and by evaluating manyof the protocols and processes that are currentlyembedded in the University, the University mustposition itself to anticipate and respond to theneeds of a changing region and world.

Objective A: Increase the amount and diversifythe sources of non-state support.

• By 2012, the University will have in place aspecial campaign targeting graduating seniorsand graduates of the previous 10 years to instillthe habit of alumni giving.

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• By 2012, the University will have a functioningintellectual property patent and licensing policyprocess in place.

• By 2013, external support for basic and appliedresearch will total $7M from federal agencies,corporations, and private foundations. By 2016,the total will be $10M.

• By 2013, external support for programmaticinitiatives will total $5M from federal and stateagencies, corporations and private foundations.By 2016, the total will be $8M.

• By 2013, 10% of alumni will contribute to theAlumni Fund annually and the total amount oftheir contribution will be $1.1M. By 2016, 15%of alumni will contribute annually andthe total amount of their contribution will be$1.8M.

• By 2013, the assets of the Montclair StateUniversity Foundation will be $60M. By 2016the total will be $75M.

• By 2016, the University will hold an interestin at least five patents, and the first licensedcommercial products will be on the market or inadvanced stages of development.

• By 2016, annual net revenue from patents,joint ventures, professional services and similarextramural sources will be $1M. By 2018, thetotal will be $2M.

Objective B: Identify opportunities to containcosts and improve efficiencies.

• By 2012, improve the utilization of space acrossthe hours of the day and the days of the week.

• By 2012, finalize the development of a planfor full utilization of the summer term forinstruction and for complementary revenue-generating activities.

• By 2012, adjust the expectations related to classsize, assuring both an educationally sound andresource-realistic array of appropriate class sizes,from small seminars to large lecture sections.

• By 2012, all programs will have reviewed theiradvising practices and their course offeringschedules to assure that students have theinformation and the opportunity necessaryto complete their degree programs in atimely fashion.

• By 2013, have fully integrated and acceptedInformation Technology and Academic Programplans in place that ensure technology resourcesare aligned with the University’s academic goalsand objectives and dedicated to the enhancedand more intensive uses of technology.

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• Each year, continue the process of identifyingopportunities to enhance the efficiency ofoperations and business practices.

• By 2013, develop a comprehensive plan for theimplementation of sustainable campusmaintenance practices.

Objective C: Ensure that a Montclair Stateeducation remains affordable and is regarded asan exceptional value.

• The University will maintain undergraduatetuition close to the mid-point of tuition levelsamong the state’s senior public institutions andgraduate tuition at a slightly higher level

• The University will continue to improvethe effectiveness of its financial aid servicesto students.

• The University will seek every opportunity toincrease available scholarship funds.

Objective D: Seek and adopt innovativetechnological solutions.

• By 2011, implement a strategy that willensure ample instructional design resources toserve the rapid expansion of on-line deliveryof instruction.

• By 2012, complete the review of ERP systemsand finalize contracts for both software systemsand implementation providers.

• By 2011, identify an individual who will supportand coordinate academic computing initiativeson campus and who will report to the Provostand work collaboratively with InformationTechnology.

• By 2013, implement a virtual computer lab andvirtual support mechanisms for on-line, ondemand, 24/7 access to the increasingly

sophisticated software utilized in instruction andresearch activities.

• By 2013, implement an Institutional Repositoryto house research and instructional materialsavailable to faculty and students to enhance thecontent of online courses and provide for sharingof instructional materials across disciplines.

• By 2016, complete installation and testing of thechosen ERP and supporting component systems.

Objective E: Plan and execute new constructionand renovations of existing facilities.

• Define a plan for the renovation of existingstudent housing and dining stock.

• Complete the renovation of Schmitt Hall.

• Complete the implementation of the University’sbroadband wireless network.

• Construct a new Combined Heating and PowerPlant and Utility Distribution System.

• Construct a new facility for the Schoolof Business.

• Construct a new Center for Environmental andLife Sciences.

• Construct a new facility and complete therenovation of existing space for Communicationand Media Studies.

• Complete the renovation of Partridge Hall.

• Complete a plan for Visual Arts, including therenovation of Calcia Hall.

• Complete the renovation of the Student Centerincluding all auxiliary spaces.

• Complete the renovation of Life Hall.

• Complete the renovation of College Hall.

• Complete the renovation of Richardson, Science,and Mallory Halls.

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Objective F: Foster a campus culture that isservice-oriented.

• Continually encourage innovation and constantimprovement in the delivery of services to allconstituencies, including mechanisms to reviewsystematically University processes and practicesto ensure that services are accessible, seamless,and effective.

• By 2012, develop, and begin implementation ofa plan that will result in a full integration of corestudent services by 2015.

• By 2012, provide core technology instructionthat will ensure community members are facilein using the service-oriented technologiesavailable to them through our various learningmanagement and administrative systems.

• By 2012, prepare customer service guidelines,and implement ongoing customer servicetraining for all employees.

• By 2013, promote a comprehensive and user-friendly suite of online services that are designedto work with mobile computing devices

Objective G: Develop and implement externaland internal communication strategies that willsupport the goals and objectives of thestrategic plan.

• By 2012, develop and implement external andinternal communication strategies designed toenhance the University’s reputation and visibility.

• By 2012, generate strategic initiatives targeted toimpact selected national university rankings.

• By 2012, launch a redesigned web presence forthe University and all colleges/schools.

• By 2012, complete a marketing and rebrandingstrategy which is consistent with this strategicplan.

• By 2013, review the evolving technologyenvironment and develop and implement astrategy to employ effectively new technologiesin communicating with key audiences.

• By 2014, establish a strategy to regularlyacquaint our several publics with evidence of thesuccess of our graduates.

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Benchmark InstitutionsThe University will measure its progress against that of other universitieswho face similar challenges and have similar aspirations. The following

benchmark institutions have been identified for that purpose.

Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN

Bowling Green State UniversityGreen, OH

Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL

San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA

Towson UniversityTowson, MD

University of Massachusetts BostonBoston, MA

University of North Carolina CharlotteCharlotte, NC

University of North Carolina GreensboroGreensboro, NC

We will annually review a wide range of characteristics, data, and bestpractices at these institutions to inform our activities and gauge our progress

in meeting the goals established in this plan.

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