2006-2007 President's Annual Goals

The following are my annual goals for the 2006-2007 academic-year. Many of these are drawn from our Strategic Plan; others are based on suggestions included in the Board’s most recent presidential evaluation.

Student Learning Core to UNF’s mission is our focus on student learning. This focus mandates a clear academic plan, strong academic programs and quality teaching. These academic programs must be responsive to student and community needs and should go through rigorous review. They must also have clearly stated objectives and outcomes and be built on the principle that the value of a student’s program is more than the sum of the individual courses completed. Quality instruction requires that we engage students in a rich array of learning experiences.

I will work with the Provost to set and refine the academic agenda for the University. (Recommended by the Board.)
The Provost and I will hold discussions with members of the Educational Policy Committee on how UNF defines and assesses academic excellence and on the relationship between teaching, research and service in achieving this definition. (Recommended by the Board.)
I will explore issues of quality teaching and research through dialogues at national conferences and through meetings with executive leaders from peer and aspirational institutions. (Recommended by the Board.)
In our ongoing efforts to ensure the quality of student learning, the University will advance assessment of learning outcomes in general education and undergraduate and graduate majors.
In our effort to enhance student learning experiences we will allocate an additional $200,000 to transformational learning opportunities (TLOs).
The University will also establish a center for community-based learning to advance initiatives designed to increase civic awareness and student engagement. (Recommended by the Board.)
In response to community and student needs, the University will seek approval for two new doctoral programs – the Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees.
During the course of the year, the University will also initiate development of a Quality Enhancement Plan. This plan will focus on one element of our current instructional program.

Flagship Programs In considering UNF’s commitment to excellence and focus, we acknowledge that UNF has the capacity for national prominence in select fields of study. These programs must be tied to our inherent strengths, reflecting our core competencies and our mission. The strength of these programs must be documented and should serve to add depth to the University as a whole.

In the 2006-2007 budget, we will add $400,000 to funding for flagship programs.
During the course of the year, we will also identify one additional flagship program.
In response to Board recommendations, I will also identify the estimated number of flagship programs that we envision creating over the course of the next five years.
The flagship program committee will develop a process for evaluating the progress in realizing the stated goals for each of these programs.

Research Research and other forms of scholarship are critical to our commitments to excellence and relevance. Scholarship serves to inform and energize faculty’s teaching, engaging them with the larger academic community. Student involvement in research serves to add depth to their educational experiences, helping them to learn how new knowledge is created.

In support of faculty research,
- we will provide $400,000 in startup funds for new hires in the sciences, engineering, and health;
- we will provide $200,000 to support course releases allowing faculty with proven records to pursue their ongoing research agendas;
- we will develop a course release program to kick start research programs for untenured faculty;
- we will increase summer research development stipends for faculty.
In the 2006-2007 budget, we will document an increase in federally funded research.
We will track faculty research productivity and compare this to the most recent three year rolling average.

Community ConnectionsThe University of North Florida must maintain strong community connections and should serve as the intellectual hub of Northeast Florida, adding to the cultural, economic, and civic life of the community. For our students the community should serve as a learning laboratory.

I will work with our staff to develop additional mechanisms to articulate and disseminate our statements of values, vision, and mission to internal and external constituencies.
It is my intention to continue providing leadership in formulating public policy at the community and State levels as it relates to higher education and the mission of the University of North Florida. (Recommended by the Board.)
In concert with the above stated goal, I will host an on-campus event for our congressional delegation and for State representatives.
Under my direction, UNF will conduct an economic impact study detailing UNF’s economic contributions to the region.
In recognition of our need to reach out to specific communities in the region, I will work to hire a liaison for community outreach to minority students and related constituencies. (Recommended by the Board.)
In setting the agendas for Board workshops, we will conduct one workshop during which the Board and I, along with our staff, will discuss strategies for building stronger community connections. (Recommended by the Board.)
The University will publish a monthly calendar of events in major newspapers to inform the community of opportunities on our campus.
We will track the increase in UNF’s media coverage to document our efforts to enhance the University’s reputation.

Quality Students UNF seeks to recruit, retain, and graduate students who will contribute to their chosen professions and to their communities. These students should reflect the diversity of our community. Entering students must display competence in basic skills, demonstrate good character, and be committed to learning. Current students must take advantage of the opportunities afforded them and contribute to the quality of their peers’ educational experiences. Upon completion of their studies, graduates must posses a firm foundation in general studies and a strong background in their field of study.

Upon my recommendation, the University will set aside increased financial support for targeted groups of students. These efforts include
- providing $500,000 of new recurring funding for merit scholarships, which include funding for TLO experiences,
- providing $167,000 recurring funding for targeted SWOOP scholarships,
- providing $154,000 of new funding for need-based scholarships,
- providing $105,000 of new funding for graduate assistantships, and
- raising $378,605 for the First Generation Matching Gift Program for need-based scholarships.
We will use the above listed scholarship programs and other protocols to recruit and retain targeted students, including high-achieving students and students from diverse backgrounds.
I will structure a Board workshop on opportunities for enhancing the quality and diversity of the UNF student body. (Recommended by the Board.)

Student Life As the University of North Florida has moved to a more traditional student body with a growing number of these students living on-campus, student life activities are playing an increasingly important role in the life of the UNF student. As we continue to strengthen our educational opportunities we must also pay close attention to adjunct activities on our campus.

As has been my practice, I will work closely with members of Student Government to ensure the University understands and responds to student needs.
At my request, we are implementing our plan for an active parents’ program.
The University will provide students with increased opportunities to engage in meaningful out-of-class discussions through our membership in the American Democracy Project and our partnership with the New York Times.
Over the course of the year, we will move forward on adding facilities to support student services and student life,
- designing a model program for students with disabilities,
- programming and establishing the design-build criteria for eastern ridge housing,
- beginning construction on a new student medical center and pharmacy,
- completing the building program and design for our new student union,
- developing the timeline and plan for Greek housing (Recommended by the Board,) and
- increasing on-campus food retail outlets for students.

Quality Faculty The success of this University is dependent upon the quality and dedication of its faculty. In recognition of this, we seek to hire, retain, and develop faculty who have strong records as teacher-scholars. This faculty must be committed to teaching/learning and must also recognize that research and other forms of scholarship serve as foundations for their professional vitality. As a collective body, UNF’s faculty should represent diversity in training and philosophy, and in geographic, socioeconomic, and ethnic/racial origin.

I will utilize regular meetings with departmental chairs, coffees with faculty, and attendance at Faculty Association meetings as three mechanisms for continuing conversations with members of UNF’s faculty.
Upon my recommendation, the University will provide funding for 22 new faculty positions in fall 2006.
Upon my recommendation, the University will provide $1 million in additional funding to be used for recruiting new faculty positions beginning in fall 2007.
I will work with the Board to provide funding for a 2% negotiated salary increase above the 3% across-the-board raise given by the State.
I will support Academic Affairs’ efforts to develop a plan for increasing recruitment of minority faculty members.

Quality Staff UNF’s staff is essential to the operation of the institution, from recruiting students to supporting instruction, from building and maintaining the campus to providing all of our financial services, and from ensuring an active campus life to building strong community connections. The importance of the roles these individuals play requires that we hire wisely and offer the support and resources they need to fulfill their responsibilities and realize their potential. Recognizing the importance of this group we are committed to each of the following goals.

I will work with the Board to provide funding for a 2% merit salary increase for staff above the 3% across-the-board increase funded by the State.
Under my direction, we will develop an expanded array of training opportunities for UNF staff members. (General Counsel, Environmental Health and Safety, and Professional Development and Training.)
Human Resources will continue its redesign of UNF’s employee classification system, allowing for greater flexibility and more appropriate position classifications and as a basis for better market analysis.

Physical Plant/Master Plan To ensure a university campus which can meet student, faculty, staff, and community needs we must pay close attention to the long and short range development and maintenance of our campus and its infrastructure. Our road map for accomplishing this is our Campus Master Plan. In accordance with the goals in the Strategic and Master Plans over the upcoming year we will pursue the following annual goals.

Engage in an active building program to meet the needs of our growing student body. This program will include:
completing the Social Sciences Building on time and on budget, and complete move-in before the start of the semester in August 2006,
programming, designing and building the new College of Education and Human Services building, and
programming, designing and building an addition to the Brooks College of Health for the School of Nursing.
In pursuing the above building program we will increase our use of LEED guidelines.
In upgrading our campus, we will
review, update and implement a comprehensive landscape plan; (The plan will include three major landscape installations: one at each entrance to the campus and one at the entrance to Building 10.) and
improve on-campus transportation by (a) building a road connecting the southern portion of the campus with the northern parking lots, and (b) implement a new shuttle/on-campus transportation system.
In working to improve our use of technology we will
implement the FAMIS software as the consolidated maintenance management system for the University, and
implement a disaster recovery plan for ERP.

Fiscal Resources In keeping with our four guiding principles and working toward the goals set forth in our Strategic Plan we must employ a thoughtful and judicious use of current and future fiscal resources. In our efforts to seek new funding and to use wisely the funding we have, over the course of this academic year

I will be working with the Board of Governors and the State legislature to secure funding for 10,500 FTE for the 2007-2008 academic-year.
I will also be working with the Board of Governors and the State legislature to secure $21 million in PECO funding, including the dollars needed to purchase the AOL building.
For this year, my goal is to raise $10 million in private donations for support of academic programs and other campus initiatives,
increase UNF’s endowment to $80 million by June 30, 2007 (Recommended by the Board.), and
work with Institutional Advancement in preparation for UNF’s next capital campaign, helping to set priorities for our academic and non-academic needs. (Recommended by the Board.)
I will also work with Institutional Advancement to increase the support given by UNF alumni, in terms of both dollars and number of participating alumni.
Given our Strategic Plan and our vision, mission, and values, we will explore our funding needs for the year 2012, making an estimate on what percentage of this funding is likely to come from State revenues, tuition, private donations, and other sources. Upon completion of this goal, we will bring our long-range funding needs and plan to the Board.

Strategic Planning and Continuous Improvement UNF’s commitment to excellence and accountability provides a strong rationale for ongoing strategic planning and the use of continuous improvement protocols. Throughout this document you will find goals that focus on data collection to be used in our continuous improvement efforts. In addition over the upcoming year.

I will be working with faculty, staff and students to define the core values that serve as the foundation for our University, (Recommended by the Board.) and
the University will examine its vision and mission statements and determine if revisions to these statements are needed. (Recommended by the Board.)
Upon completion of the first two goals, I will bring our recommendations to the Board for its consideration.

2006-2007 President's Annual Goals
Printable Format