This document provides an overview of John Q. Public University's institutional planning and accountability efforts. It identifies key priorities such as student success, teaching and learning excellence, and institutional effectiveness. The university is committed to data-driven decision making, continuous improvement, and building a diverse and engaged community. It offers bachelor's degrees across 25 majors and is well-known for its graduate programs. The strategic plan focuses on areas like recruitment and retention, safety, visibility, and developing a vibrant student life.

1. JOHN Q. PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
Developed by: Todd E. Long, M.Ed.

2. This case study of Institutional Planning and Accountability
identifies various innovative best practices aligned with
the university’s institutional efforts affiliated with the Office
of Institutional Planning and Accountability.
PURPOSE

3. John Q. Public University is an independent liberal arts
university located in South Carolina. It offers Bachelor’s
degrees in 25 major fields of study, and is well known for its
programs leading to graduate and pre-professional
studies (medicine and other health professions, law,
commerce, and advanced graduate study across
academic disciplines). The university is committed to
providing superior students an undergraduate and
graduate education defined by excellence, engagement
and transformation.
UNIVERSITY IN REVIEW

4. The University’s core values not only serve as the
philosophical underpinnings of the institution’s mission, but
they serve to govern attitudes, behaviors, and decisions in
daily activities among stakeholders.
INSTITUTIONAL PLANNING AND
ACCOUNTABILITY

5. – People come first-We are committed to creating an inclusive
environment where we respect our differences as we pursue
academic purposes
– Stewardship of resources is critical to accomplishing the University’s
mission
– Integrity as an academic institution drives our daily activities. To
include but not limited to: a passion for teaching and learning, and a
belief that every employee and student had a right to learn and
progress as far as he or she is able.
CULTURE OF EVIDENCE

6. • A commitment to gather and
use the data needed to
make decisions, assess the
results of those decisions,
adjust priorities, strategies,
decisions, and adjust priorities
and strategies as needed
• Regular, clear, transparent
communication about
priorities, progress, and
problems
• Adherence to sound
principles of shared
governance
• Clear three-year goals
• Specific and measureable
objectives, detailed action
plans, and accountable
leaders for each goal
• Assessments/performance
indicators
THE PURPOSE OF THE THIS STUDY IS GUIDED BY A
SHARED VISION AND GROUNDED IN MISSION WITH:

7. • Improve internal and external communication
• Institute regular “town hall” events.
• Expand the use of current technologies to expedite the
flow of information.
• Increase opportunities and support for staff
development.
• Institutionalize data-driven decision-making
INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES

8. • Provide accurate and meaningful assessment data which is
easily accessible and used to improve effectiveness and
efficiency.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement.
• Increase and enhance diversity programming and service
activities.
• Build cohesion of diversity efforts.
• Renew ties within the minority communities in which we serve
INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

9. • Student Success/student initiatives
• Excellence in Teaching and Learning
• Institutional Effectiveness
• Professors Scholarly Activities
• Maintain regional and national
accreditation standards as identified per
discipline.
• Increase collaboration with businesses
and organizations in our region
• Financial viability-local, state, federal
funding sources
INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES:
• Recruit, attract, and enroll a diverse body
of students who are achievement
oriented and determined to succeed
• Student learning and development will be
the highest priority
• We are committed to continuous
improvement
• Preparing students to compete with other
graduates in their chosen fields of study in
a global society
• Students will persist to graduation at
increasing rates.
• Create an organizational structure to
coordinate community engagement
activities.
• Student Global awareness and
experiences

10. • Strengthen the University’s competitive edge
• Strengthen the image of University
• Strengthen the identity of University
• Align resources and programs effectively across schools
and colleges within the university.
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INSITUTIONAL
PROMINENCE

11. • Enhance the recognition of students, faculty, staff, and
community stakeholders
• Implement a successful multifaceted marketing plan
• Seek program validation through national
accreditations and the expansion of new programs
• The number of students who matriculate, the number of
students who utilize university support services and the
number enrolled in Trio and STEM programs
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INSTITUTIONAL
PROMINENCE

12. • Planning, Evaluation and Staff Enhancement
• Safety, Security and Wellness
• Retention and Graduation Rate Improvement
• Visibility and Positioning
• Student Life and Development
• Housing and Residential Life
• Campus Culture and Decorum
• Diversity and Globalization
• Leadership Development and Service
CRITICAL AREAS DEFINED

13. • Student satisfaction survey/Noel Loevitz
• Student evaluation of faculty
• Ongoing collaboration with stakeholders in the department of Institutional
Assessment and Compliance
• The number of faculty who maintain appropriate credentials within their
discipline
• The number of faculty who complete scholarly activities (publication,
research, conference presentations)
• The number of students who attend and present at local and national
conferences in conjunction with professors
• The number of students who engage in research with faculty
• The number of students who pass certification and licensure examinations
within their chosen fields of study (local and national board credentialing)
• Revisiting on a biannual basis the goals and objectives across the university
community/disciplines as related to institutional assessment
INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT BEST PRACTICES

14. • New Student Orientation
• Hierarchical Needs
• Connection (Affiliation and Belonging)
• Social Integration
• Intellectual and Cultural Enrichment
• Purpose and Direction
• Personal and Social Development
• Leadership Development
• Personal Attention, Regard and Recognition
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT-FOCUS AREAS

15. • The approach to addressing and implementing the "Active Engagement”
elements include integrated, active, comprehensive and holistic methods.
• "Integrated" means that the strategic plan will be carried out across
departments and involve cooperation with units and all university departments.
We will be collaborative.
• "Active" means that the approach emphasizes outreach, prevention, structure
and action. We will exhibit passion
• “Comprehensive" means that the approach addresses myriad factors related to
students' success and progress at the University. We will benchmark and
implement best practices.
• "Holistic" means that the approach recognizes that students‘ performance in,
success at, and adjustment to university life are affected by numerous factors
and forces that interplay in their lives. We will be compassionate.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

16. • Small private institution with a strong foundation in
undergraduate and graduate liberal arts disciplines
• Accreditation- regionally accredited by one of the six
regional accrediting agencies recognized by the US
Department of Education
• Trustees: 31 trustees serve as the governing body of the
university under the terms of the charter of the university
founding
• Enrollment (On-Campus headcount): 1,608
• Men: 796, Women: 812; Minorities: 272
• Students from out of state: 689
• Full-time students and other university housing: 93 percent
• Students studying abroad not counted above: 57
FACT SHEET

17. Financial Data:
• Resident Student Comprehensive Fee, 2013-2014: $45,795
• Commuting Student Comprehensive Fee (tuition & fees):
$34,555
• Financial Aid: 91% of students receive financial aid
• 5% receive scholarships
• 4% pay out of pocket
FACT SHEET

18. UNIVERSITY DEMOGRAPHICS

19. Significant strides
have to be made in
this area in order for
the university to be
successful in carrying
out action items in
concert with the
Strategic Plan.
PLANNING, EVALUATION,
AND STAFF
ENHANCEMENT

20. Student Health Services ,
Counseling and Disability
Services and
Recreation, Intramurals
and Fitness all will be
actively involved in
health and wellness
programming on
campus.
SAFETY, SECURITY, AND
WELLNESS

21. Student Retention Data- 90.12 % of the
first year students returned in 2014-2015
In order to improve the quality and size,
and to fully and properly shape the
desired characteristics of new classes, we
have to enlarge the size of our applicant
pool by saturating our current market and
seeking “new markets” to tap into.
University administrators have experience
at other institutions and have visited other
colleges and universities, utilized the
Internet, and researched enrollment
management models across the country
in order to better assess which strategies,
mechanisms and organizational structures
will work best for John Q. Public University
given its current personnel and
technology infrastructure
RETENTION AND
GRADUATION

22. • President's Student
development Luncheons,
• Student Forums
• Student Round Table
discussions
• Extended cabinet meetings
open to general public
• Open communication
channels
• Accessibility of university
administrators to students
• Participation by students in
university governance and on
major ad hoc committees
• University’s responsiveness to
student issues
VISIBILITY AND POSITIONING

23. STUDENT LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT

24. • complement students’ intellectual
development
• enrich their cultural exposure and provide
study abroad opportunities
• promote their social integration into the
university community
• provide student leadership training and
opportunities
• encourage student volunteerism
• facilitate their participation in
extracurricular activities and other
wholesome facets of campus life
• contribute to their personal and civic
development
• During the life of this plan, the
Student Services Division will
develop and implement a well-
grounded, conceptually sound
and integrated, comprehensive
student life and development
programs, in conjunction with
the Freshman and Sophomore
Class Deans and General
Education.
• the student life program must
reflect the diversity that exists
among the student population.
STUDENT LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT

25. • Housing and Residential Life is a key ingredient in institutional planning to
effectively and concertedly address the hierarchical needs of the university’s
students. The goal is to provide a residential environment in which facilities,
programs and services meet and are responsive to students' needs and
interests, complement their total development and, at the same time, are
effectively administered and efficiently operated
RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND HOUSING

26. RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND HOUSING
CONTINUED
Over the three years covered in this Plan, we will focus on
three areas critical to improving residence life: (1)
residential facilities, including improvements to existing
facilities and the refurbishing of our halls, (2) residence life
programming, and (3) administration and operations
within the Housing and Residential Life department. An
early imperative will be the development of a
comprehensive student housing plan to include housing
demand projections, identification of related issues and
problems, and recommendations for solutions and
infrastructure needs and improvements geared towards
overall student satisfaction

27. Safety and security provisions
are among the hierarchal
needs designated as
strategically critical in this
three-year plan. The ultimate
goal is to provide a safe and
secure environment in which
all members of the University
community may confidently
engage in their respective
activities and which
complements the university’s
mission, activities and plans.
CAMPUS CULTURE
AND DECORUM

28. The University Judiciary Committee (UJC) is tasked with
hearing and handling cases and ensuring that we are
abiding by our Code and judicial processes. However,
annually we seek to improve the system by (1) refining the
system's implementation mechanisms; (2) improving the
training of the members of the University Judiciary
Committee (UJC); and (3) familiarizing students both on
and off campus and the broader University community
with the system and the Code.
Compliance with Title IX, Jean Clery reporting and ADA
compliance
STUDENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM-STUDENT CODE OF
CONDUCT

29. STUDENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM-STUDENT CODE OF
CONDUCT

30. Emphasis will be placed on:
-Programmatically saturate
the campus with
opportunities for students to
dialogue and learn about
differences.
-Students live, study, work and
recreate in close proximity to
each other, we have to
equip them with the
necessary skills and abilities to
handle differences and learn
respect for differences of
others within a university
community
DIVERSITY AND
GLOBALIZATION

31. Leadership Development Process
Strategy
• Enhance personal growth, decision-
making, civic responsibility, and
leadership advancement and
training
• Work collaboratively with others
toward a common goal.
• Demonstrate effective social
interaction skills appropriate to the
occasion, task, and audience.
• Influence others ethically toward
achievement of a common goal to
effect positive change.
• Demonstrate accountability for
one's decisions and actions
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE

32. • Foster a sense of belonging in all students
• Provide exemplary student care support and
advocacy
• Further develop and deliver crisis management
protocols training and education for the University
community
• Engage campus and community partners in support
of the whole student experience
HOLISTIC STUDENT APPROACH

33. • The University is in the process of breaking ground for a
15 million dollar state of the art innovative Student
Center.
• The Student Center will be a one stop facility focusing on
the following holistic approaches:
• Disability Services, Counseling, Academic Tutoring,
Student Code of Conduct, Title IX, Trio Programs, Veteran
Services, Wellness-Fitness Center, Food Court, Student
Government Association, Alumni Relations, Student
Affairs, Career Services and Leadership
HOLISTIC STUDENT APPROACH CONTINUED

34. WEBPAGE OF THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL
RESEARCH
• Assessment is the ongoing process of:
Establishing clear, measurable,
expected outcomes of student learning
ensuring that students have sufficient
opportunities to achieve those
outcomes systematically gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to
determine how well student learning
matches expectations
• Using the results of the information to
understand and improve student
learning
• Planning at the university includes
aligning the University Mission, and the
Strategic Plan, to include:
• Freshman Surveys, First and Second Year
Experience Surveys, Senior Exit Surveys,
and Alumni Surveys

35. • About-The mission of Institutional Research is to provide leadership and guidance
to the Board of Trustees, executive team, faculty, and staff in support of
accreditation, assessment and strategic planning at the university. Responsible for
submitting accurate and timely reports to the university’s accreditor, the IR
consulting team collaborates with constituents to implement nationally-
recognized practices and standards, to build capacity for continual evidence-
based improvement, and to demonstrate integrity in all reporting.
• Accreditation- The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools Commission on Colleges (SAACS)to award the Bachelor of Arts
degree, Bachelor of Arts Pre-Professional Studies degree, Bachelor of Science
degree, Master of Arts degree, Master of Arts in Teaching degree, Master of
Business Administration degree, Master of Science degree, Master of Education
degree, and the Master of Public Administration degree.
• The Office for Institutional Research (IR) coordinates and publishes results from
several national and internal surveys conducted at the university. IR maintains an
Institutional Survey Calendar to avoid the collection of duplicate information and
provides resources to ensure sound survey methodology and design.
WEBPAGE OF THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL
RESEARCH

36. • Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning emphasized assessment as a
mechanism for enhancing student learning and services, curricular programs,
pedagogy, and the university community overall. This strategy reflected a
fundamental assumption that assessment for improvement leads directly and
inevitably to assessment for accountability. Institutional Research, Assessment
and Planning also provided quality information and analyzed services to
support planning, assessment, and decision-making at all university levels.
• Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning encouraged and supported
continuous improvement throughout the institution by assisting all university
departments in the development and implementation of high quality
assessment plans, effective practices and decision support services to enhance
programs and services. The university strived to be a source of conceptual
leadership and assistance in developing and overseeing university institutional
processes for research, assessment, and planning using outcomes from the
aforementioned processes for institutional renewal and fulfilling the university’s
mission and strategic plan.
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, ASSESSMENT, AND
PLANNING SUMMARY

37. Barlock, R., W., Dooris, M., J., & Sandmeyer, L., E. (2004). Integrated planning for enrollment, facilities,
budget, and staffing: Penn State University. New Directions for Research 123 (1), 2004. 89-96.
Delaney, A. (2009). Institutional researchers’ expanding roles policy, planning, program evaluation,
assessment, and new research methodologies. New directions for institutional research. 143, 29-41.
Dooris, M. J., Kelley, J.M., & Trainer, J., F. (2002). Strategic planning in higher education. New Directions for
Higher Education 116 (2), 2002. 5-11.
Haberaecker, H. (2004). Strategic planning and budgeting to achieve core missions. New Directions for
Institutional Research 123 (1), 2004. 71-87.
Jasinski, J. (2004). Strategic planning via baldridge: lessons learned. New Direction for Institutional
Research 123 (2), 2004. 27-31.
Jasinski, J., Kelley, J., M. & Seymour, D. (2004). Linking planning, quality improvement, and institutional
research. New Directions for Institutional Research, 123 (2), 2004. 49-56.
REFERENCES

38. Kelley, J.,M., Trainer, J., F. (2004). A team approach to goal attainment: Villanova University. New Directions
for Institutional Research 123 (1), 2004. 97-104.
Middaugh, M. (2007). Creating a culture of evidence academic accountability at the institutional level. New
directions for Higher Education. 140, 15-28.
Morest, V. (2009). Accountability accreditation and continuous improvement building a culture of
evidence. New directions for Institutional Advancement. 143, 17-27.
Paris, K. (2004). Moving the strategic plan off the shelf and into action at the university of wisconsin-
madison. New Directions for Institutional Research (2), 2004. 121-126.
Seymour, D. (2002). Linking planning, quality improvement and ir: los angeles city college. New Directions
for Higher Education 116 (2) 2002. 59-69.
Warzynski, C, C. (2004). Future-search conferences at Cornell University. New Directions for Institutional
Research 123 (2), 2004. 105-112.
REFERENCES