Missouri State University will continue to enhance the institutional culture and environment that will support and promote research and community engagement. To this end, several key tactics will be employed to make progress in expanding the capability and commitment to research. They are:
- Program analysis – Current programs will be analyzed, adequate support (i.e., advising, tutoring) will be in place and aggressive marketing will be implemented to achieve the alternate pathways goals.
- Enrollment management – Enrollment targets will be established for each category of students, and colleges will continue to update their annual enrollment plans.
- Diversity recruitment – New recruiters will be added to focus on diverse student groups. In addition, networks and collaborations will continue to be expanded and new sources of diverse students will be explored and developed.
- Cost to students – The University will use CPI (Consumer Price Index) and its relative position among all four-year institutions in Missouri to keep the cost to students as affordable as possible.
- Retention – Considerable effort will be focused on retention through the Student Success/Retention Committee. A variety of initiatives will be implemented, including curricular and living-learning communities, and focused interventions for at-risk students.
- Graduation – Increasing graduation rates for all students is a major emphasis in this plan. A number of tactics, from improved communication with academic departments to more effective orientation sessions, will be implemented to achieve the goal.
- STEM fields – Additional students, especially women and those in historically excluded groups, will be recruited and retained in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields.
- Course redesign – A key initiative will be course redesign, involving faculty and students. Training, technology, professional development and other resources will be brought to bear on this effort.