Strategic Plan, Elevate '28, Objectives and Goals

Strategic Priority: Student Success  

Objective 1: Increase student success by reducing or eliminating barriers to retention and completion.

• Goal 1: Increase the first-to-second-term retention rates for matriculated students by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Increase the first-to-second-year retention rates for matriculated students by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase overall undergraduate and graduate graduation rates by 3% for matriculated students by the conclusion of the plan.

Objective 2: Improve the student experience.

• Goal 1: Enhance and expand opportunities for student engagement and university activities by 1% annually.
• Goal 2: Boost student satisfaction with student services and co-curricular engagement opportunities by 5% by the conclusion of the plan.

Objective 3: Reduce or eliminate equity gaps on student success metrics for historically underserved students.

• Goal 1: Reduce the equity gaps in overall course completion rates for historically underserved student populations by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Reduce the equity gaps in first-to-second-term retention rates for historically underserved student populations by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Reduce the equity gaps in graduation rates for historically underserved student populations by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.

Strategic Priority: Academic and Inclusive Excellence

Objective 1: Strengthen the quality, breadth, and currency of degrees, certificates, and other learning opportunities to meet the needs of students, employers, and communities. 

• Goal 1: Increase the number of academic programs that align with high-need areas by 15 credentials by the conclusion of the plan. 
• Goal 2: Increase the number of programs that explicitly align program learning outcomes with external standards, requirements, expectations, and/or needs by 3% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase student satisfaction with academic offerings by 5% by the conclusion of the plan.

Objective 2: Expand and scale our approaches to effective, innovative, and inclusive teaching and online learning. 

• Goal 1: Ensure 99% of courses/course sections offered in the Learning Management System meet all course design standards in the established rubric by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Ensure that at least 75% of courses utilize inclusive pedagogical practices by the conclusion of the plan.

Objective 3: Promote the full range of possibilities for how and where students gain knowledge and provide avenues to evaluate and credential that learning.

• Goal 1: Increase students’ utilization of prior learning into their degree programs by 4% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Reduce the equity gaps in prior learning use by historically underserved students by half by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase the number of students who engage in applied learning opportunities by 10% by the conclusion of the plan..

Strategic Priority: Organizational Effectiveness  

Objective 1: Create a teaching and learning environment that promotes mutual respect, advances clear communication, and engenders a culture of belonging, trust, and inclusivity.

• Goal 1: Improve new employee satisfaction with onboarding and orientation by 20% in two years.
• Goal 2: Reduce gaps in satisfaction between demographic subsets of the OAA community based on aggregate satisfaction measures from an annual custom OAA staff/faculty engagement survey by half by 2028.
• Goal 3: By 2028, increase student sense of belonging by 5% in relation to an established baseline on the Student Satisfaction Survey tool.

Objective 2: Fully implement robust continuous improvement processes and effectiveness tracking across the division. 

• Goal 1: Achieve 100% of academic affairs’ units completing annual continuous improvement processes/ reporting that includes closing the loop data in three years.
• Goal 2: Implement a comprehensive data literacy initiative, engaging at least 60% of academic affairs faculty, staff, and administration in workshops, training, or curriculum-based activities within two years.
• Goal 3: Ensure 100% of performance programs and annual plans include measurable goals or objectives aligned with the strategic plan by 2027-28.

Strategic Priority: Raising our Public Profile  

Objective 1: Position Empire State University as a SUNY leader in effective and innovative applied teaching and learning and student success.

• Goal 1: Increase the number of external partnerships that include potential opportunities (e.g., experiential projects, career exploration, or networking) for students to apply their learning by 20% by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Increase funding dollars generated through grant- and contract-funded projects that support applied teaching and learning and student success activities by 10% each year by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase externally facing awards and presentations of Empire State University applied teaching, learning and student success activities by 2% annually by the conclusion of the plan.

Objective 2: Become a SUNY leader in applied scholarship and creative activities.

• Goal 1: Increase external/externally facing applied scholarship, publications, presentations, and creative activities by 5% each year by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 2: Increase grant and contract funding for applied research and creative activities by 10% each year by the conclusion of the plan.
• Goal 3: Increase external awards for scholarships and creative activities by Empire State University faculty, staff, and students by 5% each year by the conclusion of the plan.