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Strategic Goal 2

Recruit and retain outstanding students, faculty and staff.

Great universities become great through their outstanding students, faculty and staff, drawn from the whole world. The University of Connecticut must recruit and enroll undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education students who show outstanding academic potential. Judgment of this potential will not be based solely on quantitative data such as rank in class and standardized test scores, but also on success in rigorous curricula at the secondary or post-secondary level, unique talent or community contributions, or evidence of extreme motivation and determination. These students will be selected from a group of students from both within and outside the state who have been recruited aggressively with those qualifications in mind. Once students have selected the University of Connecticut, it is our shared responsibility to maintain progress toward graduation.

Similarly, faculty who demonstrate outstanding accomplishment and potential in teaching, research and service must be recruited and retained. They must be committed to learning and must be supported in their efforts to expand their knowledge and involve students in the learning process.

The success of faculty and students is dependent upon the talents, commitment and professional development of outstanding staff members. Their recruitment and retention is also important in building a community of learners.

Objective 2.1 Specifically define the indicators of potentially outstanding students for recruiting purposes and establish enrollment targets.
Action Item		Prior.	Action	Funds
2.1a	Develop criteria for admission of undergraduate and graduate students that predict student success in an academically challenging environment and that are responsive to the University's commitment to enroll a diverse student body. Criteria should include both traditional (such as SAT scores and class standings) and alternative measures.	1*	I	0
2.1b	Manage enrollment of all campuses to fully utilize the capacities of those campuses, assure a quality education for each enrolling student, and attract high quality students to all campuses.	1	I	0

Objective 2.2 Aggressively recruit students meeting our qualifications from both within and outside the state in order to build applicant pools of sufficient size and diversity to assure stable enrollments.
Action Item		Prior.	Action	Funds
2.2a	Create an Office of Enrollment Management to coordinate recruitment, enrollment, retention and graduation of students. This will centralize the efforts of recruitment, admissions, scholarship, fellowship and financial aid so that the system is user friendly, involves faculty and allows the University to offer attractive and coherent packages to prospective students.	1*	I	$
2.2b	The Office of Enrollment Management will coordinate and develop programs to identify at-risk students, provide assistance and increase retention.	1	I	0
2.2c	Continue to aggressively recruit and retain graduate and undergraduate students in a manner consistent with our multicultural objectives.	1	I	$
2.2d	Actively recruit and retain undergraduate and graduate students who are first generation college students.	1	I	$
2.2e	Enlist volunteers to help promote the University both within and outside the state. This volunteer corps will consist of UConn alumni and parents of current students, as well as other willing parties. These volunteers will receive training by the University Admissions Office and will be updated on advances within the University. They will attend high school, college, and business open houses and career fairs as representatives of the University.	1	I	0
2.2f	Research specific markets for potential students, so that pertinent strengths can be stressed when recruiting.	1	I	0
2.2g	Develop a program to market the University to potential students.	1	I	$
2.2h	Participate in the various consortia whose collective mission is to increase the diversity of the graduate student population.	1	I	$
2.2i	Through the admissions viewbook, articulate areas of program strength, diversity and alumni success. (Action Item 7.2c)	1	I	0
2.2j	The Graduate School will assure extensive contact with potential graduate students from underrepresented groups by dedicating the responsibilities for this endeavor to an individual or individuals skilled in managing such contact and interaction.	1	I	0
2.2k	Continue and expand summer programs (e.g., Minority High School Research Apprentice Program) and academic year programs (e.g., Science Fair) to promote UConn to top high school students and continuing undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented populations.	1	I,E	$
2.2l	Supply high schools in Connecticut with a list of faculty who are willing to talk with potential students regarding their special area of study and the University in general.	1	I	0
2.2m	Participate in national and international graduate school recruitment forums to provide information concerning programs offered at the University of Connecticut.	1	I	$
2.2n	Create opportunities for career development and enhancement for adults by developing credit and non-credit certificate programs.	1	I	$
2.2o	Target older adults by expanding enrichment programs such as the Centers for Learning in Retirement and the Curiodyssey Program.	1	I	$

Objective 2.3 Increase the availability of all types of financial assistance. Specifically define the criteria for student merit award candidates, significantly increasing the number of merit-based scholarships and fellowships as a percentage of total financial aid.
Action Item		Prior.	Action	Funds
2.3a	Define a policy for financial aid funding and distribution that continues to be responsive to the needs of students, while also enhancing recruitment and merit-based awards.	1*	I	0
2.3b	Offer renewable merit scholarships each year to students who excel after arriving at the University of Connecticut. Specifically, students who are identified as Babbidge Scholars or University Scholars will be guaranteed a minimum renewable merit scholarship of $1,000 per year.	1	I	$$
2.3c	Establish and fulfill goals for increasing endowments for merit-based scholarships (e.g. Nutmeg Scholars) and define the methods by which these will be attained.	1	I	$$

Objective 2.4 Create an environment that is attractive to outstanding graduate students and supports their intellectual efforts.
Action Item		Prior.	Action	Funds
2.4a	Streamline the process of accepting and offering support to graduate students to allow departments to make timely offers, to permit adequate opportunity to train teaching assistants, and to ensure that graduate students are paid promptly.	1*	I	0
2.4b	Refine resource allocation plans to increase the ability of departments to make multi-year offers when admitting doctoral students.	1	I	0
2.4c	Provide additional summer stipends to doctoral students to allow them to continue their research. Stipends would be supported through external and University funds.	1	I,E	$$
2.4d	Provide research assistantships that are renewable for up to six years to outstanding doctoral students. These assistantships will be distributed by the Graduate School on a competitive basis to provide a better balance of teaching and research experiences.	1	I,E	$$
2.4e	Provide more predoctoral fellowship funds.	1	I,E	$

Objective 2.5 Attract and retain outstanding faculty and staff members.
Action Item		Prior.	Action	Funds
2.5a	Facilitate administration efforts to use a fast-track hiring procedure when faculty members of significant national or international stature become available. Such individuals must clearly contribute to goals consistent with the University's strategic plan.	1	I	0
2.5b	Expand recognition programs (plaques, monetary awards, speakers' series, public recognition, etc.) to draw attention to excellence in teaching, research and outreach. Use award recipients as mentors for other faculty members when appropriate.	1	I	$
2.5c	Appoint a faculty committee to review current methods of assessing faculty performance and to develop a strategy for continuous quality review using existing methods or new ones. The plan should include recognition for exceptionally good performance, and methods of improving poor performance. The plan should include tenured and non-tenured faculty.	1	I	0
2.5d	Create one- to three-year named positions for faculty with associated perquisites and support package.	1	I	$$
2.5e	Investigate the ability of the University to increase the portion of salary increments available for merit and special achievement. )	1	I	0
2.5f	Develop incentive compensation plans for all faculty and staff with components that provide substantial economic rewards for excellence in research, teaching, outreach or service (measurements will be defined and will vary by program). [Action Items 1.3b, 1.4a, 2.5e, 7.1j\|	1*	I,E	$$
2.5g	Create permanently endowed named faculty chairs to attract and retain distinguished faculty. These could include chairs supported through external funding and chairs supported through University allocation of research, teaching or outreach support (for example, a guarantee of two graduate assistants per semester).	1	I,E	$$
2.5h	Expand recognition programs (plaques, monetary rewards, public recognition, etc.) to draw attention to excellent performance by staff members at all levels. Recognize innovation, problem solving, efficiency and user-oriented service.	1	I	$
2.5i	Actively recruit, retain and reward faculty and staff in a manner that is consistent with our multicultural objectives.	1	I	$
2.5j	Encourage a working environment that is responsive to the needs of faculty and staff and promotes continuous quality improvement. (Action Item 6.2f)	1	I	0

Coding Key:
Prior. (Priority): The first code indicates the item's priority category:
1* The committee feels that this action item should be addressed first.
1 Should be addressed as soon as possible.

Action: The second code indicates the type of cooperation necessary to accomplish the action.
I Can be accomplished internally.
E Implementation depends on external groups.
I,E Requires internal and external action

Funds (Funding): The third code provides a very rough estimate of cost. It is understood that full cost estimates will be completed during the implementation phase.
($) Will save money.
0 Can be accomplished using existing resources.
$ Will cost less than $100,000 to implement and maintain.
$$ Will cost more than $100,000 to implement and maintain.

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