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Slippery Rock University unveils new strategic plan

SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University administrators have unveiled the institution’s revised strategic plan, the culmination of a project that has taken two years to complete and involved more than 80 people.

The document, which is available on the university’s website and still is accepting comments, lays out a three-to-five-year plan that administrators, faculty and staff members will use for their own planning, budget requests and assessment work.

The plan identifies eight goals — from increasing student enrollment to training and retaining “highly-qualified and diverse” faculty, staff and administrators — that will guide the university.

Some goals, such as enhancing student diversity and improving SRU’s curriculum and revenue, are internal and include broad strategies — like implementing a “flexible quality liberal studies program” — rather than specific deadlines or initiatives.

For example, as part of the plan SRU sets a goal to revise its code of conduct polices and work to reduce the number of students withdrawing from school for medical reasons, but doesn’t go into specifics for how that will be achieved.

SRU’s plan also lays out goals to recruit and retain more “highly qualified and diverse” employees and suggests possible ways to achieve that, including developing a mentoring program for employees and improving the university’s website to attract more job applicants.

Others set down deadlines for public assessments and improvements to be completed.

As part of work to improve SRU’s “campus experience,” the plan sets a deadline of August this year for the university to improve “community response” to emergencies; assess student satisfaction with administrative areas; create a “comprehensive and collaborative” way to address students’ mental health needs; and assess the functionality and aesthetics of the current facilities.

The plan also suggests creating an Office for Professional and External Relations as a way to engage more alumni and public in events and activities at SRU and to develop more internship and job shadowing opportunities.

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