2012–2016 Strategic Plan
Walden University 2012–2016 Strategic Plan WALDEN UNIVERSITY ......................................................................................................................................... 1 2012–2016 STRATEGIC PLAN .............................................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 1: STRATEGIC PLANNING AT WALDEN UNIVERSITY ............................................................................... 2 University Mission ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 University Vision ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 University Goals ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 SECTION 2: 2011 ACCOMPLISHMENTS ................................................................................................................ 3 SECTION 3: VISION FOR 2016 .............................................................................................................................. 5 Leader in Global Education ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Focus on Quality and Student Outcomes .................................................................................................................. 5 Financial Soundness .................................................................................................................................................. 5 World‐Renowned College of Education .................................................................................................................... 5 Global Leader in Innovation in Education Technology .............................................................................................. 5 Accreditations at the Highest Level ........................................................................................................................... 5 SECTION 4: WHERE WALDEN IS—ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING .......................................................................... 6 Impact of the Economy ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Regulatory Environment ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Competitive Landscape ............................................................................................................................................. 6 SECTION 5: 2012–2016 STRATEGIC GOALS .......................................................................................................... 7 Inspiring Students and Enabling Their Success ......................................................................................................... 7 Expanding Reach Through New Products and New Markets .................................................................................... 9 Enhancing Quality and Reputation ............................................................................................................................ 9 Managing a New Regulatory Environment ............................................................................................................. 11 Differentiating Walden ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Section 1: Strategic Planning at Walden University Walden University engages in a robust strategic planning process that enables it to carry out its mission and vision, achieve its goals, and adhere to its values of quality, integrity, and student‐centeredness. The process is aligned closely with the university budget process and results in a five‐year strategic plan that is updated annually. Beyond the annual planning process, a formal review meeting is held quarterly for the university leadership to provide status updates on the university objectives and initiatives as well as the strategic plan. Recommendations and revisions are made as needed.
University Mission Walden University provides a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar‐practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.
University Vision Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st‐century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree that it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good.
University Goals • •
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To provide multicontextual educational opportunities for career learners. To provide innovative, learner‐centered educational programs that recognize and incorporate the knowledge, skills, and abilities students bring into their academic programs. To provide university programs through diverse process‐learning approaches, all resulting in outcomes of quality and integrity. To provide an inquiry/action model of education that fosters research, discovery, and critical thinking and that results in professional excellence. To produce graduates who are scholarly, reflective practitioners and agents of positive social change.
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Section 2: 2011 Accomplishments In 2011, Walden University was proud to have several accomplishments that helped the university move forward in supporting its mission and the success of the university. Accomplishments include, but are not limited to: Expanding Reach Through New Products and Markets • • • • • •
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Received approval from the Higher Learning Commission to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program. Launched the new School of Information Systems and Technology (formerly the NTU School of Engineering and Applied Science). Created the College of Undergraduate Studies (formerly the Center for Undergraduate Studies). Completed the lifelong learning cycle in both the nursing and public health programs by introducing the Doctor of Nursing Practice and B.S. in Public Health degree programs. Launched 14 new degree programs and 11 new certificates. Launched new academic residency services, including a virtual residency option, KAM and Doctoral Study Intensive writing workshops, and three new residencies to support new programs. Increased residency enrollments by 30% more than in 2010.
Enhancing Quality and Reputation • •
Completed participation in Higher Learning Commission Assessment Academy. Moved forward with accreditation efforts o Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Received approval to conduct a special emphasis self‐study. Continued progress made on the reaffirmation of accreditation process with site visit dates confirmed for October 2012. o Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) Lifted the two‐year conditional status on the M.S. in Mental Health Counseling program, thereby extending accreditation through March 2017. o Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Received accreditation for the B.S. in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), and Ph.D. in Management programs. o National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Continued progress toward obtaining accreditation with site visit date confirmed for February 2012. o Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) Made progress on accreditation process for the Doctor of Nursing Practice program with on‐site review scheduled for October 2012. o Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Council 3
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Initiated pursuit of accreditation for the M.B.A. and M.S. in Project Management programs. Featured Walden’s Demonstrating Accountability, Transparency, and Assessment (DATA) website on www.learningoutcomesassessment.org. Hosted former U.S. President Bill Clinton as the summer 2011 commencement speaker. Developed a consolidated faculty performance metrics reports for academic leadership. Developed new university‐wide scholarship and service requirements for faculty. Chartered a new chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in the School of Nursing. Developed a new prospectus and dissertation rubric. Created and implemented improved faculty and staff academic residency training programs.
Inspiring Students and Enabling Their Success • • • • • • • •
Increased dissertation support through a new personal appointment system with Walden Library subject specialists. Expanded access to Writing Center support materials through increased tutorials and templates. Partnered Career Services Center with colleges to produce discipline‐focused webinars. Implemented writing assessments in The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership and the College of Health Sciences. Began providing free writing and math courses to enable students to improve their skills. Introduced digital attendance tracking devices and residency student identification cards. Submitted SEVIS I‐17 application to enable Walden to grant I‐20 documentation to international students, supporting immigration needs for residency attendance. Launched an online academic residency advising appointment system.
Managing a New Regulatory Environment •
Participated in discussions on regulatory issues at the federal and state levels.
Differentiating Walden •
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Advanced The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership as a thought leader in teacher education by: o Having 70 state teachers of the year enrolled at Walden. o Being ranked the no. 4 institution nationally in awarding TEACH grants. Continued to maintain 100% doctorally prepared faculty in the School of Nursing. Completed and presented the Professional Doctorate White Paper. Launched first virtual academic residency option for Ph.D. students. Ranked second among universities awarding doctorates to African Americans according to the 2009 Survey of Earned Doctorates, released from the National Science Foundation. Released the Social Change Impact Report, in collaboration with Harris Interactive.
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Section 3: Vision for 2016 Leader in Global Education The university will do its utmost to be known as a thought leader in global and online higher education, working in collaboration with 59 sister universities worldwide through the Laureate International Universities network.
Focus on Quality and Student Outcomes Walden University plans to continue its devotion to program quality and student outcomes, as well as outcomes assessment, and to work toward ensuring a strong return on investment for its graduates.
Financial Soundness Walden University will remain a financially strong institution with the ability to effectively invest in its people, programs, technology, student services, and infrastructure in a way consistent with the university’s mission.
World-Renowned College of Education The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University is becoming a world‐ renowned leader in education. The college aims to receive National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation in 2012. By 2016, graduates from Walden’s Riley Scholars programs will be in leading K–12 and postsecondary roles around the world.
Global Leader in Innovation in Education Technology Walden will continue be an innovator, using student‐specific and adaptive learning technologies to enhance student success in lifelong learning.
Accreditations at the Highest Level Walden’s goal is that, by 2016, the university will have continued accreditation with The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, the university will have received other key programmatic accreditations to support the quality and reputation of Walden’s degree programs.
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Section 4: Where Walden Is—Environmental Scanning The university conducts regular environmental scanning research to identify areas of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Walden’s focus for the 2012–2016 strategic plan centers around three areas: • • •
Impact of the Economy Regulatory Environment Competitive Landscape
Impact of the Economy The ongoing recession is having negative impacts on overall consumer confidence in the future of the U.S. economy. Recent economic trends continue to show a decline in the teacher employment market. As a result, the demand for advanced degrees for teachers is down due to reduced state budgets and less salary advancement. Overall, the university is seeing an increase in adult students taking lighter credit loads per term, and students are taking more time off over the course of their programs.
Regulatory Environment Greater regulatory scrutiny continues across all of higher education. Nonetheless, Walden is focused on demonstrating quality and integrity in everything the university does. Walden is also a proactive participant in the discussions about these issues. The federal government issued new federal regulations to address accountability in the sector, including 14 program integrity rules. State regulatory bodies are becoming more proactive as well. For example, professional licensing boards are raising standards on out‐of‐state and online institutions. Pressure has increased, due in part to the federal and state regulatory developments, on institutional and program‐specialized accrediting agencies.
Competitive Landscape The university carefully tracks the competitive landscape in higher education through ongoing environmental scanning activities. Walden’s competitor pool is increasing market‐wide and varies by audience and degree level. State universities and other institutions are moving toward offering online and/or hybrid education delivery models. While many U.S. institutions are expanding online offerings, degrees from U.S. institutions are in high demand throughout the world. Walden’s ability to enroll students regardless of location bodes well for students in countries where economies are growing and in countries that are converting to democratic forms of government. 6
Section 5: 2012–2016 Strategic Goals To achieve Walden’s vision, the university will strive to achieve the following strategic goals by 2016: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Inspiring Students and Enabling Their Success Expanding Reach Through New Products and New Markets Enhancing Quality and Reputation Managing a New Regulatory Environment Differentiating Walden
This section outlines each of the strategic goals for 2016 and the key strategic initiatives Walden will use to meet those goals.
Inspiring Students and Enabling Their Success Serving and Supporting Students Effectively As Walden’s student population changes and becomes more diverse, the university will continue to adapt, as necessary, to ensure students and their success remain the top priority. Associated challenges include students who are not native English speakers, increasing numbers of students with academic readiness needs, a larger percentage of students from different cultures, and the resultant need for increased support services. With the launch of new undergraduate programs in the last four years and a growing international student body, Walden sees the need to expand the university’s support apparatus for this student population. At the graduate level, the university will meet the growing demand for research support and graduate‐level services by building on already strong existing teams. The university will continually review the needs of the changing composition of the student population and adjust accordingly. Supporting the Whole Student: A Range of Needs As the university’s student population changes and grows, Walden’s focus on student support becomes increasingly important. Additionally, the university will continue to focus on efforts that support student success and retention through consistent outreach for first‐year students and ongoing support for continuing students. The university will continue to increase existing, and add new, support services to meet the needs of students so they can achieve success in their coursework and programs and, ultimately, reach their goal of earning a degree. Faculty Performance and Engagement Walden values faculty performance as a key factor in student success. The university will continue to expand faculty development efforts and management to drive strong performance and encourage faculty to be engaged and focused on quality of feedback and instruction. The university continues to work toward a mature, effective documentation system to manage
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faculty performance information, which will be managed by the university’s new faculty specialists for each college. The strongest, most engaging faculty members will be identified and assigned to teach first courses in degree programs to ensure that the students starting the programs will have optimal experience and support as they become acclimated to the online learning environment. Special attention will be given to at‐risk students through consistent outreach, particularly in the first and second terms. The university will strive to increase faculty engagement and participation in all courses by helping to enhance the virtual relationship. To support the success of all students, faculty members will be encouraged to follow up with their students beyond the classroom as they progress in their programs. Graduate students reaching their capstone phase will have access to the faculty expertise directory that will assist them in identifying faculty with similar research interests and areas of expertise for their capstone studies. This system will be particularly important for doctoral students who are building their dissertation or doctoral study committees. Innovation Student inspiration and retention strongly relies on the university’s ability to be innovative, particularly in the classrooms and in the delivery of support services and resources. Currently, the university’s legacy classroom software is seen as a challenge, as it increases the complexity of the student experience. The university sees this as an area that needs to be addressed to create a positive student experience and is in the process of implementing a solution over the next few years. Walden’s goal is to create an individual learning management system/learning tool with features in an integrated environment that will provide students with a centralized experience with university resources and plug‐and‐play technology. In addition to focusing on the classroom platform experience, the university is committed to creating a stronger virtual presence to support students in a fully mobile environment. This supports the university’s goal of becoming a global leader in innovation and educational technology by encouraging a student experience that fosters learning, collaboration, and access. Undergraduate Education Now that Walden has experienced several years of providing undergraduate education, the university has had a chance to assess strengths and opportunities in this area. Walden will continue to increase focus on closely linking the university mission to program outcomes and the curriculum at the undergraduate level. In addition, student success services, support services, and readiness and retention effort resources are under review and revision to ensure that Walden students are positioned for success. In 2010, Walden implemented policies to further ensure that new undergraduate students make adequate academic progress in first
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courses. Walden will continue to position its undergraduate programs as the first step in the lifelong learning ladder.
Expanding Reach Through New Products and New Markets New Programs Between 2011 and 2013, Walden University plans to add new verticals through extensions of current disciplines, cross‐disciplinary opportunities and in areas that complement strengths of U.S.‐based campuses within Laureate Education. In addition, the university will research prospective students’ interests, through review of environmental scanning and opportunities assessments, while ensuring compliance with regulatory agencies and rules. In addition to new areas of study, the university will continue to expand programs in existing verticals in its existing colleges: • • • • •
The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership College of Health Sciences College of Management and Technology College of Social and Behavioral Sciences College of Undergraduate Studies
International Walden University will continue its focus on expanding its reach internationally, increasing student success and student progress initiatives, expanding new programs, and investing in people and existing operations. The university will approach market development by focusing efforts and market testing on a limited number of new geographic regions each year. The university will manage risk that comes within international opportunities by pursuing both established and emerging markets. To support its international students, the university will focus on continued strengthening of operational infrastructure for international students, including support functions, community building, revised processes, and curriculum.
Enhancing Quality and Reputation Delivering Outcomes and Educational Quality To maintain and enhance the quality and reputation of Walden and its programs, the university will continue to focus on existing methods of assessment of professional and academic outcomes and to look for new ways to assess the university’s programs and services.
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To further demonstrate quality and enhance reputation, the university will continue to seek professional accreditations. In 2010, the university participated in the reaccreditation process for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program and was initially accredited for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion program; the university plans to pursue CCNE accreditation for the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). In 2010, the university completed materials to be considered for full Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation for the M.S. in Mental Health Counseling program. The program was accredited with conditions in January 2009, and in February 2011, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences was notified that the full eight‐year accreditation for the program was received. At present, a self‐study of the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and the M.S. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling programs is in process to be submitted for review to CACREP in March 2012. Walden also received accreditation for the B.S. in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), and Ph.D. in Management from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ASCBP) in 2011 and will pursue it for other business programs. The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership is scheduled to have its site visit for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in the spring of 2012. The university anticipates successful reaffirmation of regional accreditation with The Higher Learning Commission in late 2012 and will consider pursuing other professional accreditations between 2012 and 2016. Graduate Education As markets change, the master’s degree is becoming the “new bachelor’s degree.” Walden recognizes this and the need for the university to have solid processes and standards in place for transfer of credit and articulation opportunities. The university will continue to focus on the need for its doctoral programs to generate exemplary research both from its students and faculty. To that end, Walden has and continues to devote significant resources to improve the quality of Walden’s doctoral programs by conducting external evaluations of dissertation quality and academic program reviews. There has been concrete evidence of improvements in doctoral program quality, and Walden has received approvals from The Higher Learning Commission to offer the Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) program (2008); the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program (2009); and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (2011). To achieve improvement in the area of doctoral education, the university is committed to making key investments now through training and development opportunities for students and faculty, addition of research support personnel, continued review and revision of research‐ related policies and processes, and increased availability of high‐quality secondary databases available for capstone research. 10
Over the next three years, the university will expand plans for external assessment of doctoral capstones and provide targeted support to enhance the quality of the professional doctorate programs. The university will continue to generate exemplary student and faculty research in Walden journals and through the university research symposium.
Managing a New Regulatory Environment While higher education is under increased scrutiny in the regulatory environment, Walden will continue to focus on learning outcomes and student success. In addition, the university will continue to be a proactive participant in discussions on the range of issues in the regulatory environment.
Differentiating Walden “Center of Excellence”: The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Walden University considers The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership to be a Center of Excellence. The university continues to work toward positioning Walden as a leader in teacher education. The college is currently pursuing National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation with the goal of obtaining it in 2012. Additionally, the university will develop the next three studies similar to the Tacoma teacher studies to show the impact Walden students have because of their education at Walden. By 2016, the university will have enrolled many state teachers of the year and will build on key partnerships with the National Education Association (NEA) and other organizations. Walden will continue to build a global brand in teacher education by serving as a Center of Excellence in of teaching and learning at Laureate. The education programs at the university will continue to grow globally as Walden extends its product portfolio in education and its offerings more broadly to the Laureate International Universities network. Capitalize on Social Media Explosion Walden has used various forms of social media to generate interest, share news and events, and build community. In the coming years, Walden will place particular focus in this area to build a plan that allows it to provide free content and advice from experts that generate active conversations and engagement on relevant topics. Social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and iTunesU, and blogs will help not only to build community and engagement within the Walden community, but they will also raise awareness and generate referrals and new enrollments.
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Be Recognized as a Global Leader in Social Change A core part of Walden University’s mission is providing students with the opportunity “to transform themselves as scholar‐practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.” At Walden, this mission is brought to life through students, faculty and staff members, curriculum, events, and activities. To further support its mission, the university will strive to be recognized as a global leader in the area of social change by creating an advisory council on social change and an office of social change and by increasing activities, research, and engagement that support its mission. In 2011, Walden University, in collaboration with Harris Interactive, released the Social Change Impact Report that provides a detailed picture of the state of social change engagement in America: Americans’ beliefs about social change, the issues they care about, the motivations behind their engagement, the actions they are taking to further social change, and the tools they use. Walden looks forward to expanding similar research into international markets.
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