Original Giant Steps Plan

Our plan for taking Giant Steps is anchored by Transformation – Student Transformation, Knowledge Transformation, and Regional Transformation. To further focus our efforts around historical and emerging strengths, the framework identifies three cross-cutting, cross-disciplinary thematic areas of focus – Health and Wellness, Vibrant Communities, and Global Connections.

Areas of Transformation

Transformation is conceived of as a pervasive and enduring process driving the University forward.Transformation is at the heart of higher education.

• Student Transformation Student transformation occurs when students acquire knowledge and develop skills and habits of mind necessary to be life-long learners, informed and engaged members of society, and successful in life and work.
• Knowledge Transformation Knowledge transformation occurs when understanding is enhanced through research, creative activity, critical analysis, and translation of research to practice.
• Regional Transformation Regional transformation occurs when local economies are strong and well-aligned with current and future needs, and when equitable access is provided to a reasonable standard of living and quality of life for all.

Areas of Focus

The following three themes represent current and emerging strengths, each cross-disciplinary in nature. These areas will serve as focal points to foster transformation of students, knowledge, and our region.

• Health and Wellness Health and Wellness is broadly defined to encompass the many dimensions necessary for individuals to cope, adapt, grow, and develop. This theme encompasses predictors and indicators of the state of the human condition, and scientific advances related to Health and Wellness.
• Vibrant Communities Vibrant Communities are those with a high quality of life for all members, characterized by opportunities for cultural enrichment, equitable access to high quality education and social support services, a just standard of living, and a flourishing economy.
• Global Connections Individuals, organizations, and geographic and civic entities from around the world connect with each other in many ways, influenced by the history, language, tradition, religion, creative expression, economics, ethics, and political mores found in globally diverse cultures.

University Level Goals

We are striving to meet several core, macro-level goals within each of the areas of transformation.These represent the most easily quantified, global outcomes associated with research universities.

Student Transformation

Student transformation begins at the point of enrollment, where access to all qualified students is critical.

• UNCG will increase enrollment of low-income (Pell grant eligible, in-state) students by 15.1% by 2021. (UNC System)
• UNCG will increase enrollment of rural (in-state, from a Tier 1 or 2 county) by 9.4% by 2021. (UNC System)

Earning a bachelor’s degree indicates that students have successfully completed the steps that pave the way toward transformation. Ensuring that all students have the opportunity for success is critical.

• UNCG will increase the 5 year graduation rate for first-time, full-time students to 62.4% by 2022 (instate; from any accredited 4 year institution). (UNC System)
• UNCG will increase the low-income completion rate by 32.5% by 2021-22. (UNC System)
• UNCG will increase the rural completion rate by 12.9% by 2021-22. (UNC System)
• UNCG will increase Undergraduate Degree Efficiency (number of credentials awarded per 100 full-time students) from 20.4 to 21.7 by 2021-22.  (UNC System)
• UNCG will decrease the gap in Undergraduate Degree Efficiency (number of credentials awarded per 100 full-time students) for underrepresented minority students by increasing the UDE from 19.2 to 20.8 by 2021-22.  (UNC System)

Knowledge Transformation

External funding to support research and creative activity is one broad indicator of work that contributes to knowledge transformation.

• UNCG will increase research productivity by 19.8% by fiscal year 2022.(UNC System; a subset of overall external funding)
• UNCG will increase total external funding by 5.0% between fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2018.

Regional Transformation

Quality of life in our region is linked, in part, to having sufficiently developed workforces in critical areas.

• UNCG will increase the numbers of credentials earned in STEM fields, health sciences, and K-12 education by 19.5% by 2021-22. (UNC System; per specific categories).

Targeted Initiatives

Enrolling and graduating students, securing external funding, and contributing to critical workforces represent but a few of the outcomes that we at UNCG hope to achieve. Within the intersection of each area of transformation and each of the thematic areas of focus are additional directions for the future. Initiatives supporting each of these nine goals are being implemented throughout the University by a variety of individuals from across the campus. Our talented faculty, staff, and students are providing leadership for these collaborative, boundary-spanning steps forward.

	Student Transformation	Knowledge Transformation	Regional Transformation
Health and Wellness	Students will gain understanding of and appreciation for health and wellness as it applies to their personal and professional lives.	UNCG will enhance understanding of health and wellness, health disparities, and the health professions.	UNCG will be an active partner in promoting health and wellness in the broader community.
Vibrant Communities	Students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be active contributors to their communities.	UNCG will enhance understanding of the elements and processes that both comprise and compromise vibrant communities.	UNCG will be an active partner in contributing to the vibrancy of the larger community.
Global Connections	Students will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to engage effectively in and contribute productively to the global community.	UNCG will enhance understanding of global issues and of challenges related to globalization.	UNCG will be an active partner in promoting an environment in which global connections grow and thrive.

Initiatives Toward Giant Steps

Student transformation initiatives currently focus on experiential learning, co-curricular and extracurricular offerings, and enrolling and graduating students.

Knowledge transformation initiatives currently focus on research and creative activity and translation of research to practice.

Regional transformation initiatives currently focus on engagement of faculty and staff in addressing regional challenges and opportunities for professional development and credentialing.

Areas of Distinction

The UNC System’s strategic plan, Higher Expectations, calls for campuses to identify and highlight their areas of academic distinction.   UNCG has identified two areas of distinction that emerge directly from our own strategic plan.

Health and Wellness

UNCG has numerous outstanding academic programs focused on health and wellness.  These programs span across undergraduate and graduate education and are located primarily in the School of Health and Human Sciences, the School of Nursing, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education.  These programs garner impressive national rankings, include faculty who are recognized through awards and honors and generate significant external funding, and result in students who are highly sought after upon graduation.

Our continued commitment to this area will be demonstrated by increases in external funding related to health and wellness, faculty receiving scholarly recognition, pass rates of licensure exams, and program rankings.  Currently under development, a millennial district dedicated to public-private partnerships related to health and wellness will be a focal point of our distinction in this area.

Visual and Performing Arts

UNCG has the largest College of Visual and Performing Arts in North Carolina, and our Weatherspoon Art Museum has been referred to as a “hidden gem”.  Our Art, Dance, Music, Theater, and Arts Administration programs receive national accolades and produce highly successful graduates; Weatherspoon Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and houses over 6,000 works from the 20^th century to the present.

Our continued commitment to this area will be demonstrated by increases in targeted job placements of alumni earning graduate degrees from the Schools of Art, Dance, Music and Theater; annual attendance at the Weatherspoon Art Museum; and the number of artworks held in the Weatherspoon collection. Currently under development, a millennial district dedicated to the visual and performing arts will be a focal point of our distinction in this area.

Faculty are taking Giant Steps through innovations in teaching and research.

Below are several key factors that will serve as the foundation for our future.

Talent Management

Our people are our greatest asset. Getting the right people into the right places and supporting their development are critical to our success.

Infrastructure, Technology, and Tools

The quality of our physical facilities, technological capacity, and information resources are critical in our quest to achieve our goals. Ensuring that faculty, staff, and students have the tools they need to move forward is a priority.

Climate and Culture

Climate and culture are the glue that binds the University together. Cultivating an open, inclusive, and civil climate where intellectual rigor is valued is essential to our success

Fiscal Resources

The financial health of the university is key to sustaining our mission. Careful stewardship of a diverse portfolio of financial resources will pave solid paths forward.

As an example, we are currently engaged in a multi-year project to transform our enterprise resource planning (ERP) system so that students, faculty, and staff have improved access to information, business processes are more streamlined, and our daily work flow is more efficient and effective. This system touches functions critical to our mission, including student applications, registration, and course scheduling; financial aid; payroll; and human resources.

Assessing progress toward actualization of the goals set forth in the strategic plan is an iterative process, predicated on a strong orientation toward data-informed decision-making and sustained and coordinated data collection and analysis.  UNCG tracks a variety of indicators to determine the efficiency and effectiveness with which we meet our mission.  A subset of these indicators will be used to track the University’s global progress toward Taking Giant Steps.  The Office of Institutional Research, in collaboration with other offices on campus, stewards these data.

In addition to tracking global indicators, the progression of local initiatives also is assessed on an ongoing basis.  This assessment is both formative – providing a continuous feedback loop – and summative in nature.  The totality of the outcomes of these initiatives contributes to the overall progress of the University.  This process is led by the Office of Assessment and Accreditation as part of UNCG’s institutional effectiveness process.

Successful implementation of our strategic plan will require careful consideration, astute utilization, and an intentional effort to leverage and develop our resources. At the same time, a process for measuring our progress and making course corrections along the way is critical and informs future decisions about resource allocation.