Breakout Group Presentations

Use the links below to view the group presentations from the Inaugural Budget Planning Summit.

Group 1 - Programmatic Strategies

Group 1 Programmatic Strategies in PDF form.

Group 1 Membership

Facilitator: Carter Turner

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for new or expanding programmatic efforts.

1. Fast-track programs (4+1, 2+3, weekend programs, condensed sessions)
2. Synchronous online classes and programs
3. Inter-professional certificates and certifications that respond to specific needs in industry
4. Ensuring that all students have opportunities to do internships, volunteer experiences, research, and other experiences beyond the classroom
5. More frequent and systematic reviews of industry trends
6. Customizable degree programs
7. Undergraduate cohorts that take classes and/or do activities together

Strategy 1

Ensuring that all students have opportunities to do internships, volunteer experiences, research and other experiences beyond the classroom.

• Improves students’ career prospects
• Flexibility in how we award credit (“Service Semester” treated similarly to study abroad)
• Flexibility within majors
• Reflects a more holistic view of learning (not just in the classroom)
• Opportunity to have student leaders are already engaged get other students involved

Strategy 2

Fast track programs

• 4+1 and 2+3 programs
• Hybrid programs with weekend or evening class meetings
• Condensed terms

Strategy 3

Customizable degree programs

• Students’ programs can better reflect their specific career goals
• Cohorts – intentionally assign students in cohorts to building community, increase engagement and positively impact retention.
• Challenge: Making sure we working within accreditation standards and maintain academic rigor

-back to top-

Group 2 - Efficiencies

Group 2 Efficiencies in PDF form.

Group 2 Membership

Facilitator: Kim Gainer

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for obtaining operational efficiencies.

Problem-Solving and Service-Oriented Culture

1. Streamline administrative processes
2. Remove barriers to being a service-oriented institution
3. Target inter-professional and distance education

Strategy 1

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Streamline administrative processes

• Examine processes from ROI & outcome measures perspective
• Eliminate manual paper processes
• Eliminate information systems redundancy
• Enable information systems interoperability

Strategy 2

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Remove barriers to being a service-oriented institution

• Remove administrative and physical barriers to visiting, applying, and enrolling
• Streamline processes and move forms and records online when possible
• Train experts to handle certain processes
• Hire sufficient support personnel
• Co-locate administrative offices
• ABOVE ALL, develop a culture of administrative flexibility and creativity

Strategy 3

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Target inter-professional and distance education

• Reduce/eliminate redundant course offerings such as separate research methods courses with similar content/skill sets
• Utilize classroom space more efficiently by encouraging usage on Friday and during other underutilized times
• Create in-house online textbooks for both face-to-face and online classes
• Offer incentives to deliver courses online
• Provide technology support beyond the traditional hours

-back to top-

Group 3 - Revenue Generation

Group 3 Revenue Generation in PDF form.

Group 3 Membership

Facilitator: Jim Lollar

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for increasing University revenue.

1. RU Online College (reach non-campus students, revenue sharing)
2. Expand Summer Offerings (Classes, K-12, Camps, Dual Enrollment)
3. Improve RU Student Policies, Processes (retention)
4. Expand Conference Services
5. Expand Continuing Education
6. Public-Private Partnerships(Hotel-Conference Center, cell phone towers, leasing retail space, signage)
7. Marketing RU Services (Expertise, Printing, etc.)
8. Differential Tuition/Scholarship (target high achievers, specific groups/needs, President Scholars)

Strategy 1

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Strategy 2

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Strategy 3

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

-back to top-

Group 4 - Revenue Generation

Group 4 Revenue Generation in PDF form.

Group 4 Membership

Facilitator: Niels Christensen
Recorder: Glenn Compton

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for increasing University revenue.

1. In-state tuition rates for summer semesters
2. Foster culture of entrepreneurship by incentivizing amounts in excess of baselines
3. Expanding domestically and internationally
4. Community Partnership Hub
5. Continuing Education – certifications, badges; LifeLong Learning

Strategy 1

Expand population to which we offer in-state tuition rates

• Offer in-state rates to out-of-state students outside traditional semesters
• Promotes brand awareness, retention by providing additional value

Strategy 2

Foster culture of entrepreneurship by incentivizing departments

• Student-run apparel business for alumni and department-specific items to augment bookstore selection

Strategy 3

Domestic and International Expansion

• Leverage Radford University value in marketing to enhance international enrollment
• Offer ESL courses
• Build cultural awareness
• Leverage Radford’s tuition value
• Joint degree programs with international companies
• Off-site hybrid courses

Strategy 4

Centralized hub for building relationships between University and community

• “Sponsor-A-Highlander”
• Community partnerships
• Local vendor advertisement opportunity
• Corporate opportunities
• Similar to kids’ sports league sponsorships
• Augments advancement
• If already exists in some capacity, enhance marketing/program
• Identify evaluation criteria

Strategy 5

Continuing Education

• Certifications
• Badges
• LifeLong Learning - memberships, course fees

-back to top-

Group 5 - Innovation

Group 5 Innovation in PDF form.

Group 5 Membership

Facilitator: Steven Owen

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies in pursuit of institutional innovation.

1. Student Centered Academic Plan
2. Teaching/Pedagogy/Cognitive Research Center
3. Student-unity Focus
4. Leader in Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Education
5. Internationalization
6. Paradigm Shift on How We View Our First Two Years
7. Develop Long-Lasting Culture to Develop and Implement and Cognitive Innovation

Strategy 1 - Student Centered Academic Plan

Strategy: Radford University will allow flexibility in adapting to changing needs of the marketplace by permitting a variety of classes, co-curricular experiences, active learning educational strategies for a designer driven degree.

• Opportunities: Marketing potential. Student owning their education plan. Students will be more competitive for the changing needs of the workforce.
• Challenges: SACS, SHEVC, Switching from credit hours vs. competency based, more academic advising

Strategy 2 - Leader in Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Education

Provide more well-rounded students ready to enter the open marketplace by fostering connections between disciplines, in and beyond academia and borders.

• Opportunities: Breakdown barriers between departments. Collaboration with co-op programs, international institutions. Expanding global awareness
• Challenges: Departmental buy-in, administrative/institutional structure. Resource allocation

Strategy 3 - Paradigm Shift on How We View Our First Two Years

Rethinking our competition.

• Opportunities:
  • Take advantage of the VCCS 2 years free
• Challenges:
  • Regulatory environment,
  • Perception of dummying us down

-back to top-

Group 6 - Efficiencies

Group 6 Efficiencies in PDF form.

Group 6 Membership

Facilitator: Jerry Kopf
Recorder: Jack Brockway

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for obtaining operational efficiencies.

1. Streamline the administrative structure & proc
2. Improve the quality of service delivery and eliminate redundancy
3. Academic Efficiencies
4. High-cost activities less-essential priorities

Streamline the administrative structure & processes

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Travel Procedures
• Document Management
• Reduce/eliminate paper
• HR – Personnel actions
• Central Administrative Overhead
• Decentralize Budget Management
• Reduce number of approvals for processes

Improve the quality of service delivery and eliminate redundancy

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Integrate Advising, Financial Aid, Advising & Registration
• Review Outsourcing Operational Functions (Maintenance, Travel)

Academic Efficiencies

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Core Curriculum
• Online Instruction
• Library Resources
• Space Utilization
• Computer Labs
• Classrooms
• Centralized vs Decentralized Academic Programming

High-cost activities less-essential priorities

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Division I Athletics
• Climate Action Plan

-back to top-

Group 7 - Innovation

Group 7 Innovation in PDF form.

Group 7 Membership

Facilitator: Holly Cline

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies in pursuit of institutional innovation.

1. Partnerships- 4 levels department based, cross-colleges/departments, with other higher ed institutions, with private partnerships
2. Increased Competency based & prior learning credits in order to engage adults and veterans
3. Enhance online offerings
4. Develop certificate programs (develops life long learners)
5. Create a program with already existing faculty, classes, mentors and industry for “careers that do not exist yet” this is a highly competitive program for entry.

Strategy 1

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Increase competency-based and prior learning credit in order to engage and support adults and veterans in certificate and degree completion and lifelong learning opportunities.
  • Develop tests to equate/demonstrate prior learning with learning objectives established for classes and/or certificates.
  • Develop a rubric for comparing/accepting life experiences with learning objectives established for classes and/or certificates.
  • Provide a portfolio demonstrating mastery of core competencies, coursework, and/or certificates.
• Challenges:
  • Providing adequate support for the needs of the students (social, emotional, educational, financial)
  • Availability. These students may not be operating on the same schedules as traditional students.

Strategy 2 - Increase Partnerships and Interdisciplinary Efforts

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Opportunities:
  • Form partnerships and collaborations with other higher ed institutions (regionally to globally), industries, and public agencies (e.g., internships, scholarships, collaborative programs and degrees, collaborative research and grant activities)
  • Encourage, facilitate, and incentivize interdisciplinary programs and activities within the university (e.g, sharing of resources, development of collaborative teaching and research programs which cross traditional boundaries)
• Challenges:
  • Perceived ownership and competition over limited resources
  • Time, administrative support, and resource limitations

Strategy 3 - Enhance Online Offerings

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

• Identify areas of focus based on statewide and regional employment gaps/needs where Radford University has established expertise.
• Develop Online asynchronous courses that are not based on traditional semesters.
• Leverage Open Educational Resources where possible.
• Create small modules that provide flexible learning paths.
• Opportunity
  • Reach more non traditional students (adults and Vets) and accelerated learners.
• Challenges
  • Building community among students
  • Logistical Challenges & Dedicating the resources to develop quality online courses

-back to top-

Group 8 - Economic Development

Group 8 Economic Development in PDF form.

Group 8 Membership

Facilitator: George Low
Recorder: Brea MacBrien

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for increasing economic development.

1. Establish a coordinated, interdisciplinary council devoted to economic development (Establish a dedicated position)
   1. Develop overall economic development strategy and plan
2. Conduct strengths/asset assessment. How are we already contributing to economic development? What are others doing to promote economic development and how do we partner with them?
3. Vertically integrate university and leverage synergies around our unique offering/location, then partner externally. Make Radford a destination location. (i.e., music, outdoor program, tourism, nursing, healthy, lifestyle, business all focused on the unique offerings of this region/outdoors)
4. Southwest VA Technology Center and Higher Education Center – Further explore what opportunities/programs/initiatives we can do in these locations that could help them with economic development in a region that potentially has sources of funding (How to attract grant funding?)
5. Help increase enrollment with technological offerings (online courses) and partnerships with community colleges.
6. Encourage entrepreneurial spirit in people of this region – provide knowledge and skills.
7. Space/facilities offerings to external constituents (i.e., studio)

Strategy 1

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Internal Strategies – must be internally organized first to seize opportunities for partnership

• Establish a coordinated, interdisciplinary council devoted to economic development (Establish a dedicated position)
  • Develop overall economic development strategy and plan
• Conduct strengths/asset assessment. What is in our toolbox, how are we already contributing to economic development? What are others doing to promote economic development and how do we partner with them?
• In conjunction with strategic plan/informed by strategic plan
• What are our capabilities and better define business rules to provide the services
• How do we incentivize internally to encourage faculty involvement in economic development?

Strategy 2

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Local Community Strategies

• Vertically integrate university and leverage synergies around our unique offering/location, then partner externally. Make Radford a destination location. (i.e., music, outdoor program, tourism, nursing, healthy, lifestyle, business all focused on the unique offerings of this region/outdoors)
• Encourage entrepreneurial spirit in people of this region – provide knowledge and skills.
• Space/facilities offerings to external constituents (i.e., studio)

Strategy 3

Provide additional details on the recommended strategy; including opportunities and/or challenges in achieving the desired outcome.

Broader regional economic development strategies

• Southwest VA Technology Center and Higher Education Center – Further explore what opportunities/programs/initiatives we can do in these locations that could help them with economic development in a region that potentially has sources of funding
• How to attract grant funding?
• Community college partnerships (expanding workforce development)

-back to top-

Group 9 - Revenue Generation

Group 9 Revenue Generation in PDF form.

Group 9 Membership

Facilitator: Michael Long

Group Members:

Recommendations

List 5-7 strategies for increasing University revenue.

1. Faculty who can provide services which would generate funds
2. K-12 students using our labs
3. Charge for performances
4. Advancement and Procurement work together at the beginning
5. Increase online offerings and adjusting tuition fees
6. Recruiting students
7. RU West - retirement community, lab school, child care (including summer), hotel

Strategy 1

Recruiting students (i.e. weekend visits, continuing ed, social engagement in community, online)

• Student selection and carefully planned programming
• Liability with minors
• Marketing
• Needing the infrastructure
• Buy-in with community

Strategy 2

Faculty who can provide professional services which would generate funds

• Business infrastructure
• Buy-in from faculty
• Time and travel constraints
• Resources used for purposes other than for classes

Strategy 3

Advancement and Procurement work together at the beginning

• Having the conversation since it’s not happening now
• Any potential for conflict of interest
• Might limit competition for the bids

-back to top-