Introduction
A strategic plan is contextually defined as a piece of documentation that describes an organization’s process of foreseeing an anticipated future, the details of which are then delineated into goals and a vision for the organization. A strategic plan also includes an explication of how to achieve the stipulated goals, in a specific and concise manner. Steiner (2008) calls strategic planning an “indispensable act” in endeavor for high quality management of any institution. A subset of strategic planning is strategic management, which essentially offers guidance as well as direction as far as strategic planning at organization level is concerned. This paper will elucidate the specifics of the strategic planning frameworks of four of the major institutions of higher learning in the United States. By reflecting on the specifics of each strategic plan, operational variance shall be drawn in an attempt at obtaining techniques and stratagems employed in the field of education at advanced level.
Summary of strategic plans
With a vision to academically challenge the undergraduate and graduate students enrolled there, LSU is the flagship college of the state of Louisiana. The institution’s mission is geared towards generating, preserving, sharing, and applying knowledge as well as harnessing the academic dispositions in the field of arts. In a bid to implement this mission, LSU has diversified its course offerings to cover s broader variety of courses at undergraduate level, as well as extensive research provisions. All these are meant to be an attraction to aspiring students and sharpening their intellect at both undergrad and graduate levels. LSU also has the concerns of its performance in mind, and hence has a longstanding culture of instating highly qualified tutors who have the competitive skills to challenge other IHEs at national level, and that contribute heavily to the global field of knowledge. LSU also has a philosophy statement and herewith, the institution boasts of bearing certification from the Master Plan for postsecondary Education issued by the Board of Regents. LSU also has a Carnegie Foundation certification for Doctoral qualifications for the highest research activity apportionment. For this reason, LSU is geared towards providing high quality academic extensions up to the doctorate level.
Main goals
Some of LSU goals include:
Increasing opportunities for students to gain access and succeed in academics – this will be achieved by increasing headcount enrolment from 31909 (fall 2015) to 35000 by fall 2020
Maintaining a reputation for high quality and culpability – The subsections under this goal are:
Increasing same institution enrolment by 1.1% i.e. 84.9% to 86% by fall 2020
Maximize the number of first time students, fulltime students, as well as those searching for degree offering institutions from 75.6% (fall 2013 value) to 76% by fall 2020
Increasing the rate of graduating students from 72% (fall 2008) to 72.2% by 2019-20
Increasing the number of law graduates in any given academic year from 4581students (2014/15 academic year) to around 4800 students by 2019/20
Increasing the number of graduates in any academic year from 1757 to 1800 students by 2019/20
Timeframe
The strategic plan for LSU is for financial year 2017-2018 through financial year 2021-2022.
Funding
Each year, LSU receives grants as well as contracts from the federal government, the state of Louisiana, as well as from private investors against a gross expenditure of more than $144 million annually, which contributes greatly to the country’s economy.
Texas State University (TSU) (comprehensive research IHE)
TSU has a vision of becoming the country’s top all-inclusive metropolitan universities. Gaining academic recognition from the quality of education, quality of policies, and research innovations, TSU desires to be one of the apt contributors to the community and far wide towards the world. TSU is geared towards achieving its mission of providing academic and research-based frameworks meant to address issues pertaining to urbanization and ethnic diversity. The institution also looks forward to creating a student base of positive global changers and culturally diverse minds. TSU currently has 9500 students and a faculty staffing of 1000.
Main Goals
Provision of instructions of high quality nature
Provision of both rudimentary and applied research frameworks
Provision of services to benefit the public
Make optimal use of enrolment of aspiring students for the sustenance of TSU as a high level IHE
Guaranteeing an increment in the philanthropic philosophy, alumni awards, participation and donations from private benefactors
Safeguard the autonomy of TSU administration in supporting the mission of the institution
On top of the main goals of TSU, there is a preemptive enlistment of the top priorities that define the embodiment of this institution. These are:
Excellence – in all fields, but most of all academic
Inclusiveness – using local resources to equip the students in preparation for the global market
Engagement – contribution and active diversification of the student population and the community at large
Creativity – research endeavors
Collaboration – cooperating with local, federal and state agencies to give the best form of tutorage to the students
Efficiency – resourcefulness and proper asset management
Timeframe
The current strategic plan for TSU is valid for the year 2015 through 2020
Funding
TSU has a dedicated department to deal with funding for research and pre-award services from local, federal, state and private benefactors. A 2012 statistic shows that TSU secured over $11.4 million as research funding, and an externally sourced fund over philanthropy totaling to over $6 million. Net assets for that year stood at approximately $148.1 million.
The mission in this institution is to provide accessible higher education chances to allow aspiring students to harness knowledge and expertise for the achievement of other goals on a professional level. The university also improves performance, leadership as well as service to the community.
Main goals
Use technology for the creation of adept instruction
Assess learning modes of students to enhance effectiveness
Organized performance of activities
Generation of financial documentation to assess the university’s mission achievement.
Timeframe
The strategic plan is for fiscal year 2016-17.
Funding
Owned and managed by the Apollo group, the University of Phoenix is amongst the highest ranking in USA in terms of receipt of Pell Grant dollars - $816 million was received in the year 2013. It is also the largest for-profit university in USA. The university collects about $12000 annually from each of its 213,000 students. Phoenix online makes about $327 million per year through its online platform of activities, including classes.
Delgado community college (Community college)
The institution’s mission is provision of a proper learning environment where students from all walks of life are readied to go through academic, career and personal endeavors. It also strives to promote leadership skills, productivity and responsibility. Age distribution stands at an average age of 27.
Strategic goals
Increasing the opportunities for accessibility to knowledge by students
Guaranteeing quality and accountability
Promotion of competitiveness for the institution as well as establishment of relevance at local and global scale.
Timeframe
The strategic plan provided is from 2011 to 2016, the 2017 strategic plan is yet to be made available for public use.
Funding
The Pell Grant fund is the main source of funding for the college, awarded to the students for their entire stay in school. This is however limited to those who have a need of more than $299 after deduction of EFC and all other forms of scholarship aid. The community college also receives funds from state and federal as well as private benefactors. For fiscal year 2010/11, the college received $45.6 million of state funds, $40 million of tuition fees, $70.4 million on restricted funds, and $3.7 million on non-credit funds, to give a total revenue of about $160 million. The college had a total student headcount of 20,452 in fall of 2011.
Analytical disposition
It is apparent that the larger, research based institutions like Louisiana State University are a hub of activities and therefore, expenditure is higher (an expenditure of $144 million by LSU. State universities such as LSU and UoP are better equipped at handling the larger masses of students enrolling there.
They have online platforms that necessitate dissemination of knowledge to the students with ease. Contrary to the old age stereotype that associated community colleges with lower academic standards, the modern day community college has greatly improved academically. The enrolment for Delgado community college is in very large numbers, partly due to the affordable tuition fee provision, but on top of that, there is a reputation for high academic provisions at this college. Being that Delgado has expanded into many other constituent colleges is a sign that the academic and professional capabilities of contemporary community colleges has improved greatly. The fiscal frameworks, however, do not differ much between public universities like LSU, and community colleges in the same state as well as nationally. However, there is a very large significance in the variance between fiscal amendments in private and public campuses. This difference comes about as a result of how these two forms of institutions are funded.
References
DCC. (2016). Strategic Plan 2011 – 2016: Reason, Research and Purpose - Creating a Culture of Evidence. New Orleans: DCC.
LSU. (2017). LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY strategic plan. Loiusiana: LSU.
Steiner, G. A. (2008). Strategic planning: a step-by-step guide. New York: Free Press.
TSU. (2017). ONE TSU - Texas Southern University Strategic Plan 2015-2020. TSU.
UoP. (2017). Mission and Purpose. Retrieved from Phoenix: http://www.phoenix.edu/about_us/about_university_of_phoenix/mission_and_purpose.html
UoP. (2017). University of Phoenix Loan Forgiveness. UoP.
