2008 Woodie Awards
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Goals from '00 plan crop up in new strategy
Ken Pitts
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
In the last decade, the university has made strides in improving minority studentgraduation rates, updating campus technology and raising more funds - goals outlined in the current strategic plan, released in 1996 and updated in 2000.
But it has fallen short in other major pillars of the current five-part plan, including increasing diversity among students and faculty, meeting student housing demand and reducing class sizes.
These lingering issues appear frequently in the new plan, some with more specific benchmarks or new proposals for solutions. Administrators say they have to change tactics on some of the lingering issues if they want to solve them in the decade to come.
"We were definitely developing this new plan to build on the successes of the university and also to address some of the existing weaknesses of the university and to build on some of the existing opportunities," said Provost Nariman Farvardin, who served on both the 2000 and current planning committees. "But when we started working on this plan, we didn't start by flipping through the pages of the previous plan - not at all."
The university met one benchmark set in the 2000 plan - adding 2,000 beds to student housing. But enrollment also increased, so the addition turned out to be insufficient, said Vic Korenman, a former associate provost who is coordinating the new plan.
The current plan also sought to offer freshmen more personalized learning with classes comprising fewer than 25 students. But the proportion of undergraduate courses with fewer than 20 students, not counting discussion sections for large lectures actually fell from 38 percent to 34 percent in the last eight years, according to statistics prepared by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment.Smaller undergraduate classes are an essential part of the undergraduate experience to improve the relationship between faculty and students, said members of the steering committee for the new plan.
The 2000 plan also sought to raise the proportion of minority students above the 2000 level of 33 percent of the undergraduate body. But that percentage stayed flat, according to a 2007 accountability report submitted to the Board of Regents.
Farvardin argued that, while the university will continue efforts to diversify its student body, looking to maintain quotas among student populations isn't the most important issue.
"You shouldn't use the number of students at the university as a measurement of success - what if they don't get out of the university? To me, what is important is ... the output, really, not the input," he said.
Still, increasing diversity makes another appearance among the new strategic plan's primary goals.
On the whole, both Korenman and Farvardin called the 2000 plan a success. Both cited a increased rate of retention and graduation among undergraduates, expanded research programs across the university and fundraising efforts as marked accomplishments.
Both Farvardin and Korenman suggested that the new plan, with more measurable goals and realistic benchmarks, should make it easier to monitor the university's progress over the next several years.
"In this new plan, we have tried to place a lot of emphasis on productivity and output," Farvardin said, "which is a real measure."
pittsdbk@gmail.com
But it has fallen short in other major pillars of the current five-part plan, including increasing diversity among students and faculty, meeting student housing demand and reducing class sizes.
These lingering issues appear frequently in the new plan, some with more specific benchmarks or new proposals for solutions. Administrators say they have to change tactics on some of the lingering issues if they want to solve them in the decade to come.
"We were definitely developing this new plan to build on the successes of the university and also to address some of the existing weaknesses of the university and to build on some of the existing opportunities," said Provost Nariman Farvardin, who served on both the 2000 and current planning committees. "But when we started working on this plan, we didn't start by flipping through the pages of the previous plan - not at all."
The university met one benchmark set in the 2000 plan - adding 2,000 beds to student housing. But enrollment also increased, so the addition turned out to be insufficient, said Vic Korenman, a former associate provost who is coordinating the new plan.
The current plan also sought to offer freshmen more personalized learning with classes comprising fewer than 25 students. But the proportion of undergraduate courses with fewer than 20 students, not counting discussion sections for large lectures actually fell from 38 percent to 34 percent in the last eight years, according to statistics prepared by the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment.Smaller undergraduate classes are an essential part of the undergraduate experience to improve the relationship between faculty and students, said members of the steering committee for the new plan.
The 2000 plan also sought to raise the proportion of minority students above the 2000 level of 33 percent of the undergraduate body. But that percentage stayed flat, according to a 2007 accountability report submitted to the Board of Regents.
Farvardin argued that, while the university will continue efforts to diversify its student body, looking to maintain quotas among student populations isn't the most important issue.
"You shouldn't use the number of students at the university as a measurement of success - what if they don't get out of the university? To me, what is important is ... the output, really, not the input," he said.
The document used to report these stories is part of a work in progress. The plan is likely to change after the university community provides input.
To view the document used to report these stories in its entirety, visit the website http://sp07.umd.edu Community feedback is critical to the success of the strategic plan. To offer your comments, visit the website http://sp07.umd.edu/feedback.cfm The committee is accepting responses until March 21.
Still, increasing diversity makes another appearance among the new strategic plan's primary goals.
On the whole, both Korenman and Farvardin called the 2000 plan a success. Both cited a increased rate of retention and graduation among undergraduates, expanded research programs across the university and fundraising efforts as marked accomplishments.
Both Farvardin and Korenman suggested that the new plan, with more measurable goals and realistic benchmarks, should make it easier to monitor the university's progress over the next several years.
"In this new plan, we have tried to place a lot of emphasis on productivity and output," Farvardin said, "which is a real measure."
pittsdbk@gmail.com
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