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Strategic Planning Forum
Preliminary Results
January 8, 2004
Saint Xavier University Chicago Campus
Nearly 100 members of the Saint Xavier University Community came together on the evening of January 8, 2004 to review and to discuss the preliminary findings from a Survey of Possible Strategic Directions. The participants represented a broad spectrum of the University Community, including faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees. This event, the first public forum in a comprehensive planning process that will eventually involve hundreds of members of the University Community, focused on possible strategic directions in five broad areas of institutional activities:
- Academic Excellence
- Student Recruitment, Retention, and Services
- University Advancement
- Campuses, Facilities, Human Resources, Infrastructure, and Finances
- Mission, Integrity, Catholic Identity, and Sponsorship
The Survey of Possible Strategic Directions , developed by President Judith Dwyer and members of her Cabinet, was designed to mirror the rigors and the realities of a strategic planning process. Just as the process of strategic planning requires making choices about how to allocate resources, this survey asked respondents to allocate 100 points to a number of possible directions in each of the five broad areas of institutional life. The point allocations given by survey respondents to the possible strategic directions were viewed as indicators of perceived importance: the higher the point allocations the greater the perceived importance. Like the process of strategic planning, the survey instrument required individuals to consider a wide range of possibilities with no simple rules or methods for making choices. While the main body of the survey was made up of 43 pre-defined items referring to a wide spectrum of possible future directions, respondents were also asked to consider other possibilities and to share their ideas via open-ended items where new directions could be articulated and allocated points. Most of the individuals who completed this survey noted that it was a challenging and thought-provoking exercise. For this reason, all survey respondents were invited to attend a Forum on Strategic Planning where the preliminary results could be reviewed and probed further. A brief summary of findings presented at this Forum follow. A powerpoint presentation of these findings can be found at www.sxu.edu/planning (click the icon on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and launch the slide-show by left-clicks of your mouse once the first screen appears on the entire screen).
A Profile of Survey Respondents
Invitations to participate in this survey were sent in early December 2003 via email to all faculty and staff who are currently employed at Saint Xavier University , and to 1800 individuals who subscribe to a listserv for alumnae/alumni maintained by the Office of Alumni Relations. By early January 2004, a grand total of 205 individuals had responded: a) 63 faculty; b) 74 exempt-non-exempt staff and administrators (22% of the full-time employees); c) 56 alumnae/alumni; and 16 "other" individuals including Board members, and retired faculty and administrators. The following graphic display of the makeup of the sample indicates that the survey findings are based upon a good cross-section of the University community.
The years of membership in each of the four groups of respondents did vary as shown on the following table. Faculty members and alumnae/alumni who responded had longer associations with Saint Xavier University than staff/administration. Overall, 39% of the survey sample have been affiliated with the University for more than a decade, and 44% have been here for 5 years or less.
| % < 2 yrs | % 2-5 yrs | % 6-10 yrs | % 11-20 yrs | % > 20 yrs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty | 16% | 28% | 8% | 23% | 25% |
| Staff | 24% | 35% | 19% | 16% | 5% |
| Alums | 7% | 18% | 21% | 14% | 39% |
| Other | 14% | 21% | 36% | 14% | 14% |
| Total | 17% | 27% | 18% | 18% | 21% |
Perceived Importance of Five Strategic Areas
The last question on the survey instrument asked respondents to rate the overall importance of the five strategic areas that were considered in this study by allocating 100 points in any manner. In our analyses of the data, a score of zero was a valid entry indicating that no priority should be given to the area or areas. No single area was allowed to have a score greater than 100. As the following table shows, the area of Academic Excellence had the highest overall average and the highest overall variance (i.e. standard deviation) indicating that there was a wider spread in point allocations for this area than in the other areas under consideration. The next highest average was University Advancement, followed by Student Recruitment, Retention and Services. The area for Campuses, Facilities, Human Resources, Infrastructure, and Finances had the next highest average, followed by Mission , Integrity, Catholic Identity and Sponsorship.| Average | Stan Dev | |
| Academic Excellence | 29.2 | 15.4 |
| Student Recruitment | 18.9 | 8.6 |
| University Advancement | 20.3 | 10.3 |
| Campuses, Facilities… | 17.6 | 10.9 |
| Mission, Integrity… | 14.2 | 14.2 |
The data in the foregoing table mask some interesting differences among the membership groups. Alumni gave much higher allocations to the area of Academic Excellence than faculty, staff, or "other" members of the University Community. The area of Mission received the higher scores from Board members and retired staff and faculty (i.e. "Other" Group), and much lower ratings from faculty and alumnae/alumni. The only area with virtually no differences among the membership groups was University Advancement. A graphic display of the different patterns of prioritization can be seen on the following graph. Overall, these results indicate that there are no simple answers or clear-cut solutions to the task of assigning institutional priorities to possible strategic directions. The Study Teams assigned to each strategic area will need to engage representatives of the different membership groups that make up the University Community before coming to final recommendations or conclusions.
Survey Items With Highest Average Scores
The top three survey items in each strategic area are shown in the following table. The top three items were selected on the basis of the average number of allocated points. Also shown are the ranks of each item across all areas of the survey (based on the average score) and the percentage of respondents who gave the item a score greater than zero. At least one item in each strategic area was considered to be important by 80% or more of the entire sample of survey respondents. These items, along with the others listed on the following table, will be examined by the Study Teams and considered in the context of strategic analyses (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and a review of "best practices" pertinent to these issues.
| Academic Excellence | Average | Rank Across Areas | % Giving Points > 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Become recognized for exceptional teaching, civic discourse, and scholarship | 18.1 | 5 | 88% |
| Recruit and retain highly qualified and diverse faculty | 13.1 | 12 | 81% |
| Graduate programs enjoy a regional reputation for excellence/achievement | 10.2 | 22 | 75% |
| Student Recruitment, Retention, Services | |||
| Attract more students with higher academic profiles | 18.7 | 4 | 80% |
| Build programs with student service, civic engagement, leadership | 13.1 | 11 | 77% |
| Grow enrollment and services at the Orland Park Campus | 12.0 | 16 | 69% |
| University Advancement | |||
| Secure the future through a significantly larger endowment | 23.3 | 1 | 86% |
| Expand public awareness of University achievements and events | 13.4 | 8 | 81% |
| Build more scholarship funds to attract highly qualified students | 13.4 | 9 | 78% |
| Campuses, Facilities, Human Resources, Infrastructure… | |||
| Provide state-of-the-art instructional facilities | 21.4 | 2 | 85% |
| Find other sources of revenue in addition to tuition and fees | 16.3 | 6 | 81% |
| Attract and retain a talented and diverse group of exempt/non-exempt staff | 13.2 | 10 | 73% |
| Mission, Integrity, Catholic Identity, Sponsorship | |||
| Institutionalize an ethos of hospitality, respect, and service to others | 21.0 | 3 | 85% |
| Attain national reputation for …Catholic social teaching… faith and reason | 14.5 | 7 | 78% |
| Strengthen worship opportunities for students of all faiths | 12.3 | 15 | 71% |
Guiding Questions for Study Teams
Participants at the Forum on January 8th reviewed these general findings and engaged in more detailed discussions of the data in breakout groups, one group for each strategic area. Individuals were assigned to discussion groups on a random basis and were asked to consider a set of preliminary questions derived from the findings that will guide the work of Study Teams in the months ahead. Summaries of their deliberations will be available on the University Web site for strategic planning (www.sxu.edu/planning) by early February.
Participants: Strategic Planning Forum, January 8, 2004
| Faculty | Ruth | Althaus |
| Faculty | Candace | Baker |
| Alumni Board | Jennifer | Baralli |
| Faculty | Cathleen | Barrett-Kruse |
| Faculty | Susan | Beal |
| Alumni Board | Molly | Berglind |
| Faculty | Norman | Boyer |
| Alumni Board | Kim | Brown |
| Faculty | Linda | Burke |
| Faculty | Sandra | Burkhardt |
| Staff | Cathleen | Cahill |
| Faculty | Sister Nancy | Cahill |
| Admin | Kathleen | Carlson |
| Faculty | Carla | Carter |
| Admin | Chris | Chalokwu |
| President Emeritus | SR. Irenaeus | Chekouras, RSM |
| Faculty | Michael | Clark |
| Board of Trustees | Joy | Clough |
| Staff | Mary | Coffey |
| Staff | Barbara | Costello |
| Faculty | Frances | Crean |
| Alumni Board | Pamela | Cruz |
| Alumnus | John | Dahlke |
| Staff | Jennifer | Daniel |
| Board of Trustees | John | DeLeonardis |
| Staff | Mark | DeMott |
| Staff | Eileen | Doherty |
| President of SXU | Judith A. | Dwyer |
| Staff | Laura | Earner |
| Dean | John | Eber |
| Faculty | Mitra | Falla |
| Faculty | Dale | Fast |
| Alumni Board | Rita | Ford |
| Staff | Theresa | Frachalla |
| Faculty | Donald | Fricker |
| Alumni Board | Samantha | Friel Dammer |
| Faculty | Richard | Fritz |
| Staff | Donna | Gasior |
| Staff | Beth | Gierach |
| Alumni Board | John | Golen |
| Alumni Board | Ave | Green |
| Staff | Mary Louise | Griffin |
| Staff | Tim | Halloran |
| Admin | Robert | Hansen |
| Administration | Dominic | Hart |
| Faculty | Jayne | Hileman |
| Staff | Margaret Mary | Hinz, RSM |
| Faculty | Eileen | Knight |
| Board of Trustees | Bill | Keyser |
| Board of Trustees | Sheila | King |
| Faculty | Peter | Kirstein |
| Staff | Paul | Kolessar |
| Faculty | Augustus | Kolich |
| Faculty | William | Kresse |
| Staff | Kenneth | Kulick |
| Staff | Amy | Lapinski |
| Dean | Mary | Lebold |
| Staff | Pam | Lewis-Rodriguez |
| Faculty | Nancy | Lockie |
| Alumna | Mary C. | Loftus |
| Alumni Board | Kathy | Lunn |
| Staff | Iva | Marie-Palmer |
| Staff | Paul | Matthews |
| Staff | Mary | McFarland |
| Consultant | Rosemary | Miklitsch |
| Staff | Myra | Minuskin |
| Alumni Board | Vonna | Moss |
| Admin | Steven | Murphy |
| Faculty | Laurence | Musgrove |
| Alumna | Barbara | Olson |
| Dean | John | Pelrine |
| Admin | Susan | Piros |
| Faculty | Michael | Rabe |
| Alumni Board | Kathy | Rogers |
| Alumni Board | Jill | Roggeveen |
| Faculty | Gina | Rossetti |
| Faculty | Tony | Rotatori |
| Faculty | Monica | Ryan |
| Admin | Sue | Sanders |
| Staff | Carrie | Schade |
| Alumni Board | Laura | Shallow |
| Staff | Jane | Smith |
| Staff | John | Stachniak |
| Faculty | William | Stone |
| Staff | Phyllis | Streeter |
| Staff | Katy | Thompson |
| Alumni Board | Letha | Tobias |
| Staff | Carol | Tolson |
| Faculty | Alex | Trillo |
| Admin | Rick | Venneri |
| Admin | Jim | Vondracek |
| Staff | Kate | Watland |
| Staff | Maureen | Wogan |
| Faculty | Karen | Wood |
| Alumni Board | Phil | Wood |
| Faculty | Sheila | Wright |