Goal 3: Strategic Growth
Fort Hays State University’s
Unlocking Untapped Potential Strategic Plan
Goal 3: Strategic Growth
Objective 3.1 Develop a strategic enrollment plan and planning process for enrollment initiatives
2020 Strategic Initiatives (SI):
- New Athletic Training Masters of Science:After KBOR and HLC approval, offer an on-campus Athletic Training graduate program starting in fall 2021. This Strategic Enrollment Plan provides funding for a faculty position and marketing money to support the launch of the program.
- Expand the Computer Science Bachelors of Science:Over the past three years, the university’s fastest-growing program has been the undergraduate Computer Science. As growth continues, this Strategic Enrollment Plan provides funding for two new faculty positions and a professional advisor over the next three years.
- New Computer Science Masters of Science:Leveraging our undergraduate population, and meeting market demands, FHSU will begin offering an online Computer Science graduate program in the fall of 2021. This Strategic Enrollment Plan funds a faculty position to support the launch of the program.
- Expand the RN to BSN Program: Add a faculty position to one of the high-demand, high-need areas for the region.
- New online History Bachelors of Arts:Develop the remaining course needed to offer the program online. The success of the program in FY2021 will fund a faculty position in the fall of 2021.
- New Online Bachelor of Social Work:Currently underway, the BSW is scheduled for launch in the fall of 2020. The success of the program will fund a faculty position in the fall of 2021.
- Experiential Learning:Funding for the first phase of this SI transitions the current Assistant Director for Internships from temporary to permanent for FY 2021. (Partnered with Goal 2)
- eSports:Provides funding to assist with program management, equipment start-up, recruitment, and association membership.
- FHSU Online – Competitive Scholarships:Provides funding to assist FHSU Online in recruiting new students to FHSU.
- FHSU Online – TAGGS: A recruiting strategy for graduate students; this plan covers the gap between military tuition assistance and the cost of graduate credit.
- FHSU Online – Virtual Events:A retention strategy for online students, funding includes a GA position in FHSU Online. (Partnered with Goal 2)
- High School Counselor Outreach: Funding will allow the Office of Admissions to expand the successful Counselor Lunch initiative to other areas.
- Hispanic Recruitment:Phase one funding of this plan provides funds to develop multilingual online and paper recruitment and retention materials.
- Short Courses: Funding of online sections to meet the needs of students in need of starting courses during a traditional semester.
- Student Onboarding/Orientation: Transitioning the Coordinator of Freshmen Seminar to the Assistant Director of Retention, moving to the Division of Student Affairs, and expanding the position to 12-months. Transition a current Student Affairs position to the Director of Retention. (Partnered with Goal 2)
- Student Relationship Management:Funding for this plan brings three technologies together. Customer relationship management system, Chatbot, and textingwill interface with each other and Workday to support new student recruitment and ongoing student support.
- Transfer and Military Center:Primarily a recruiting strategy, funding includes a position to provide unofficial transcript analysts and follow up for prospective transfer students. The plan also funds a part-time academic military program support position and military recruitment position.
Objective 3.2 - Develop a financial aid leveraging plan that supports university growth and contributes to improved student retention
- Financial Aid Leveraging:This plan was implemented in October of 2019 with the launch of the new Scholarship Program. Assessment is ongoing.
3.3 Attract and retain diverse, talented, and dedicated faculty and staff to support institutional growth.
Faculty and staff are the greatest resource we have for growing our university and providing outstanding learning and university experiences for our students. In addition to ensuring that we have appropriate buildings, technology, and infrastructure we must continue to attract and retain a great workforce to teach and support learning and research and to reflect the diversity of the student body we hope to attract and retain. As we grow our academic offerings and our student body, our human resources must keep pace.