POTENTIAL OBJECTIVE

POTENTIAL INITIATIVES/ACTIONS

QUESTIONS

1.   How will UB implement an informed admissions plan that attracts diverse and increasingly selective student cohorts at all levels?

(Goal II)

• Admit freshmen enrollees to their major of choice.
• Create a university enrollment culture where the following features are evident: 
  • Strong linkages between central and unit enrollment practice
  • Reliable and predictive student models
  • Best-practice communication strategies that resonate with students and parents
  • New recruitment and retention strategies tuned to the different needs of diverse student cohorts.
• Create a plan of services that make UB the destination of choice for transfer students.

• What are the implications for university enrollment of admitting freshman to major of choice?
• What investments are required in the decision to admit freshman to their major of choice?
• How do we balance access, diversity and quality in our admissions strategy?
• What are the best strategies for UB to diversify its international enrollments?
• How can UB leverage existing organizations and programs in and outside UB to recruit talented minority candidates at all levels?
  

2.      How will UB implement distinctive theme-based co-curricular experiences that improve the UB learning and student life environment?

(Goal II)

• Develop implementation plans for best-practice, theme-based (where appropriate) supplemental student experiences that align with the new UB curriculum such as:
  • Diversity/global learning/study abroad – internationalizing the UB experience
  • Service learning/community based learning
  • Living/learning communities
  • Writing-intensive courses
  • Undergraduate research
  • Universal tutoring for all students
  • Internships
  • Leading edge career orientation and placement programming
  • Develop a co-curricular transcript for every student.

• What approach will be used for assessing the practices and success of these initiatives?
• Will curricular innovation challenge or enhance transfer recruitment efforts?

3.   How will UB best complete Finish- in-Four implementation?

(Goals II and IV)

• Model student flow and course needs for all undergraduate enrollees.
• Secure universal agreement that all course requirements for FI4 will be supplied now and in the future.
• Create an individualized student advising and degree tracking program that makes students and advisors aware of status to degree and issues/obstacles to on-time degree attainment.
• Evaluate needs and implement needed student tutoring resources to help students succeed in their coursework and stay on track toward their degree objective
• Establish a winter intersession and expand summer program offerings to expand access to courses essential for students to complete their degree requirements on-time.
• Develop a concomitant transfer “Finish in X” model.

• Will curricular innovation simplify or complicate the FI4 effort?
• How will admission to major of choice impact F14 goals?
• What are the personnel and technology resources required to provide individualized advising and tutoring?

4.   Should UB implement a need-based aid program and other measures that reduce Pell-eligible undergraduate student indebtedness by 20% by 2015/2016?

(Goal II)

• Use state-of-the art analytics to pinpoint student financial need and predict future unmet student financial need.
• Create financial plan to achieve this goal.  Special attention paid to the use and impact of endowed scholarship resources for this purpose.
• Devise communication strategy that monitors student financial status and addresses apparent problems before they impede enrollment and progress to degree.

• Should the need based strategy utilize funds formerly allocated to the merit scholarship program?
• Are units willing to reallocate current scholarship dollars to achieve this objective?
• Should this initiative include increased merit-based scholarships for international freshmen in support of higher enrollment targets?

5.   How will UB best improve the services and support systems for graduate students across the university?

(Goals I and II)

• Develop strategies to improve retention and time-to-degree metrics.
• Require each unit to supplement curriculum to include professional development and career preparation.
• Increase global opportunities for graduate students in part through enhanced flexibility in assistantship requirements.
• Develop an expanded and competitive university fellowship, minority fellowship and teaching/research assistantship funding plan.  This should include a significant expansion of our existing and successful, but underfunded, minority graduate student fellowship programs.

• Should UB provide fifth-year and summer support for graduate students to accelerate academic success?
• How easy will it be to track the careers of alumni after 5-10 years?
• Can we engage major employers of our graduates as we re-examine our curriculum?
• What are the most serious limitations in the graduate/professional student experience today?

6.   Should UB implement the Heart of the Campus initiative as the highest priority capital project?

Download the president's presentation on the Heart of the Campus initiative >

(Goals II and IV)

• Develop implementation strategies to meet an accelerated timeframe for this project.
• Develop an implementable funding plan.
• Conduct a university-wide information campaign to convey how this project contributes to the building of a vibrant campus and place for our students.

• What are the implications for university competitiveness and student satisfaction if we do not implement this project?
• What other projects will not be completed because of this decision in the next 5 years and is this trade-off acceptable?

7.   Should UB upgrade the Athletics Program to a peer public AAU competitive level?

(Goals II, III, and IV)

• Implement a funding and capital master plan for Athletics that would involve at least the following elements:
  • Upgrades to existing stadium and other facilities.
  • Increases in grant-in-aid funding.
  • Increases in operations support-equipment, travel, coach contract costs, etc…

• Will the achievement of this objective generate sustainable student, alumni, and community support?
• Can sustained success in UB athletics elevate the UB academic profile?
• What are the opportunity costs of these investments?

8.   How can UB expand recreation facilities to levels comparable with peer AAU schools?

(Goals II and IV)

• Determine and finalize scope of a new, state-of-the-art stand-alone facility on the North Campus, as well as necessary improvements to South Campus, and creating recreation facilities at the Downtown Campus.
• Create financing plan that will including lifting SUNY restrictions upon fee revenue as a source to pay for capital projects.
• Begin the design and development phase of this project in 2013 with a completion goal of 2016.

• What will be the opportunity costs for this initiative?
• What alternative funding sources are available if SUNY and NYS will not approve the use of fee revenues for this project?