Chapter 3
Mission, Planning, and Governance

 

3.1 Introduction

Because this chapter focuses on the planning processes and governing structures of the university, in a sense it is informed by all the goals established in Next Steps 2000-2005 (stated in Chapter 1). At the same time, Goal 3, Enrollment Management, has particular salience for this chapter since it articulates a shift in institutional mission: “The university will increasingly become an institution of choice for students while remaining an institution of opportunity.”

This chapter addresses the process by which the SVSU Mission and Vision were reviewed and the current five-year plan developed. The chapter also looks ahead to the next planning cycle, which will build on the attainments of the current plan but shift in emphasis from growth to “right sizing” and a renewed commitment to building distinctive programs at SVSU.

As SVSU has grown, university planning processes and governance structures have adapted to reflect the changes of the past decade. The 1994 Vision, reflecting the institution’s growing awareness of its role in providing solid baccalaureate and masters programs for regional students, also described the relationship of the university to its stakeholders in a larger context:

“SVSU’s mission and goals statement evolved in harmony with the institution’s dynamic nature, growth and regional constituency . . . [and] will continue to be examined on a regular basis to affirm its relevancy to the changing needs” of the student population, the region, and the larger culture.

The 1994 SVSU Self-Study discussed the institution’s evolving self-definition and its respect for a diverse student and community population, its commitment to professional programs, its fostering of general and liberal education, and its advancement of the research and creative potential of the professoriate. Since then, the guiding principles for the evolving mission have been the continued enhancement of students’ intellectual and personal growth, their interaction with highly qualified faculty, and the benefits of a highly educated population for the larger community. The mission, likewise, has evolved in response to institutional/ stakeholder needs.

Thus, the 2000 Mission and Vision statements, which articulate the current direction for the university, enlarge the context of earlier statements:

Mission: The University produces value for the Region, State and Society by preparing highly qualified graduates who contribute to the betterment of a culturally diverse world and by providing intellectual and cultural opportunities that enrich the lives of people.

Vision: Saginaw Valley State University will provide academic and professional programs and services for its students at the highest levels of quality and value, and be recognized as among the finest teaching universities in the United States. Our graduates will rise to key positions in economic, political, cultural and civic leadership and will distinguish themselves and our University through their accomplishments and service. Our University will also be the premier cultural and intellectual center and resource for the schools, governments, businesses and people of the East-Central Region of Michigan.

These Mission and Vision statements were developed as part of the University planning process that produced the Next Steps 2000-2005 document. The six goals derived from these statements serve as a framework for on-going institutional assessment. And, as previously explained, that document provides the organizational foundation for this self-study.

The self-study subcommittees that addressed Mission, Planning, and Governance reviewed many materials: previous planning documents, foundational documents of the institution, Board of Control Minutes, university handbooks, and the Faculty Contract. The subcommittee on Planning also carried out an extensive survey of 56 university leaders (deans, vice-presidents, department chairs, and program directors) who were asked to assess the importance of various issues to the planning process with their units. Findings from that survey inform this chapter.