Chapter 5
Academic Programs
5.5 Program Development
The continuing enrollment growth and expansion of SVSU as a relatively young institution provides the context for understanding the program development process at the university. As the university has grown, so has the number of academic and professionally accredited programs. The 1995 five-year plan, Constancy
to Purpose, affirmed that “we should aggressively develop and promote new programs – both credit and non-credit – that are consistent with our mission, build on existing institutional strengths, and address the needs of students and the surrounding region.” The introduction of majors in International Studies and International Business, and a new Master’s program in Organizational Leadership and Administration (now the Masters in Leadership and Public Administration) can be traced to this strategic plan, which specifically cited them as areas for potential program development.
The strategic plan Next Steps 2000-2005 builds on the commitment to create programs of qualitative distinctiveness, first defined in the earlier plan. Fundraising efforts over the past several years have made it possible for the University to hire six endowed chairs and a number of executives-in-residence. These individuals have a special responsibility to generate external funding and develop qualitatively distinctive programs.
