Strategic Plan 2017 - 2022

OPPORTUNITY TO ASCEND
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR THE COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND 2017-2022

Mission

Grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences, the College of Staten Island is committed to the highest standards in learning, teaching, research, scholarship, and service.  As the only public institution of higher education in the Borough, and as a senior campus of The City University of New York, the College has provided access to excellence in higher education since 1956.  The College is dedicated to helping its students fulfill their creative and educational aspirations through competitive and rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.  We embrace the strength of our diversity, foster civic-mindedness, and nurture responsible citizens for our city, state, country, and the world.

Vision

Providing students with an outstanding educational experience guides everything the College of Staten Island undertakes. The College is committed to enhancing the success of all students and to evidence-based initiatives and opportunities.   We strive to provide rigorous undergraduate and graduate degrees at all levels and to respond to the changing educational and professional aspirations of students in a complex and dynamic world through innovative disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs.  Excellence in scholarship, research, and creative activities provides a strong foundation for our academic programs and student learning experiences, and by attracting and retaining an outstanding faculty we will also attract strong graduate students to our masters and doctoral programs and to work in our laboratories.  We aspire to be a vibrant center of intellectual and cultural exchange and to broaden the horizons of our students by increasing the integration of global perspectives through our curriculum, scholarship and international opportunities.  At the same time we will enhance students’ educational experiences by expanding opportunities to engage with our more immediate community through research, service, and civic engagement, consistent with our commitment to borough stewardship. The College is enriched by the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff, and we will expand efforts to ensure an inclusive and increasingly diverse campus community.  We will be a leader in conserving resources, will be creative in aligning resource allocations with strategic priorities, and will be data-informed in our decision-making. Through these accomplishments the College of Staten Island will become a destination for students, faculty, and staff, with greater regional, national and international recognition.

Values 

Strong commitment to teaching, scholarship, research, creative activities, and service.

• We set and meet high expectations in our academic programs through innovative teaching, scholarship, and research. We promote engagement among students and faculty. We explore the broader impacts of our work and are proud of recognition received at local, national and international venues.

Emphasis on campus pride and the cultivation of a welcoming and inclusive environment.

• We cultivate pride in our institution in everything that we do. We strive to ensure that all who come to campus feel welcomed and valued. We enjoy celebrating our successes. Together we work to achieve greater recognition through advancement and the promotion of campus activities.

Facilitation of serious conversations about difficult subjects.

• We seek to make our campus a place for the open exchange of ideas. We encourage critical thinking, curiosity and creative expression. We see value in thoughtful conversation and the consideration of differing viewpoints. We promote events on campus that are relevant and related to larger questions that have impact on our lives.

Innovative approaches to student success.

• As a comprehensive college, we provide support for students from pre-college through doctoral degrees. We embrace innovative approaches to increase student engagement and encourage progress in achieving individual academic and career goals. We also work with all students to help them overcome barriers to their success.

Commitment to integrity and mutual respect.

• We expect honesty and fairness in our interactions with each other and in the work that we do. Ensuring integrity builds trust among students, faculty, and staff. Mutual respect is required to encourage open dialogue, critical reflection and a diversity of perspectives.  We value all members of the College community, as all play a vital role in making us a quality institution.

Reliance on informed decision-making and shared governance.

• We seek to ensure that all of our decisions are informed by deliberation and data. We are continuously engaged in gathering information related to our institutional goals. We foster a model of shared governance. We are engaged in cross-institutional, national conversations related to best practices in higher education and support visionary leadership within every unit of the College.

Strategic Priorities

Strategic Priority 1 STUDENT SUCCESS

. . . Lifting as We Rise

The College of Staten Island is committed to fostering success for students at all levels, as well as ensuring the strongest possible experience for students, including timely progress toward their degrees.  Strong student engagement, both inside and outside the classroom, as well as helping students to develop a “growth mindset,” are essential ingredients in achieving these objectives.  The College is committed to embracing the success of all students and eliminating achievement gaps, wherever they exist, to improve educational equity and inclusion.

To address this priority, the College will work toward the following goals:

•  Provide a comprehensive approach to student support services, including mentoring and advising with a focus on assessing student progress and an emphasis on improving retention, reducing achievement gaps, and increasing graduation rates. 
•  Provide a framework of professional development for teaching and non-teaching staff  to support student engagement and student success, relying on relevant research and  literature.
•  Promote a growth mindset for students through a combination of student involvement and  high-impact practices and educational experiences that are relevant to the world today.       
•  Promote improvements in learning effectiveness and services that embrace our  responsibility as a comprehensive college to serve students at all levels of preparation and  achievement.

Strategic Priority 2  GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

. . . The World Right Here

The College of Staten Island is committed to creating a campus that embodies global perspectives in all its endeavors and engaging students, faculty, and staff to become global citizens who are inextricably connected to the world. To instill in CSI students a sense of global social responsibility and action through local, national, and international engagement.

• Increase emphasis on global perspectives across the curriculum.
• Increase the presence of international students and scholars, and encourage meaningful exchanges and communications among members of the campus community with varied international knowledge and experiences.
• Promote and support research, scholarship, and creative activities on global issues.
• Strengthen the capacity of campus structures, including the Center for Global Engagement, to extend our global reach and perspectives.

   

Strategic Priority 3 BOROUGH STEWARDSHIP

. . . One Degree of Separation

The College of Staten Island is fully committed to advancing its role as a “Steward of Place” through direct, two-way interaction with the Staten Island community through the development, exchange, and application of knowledge, information, and expertise for mutual benefit in such areas as health and safety initiatives, educational partnerships, and economic and career/workforce development.

• Provide opportunities and encouragement for students to be involved in community service, volunteerism, and civic engagement.
• Advance the College’s standing as a cultural and intellectual center and a leader in public  advocacy and discourse.
• Broaden the impact of faculty and student research and scholarship on the community.
• Advance a multi-dimensional, reciprocal approach to community development and partnership to identify and meet community needs, in such areas as health and safety initiatives, educational partnerships, and economic and career/workforce development.

   

Strategic Priority 4 DESTINATION CAMPUS

. . . A Preferred Choice Institution  

The College of Staten Island will be a destination campus:  a preferred choice institution. Students, faculty, and staff will tell our story to various stakeholders, fostering a campus culture that supports and reflects the best of CSI, and cultivating relationships both on and off campus.  We will enhance the physical beauty and natural surroundings through the preservation and improvement of the campus infrastructure, facilities, and safety features.

• Develop a first-choice mindset for students, faculty, and staff by more effectively “telling our story” about successes, unique qualities, signature programs, and best-selling features such as smaller classes.
• Identify and promote the special mix of attributes that make us a unique comprehensive institution located in New York City, through branding and communication of that image to stakeholders in a sustained and effective way.
• Embark on a campaign to develop an esprit de corps and promote school spirit among students, faculty, and staff.
• Create an environment, reflected both in our campus climate and physical surroundings, where students, faculty, and staff can thrive and meet their personal and/or professional goals.

   

Strategic Priority 5  SCHOLARSHIP-DRIVEN EDUCATION

. . . A Community of Scholars

Excellence in scholarship, research, and creative activities strengthens academic programs and provides the foundations for many “high-impact” scholarship-based student learning experiences.  Opportunities for student engagement through undergraduate and graduate student research, artistic and creative expression, academic internships, and experiential learning, both in the curriculum and as part of campus life, will strengthen the value of the degree that students attain at graduation.

• Provide opportunities for students at all levels to engage in high-impact learning  opportunities including faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative activities,  and for experiential learning across the curriculum.
• Support the integration of faculty research, scholarship, and creative activities into teaching and campus life to enhance student learning and faculty engagement through professional development, recognition, and resources.
• Build a strong and effective infrastructure to support and recognize faculty, staff, and student scholarship and research, through institutional and research funding opportunities and provision of venues in which such activities may be shared with campus and public audiences. 
• Ensure access to essential and specialized tools of research – such as dedicated research and experiential learning areas, collaborative spaces, and, most especially, the Library – to enable our students, faculty, and College community to engage in up-to-date and responsive scholarship.

   

Strategic Priority 6  RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

. . . Aspirations and Resources Aligned

The College of Staten Island has received recognition for its signature high-quality, low-cost education.  As a steward of public resources, the College will be deliberate regarding how and where it invests its funds, on conserving resources, and being more creative in developing and maintaining revenue streams and aligning resource allocations to strategic priorities.

• Invest in applications that will facilitate improved analytic capability of financial, academic, and enrollment data sources to support informed decision making and  resource allocation.
• Leverage technology to improve efficiencies, workflows, and productivity.
• Diversify funding streams by strategically incorporating resources from related entities (Auxiliary Services, the Foundation, the Association, and the Research Foundation) in support of the College Mission.  
• Align budget and campus resources strategically with faculty and staff recruitment initiatives.  Identify gaps in systems and staffing, and invest in resources to address these gaps.