James Madison University Institutional Six-Year Plan Institutional Narrative – July 2017
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May 31, 2017 James Madison University Institutional Six-Year Plan Institutional Narrative – July 2017 Introduction: Deep Meaning and Purpose As we carry out our mission to be a community preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives, we’re seeing dramatic success, not just anecdotally as we hear our students’ remarkable stories, but in ways that can be measured. We know that students, faculty and staff share unusually close relationships at James Madison University. That’s why it was important to us when Gallup and Purdue University partnered to survey 29,000 college graduates and published the Gallup- Purdue Index in 2014, which found conclusively that participants who were more personally engaged as students possessed a greater sense of work engagement and well-being as alumni. In 2016, JMU contracted with Gallup to survey our alumni and compare their engagement with work and well-being against other colleges. The findings were striking: JMU alumni scored not only significantly higher than the national average, but well above alumni who graduated from the top 100 colleges and universities in the US News & World Report rankings. Perhaps most impressive was alums’ attachment to JMU. Thirty-eight percent of alumni reported the highest level of attachment to JMU compared to 24% of alumni for the U.S. News top 100 and 19% for the national sample. Of Note The Value of a JMU Degree From the Gallup/Purdue Report Evidence that a student’s investment in JMU reaps great awards is JMU alumni lead alumni nationally in also confirmed by what is said and written about us. full-time employment for an employer Among large comprehensive U.S. institutions (those enrolling and also in workplace engagement. more than 2,000 first year students), JMU ranks the highest JMU undergraduate and postgraduate with an 82 percent six-year graduation rate, 7 percentage alumni are more likely than their points higher than the next comprehensive institution. respective peer groups nationally to be However, this traditional six-year graduation rate includes employed full time for an employer only students who enter and graduate from JMU. A more (81% vs. 71% and 76% vs. 72%, complete analysis shows that approximately 90 percent of respectively). JMU graduates are also students who begin at JMU as first year students earn a more likely than undergraduate and degree at JMU or another four-year institution within six postgraduate alumni from similar years. institutions (i.e., Master’s Colleges and The U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) 2017 edition of its Universities – Larger Programs) at “Best Colleges” guidebook ranked the university Number 2 70% each to be employed full time for on the list of top comprehensive public schools in the South. an employer. JMU is also ranked as the Number 3 of Most Innovative Schools among regional universities in the South. Ninety-seven percent of students report that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their experience at JMU. Ninety-nine percent of respondents to the Alumni Employment and Educational Experiences Survey conducted in fall 2016 reported that they were “likely” or “very likely” to recommend JMU to a colleague, friend or relative. High graduation rates and reasonable costs for attendance are among the factors landing JMU a place on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s top 100 “Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2017. JMU placed 62nd on the list of four-year public schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. James Madison University, 2017 Institutional Six-Year Plan 1 May 31, 2017 JMU’s “impressive balance of educational, social, and extracurricular activities to enrich students’ experience” earned us a place in The Princeton Review’s “Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck – 2016 Edition.” JMU’s commitment to environmental sustainability practices earned a spot as one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 361 Green Colleges: 2016 Edition.” JMU ranked first in the nation in participation in short-term study-abroad programs and second in total number of students who studied abroad, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors 2016 report. Areas of Focus Faculty and Staff Compensation Addressing faculty and staff compensation presents one of our greatest challenges and opportunities and it represents one of our most important areas of emphasis in the near term. The JMU Compensation Advisory Council provides compensation related advice to senior leadership. In the Spring of 2017, the Council presented recommendations that are currently under review. They include: JMU should: Establish a goal for average faculty salaries to be at the 50th percentile of its peer group for each academic Of Note rank and periodically review the appropriate position of JMU faculty salaries among the peer group. We provide, and seek to enhance, a Establish a goal of keeping faculty salaries from diverse array of learning opportunities lagging behind by instituting automatic cost-of-living for all students and faculty that increases as a separate mechanism. promote innovation, collaboration, Consider establishing a budget for and providing creativity and entrepreneurship; ethical bonuses to Classified and A&P Faculty employees reasoning; civic engagement; and during any years when it is unlikely that the community engagement, all stressing Commonwealth will provide salary-increase funding. interdisciplinarity. In a survey of the Class of 2016 with Access, Inclusion and Diversity an 87% response rate, 91% of our JMU values providing access to all students who would benefit baccalaureate graduates were from and contribute to the Madison Experience. With exceptional employed, in graduate school or graduation rates and retention rates, the university provides engaged in other career related appropriate support and challenge for our students’ success. endeavors within 6 months of Interest from students with low socioeconomic backgrounds and graduation. the lack of financial aid resources at JMU hinders our efforts with expanding diversity. However, those who are able to attend experience an environment that is welcoming and meaningful. Our efforts will continue to: Develop scholarship programs that support students’ financial need. Work with SCHEV on the formula for funding financial aid from the Commonwealth. Identify strategies for increasing institutional aid. Expand our partnerships with community and educational organizations and programs within the Commonwealth to encourage students from designated geographic locations and socioeconomic areas to apply/attend JMU. Study the impact of optional standardized tests on admissions to JMU. Develop and implement specific strategies to support first generation students’ success at JMU. James Madison University, 2017 Institutional Six-Year Plan 2 May 31, 2017 Academic Achievements and Competencies We have demonstrated a high level of competence across the university. Some noteworthy achievements include: We provide, and seek to enhance, a diverse array of learning opportunities for all students and faculty that promote innovation, collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurship; ethical reasoning; civic engagement; and community engagement, all stressing interdisciplinarity - ranked 3rd overall in USNWR South regional listings for Most Innovative Schools. As a comprehensive university we offer a broad range of academic programs - currently at over 55 undergraduate majors and over 40 graduate programs with a distinctive approach of providing a quality liberal arts foundation integrated with the skills for leading a productive and meaningful life. We are ranked 8th overall and 2nd for publics in South regional listings by USNWR. In a survey of the Class of 2016 with an 87% response rate, 91% of our baccalaureate graduates were employed, in graduate school or engaged in other career related endeavors (e.g. internships), within 6 months of graduation. Even with a strong graduation rate of 81%, we remain committed to seeing all students reach their fullest potential and therefore continue to offer a host of retention programs and services that support a first year student retention rate of 91%. JMU was ranked 25th by Employers on the 2016 Bloomberg BusinessWeek Rankings of Undergraduate Business programs, making us the highest ranked school in the Commonwealth. Our Engineering program ranked 43rd by USNWR for undergraduate engineering programs. JMU is one of the top producers of highly qualified preK-12 teachers and education leaders. JMU continues to address the Commonwealth's need for graduates from STEM and Health programs. Over the period of 2013 - 2016, the number of STEM graduates grew by 24% and the number of Health graduates grew by the same rate. The Doctor of Audiology program was ranked #17 in the USNWR listing of best audiology programs. JMU’s Information Security MBA was ranked #28 in the USNWR listing of best online MBA programs and #8 in student engagement. This program is also identified as the #1 Online MBA degree in Cybersecurity by Online MBA Today and is a top 25 Online MBA program by the Princeton Review. The Speech-Language Pathology program was ranked #39 in the USNWR listing of best speech- language pathology programs. JMU is one of the most highly recognized institutions nationally for Assessment, Accountability and Improvement. JMU has been nationally