Shippensburg University Academic Master Plan: 2024-2026

Shippensburg University (SU), a public university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), provides a transformative higher education experience that addresses students’ academic, professional and social development through student-centered, engaging, innovative and high-quality experiences inside and outside of the classroom.  The Academic Master Plan (AMP) aims to identify and articulate the goals and strategies that will allow SU to achieve its aspirations.  The AMP envisions Shippensburg as a university steeped in the liberal arts tradition where it values and emphasizes critical thinking, critical analysis, quantitative reasoning, communication skills, an ability to form opinions, ideas, and concepts and an ability to argue and defend them. Shippensburg University is nationally recognized for its excellence in academic and professional programs that prepare students for engagement with global society.   To that end, SU values interactions among students, faculty, and staff that foster intellectual and professional growth. SU is proud to be a public institution that already provides an outstanding academic environment and opportunities for student success.  In order to serve the south-central Pennsylvania region as a quality educational institution, SU must plan for and monitor its goals and strategies.

The vision statement indicates the kind of university that SU aspires to be in the future.  The mission statement provides a brief description of the purpose of the division of Academic Affairs - the academic heart of the university.  The goals and objectives state the overarching academic priorities of the university for the next two years as the University Strategic Plan is reviewed.  The strategies are the activities through which SU will strive to achieve these goals and objectives.  The AMP goals, objectives, and strategies are aligned with the core goals of PASSHE and the university.  AMP should link to strategic planning and budgeting processes.  The AMP is intended to be a touchstone for the departments, colleges, schools, and offices within the division of Academic Affairs in such processes.

Academic planning is an ongoing process that is responsive to changes in culture, knowledge, student demographics, resources, and assessment.  Similarly, the AMP is to be a living document.  SU needs to be strategic in its thinking about the current state of the university and about how SU and the AMP, in concert, will continue to evolve.  Through changing and uncertain times, the AMP will serve as a guiding statement of the university’s core academic principles and values.

Process:

In Spring-Fall 2024, a committee appointed by the Provost took on the task of updating the AMP to align with the 2021-2024 University Strategic Plan, prepare Shippensburg University for Middle States Reaccreditation, and focus particular attention on strategies for retaining and increasing enrollments. It is intended for the 2024 and 2025 academic years.

The committee consisted of seven faculty members (at least one from each college and one representative from SU APSCUF), the Associate Provost, and the Executive Director of Institutional Research. Goals, objectives, and potential strategies were developed through an iterative process of looking backward to the last AMP, considering our strengths and weaknesses today, and looking ahead to anticipated needs tomorrow.

Throughout this process the committee sought to:

1. Simplify and prioritize (for the next two years) the AMP to increase its usefulness to Academic Affairs and the Middles States Accreditation process;
2. Align the objectives and strategies discriminately between the goals;
3. Ensure that all objectives are measurable, as much as possible at this stage;
4. Ensure that all recommended/potential strategies drive progress toward its objective;
5. Align the AMP with the University Strategic Plan 2021-2024.

A draft was sent to all faculty and staff for review at the end of the Spring 2024 semester and at the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester. We disseminated a survey and held two town hall meetings (one face-to-face and one virtual). The committee compiled all feedback and adjusted the AMP based on committee discussion of the feedback. The final version was submitted to the Provost’s office.

In addition to guiding the academic mission for the next two years, this version should be used as a springboard from which future AMPs might be developed. By the Spring of 2026 the Shippensburg University Strategic Plan will be updated and another revision of the AMP developed at that time. Some unresolved issues for future consideration include

• The vision and mission statements of this AMP were not modified for this revision and should be reviewed in the next version of the AMP and University Strategic Plan. In particular, the AMP Vision Statement articulates that Shippensburg University aspires to be a “national model for quality public higher education in the liberal arts tradition.” Some feedback questioned whether SU roots itself in a liberal arts tradition and if this is a commitment of the University Strategic Plan. It is essential that Shippensburg University articulate a clear identity.
• Several faculty and staff desired more detail in this plan, seeking commitments in hiring, re-organization, policies, etc…We kept this version shorter and more macro, with “potential strategies,” while avoiding commitments of significant resources. We recommend that the Provost’s office in a process of shared governance consider how best to implement these goals and objectives and align them with resources.
• A key goal was to create a plan that could be measured. In some instances, objectives and strategies are directly measurable, but there is no known or tracked baseline or benchmark. In other instances, objectives and strategies could be measured, but have not yet been measured. We prioritized establishing measures. We recommend that benchmarks be created by the Provost’s office, perhaps after data has been gathered for 1-2 years. This document has the following sections: 1) the vision and the mission of the AMP; 2) a listing of the goals with their objectives; and 3) the goals and objectives with potential strategies for accomplishing each objective and thus each goal, followed by suggested measurements.

VISION STATEMENT
Shippensburg University aspires to be a national model for quality public higher education in the liberal arts tradition, both through dynamic faculty-student engagement and through the integration of academic, professional, cultural, and service experiences.

MISSION STATEMENT
Student learning is at the center of the academic mission of Shippensburg University. The personal attention given to each student both inside and outside of the classroom distinctly reflects this philosophy. Student learning is fostered through disseminating knowledge, developing and enhancing communications skills, creating awareness of the interdependence among people and ideas, stimulating creativity, encouraging critical inquiry, creating openness to differences, and developing individual learning skills and habits. Shippensburg’s personal approach to student learning is reflected in small classes and laboratories, collaborative classroom settings, faculty-student research, team-based projects, internships, service learning, study abroad, independent study, and pre-professional programs.

Shippensburg University creates a community of scholars by anchoring students in a discipline and introducing them to the vibrant intellectual excitement of the university. Through quality intellectual experiences and its curriculum, Shippensburg University prepares students to live and work in a world of evolving technologies and global influences. The major programs of study, structured according to academic and professional standards, prepare students to embark on careers as well as advanced study, to be thoughtful leaders, and to engage constructively in the global society.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goal 1: Deliver excellent and innovative academic programs that celebrate and strengthen our liberal arts foundation while meeting the needs of diverse learners and of a dynamic workforce.

• Objective 1.1: Reinforce Shippensburg University’s position as a leading regional liberal arts institution through defining, assessing, and aligning with the ideals of a liberal arts education.
• Objective 1.2 Examine, assess, and align Shippensburg University offerings with the educational needs identified in the state and region.
• Objective 1.3 Invest in the required physical and technological resources to enhance the delivery of excellent and innovative campus academic programs.
• Objective 1.4 Enhance interdisciplinary programming (existing and potential), recognizing their need for stewardship, infrastructure, and resources.
• Objective 1.5 Continue to support and improve the General Education program by assessing the delivery of the program as related to its mission and goals, including breadth of knowledge (categories), delivery alignment (enough courses supporting each category), and equity and inclusion efforts.
• Objective 1.6 Ensure that each program welcomes a diversity of students, voices and perspectives, including marginalized and global communities.
• Objective 1.7 Find ways to recruit and support a highly qualified and diverse faculty.

Goal 2: Deliver a wider array of academic programming, developing additional programming beyond the traditional 4-year degree, to attract new audiences and meet the educational needs of the region and all learners, while ensuring the vitality of the residential 4-year college experience.

• Objective 2.1 To complement residential offerings and attract new student populations, develop a comprehensive and intentional strategic plan to guide online education, including target audiences, quality metrics to ensure student success, training for students and faculty, resources, and guidelines regarding student, faculty, and departmental participation.
• Objective 2.2 Enhance the accessibility and flexibility of academic programs for all students.
• Objective 2.3 Craft customized programs and adaptable learning pathways to increase adult learner enrollment.
• Objective 2.4 Strategically engage in program sharing within SU and with other PASSHE schools in cases in which sharing enables programs to meet unmet market demand and/or to provide crucial discipline expertise.
• Objective 2.5 Build effective partnerships between academic programs, Marketing, and Admissions to articulate and disseminate the value of SU programs overall and to target specific audiences and programs.

Goal 3. Increase student retention, i.e. the percentage of SU students who complete a credential: sub-baccalaureate certificate, associate’s degree, bachelor's degree, post-baccalaureate certificate, master’s degree, post-master’s certificate, or doctoral degree.

• Objective 3.1 Support faculty as they continue to receive and utilize data and professional development to deliver courses and programs that meet the diverse needs of today’s students.
• Objective 3.2 Continue robust departmental and program curriculum review to ensure that the array of courses effectively contributes to building students’ competence in learning outcomes and confidence in engaging in life outside of the classroom.
• Objective 3.3 Provide transformational advising.
• Objective 3.4 Implement the updated Board of Governors policy on Academic Degrees regarding developmental education.

Goal 4: Foster student engagement and success through a vibrant student-centered learning environment, rich with high-impact learning opportunities and student supports delivered on campus and via remote education.

• Objective 4.1 Programs will articulate career pathways, build and enable students to articulate their skills, and support engagement with the workforce.
• Objective 4.2 Support student participation in experiential and high-impact learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom.
• Objective 4.3 Support faculty and others in Academic Affairs to be effective partners with Student Affairs and effectively connect students to the eco-system of student support.
• Objective 4.4 Foster a culture of academic enrichment throughout our vibrant residential campus.

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GOALS and OBJECTIVES WITH RECOMMENDED/POTENTIAL STRATEGIES

Goal 1: Deliver excellent and innovative academic programs that celebrate and strengthen our liberal arts foundation while meeting the needs of diverse learners and of a dynamic workforce.

Objective 1.1: Reinforce Shippensburg University’s position as a leading regional liberal arts institution through defining, assessing, and aligning with the ideals of a liberal arts education. Potential Strategies:

a. Create a task force (or multiple task forces) working in partnership with small or declining programs to develop strategies to sustain and grow these programs as possible and as beneficial to the university, and when necessary to examine either pausing these programs via moratorium to provide an opportunity to reset the program or ending the programs.
b. Communicate and assess existing metrics that calculate the contributions of small programs, particularly those in the liberal arts, such as contributions to general education and to other departments.
c. Reinvigorate the proposal of BA Liberal Arts degree.
d. Incorporate reflection on the liberal arts into student coursework, from students’ entrance to the university (e.g. UNIV 101) through to a department’s capstone experience.
e. Have conversations between the Career Center and departments to consider if and how to align NACE career readiness competencies with Liberal Arts curriculum.
f. Support a multi-media marketing campaign for on- and off-campus, communicating the value of the liberal arts, experiential learning, high impact practices and collaborations, and the excellence of SU academics overall.

Measurement
- implementation of new programmatic ideas to sustain small programs, particularly in the liberal arts (two years) and grow them (in four years)
- establishment of a Liberal Arts degree or a similar type of degree
- examination of the program array in terms of enrolled students and completion, contribution to various programs, their role in the liberal arts mission, and workforce demand.
- for existing programs, measurement of (1) the student credit hours of the programs’ courses each semester, including those that are shared with other programs to incentivize course sharing as appropriate among programs, (2) the FTES aggregated to FTEF ratio for the programs’ courses, and (3) the number of students in the program. As new programs are started, measure the same metrics as for existing programs.
- identification and tracking of what percentage of courses and programs are submitting assessment data
- using the Registrar’s list of courses being inactivated, an analysis of reasons for inactivation, due to innovation (replaced with new courses) vs. loss of faculty or programs. This might be produced via collaboration between the UCC chair and Registrar’s office.

Objective 1.2 Examine, assess, and align Shippensburg University offerings with the educational needs identified in the state and region. Potential Strategies:
a. Use Lightcast and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to identify regional high priority needs and evaluate SU offerings.
b. Collaborate with industry partners to identify skills gaps and align program offerings with workforce demands, creating active channels between academic departments and employers.
c. Develop a Strategic Growth Plan which establishes a process by which new areas for potential growth are targeted and creates a plan for new program development to meet unmet high demand areas.

Measurement
- percentage of high need labor and skills areas identified in data in relation to the programs and curriculum at SU
- alumni employment rates 5 years after graduation
- establishment of a Strategic Growth Plan

Objective 1.3 Invest in the required physical and technological resources to enhance the delivery of excellent and innovative campus academic programs
a. Within colleges and departments, continue to improve and share existing educational spaces across the university, create new spaces, and identify technological needs aligning resources with needs.
b. Build state-of-the-art laboratory facilities to provide students with relevant and competitive STEM education (e.g., Franklin Science renovation, in progress)
c. Create a Maker Space for experiential and innovative learning (in progress)
d. Continue to engage in campus needs assessment, in particular with Facilities Management and IT, identifying future physical and technological needs and creating a plan(s) to meet those needs (N.B. resources for online education are more explicitly addressed in 2.1).

Measurement
- establishment and use of updated/new spaces
- updated Facilities and IT Master Plans as appropriate
- analysis of tech fee spending to determine the extent of funds used for providing state-of-the-art equipment
- average age of technology and lab equipment in relation to anticipated life cycle to determine if equipment is appropriately state-of-the-art

Objective 1.4 Enhance interdisciplinary programming (existing and potential), recognizing their need for stewardship, infrastructure, and resources. Potential Strategies:

a. Create a taskforce under the Provost’s office to advise on and implement infrastructure and supports for growth of interdisciplinary programs. In Fall 2024, the taskforce will review needs and propose possible solutions; in Spring 2024, it will begin implementing recommendations.
b. Identify and pursue new opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation.

Measurement
- establishment of oversight and/or additional supports for interdisciplinarity
- growth of student enrollment in interdisciplinary programming
- Alternative Workload Assignments for interdisciplinary programs
- percentage of SU programs that are interdisciplinary

Objective 1.5 Continue to support and improve the General Education program by assessing the delivery of the program as related to its mission and goals, including breadth of knowledge (categories), delivery alignment (enough courses supporting each category), and equity and inclusion efforts. Potential Strategies:
a. Through assessment and university input, continue to enhance the General Education program (e.g., new offerings for areas with few classes, broader array of foundation courses).
b. Incorporate anti-racism learning objectives into General Education (in process).

Measurement
- continued General Education assessment regarding the extent to which mission and goals are being accomplished
- via pre-existing General Educational assessment, percentage of General Education courses and categories being assessed
- via pre-existing General Education assessment, success in each General Education category
- establishment of anti-racism learning objectives in General Education

Objective 1.6 Ensure that each program welcomes a diversity of students, voices, and perspectives, including marginalized and global communities. Potential Strategies:
a. Encourage programs as appropriate to explicitly provide information about diverse individuals and foster engagement with voices/perspectives from diverse, marginalized, and global communities.
b. Support faculty as they continue to build their knowledge base to broaden the materials and topics they use in the classroom to be more inclusive of a broader array of communities.
c. Develop a coordinated approach and plan to broadening students’ global and international perspective, supporting their sense of being part of a global community.

Measurement:
- faculty participation in professional development activities centered around DEI initiatives and the voluntary collection of their feedback and follow-up activities
- establishment of a strategic plan to foster global awareness and connections
- student participation in study abroad
- increased numbers of international students
- student participation in course offerings with a global focus
- establishment of anti-racism learning objectives in General Education

Objective 1.7 Find ways to recruit and support a highly qualified and diverse faculty. Potential Strategies:
a. Create a faculty and staff Professional Development Day (already in discussion).
b. Identify programs with significant unmet needs - e.g., programs with unmet accreditation requirements, programs sustained by only one faculty member, programs with rapidly impending retirements - and hire or develop appropriate solutions to ensure that no program is discontinued solely due to faculty retirement or departure.
c. Encourage faculty professional development, by, for example, evaluating the incentives for and recognition of faculty research and professional development; broadening the scope of activities qualifying for Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) support (e.g., innovative course design/re-design); increasing the ease of applying for funding; increasing funding for professional development; and creating mechanisms by which professional development is recognized by administration and in promotion.

Measurement
- the number of retirements/departures, new hires, and the impact on programs to assess if programs are discontinued solely due to faculty retirement/departure
- faculty participation in professional development activities and trainings
- percentage of university budget for faculty and faculty hires over time
- AWA time for faculty over time

Goal 2: Deliver a wider array of academic programming, developing additional programming beyond the traditional 4-year degree, to attract new audiences and meet the educational needs of the region and all learners, while ensuring the vitality of the residential 4-year college experience.

Objective 2.1 To complement residential offerings and attract new student populations, develop a comprehensive and intentional strategic plan to guide online education, including target audiences, quality metrics to ensure student success, resources, and guidelines regarding student, faculty, and departmental participation. Potential Strategies:
a. Create a two-year task force; in year one, conduct research on online educational models and policies that offer flexibility while retaining the integrity of the residential campus experience, develop a university vision for online education, and draft a comprehensive policy guiding the delivery of online education; in year 2, move policy through the curriculum process.
b. Ensure fair and equitable online/distance education policies that support faculty and student success, such as ensuring adequate instructional design resources, appropriate course caps, and faculty and student support.
c. Identify new populations and programs that are particularly well-suited for online delivery while mindfully establishing policies that preserve our residential student community.
d. Establish a coordinated effort to provide the technological resources needed to produce high-quality online materials, such as a space with relevant technology and support (e.g., green screens, microphones, etc...)
e. Establish a campus-wide plan regarding the provision and upkeep of classroom technology that supports remote learning
f. Working with Instructional Design (ID), continue, update, and expand the provision of training and resources for faculty (e.g., sample D2L shell, ADA guidelines); evaluate the feasibility of providing mini-grants or incentives for faculty who undergo further training or work with ID to improve their online courses; provide voluntary opportunities for online course review by ID.
g. Develop and implement a robust plan to provide support to students participating in distance education - including, among others, adult learners and students from under-represented communities - that identifies the services they need and where/how they will get those services.
h. Ensure routine and transparent student evaluations of online classes and programs.
i. Ensure that delivery of online education complies with Americans with Disabilities Act and identify and commit necessary resources to do so.

Measurement
- passage of comprehensive strategic plan and associated policies regarding online education
- increased student enrollment in online education without losses in face-to-face enrollment (evidence of new markets)
- analysis of results from the distance education pilot

Objective 2.2 Enhance the accessibility and flexibility of academic programs for all students. Potential Strategies:
a. Introduce innovative delivery methods as appropriate, including online and hybrid learning, to provide greater flexibility for students with diverse schedules and geographic locations, while ensuring that we do not lose traditional on-campus populations.
b. Define and promote clear pathways for skill development, allowing students to progress seamlessly from individual courses to micro credentials, certificates, and degrees.
c. Establish and promote 4+1, accelerated, and direct pathways across PASSHE institutions, facilitating seamless transitions for students from undergraduate to graduate students.
d. Expand access to ShipStart via online or hybrid learning for students outside of our immediate geographic region.
e. Continue to develop guidelines for inclusive classrooms and encourage departments and programs to implement these guidelines.
f. Identify the needs of international students and develop and implement a strategic plan specifically to attract international students.

Measurement
- increased enrollment in ShipStart and 4+1/accelerated programs
- for both face-to-face and online courses, particularly in General Education, analysis of percentage of DFW, retention, and indicators of student satisfaction
- implementation of strategies that reduce student expenses

Objective 2.3 Craft customized programs and adaptable learning pathways to increase adult learner enrollment. Potential Strategies:
a. Aligned with a Strategic Program Growth plan (see Objective 1.2c), develop and implement flexible, accessible, and relevant programs tailored to the needs of adult learners, including varied types of programs (undergraduate programs, graduate programs, certificates and micro-credentials, employer-specific trainings) and flexible programming (e.g., evening classes, online/hybrid delivery, shorter time frames).
b. Collaborate with industry partners to ensure relevance of programs.
c. Support, market, and grow enrollment in the Degree Completion program.
d. Implement policies, templates, and rubrics to expand the use of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and Earn and Learn programs, enabling working adults to enhance their skills while balancing professional responsibilities.
e. Create easier access for non-degree students to take SU coursework.

Measurement
- increase in enrollment of adult learners
- evidence of diversified strategies of offering curriculum

Objective 2.4 Strategically engage in program sharing within SU and with other PASSHE schools in cases in which sharing enables programs to meet unmet market demand and/or to provide crucial discipline expertise.
a. Examine potential growth areas and models of systems sharing across programs and pathways, such as 4+1/accelerated programs across universities, shared programs, graduate and undergraduate program pairing, and new program development. Incorporate into Strategic Growth Plan.
b. Within SU, examine the benefits and risks of cross-department faculty lines, cross-listed courses, and sharing resources across programs more generally. Establish policies as needed.
c. Identify and establish policies and resources to facilitate program sharing.

Measurement
- evidence of resource sharing within and outside of SU
- percentage of SU students taking courses from other PASSHE schools and percentage of nonSU students taking SU classes
- evidence of success and resource impact of course and program sharing

Objective 2.5 Build effective partnerships between academic programs, Marketing, and Admissions to articulate and disseminate the value of SU programs overall and to target specific audiences and programs. Potential Strategies:
a. Build creative pathways to engage with local and remote high schools, with Admissions providing a base of support so that all programs are supported in building connections; identify successful efforts at high school outreach (e.g. Sparks, camps) and consider the feasibility of scaling these efforts up across different programs.
b. Establish clear systems and procedures by which departments/programs contribute to university marketing and receive direct support from SU marketing.
c. Ensure that the university culture of “telling our story” emphasizes academics and academic success, highlighting faculty, student, and program successes.

Measurement
- develop baseline/benchmark of current department marketing initiatives and contacts with high schools
- work with marketing to establish how to measure the academic content of marketing (% of material, % of videos, % of marketing budget)

Goal 3. Increase student retention, i.e. the percentage of SU students who complete a credential: sub-baccalaureate certificate, associate’s degree, bachelor's degree, post-baccalaureate certificate, master’s degree, post-master’s certificate, or doctoral degree.

Objective 3.1 Support faculty as they continue to receive and utilize data and professional development to deliver courses and programs that meet the diverse needs of today’s students. Potential Strategies:
a. Continue to identify high DFW courses and strategies to use that data to support students and engage in curricular innovation, including course redesign to remove barriers to student success. Encourage departments that offer courses with high DFW rates to develop an action plan to identify causes and propose solutions to improve student success.
b. Continue to identify achievement gaps by demographic factors and provide faculty with the data and professional development opportunities regarding teaching and supporting students from diverse backgrounds.
c. Use data to analyze the reasons that students at all educational levels leave SU prior to graduation. Develop an action plan within academic affairs to explore strategies and solutions to address major causes of students leaving before graduating.
d. Measure student engagement and perceptions of belonging and their connection to retention, perhaps beginning with students in University 101 as well as students in later years.
e. Continue to provide faculty professional development and build faculty learning communities geared towards student success, such as First Year Friendly initiatives, training on motivational syllabi, and strategies to increase student learning and engagement.
f. Per Objective 1.7, evaluate and provide incentives for and recognition of faculty participation in professional development and course modification to promote student learning.
g. Support collaboration among faculty and Student Affairs and Student Success, in concert with (not limited to) OAR, ASP, Etter Health Center, Counseling Center, the Wellness Center, Early Alert, and the CAPS program. Develop a strategy for how varied strategic plans across units are communicated to, supported by, and receive input by faculty.

Measurement
- DFW improvement strategies and results
- achievement gap data, evidence of implemented strategies, and results/successes
- faculty professional development trainings
- analysis of uses for faculty professional funds, particularly for course development and projects that improve student engagement and retention

Objective 3.2 Continue robust departmental and program curriculum review to ensure that the array of courses effectively contributes to building students’ competence in learning outcomes and confidence in engaging in life outside of the classroom. Potential Strategies:
a. Articulate strategies being used to scaffold knowledge and skills to improve student learning in the program, increasing successful completion.
b. Articulate and provide via class(es) information that explicitly connects course and program learning objectives to life outside of the classroom, such as using skills as an informed citizen and in relation to careers.

Measurement
- via program review, articulation of scaffolded knowledge and skills
- percentage of programs that submit assessment, evidence of program improvement

Objective 3.3 Provide transformational advising. Potential Strategies:
a. Review departmental strategies used to provide transformational advising as part of program review.
b. Continue to implement and assess UNIV101 co-advising model and communication across advisors.
c. Continue to train and encourage faculty in advising and to connect students to the range of resources, such as the One-Stop Shop, College Advising Centers, Early Alert, etc…

Measurement
- student satisfaction with advising (based on NACADA’s standards)
- percentage of departments participating in the annual advising bootcamp
- students referred via Early alert and outcomes

Objective 3.4 Implement the updated Board of Governors policy on Academic Degrees regarding developmental education. Potential Strategies:
a. Co-requisite student support – Effective July 1, 2026, all developmental education in the State System will take the form of co-requisite student support courses, and pre-requisite developmental education courses will not be permitted. If co-requisite student support is credit-bearing, credits per developmental course may not exceed 3 credits; credits earned for co-requisite developmental education courses must count toward graduation; an exception to the co-requisite requirement is allowed for summer bridge programs serving students who do not qualify for admission to the university, and whose admission is contingent on demonstrating readiness for college-level work during a bridge program.
b. By July 1, 2026 universities shall demonstrate progress toward implementing best practices in developmental education associated with co-requisite student supports (e.g. Math Pathways and Multiple Measures and/or Self-directed Placement) as set forth in System Procedure & Standard 2012-2013 Academic Degrees.

Measurement
- compliance with policy and the impact on student success

Goal 4: Foster student engagement and success through a vibrant student-centered learning environment, rich with high-impact learning opportunities and student supports delivered on campus and via remote education.

Objective 4.1 Programs will articulate career pathways, build and enable students to articulate their skills, and support engagement with the workforce. Potential Strategies:

a. Create and update as needed department-specific materials that articulate and align the curriculum, the skills developed, and the connection to the workforce, including materials potentially for their website, open houses, and the catalogue.
b. Scaffold career preparation more intentionally into curriculum using the Career Center Raider Ready Career Readiness Program, providing and documenting student career exploration and opportunities for active workforce engagement via, for example, job shadowing, interviewing, fieldwork, practicums, and internships.
c. Coordinate with the Center for Career and Workforce Development and Alumni Relations to build partnerships with external employers and alumni and provide students with opportunities to engage with them.
d. Work with Marketing to showcase successful employer partnerships and the impact for students.
e. Develop strategies to support students interested in graduate studies.
f. In conjunction with the Office of Institutional Research, analyze and disseminate Clearinghouse data by program of (a) graduate school attendance and completion and (b) employment in the field and average salary.

Measurement
- department reports of student career and graduate studies preparation
- student utilization of the Career Center

Objective 4.2 Support student participation in experiential and high-impact learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom, including on campus, off-campus, and abroad. Potential Strategies:

a. Benchmark (and increase) student participation in student research (including Minds@Work and other opportunities), artistic creation, internships, study abroad, experiential learning, and campus leadership.
b. As relevant, offer opportunities within the classroom for student engagement and high-impact learning, facilitated by smaller class sizes.
c. As part of departments’ First-Year Friendly initiatives, identify and implement one or more strategies to improve student engagement and retention in 100-level courses.
d. As part of the five-year review, have programs report opportunities for high-impact and experiential learning and where in the curriculum these opportunities exist.
e. Through the UCC process, adjust course descriptions as appropriate to enable students to identify courses with experiential learning or that are writing intensive; consider if / how we might create course “tags” that enable students to identify these opportunities while browsing for classes.
f. As per BOG policy, continue to ensure all graduate programs provide a capstone experience.
g. Collaborate with the Shippensburg University Foundation to develop a fund to support a broad range of experiential learning experiences.

Measurement
- establishment of means to identify and benchmark student participation in high-impact activities
- student participation in Minds@Work, student grants, field placements and internships, study abroad, and other experiential learning opportunities
- via GEC grants, evidence of high-impact activities on campus and their impact on student learning
- identification of ways to measure student participation in and leadership of extra-curricular activities

Objective 4.3 Support faculty and others in Academic Affairs to be effective partners with Student Affairs and effectively connect students to the ecosystem of student support. Potential Strategies:

a. Continue to provide faculty with the tools needed to effectively collaborate with the offices and programs that support student academic success and advising, such as the Career Center, Learning Center, Early Alert, SSC, College-level advising centers, Center for Global Education, the OneStop Shop, book scholarship opportunities, and OAR.
b. Continue to provide faculty with the tools needed to collaborate with programs that support student wellness such as Etter Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Career Center, the PAGE center, the Spiritual Center, the food pantry, and the emergency fund.
c. Identify current data, or the need for data, regarding student barriers to success.

Measurement
- student utilization of support services
- faculty knowledge of the eco-system of student support and how to connect students
- identified student unmet needs, ideally declining over time
- student reported reasons for leaving SU before graduation

Objective 4.4 Foster a culture of academic enrichment throughout our vibrant residential campus. Potential Strategies:

a. Continue to partner with Residential Life to foster academic enrichment for residential students, such as faculty involvement with the living-learning communities and academic programming associated with residential life.
b. Continue to offer a wide array of on-campus speakers, programs and events.
c. Partnering with the Office of Social Equity, continue to identify and address the barriers experienced by under-represented and marginalized communities in and out of the classroom.
d. Investigate how peer institutions encourage a successful vibrant campus life.
e. Examine student perceptions of campus opportunities for academic enrichment.

Measurement
- identification of how to measure campus academic enrichment opportunities
- student perceptions of campus opportunities for academic enrichment