Strategic Plan 2005 Indicators

September 25, 2001

Following the formal adoption of Strategic Plan: UAF 2005 in July 2001, then-Chancellor Marshall Lind directed his cabinet to finalize a list of indicators, or measurements, by which progress toward meeting institutional goals and objectives could be assessed.

Seventeen indicators were developed to provide clear assessment of progress toward meeting the goals. In developing these indicators, the cabinet reviewed Alaska Senate Bill 281, the legislative act relating to missions and measures, and UAF's existing institutional benchmarking tool "Measuring Quality at UAF: 16 New Ideas On Growing Productivity--Year By Year." In addition, in order to streamline accountability processes, the concepts outlined in "Measuring Quality at UAF" were incorporated into the SP2005 indicators. It is expected that this document, along with UAF's mission statement and academic development plan, will form the foundation by which all institutional decisions at UAF will be made in the next decade.

The goals of Strategic Plan UAF 2005 are:


Serve as a world leader in Arctic research and related graduate education

  • Increase doctoral degree production to 40 Ph.D. graduates per year to become a Doctoral/Research-Extensive University in the Carnegie classification by 2010.
  • Increase external funding of research in arctic biology, climate change, resource development, fisheries and ocean science, geosciences and atmospheric sciences by 10 percent by 2005.

Provide high quality undergraduate education for traditional and non-traditional students

  • Increase the percentage of baccalaureate, classic first-time freshmen (CFTF) returning for sophomore year 10 percent by 2005.
  • Increase the number of students who enroll in developmental math (DEVM) and successfully complete a 100-level or above MATH course to 30 percent within three years, and increase the number of students who enroll in developmental English (DEVE) and successfully complete a 100-level or above ENGL course to 40 percent within three years. (Note: A successful finish is determined by the number of students who receive an A, B, C, or P (pass) grade in a relevant 100-level course within three years. In the fall of 1998, 187 developmental English students were enrolled and 65, or 35 percent, successfully finished by the spring of 2001. Similarly, 522 developmental math students were enrolled and 129, or 25 percent, successfully finished by the spring of 2001. Source: Ian Olson, Research Associate, UAF Planning, Analysis and Institutional Research.)
  • Increase students' satisfaction with the level of instructional effectiveness at UAF as measured by Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey. (Note: Instructional effectiveness assesses students' academic experience, the curriculum and the campus's overriding commitment to academic excellence; comprehensive scale of 1 - 7, least important to most important, covers such areas as variety of courses, effectiveness of faculty, adjuncts and graduate TAs; at UAF full-time students surveyed reported satisfaction level at 4.91 in this area compared to 5.04 at other four-year public institutions; UAF students ranked the importance of instructional effectiveness to their college experience at 6.27. A high importance/low satisfaction rate indicates areas the institution might consider as an immediate priority for attention; at UAF the gap between importance and satisfaction is 4.91/6.27).

Form active collaborations with communities, organizations, businesses and governments to meet identified state, national and global need

  • Increase the number of continuing education and professional development course offerings by 20 percent by 2005.
  • Increase the number of vocational/technical offerings by 10 percent by 2005.
  • Increase the number of students graduating with degrees in teacher education, health careers, process technology and information technology by 5 percent over the next two years and 10 percent over the four years in job areas specified.
  • Increase the number of research projects funded by state agencies and Alaskan corporations.

Serve as the premiere higher educational center for Alaska Natives

  • Increase the number of Alaska Native students at UAF by 10 percent by 2005.
  • Bring the proportion of certificates and degrees awarded to Alaska Native students to reflect proportional enrollments at the institution.

Serve as a model to demonstrate how gender, racial and cultural diversity strengthen a university and society

  • Bring the female-male ratio of new faculty hires to 50/50 by 2005.
  • Require each UAF unit to post its annual recruitment and retention reports on the unit's website.
  • Increase the proportion of new faculty hires from under-represented minority populations.

Serve as an academic gateway to the study of North Pacific and Circumpolar Northern land and seas

  • Increase the number of UAF students participating in exchange programs in the circumpolar north by 10 percent by 2005.
  • Increase the number of faculty who carry out academic activities in other circumpolar nations by 5 percent by 2005.
  • Increase the number of international students at UAF from circumpolar northern nations.