Dear Colleagues:

The Organizational Excellence Advisory Group, established to answer core questions designed to guide budget decision making into the future, met for the second time on Monday, April 10.  Once again, the group had a very productive 2.5 hour work session – this time focusing on the question, “What are the academic program offerings and support services needed to attract and retain the appropriate mix of students?”

The working session began with a review and a structural discussion related to the most important indicators of institutional and student success as identified by the Organizational Excellence Advisory Group at their first meeting on March 27.  The group then focused on the following questions and the materials presented can be found at http://wp-internal.truman.edu/organizationalexcellence/.

1. Noting that the indicators are very reflective of our current identity, do they capture what we need to be?  Staying true to being a great public liberal arts and sciences university, determine one indicator that is not on the list that will boldly enable us to meet our challenges.
2. Using the indicators as a foundation:  1) What should the size of the student body be?  2) What is the appropriate mix of students (e.g., undergraduate/graduate/professional development/concurrent enrollment, diversity in all forms, native/transfer, etc.?  3) What is the appropriate academic profile of entering students (i.e., importance of ACT, GPA, and other criteria for determining success at Truman)?
3. Given the size, mix and academic profile of the student body:  1) What academic programs (new, expanded, or modified) will help recruit these students to Truman?  2) What support services are necessary to retain and graduate these students?

Again, you, too, are welcome to submit your thoughts for each of the tasks on the Organizational Excellence website.

The third and final meeting of the group is scheduled for Monday, April 24.  The insights gathered from the first two sessions will be used as a foundation to address the important question, “How should the University be positioned for short-term and long-term sustainability?”  I will provide a final update after the April 24^th meeting.

Best regards,

Sue