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UMA Strategic Plan - Key Goal 3

Objective	Actions Required by:	Timeframe	Who's Accountable	Progress Reports
Key Goal 3: Improve student retention.
1. Create an infrastructure for monitoring, coordinating, and sustaining retention efforts.
3.1.1 A reinvigorated Advising Steering Committee will coordinate UMA retention efforts.	Director of Admissions and Advising, Advising Center staff, Dean of Students, Advising Staff, Faculty, and Academic Deans,	Initiated: Fall 2006 Established in Spring 2007 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Recent History or Context for Key Goal 3
				Strategies and Benchmarks
				Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.1.2 In conjunction with the President's Staff, the Advising Committee will establish a functional definition of retention consistent with UMA's mission.	Advising Steering Committee, Director of Admissions and Advising, and Dean of Students	Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Spring 2007	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Spring 2007	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.1.3 All appropriate University programs/departments will assess their retention efforts as part of their annual report.	Faculty and Program Coordinators	Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Ongoing	Provost and the Academic Deans	Strategies and Benchmarks
	Faculty and Program Coordinators	Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Ongoing	Provost and the Academic Deans	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
2. Expand and improve academic and career advising services.
3.2.1 In conjunction with academic departments, the Advising Center will develop a proactive, targeted advising and tracking program for first-year and incoming transfer students.	Advising Steering Committee, Advising Center staff, Director of Admissions and Advising, Dean of Students, Academic Deans, and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2006 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2006 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.2.2 The Advising Center will provide opportunities for faculty and staff to refine advising skills and share advising resources by coordinating with the Advising Steering Committee, reinstating advising workshops, and improving access to advising information.	Advising Steering Committee, Advising Center staff, Director of Admissions and Advising, Dean of Students, Academic Deans, and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2007 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.2.3 Advising staff, in collaboration with faculty, will provide a continuum of advising services to facilitate student clarification of educational and career goals, selection of appropriate programs of study, and translation of newly acquired skills and knowledge into meaningful career opportunities.	Advising Steering Committee, Advising Center staff, Director of Admissions and Advising, Dean of Students, Academic Deans, and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.2.4 The University will continue to work with the Maine Campus Compact and others to increase experiential learning opportunities for students through expanded job shadowing and community service.	Office of Community Engagement, Faculty, Dean of Students, Director of Student Life, and Academic Deans	Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3. Improve students' access to services, as well as their satisfaction, affiliation, and involvement with the University.
3.3.1 The Dean of Students will collaborate with other campus units to measure and report students' priority support needs, preferred delivery modes, perceived barriers to educational attainment, levels of satisfaction and graduate success.	Dean of Students, all units reporting to the Dean, Academic Deans, Dean of Libraries & Distance Learning, and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.3.2 Guided by assessment results and with special attention to the needs of first-year and incoming transfer students, department managers will develop, refine, and/or increase student participation in fundamental support programs, e.g. New Student Orientation.	Dean of Students, all units reporting to the Dean, Academic Deans, and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.3.3 The Division of Student Services will collaborate with faculty to improve proficiencies in areas of shared responsibility, e.g. ADA accommodations, classroom management, early intervention strategies.	Dean of Students, Academic Deans, Faculty, and Director of Learning Support Services	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.3.4 Faculty and staff will expand formal and informal opportunities for interaction with students outside of the traditional classroom, e.g., major-specific events, student clubs and organizations, campus working groups, co-curricular activities, mentoring opportunities.	Dean of Students, Academic Deans, Faculty, and Director of Student Life	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.3.5 To build a more cohesive community of learners, faculty and staff will create new and innovative methods of communicating with students using technology.	Dean of Students, Academic Deans, Faculty, Dean of Libraries and Distance Learning, and the Director of Computer Services	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.3.6 The Division of Student Services will use technology, along with the strategic location and scheduling of services, to improve student access to support services.	Dean of Students, Academic Deans, Faculty, Dean of Libraries and Distance Learning, and the Director of Computer Services	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
4. Increase faculty engagement in advising and other retention efforts
3.4.1 Academic Deans will document, acknowledge, and share current retention-related "best practices" of their faculty members.	Academic Deans and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
	Academic Deans and Faculty	Initiated: Fall 2009 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.4.2 UMA's program review process will acknowledge retention as an essential element of academic program success.	Faculty Senate, Coordinators, Faculty and Academic Deans	Initiated: Fall 2006 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
	Faculty Senate, Coordinators, Faculty and Academic Deans	Initiated: Fall 2006 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11
3.4.3 Academic Deans and faculty will identify the essential skills and knowledge required for faculty success in advising and retention efforts and partner with the Advising Steering Committee and Division of Student Services to deliver requisite professional development opportunities.	Academic Deans, Faculty, Advising Steering Committee, Dean of Students, Director of Admissions and Advising, and the Office of Human Resources	Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Strategies and Benchmarks
		Initiated: Fall 2008 Completed: Ongoing	Provost	Annual Reports FY '07 FY '08 FY '09 FY '10 FY '11