Student Centered Education for a Diverse and Digital Future

UMA Community Engagement Process To Develop the 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan


Infographic - Process for 2021-2025 Strategic Plan

Printable Strategic planning 2021-2025 infographic (PDF)

UMA Mission Statement

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellent student support and civic engagement, and innovative professional and liberal arts programs.

UMA Vision Statement

As an engaged learning community, the University of Maine at Augusta will continuously pursue innovative and best-in-class pedagogy, technology and services to enhance student learning and success.  UMA is committed to delivering quality academic programs, on-site and at a distance, that prepare students to succeed as engaged citizens, professionals and leaders in enriching and advancing communities in Maine and beyond.

UMA Community Engagement

The strategic planning process began in spring 2020 with Open Forums, Round Table Discussions, and a survey.  The information and feedback obtain from these events is available here. The pandemic, and the collective focus on transitioning to remote learning and work, required a pause in this process.

With the beginning of the 2021 Spring Semester, the 2021-2025 Strategic Planning process will resume as outlined in the revised schedule. As announced last spring, all members of the UMA community are invited to participate in a process to develop UMA’s 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan.  Building on the 2016 – 2020 revised strategic plan, this effort will allow us to better define our collective vision for the future and align our limited resources, including human and monetary, behind those strategies that will help us to be most successful in fulfilling the vision.

Recognized Sectors of the UMA Community

The President also requests the senior administration, the Faculty Senate, the Professional Employees Assembly, the Classified Employees Assembly, the Student General Assembly, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and the Board of Visitors to engage in this process by responding to the emerging themes and by recommending proposed revisions, if any, to the draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and accompanying strategies.  There is no set format for submitting these recommendations for the revised plan and strategies.

Strategic Planning Restart – Open Forum – noon to 1pm

Zoom – February 8th

At the February Open Forum, the President will reintroduce the strategic planning process, which will conclude in spring 2021.

Strategic Planning Update – Open Forum – noon to 1pm

Zoom – March 3rd

The President will hold an open forum to share the draft of the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan with the UMA community and to encourage participation during the engagement process (roundtable discussions, survey instrument and recommendations).

Virtual Round-Table Discussions

The President offered a series of virtual round-table discussions facilitated by members of the senior administration to engage cross-sector discussion on and obtain input on the draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.  Sessions were held from March 8th – March 19th via zoom.  The feedback from these round-table discussions can be found here.

Survey II: Emerging Themes and Draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan

March 5th to March 19th

An online survey was emailed to faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders to engage further input on the emerging themes and the draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.  The responses can be found here.

Response to Emerging Themes and Draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan

Due:  March 22rd

The President requests the senior administration, the Faculty Senate, the Professional Employees Assembly, the Classified Employees Assembly, the Student General Assembly, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and the Board of Visitors to provide their respective responses to the emerging themes and their recommendations for the revised plan and strategies no later than Monday, March 22nd.

Strategy 5: Foster Inclusion (Draft DEI Strategic Plan)

DEI Council conducted a round-table on April 5, and issued a survey to the UMA Community that closed on April 16.

Wrap-up – Open Forum – noon to 1pm

Zoom – April 7th

The President will hold an open forum to share the final draft of the of the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan with the UMA community.

Next Steps

The recognized sectors of the UMA community:  senior administrators, the Faculty Senate, the Professional Employees Assembly, the Classified Employees Assembly, the Student General Assembly, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, and the Board of Visitors will review the final draft of the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.

Resources

Link to the Spring 2020 summaries for the round-table discussions and the mission/vision online survey results

Link to the Archive of UMA’s Spring 2020 Strategic Planning efforts

Link to full text of the UMA 2016 – 2020 Strategic Plan (metrics revised January, 2020) (PDF)

Link to the Archive for Vision 2.0/2016-2020 Strategic Planning process

Link to the 2020 NECHE Interim Report – January 2020 (PDF)

Link to the 2019 Great Colleges to Work For Survey results (PPT)

Link to the 2017 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results snapshot (PDF)

Link to the 2019 Spring UMA Graduating Student Survey results (PDF)

Link to the Fall 2019 UMA Adult Learner 360 Report (Word)

Printable UMA Community Engagement Process Document (Word)