28 June 2002

TO: R. A. Crofts, Commissioner of Higher Education
The University of Montana Community

FROM: G. M. Dennison, President

SUBJECT: Goals and Objectives for 2002-2003

In a memorandum issued annually, I outline my goals and objectives for the coming year. I use the term goal to refer to a long-term aspiration requiring continuous effort over extended periods, while I identify objectives as the short-term, tactical activities undertaken in pursuit of the goals. Predictably, the goals persist over time, while objectives vary as conditions change. The distinction between the two frequently appears tenuous but nonetheless serves a useful purpose. Assessment of success in pursuit of the goals and evaluation of the efficacy of the objectives toward that end provide the occasion for new thought about my performance as it relates to the fulfillment of the mission of the University.

GOAL I:

Guide The University of Montana, with the counsel and advice of all groups on the campuses through appropriate agencies of University governance, to maintain campus communities attractive to qualified persons and dedicated to the achievement of the mission of the University.

OBJECTIVES:

• Promote an open atmosphere on the campuses characterized by the free interchange of ideas and respect for the rights of all to encourage the contributions of all groups and individuals to the fulfillment of the mission of The University of Montana.
• Maintain consultative planning, programming, and budgeting processes to assure the fulfillment of the mission of The University of Montana and its four campuses.
• Recruit and retain an administrative team dedicated to responsible and participatory governance respectful of the diverse perspectives and interests of the University community, established governance processes, and administrative responsibilities, and empower the members of the administrative team to fulfill their roles and responsibilities.
• Recruit and retain a diverse group of outstanding faculty and staff members as role models and serve the needs of the students attracted to the campuses, and empower the faculty and staff, through professional development programs and the provision of essential infrastructure, facilities, and equipment, to fulfill their roles and responsibilities.
• Implement the University’s diversity plan to assure the inclusion of female, minority, and international faculty, staff, and students, with particular attention to the historic role and presence of Native Americans in Montana.
• Pursue aggressively the availability of opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to participate in international development projects, programs and exchanges.
• Assure the successful implementation of the Montana Achievement Project.
• Monitor the campus environments to identify areas needing further improvement to facilitate the learning, creativity, and development of students, staff, and faculty.
• Specific Activities:
• Review and evaluate the performance of all members of the administration and staff to assure accountability and provide assistance to those evaluated. Include within the statements of goals for administrators and the subsequent evaluations consideration of their contributions to diversity and the success of the Montana Achievement Project.
• Monitor the operations of the planning, programming, and budgeting processes of the University to assure inclusiveness, responsiveness, and effectiveness.
• Complete the implementation of electronic access to the one-stop-shopping center in the Lommasson Center for students in remote sites or students who do not wish to come to the Center. Continue the development of similar programs and centers on the other three campuses.
• Continue the effort on all campuses to improve the facilities essential to serving the needs of the students, faculty, and staff including the renovation of classrooms and laboratories and upgrading the information technology infrastructure.
• Visit the other three campuses at least once each term for meetings with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community members.
• Meet during the Academic Year with the faculties of the various Departments and Schools on the Missoula campus as individual groups in their facilities with an open agenda to discuss issues of interest and concern.
• Meet during the summer with the staff of the non-academic entities on the Missoula campus as individual groups in their facilities to discuss issues of interest and concern.
• Participate actively in the governance councils of faculty, staff, and students on the Missoula campus and for the multi-campus University.

GOAL II:

Implement and revise as necessary the Strategic Directions for The University of Montana to operationalize the concept of “a single University with a presence in several communities.”

OBJECTIVES:

• With assistance of the Executive Committee of The University of Montana, monitor the implementation of the Strategic Directions for The University of Montana under the guidance of the functional councils of The University of Montana, and explore ways to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and collaboration – especially academic collaboration – within the University.
• Assure the continued involvement of all groups in the refinement and implementation of the Strategic Directions.
• Work closely with the Chancellors and other Executive Officers, faculty, staff, and students to complete the implementation of the common suite of integrated information systems for The University of Montana, with specific emphasis on the integration of “Web for” technology.
• Assist the campuses in the review and refinement of mission and vision statements for approval by the Board of Regents.
• Assist the campuses to review and revise their strategic plans within the context of the mission and strategic plan of the Montana University System, Strategic Directions for The University of Montana, and their approved mission statements.
• Continue the development of a data warehousing function fully compatible with the Montana State University and the State data systems that will serve the needs of the Montana University System and facilitate assessment of progress toward the implementation of their strategic plans.
• Complete the needs assessment and planning processes for facilities on all campuses of The University of Montana within the context of their approved mission statements and strategic plans, and make significant progress toward completing facilities master plans for all campuses.
• Specific Activities:
• Meet with and charge the various functional councils to remain attentive to best practices for the implementation of the concept of “one University with a presence in several communities.”
• Identify ways to enhance efficiency and reduce redundancy through administrative restructuring and cooperation while also respecting the uniqueness of each campus.
• Complete the implementation of the SCT BANNER suite of integrated systems on all campuses of The University of Montana, with emphasis on “Web for” and portal technology.
• Complete the implementation of an integrated automation system for the several libraries of the multi-campus University and assure transparent linkages to the Montana State University library and other libraries in the State.
• Continue the development of data warehousing for The University of Montana and the Montana University System.
• Develop specific facility plans for the College of Technology in Missoula and secure funding for the new facility for The University of Montana-Helena College of Technology.
• Identify new ways to enhance efficiency and reinvest any savings in programs serving students and other clients. Identify and implement incentives for academic collaboration among the campuses of The University of Montana, with the campuses of Montana State University, and with the Tribal and private colleges in the State.

GOAL III:

Sustain responsive instructional programs of high quality and encourage and promote faculty research and creative activities in fulfillment of the University’s mission in instruction, research, and service to the people and communities of Montana.

OBJECTIVES:

• Monitor the ongoing review of the program array to assure the most responsive and appropriate offering of programs by campus in accordance with assigned mission, making certain to avoid mission drift while allowing sufficient programmatic autonomy essential to campus vitality.
• Implement the review for continuance or disestablishment of all centers, institutes, and bureaus within five years, with conclusions based on continued functionality, responsiveness, and support.
• Develop and secure approval of at least four new academic programs in response to needs, with attention to communication disorders and physician’s assistant programs on the Missoula campus, and to collaborative approaches to nursing education and engineering involving two or more campuses.
• Enhance the diversity, availability, attractiveness, and responsiveness of two-year education in Western Montana, working collaboratively with Flathead Valley Community College and Salish Kootenai College.
• Make significant progress toward collaboration with the Missoula public schools for vocational and technical education programming in Missoula using common facilities.
• Refine the collaborative approach to student recruitment to all campuses of The University of Montana to assure the most appropriate placement to meet the needs of applicants. Investigate the possibility of a common application to all campuses.
• Implement the Sustainable Futures Grant Program to assist the University’s three smaller campuses: $327,000 for FY 2003, $500,000 for FY 2004, and $500,000 for FY 2005.
• Begin delivery of at least two more off-campus programs in communities with identified needs and involving the faculty of two or more campuses.
• Assure the continued accreditation of all programs subject to accreditation.
• Continue the implementation of the outcomes assessment programs on all campuses.
• Review admission standards by campus to reflect the differences in mission, with the appropriate involvement of faculty committees, and continue the implementation of enhanced standards for the Missoula campus.
• Encourage the continued competitiveness of faculty in research and creative activities to attract at minimum an increase of ten percent in external funds above the level achieved in FY 2002 to support the mission of the University.
• Develop one new research institute in collaboration with St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula focused on cancer research and therapy.
• Implement two new collaborative research centers focused on toxicology and riverine restoration.
• Promote and implement responsive outreach programs and technology transfer so as to serve the needs of the people of Montana and build the other three centers of MonTEC in Hamilton, Pablo, and Kalispell.

Specific Activities:

The specific activities are clearly indicated by the objectives themselves. However, all activities associated with these objectives will occur within the context of approved processes and procedures for University and University System governance.

GOAL IV:

Develop the resource base of the University through appropriate participation with the Commissioner and the Board of Regents to plan and implement a strategy to enhance public awareness of and support for higher education, to influence the legislative process, and to attract private support for the University.

OBJECTIVES:

• Travel widely throughout the State and talk to legislators, candidates for political office, and various groups explaining the contributions and needs of higher education to gain informed support.
• Collaborate closely with the Economic Development Action Group and the Alliance for Montana’s Future to promote economic development in the State, work for comprehensive or targeted tax reform, and facilitate technology transfer.
• Participate in a coordinated effort to persuade voters and legislators of the need for incremental increases in State-funded student financial assistance.
• Collaborate with the Commissioner and others in the Montana University System to refine the funding model.
• Implement tuition differentials for the smaller campuses and the Colleges of Technology.
• Assist the campuses to implement targeted tuition discounting.
• Assure strong and viable alumni associations and foundations to serve all four campuses, while providing for appropriate coordination of effort involving all of them. The University of Montana Foundation in Missoula will provide service to The University of Montana-Helena College of Technology.
• Continue to work with various organizations, groups, and individuals in the private sector to develop private support for the campuses of the University, recognizing donor preferences within the context of Regentally-approved missions of the campuses.
• Explore the capacity of auxiliaries to contribute to the ongoing operational support of the University campuses.
• Implement a comprehensive marketing program for the multi-campus University.

Specific Activities:

All specific activities are clearly indicated by the identified objectives. The efforts to generate support from the private sector will occur through the auspices of the foundations associated with the campuses.

GOAL V:

Assure full accountability to the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Board of Regents, and the State of Montana for the use of resources and the implementation of applicable rules, regulations, and policies.

OBJECTIVES:

• Fully implement a management approach that distributes authority and responsibility to those on the front lines who must help design the work processes for maximum effectiveness and efficiency characterized by the highest possible quality of service to clients, based on the concept that functions are central, services local.
• Maintain an efficient and responsive internal audit function to assure compliance with Regents’ policies and State law.
• Implement a University budget for 2002-2003 in conformity with the System priorities and budget as approved by the Board of Regents, and develop responsive reporting mechanisms.
• Continue to assess and revise University policies and procedures so as to assure maximum efficiency and full compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, statutes, and audit findings.
• Assure for FY2003 adequate reserves so as to have the capacity to deal with unforeseen contingencies that may arise on any of the campuses of The University of Montana.
• Implement approved plans to eliminate and prevent chronic budget deficits on any of the campuses of The University of Montana, except as approved for specific purposes such as retirement incentives.
• Stand accountable for responsible stewardship of all University resources, including the physical plant and the environment.

Specific Activities:

The identified objectives indicate the specific activities.

GOAL VI:

Communicate the goals, objectives, accomplishments, and contributions of the Montana University System and The University of Montana to the people of Montana and the nation and serve as a spokesperson and representative for higher education and for the University.

OBJECTIVES:

• Work closely with the Commissioner of Higher Education, the Regents, the Montana State University President, and the Chancellors and Dean of The University of Montana campuses to explain the role and value of higher education in Montana, the nation, and the world; and participate actively in a campaign to educate the people of Montana about the needs and contributions of higher education.
• Participate actively in the effort to restructure the Montana economy and facilitate comprehensive or targeted tax reform.
• Explain fully to the faculty, staff, students, parents, and external constituencies the meaning and significance of the concepts of “a single University with a presence in several communities,” and “functions are central, services local.”
• Articulate fully how the restructured University System functions as a System and meets the needs of the people of Montana.
• Develop and articulate widely a full rationale for the benefits received from foundations that serve the campuses of The University of Montana and explain fully the use of donated funds.

Specific Activities:

The identified objectives indicate the specific activities.

CONCLUSION:

I anticipate that the annual evaluation will focus upon the identified goals and objectives which I have attempted to state in terms amenable to evaluation.

c: Chancellors
Executive Officers

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