Academic and Administrative Program Planning and Prioritization Process
Preliminary Recommendations
President John E. Cech
Recognize the New Reality of Private Postsecondary Education
As the premier Roman Catholic, private postsecondary institution of higher education in the Rocky Mountain West, we recognize the importance of being responsive to the changing economies and workforce projections of Montana and the states we serve. As an institution, we will need to be nimble and aware of the value of partnerships and new funding streams. While our historical residential community and our liberal arts-based and professional undergraduate programs represent our core offerings, we are open to exploring and developing new academic programs at the graduate and post-baccalaureate certificate levels to serve our community and region.
Continued Revitalization of New Student Services, Enrollment, and Marketing Division
The college will redouble its efforts to engage students through digital media and high touch programming that helps students make an informed decision about their higher education opportunities and help them to understand what differentiates Carroll College from other post-secondary institutions.
Partnerships and Transfers
Our vision is to make Carroll College a first choice for students wishing to transfer from Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon two- and four-year colleges. In addition, recommendations should include formal recognition of Internal Baccalaureate (IB), articulated transfer pathways, and additional partnerships such as 3+2 and 2+2 with other private and public institutions. Embedded within this recommendation is creation of a Carroll-Helena College Transfer and Articulation Task Force. The goal is to create a smooth and seamless transfer opportunity between Helena College and Carroll College.
Strategic Academic Master Planning Team
Program planning at the college has to be intentional, meet the needs of students and the region, and be financially viable. The faculty and academic leadership of the college will lead a process of developing a long-term academic master plan for the college.
Planning for Restructure of Academic Programs in Schools
The current academic structure includes 30 department chairs and program directors. Faculty and academic leadership will lead a reorganization into schools, chosen by the faculty, and led by faculty to foster collaboration and innovation.
Implement School of Professional and Graduate Studies
The President will appoint a task force to create a “School of Professional and Graduate Studies.” This School will be led by a faculty member and serve as a place to engage faculty from across campus to develop innovative certificate programs (both undergraduate and post-baccalaureate), as well as new graduate programs, to meet the needs of industry in Montana, the Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and potentially more broadly through the nation.
Revitalize Summer Session
Helena, Montana, is simply a great place during the summer months, and enhancing the Summer Session could help students move through academic programs more quickly and earn their degree in three years.
Restructure Student Services at Carroll College
The college will replace the Vice President of Student Life with a Dean of Students and Retention, reporting to the President. The focus of this position will be all things associated with the students’ quality of life, well-being, and success. The President further recommends the addition of a counselor in the Student Health Center to meet the needs of students.
Create a One-Stop Student Commons
The college will create a one-stop commons for student intake and enrollment. This effort will involve a new design, cross-division collaboration, training, and possible redesign of positions. The one-stop commons will allow student to access all critical services in O'Connell Hall. These functions are currently located in different buildings on campus. The goal is an improvement in student service, an increase in student satisfaction, and a more efficient overall system.
Strategic Expansion of Global Outreach
A goal of this recommendation is to increase opportunities for authentic cultural exchanges both abroad and domestically. Global learning also requires our own campus to become more culturally aware and suitable for hosting a more diverse student body. This will involve a reorganization and the possible consolidation of academic and co-curricular efforts, including Engineers Without Borders, Artaza Center initiatives, international service learning, campus ministry, and study abroad.
Seek Funding for Innovation and New Program Development
The Office of Institutional Advancement is being asked to seek private and federal dollars to support service development and innovation. In addition, the OIA will seek funding from industry partners and college donors to support new program development and innovation.
Support for Undergraduate Academic Research, Scholarly Inquiry, and Creative Endeavors
Carroll College has a strong tradition of undergraduate research including the Student Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF), which is a hallmark of the academic year. Recognizing the high educational value of student-faculty collaborations in research, scholarly inquiry, and creative endeavors, the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Institutional Advancement will work together to establish funds from college donors, foundations, federal sources, and industry partners to support such activities.
Enhance Auxiliary Services at Carroll College
Carroll College has almost a million square feet of space at the college. The goal of this recommendation is to create a model for future growth opportunities, increase coordination with external and internal partners, improve visibility, and increase net revenue for the college. One planned growth area will involve the intersection of athletics, advancement, and campus conferences regarding the opportunity to raise funds to install synthetic turf and lights at Nelson Stadium. This would enable Carroll to approach Helena Public Schools about the opportunity to partner to host Friday night games for both Helena High and Capital High, all- star games for a variety of sports, concerts (would be the third largest outdoor concert venue in the state), as well as significantly improved playing environments for Carroll’s athletic programs.
Data Consolidation
Through the creation of a “Data Council”, Alumni Relations, Career Services, faculty, and others will develop a repository for all data concerning graduates, graduate outcomes, and cost/benefit analysis.In addition, the college’s communication databases will be coordinated and better organized.
Increase Breadth of Mission Oversight
The President recognizes the excellent work and accomplishments with respect to Mission alignment, awareness, and engagement over the past seven years. This work was recognized by Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) in our Fall 2018 seven-year visit. This recommendation involves the expansion of Mission oversight to include the creation of a new standing “Mission Committee,” which will be chaired by the former Dean of Mission Integration and Effectiveness and include the Director of Campus Ministry, a student representative, a faculty representative, and a staff representative. The Chair of the Mission Committee will brief the President monthly in preparation for his meetings with the Chancellor of the College (Bishop of Helena).
Request Permission and Approval from the Bishop of Helena to invite an Order of Sisters
Pending the approval of the new Bishop of Helena, the President will seek permission to invite an Order of Sisters to the Carroll community. This would return Carroll to its historical tie with Religious Sisters who work on campus and engage our students.
Ongoing Innovation for Sustainability
Over the next three years and beyond, the college will need to continue streamlining academic and administrative processes and programs to identify further efficiencies, revenue generation, and cost reductions through an evaluation and accountability effort that includes program performance and goals. Aligned with our commitment to sustainable practices, the college will initiate efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through paperless initiatives, recycling, and other efficiencies. In addition, we will need to be proactive in adding new programs and services that meet the educational needs of our community, state, and region. New programs will be asked to present a feasibility and business plan to ensure ongoing financial viability, with an expectation that continuous improvement will be built into a strengthened program review and assessment process.