Pillar 2: Academic Excellence

Strategy Pillar 2 – Enhancing a Culture of Academic Excellence

Today's Enviornment: 

Excellent faculty, student intellectual growth, a strong liberal arts core, the content of courses within majors, and overall curriculum quality, have earned Huntington University a reputation for academic excellence that attracts, retains, and develops students. It is upon these strengths that Huntington University must rely in facing the challenges of today’s culture, future student expectations, and trends in higher education. Cultural and higher education trends such as; concerns about student work force readiness, the value of liberal arts education, student debt levels, accelerated degree completion, student flexibility expectations, broad cross cultural access, and changing curriculum delivery methods all place pressure on the academic community to be innovative, adaptable, contemporary, and excellent while maintaining cost competitiveness.

Preferred Future: 

We will embrace the challenges of the future while continuing to advance our reputation and culture of academic excellence. We will focus on critical thinking and communication skills that foster lifelong learning and the ability to apply newly acquired knowledge to practical problems from a Christian perspective. Priority will be placed upon continuing to hire and retain excellent faculty. Faculty will be recognized for
Targeting higher faculty and satff compensation will aid in hiring and retention efforts.

Priority will be placed upon continuing to hire and retain excellent faculty. Faculty will be recognized for adaptability, teaching effectiveness student mentoring, and professional accomplishments. We will create more streamlined and structured pathways that help accelerate degree completion, multiple major attainment, and graduate degrees for majors that are in-demand by the market place and students. Programs will be structured in light of current research on emerging adulthood and adult learning to ensure that content, teaching strategies, and approaches to learning are appropriate and effective for future students.

Honors programs will be expanded to inspire intellectual curiosity and growth. High achieving honors students will be regularly recognized for their superb academic performance, including collaboration with faculty and staff in research and broader scholarship opportunities. Investments in appropriate technology and support resources will be made that support a contemporary learning environment. Best practice teaching methods will be shared and expanded making teaching effectiveness a Huntington University distinctive. Resources will be allocated to programs with identified potential.

Objectives: 

  1. Initiate an academic program review program.
  2. Revitalize four programs to sharpen the focus on academic excellence by 2018.
  3. Develop a comprehensive academic technology strategy.
  4. Expand recognition and development programs that support faculty and student academic accomplishments.
  5. Emphasize academic excellence reputation and innovation in recruiting and marketing programs.

Recommended Success Indicators: 

  • Identified academic program reviews being completed.
  • Growing honors and student academic achievement programs.
  • Increase in undergraduate student research projects.
  • Ability to hire and retain excellent faculty and staff.
  • Growing faculty academic excellence recognition programs.
  • Enrollment expansion occurring in revitalized programs focused on academic excellence.
  • Increasing best practice sharing and faculty development programs.
  • Development of faculty for improved assistance in student recruiting efforts.
  • Structured pathways for accelerated degree completion identified in 90% of undergraduate programs.
  • Technology investments being made in academic programs.
  • Student friendly environment created for community college and other transfer students.
  • Academic excellence highly recognized as a Huntington University distinctive.

Measurements of Success: 

  • Years to graduation – 65% traditional undergraduates graduate within 5 years.
  • Core curriculum assessment – Rising trends in critical thinking and communication skills performance.
  • Honors program growth – 7% of students enrolled in honors program by 2022.
  • Academic programs of excellence – 4 programs identified and revitalized by 2018.
  • Academic technology plan – Academic excellence technology plan implemented by 2018.
  • Job and graduate school success – 100% employment or graduate school attainment within 6 months of graduation by 2022.
  • Marketing – Academic excellence distinctive linked with overall annual marketing plans.