For each of the eight interdependent strategic imperatives identified in the planning process, a set of specific, measurable, obtainable plans have been carefully developed by the college’s stakeholders. For each of these strategies, specific techniques and actions have been developed toward their achievement.
Improve our image, reputation and visibility to all stakeholders.
STRATEGY: Advance and promote SUNY Cobleskill as a nationally recognized premier baccalaureate and associate degree granting college of agriculture and technology.
Develop integrated marketing plan for college and market via mass media, public appearances of president, publications, grants, hiring practices, and all stakeholders; work to upgrade computing and printing equipment.
Develop an Experts Database of speakers to answer media questions in area of expertise and provide presentations to
community.
Enhance visibility of campus resources and events available to greater community and all stakeholders, including Van Wagenen Library, Showcase Weekend, campus cultural and educational events, etc.
Continue to develop a competitive model NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic program that is affiliated with an appropriate conference.
Foster continuation and development of media attracting events such as hosting regional competitions, festivals, high school enrichment programs, speakers/lecturers, etc.
Create a Web-based annual report highlighting accomplishments of faculty, staff and students.
Seek and maintain accreditation by appropriate organizations for campus entities and programs whenever available.
STRATEGY: Establish SUNY Cobleskill as a Sustainable Institution.
Continue to integrate sustainable content throughout curricula and commit to a sustainable campus culture.
Work to establish a Center for Collaborative Sustainability for program development, support for faculty research and publications, community outreach and education and participation in regional and national events..
Demonstrate sustainable practices where feasible (e.g. straw bale house, conversion of animal and cafeteria waste and
biofuels to energy).
Maintain advisory council for enhancement of sustainability and encourage faculty research in the area.
Maintain Farm Gourmet and Visiting Chef programs for sustainability in agriculture/food initiative.
STRATEGY: Showcase research and scholarship.
STRATEGY: Establish centers and institutes of regional importance.
Create a Northeast Regional American Culinary Federation Testing Center in Champlin Hall
Establish an Agricultural Biosecurity and Food Safety Education Center.
Create a Center for Financial Planning.
STRATEGY: Continue to integrate the Cobleskill Creed into the life of the institution.
Deliberately and systematically grow, support and develop four year programs. Continuously assess and adapt all of our programs to better align with student demand and market needs.
STRATEGY: Increase the number of baccalaureate programs.
Develop an academic plan for developing and prioritizing baccalaureate programs and create and implement six new baccalaureate programs by 2008.
Create new forms for degree programs, experimental courses and certificate programs in alignment with mission.
Increase the number of upper-level Liberal Arts and Sciences courses to support baccalaureate programs.
Improve Curriculum Committee communication to campus community regarding appropriate methods for development and proposal of new courses, and regarding program approvals, disapprovals and new requirements.
Develop a three-credit upper division leadership course.
Assess viability of all programs and make necessary changes.
STRATEGY: Increase enrollment in upper division programs.
Create articulation agreements between two-year programs and our baccalaureate degree programs.
Investigate on-line program in which students can earn baccalaureate degrees.
Investigate creating a night school and/or summer school in which students can earn baccalaureate degrees.
Increase articulation agreements with graduate schools.
Improve department and division updating and development of Web pages to better promote programs, people and activities.
STRATEGY: Create faculty conditions aligned with four-year colleges.
Change faculty load to reflect four-year status.
Discuss implications of class size with change of mission.
Raise standards for reappointment and promotion.
Provide support for faculty interested in offering on-line courses.
Identify funds for professional development and for professional memberships for faculty.
Align faculty pay with four-year institutions.
STRATEGY: Raise standards.
Establish a four-year honor society and have programs establish field-specific honor societies.
Raise admissions standards by program, using key indicators, rather than overall high school average.
Incorporate writing across the curriculum and revitalize the Writing Center.
Increase admissions standards by program, using key indicators rather than overall high school average.
Consider requiring SAT and/or ACT scores for admission.
Augment the academic atmosphere on campus.
STRATEGY: Create a baccalaureate culture.
Implement the recommendations in the report from the Task Force on Developing a Baccalaureate Environment.
Create appropriate study areas for students.
Expand services in Career Development to meet needs of baccalaureate students.
Provide library resources commensurate with other four-year colleges, improve staffing and extend library hours.
Fund release time for faculty to do research and work on grants.
Create more and more appropriate on- and off-campus housing for students.
STRATEGY: Sustain a strong associate degree academic program.
Develop and offer additional two-year programs and certificate programs.
Assess viability of all programs and make necessary changes.
Where possible, align two-year and four-year programs to allow seamless two-way transfers between them.
STRATEGY: Embed assessment into all areas of the campus environment
Create a governance committee on assessment.
Use LibQual assessment to improve Library services.
Consider incorporating practical exams for assessment in every course.
Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic enrollment management system that enhances our recruitment and retention abilities.
STRATEGY: Increase recruitment initiatives and activities.
Develop initiatives that enhance our abilities to recruit at high schools and increase freshmen enrollment.
Target enrollment goals to link with national trends of graduating high school seniors. Address SUNY Cobleskill campus inequity issues in enrollment.
Rebuild Student Ambassador program to prior quality level.
STRATEGY: Increase retention initiatives and activities.
Review Exploratory Studies Program.
Continue to emphasis and improve adult and commuter student services and programs.
Enhance advisement of students.
Consider offering freshmen year experience credit bearing course for all first year students, and provide student orientation program.
Enhance student development services, and learning and personal growth opportunities.
Assess progress of Merits program and affects on retention.
STRATEGY: Create strategic enrollment management model.
Continue to enhance the educational experience in the classroom.
Develop and maintain a campus data warehouse system.
Implement full assessment of recruitment, enrollment and retention practices and programs. Develop model to
best meet enrollment/retention goals.
.:. Improve our financial base.
STRATEGY: Acquire/modify financial software.
Implement integrated Banner Web on-line payment software.
STRATEGY: Increase grant activity and indirect cost recovery.
Pursue grant funding in applied research that supports our academic areas.
Attract, encourage and support faculty and professional staff who submit grants.
Create campus Web site for grants to communicate grant awards, activities and outcomes, as well as policies and procedures on a regular basis.
STRATEGY: Increase revenue generating activities.
Expand summer conferences, summer school, camps, etc.
Inventory the course levels and discipline coding for all courses to maximize the funding levels in BAP.
Develop partnerships with industry so as to obtain outside funding for our programs, particularly our four-year
programs.
Increase enrollment by offering college courses to student groups off campus (extension courses) in New York State and in other countries (i.e. the Caribbean, BWI).
Double Saturday College enrollment by fall 2004.
Establish a business incubator that attracts businesses that develop sustainable products and/or foster sustainable
business practices.
Grow our abilities in advancement, development and outreach.
STRATEGY: Enhance fundraising and development.
Establish greater visibility for the Advancement office.
Increase planned giving and gift planning.
Increase alumni and industry contributions.
Strengthen the effectiveness of the Alumni Association and Foundation boards’ contributions to the financial health
and image of the college.
Strengthen and enhance the annual fund (for example: year round phone campaigns, affinity campaigns, class year
challenges, online giving).
Encourage faculty members to develop relationships with leaders in the business community in the Capital Region and
beyond.
Increase Alumni Association business affiliated income (business partnership through affinity groups).
Develop an ongoing dialog with the campus community on advancement achievements.
STRATEGY: Enhance database management.
Establish an electronic system for obtaining, maintaining and sharing data on the college's links to business and industry, foundations, government agencies, and other entities and individuals that can provide leads for advancement, development and outreach.
STRATEGY: Enhance website.
Continue to promote on-line community enrollment and participation.
STRATEGY: Increase opportunities for grant funding.
Increase interaction between College senior management and high level staff at granting agencies and foundations.
Increase interaction between state and federal politicians that have influence over the funds allocated to granting agencies and college senior management.
Continue to build coalitions between SUNY Cobleskill and other educational institutions and/or community organizations in order to leverage funding.
STRATEGY: Strengthen relationships with local community.
Conduct an economic impact study and publish results.
Invite county businesses to campus special events.
Involve students in community events and activities.
Construct a hiking/bike path around the perimeter of the farm.
Enhance our abilities to manage the institution. Assess our critical administrative systems and business practices. Improve our abilities to manage our resources in the most efficient and effective fashion.
STRATEGY: Review existing documentation and revise as appropriate. Develop additional policies and procedures as appropriate. Have all polices and procedures in one central location.
Maintain the financial policies and procedures manual.
Update Human Resources documentation.
Develop guidelines for determining appropriate starting and promotional salaries for professional employees.
Develop a new financial plan for Dairy Barn operations to ensure financial self-sufficiency.
Develop guidelines to encourage equitable distribution of fee money throughout campus.
Review increased income opportunities from existing operations and establish new revenue operations potentially dove-tailed with educational departments and lab projects.
Continue to improve the budget system so the start to finish is timely. When final numbers are known, simple
adjustments will be the only remaining items.
Update and maintain campus archives, including preservation of current holdings and digitization of materials for the future.
Develop survey models that campus areas can use to assess how areas are doing.
Create outcomes measurements for the strategic plan.
STRATEGY: Implement energy management improvements.
Develop an energy conservation plan for the campus network.
Replace underground heating distribution system and convert additional buildings to utilize the system, and add buildings currently on satellite boiler to main campus steam distribution system.
Retrofit new controls to existing water cooled condensers for commercial refrigerators to reduce excessive water usage.
Install semi-automatic pool cover and replace energy inefficient doors in Curtis-Mott Hall.
STRATEGY: Implement a more manageable computer network system.
Integrate print management technology with campus network.
Research, develop and implement an efficient and affordable e-payment system for the campus.
STRATEGY: Training and staff development.
Train campus members from other areas to assist student service offices during busy times with phones, customer lines and in-person service.
Plan and implement an on-going training schedule for all employees and promote trainings provided by SUNY and CSEA.
Re-establish a "Train-the-Trainer" program in computer skills and computer skills workshop series.
Create a campus-wide picture directory of faculty and staff.
STRATEGY: Study the restructuring of the academic divisional alignment.
Engage in focused effort to enhance the appearance, safety, and functionality of our facilities and campus (i.e. grounds, buildings and technological infrastructure).
STRATEGY: Improve the appearance of the campus.
Continue inspections done by “first impressions team” to tour campus and report on needed improvements.
Form “ownership teams” for campus buildings to address appearance, safety, energy conservation and functionality.
Improve classrooms and laboratories, as well as non-classroom areas.
Develop a handicapped-accessible outdoor learning environment in the developmental center playground.
STRATEGY: Develop a land-use master plan.
Develop and maintain a land-use master plan.
Explore the ramifications of designating the campus as an arboretum.
STRATEGY: Develop a facilities master plan.
Explore and discuss the guidelines for determining the allocation of space.
Coordinate the usage and renovation schedule for campus buildings.
STRATEGY: Develop a technology master plan.
Maintain the campus-wide life-cycle replacement plan for faculty and staff computers.
Provide adequate student access to state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and facilities.
Maintain and improve academic network access and reliability.
STRATEGY: Develop a residence hall master plan.
Complete electrical safety improvements in residence halls.
Replace and/or upgrade the remaining high-rise dorm hydraulic elevators.
Install closed circuit TV security cameras to monitor inside areas of all exterior doors of the residence halls.
Rehabilitate elevated walkway system: remove bridges, address roof over Champlin, relocate residence hall lobbies to
ground level.
STRATEGY: Develop a fleet and service vehicle replacement plan.
STRATEGY: Address safety issues.
Upgrade all campus fire hydrants which have not been replaced in the past 6 years (correct flows and pressures
ensured).
Corrective action of breached fire walls to NYS Fire Code 2004 requirements.
Quarterly inspections of entire campus.
Upgrade entire Wellness Center fire alarm system to NYS Fire Code 2004 requirement and ADA compliance.
Provide card access systems for perimeter doors to buildings and to selected internal rooms.
Provide generators and generator hook-ups in strategic locations to provide emergency shelter.
Purchase equipment that promotes a safer work environment.
Systematically enhance all aspects of the institution’s diversity.
STRATEGY: Further Integrate cultural diversity into the curriculum.
Include a diversity component in the Freshman Year Experience course.
Require NCBI Welcoming Diversity workshop for all new students.
Increase structured diversity experiences at all levels of students’ academic programs, including study abroad and faculty and student exchanges.
Establish a diversity display in the library to showcase different groups on a rotating basis.
Increase foreign language offerings.
STRATEGY: Establish an Office of Multicultural Affairs
Hire a director of multicultural affairs.
Assist in establishing and strengthening student organizations, groups and associations that support and promote diversity.
Improve retention of diverse populations through scholarships and other incentives and initiatives.
STRATEGY: Establish an Office of International Education
Recruit additional faculty and students from abroad and provide enhanced support services for both.
Expand opportunities for foreign travel/student abroad opportunities and faculty exchanges.
Provide oversight for international articulation agreements and administration of federal regulations.
STRATEGY: Meet or exceed affirmative action utilization targets.
Strengthen existing policy and practices for hiring faculty/staff members who represent diverse populations.
STRATEGY: Provide professional development regarding interaction with diverse populations.
Provide workshops and seminars on campus.
Provide opportunities for conference attendance.
STRATEGY: Maintain active Cultural Diversity Committee, representative of all constituencies, to support campus-wide multicultural awareness programming.
STRATEGY:Assess outcomes related to all Cultural Diversity Committee endeavors.
