- Weber State University

Northwest Accreditation Follow-Up:

· Significant progress in establishing a foundation for general education assessment has included:

Ø Articulating the qualities of a college-educated person through a series of campus conversations

Ø Developing a mission statement and outcomes for general education

Ø Establishing a Faculty Senate standing committee for General Education Improvement and Assessment

Ø Implementing a new assessment and placement policy designed to gather base-line data on entering students for assessment purposes and to help students succeed by placing them in appropriate math and/or English courses

· Progress toward the goal of evaluating and developing adjunct faculty has included:

Ø Creating an adjunct faculty website to provide useful, accessible information

Ø Creating an online video newsletter that delivers information to adjunct faculty via streaming video

Ø Conducting a retreat in fall of 2005 to acquaint adjunct faculty with available services for students

Ø Soliciting feedback from adjuncts faculty to identify their needs as a first step toward developing support programs

Ø Developing standardized contract letters for adjunct faculty that outline expectations, evaluation conditions and terms of employment

Program Development:

· Three new degree program were approved by the Board of Regents:

· The Scholarship Office and the Financial Aid Office were consolidated to better serve students and make more effective use of scholarship and financial aid funding.

· Donations of nearly $1.4 million were received for student scholarships during the 2005-06 academic year.

· Student Support Services developed and implemented a “Study Skills Boot Camp;” a series of workshops open to the campus community.

· The WSU Student Alumni Association was honored with a 2006 Crystal Crest Award for numerous activities including the creation of a successful fan club; its Purple Pak program; development of the Junior Cats program for youngsters ages 4 through 12; and participation in three community service projects.

· The WSU Alumni Association partnered with Phi Kappa Phi to honor the academic achievements of the top 10% of students in each WSU college.

· The WSU Athletics Office sponsored the CHAMPS Life Skills Program for all WSU students. This program encourages students to avoid drug/alcohol abuse and promotes career development after graduation.

· A Nursing Practice Lab was added at WSU Davis to support the nursing program.

· A fitness center featuring aerobic and strength training equipment opened at WSU Davis.

· Donations were received to fund a high-tech electronic sign for the WSU Davis campus.

· A partnership agreement with the Northern Utah Academy of Math, Engineering and Science was finalized. Under that agreement, NUAMES will eventually move to WSU Davis and participate in the construction of a new building there.

· Facilities at the WSU West Center were expanded to more than 7,500 square feet of space with four classrooms featuring state-of-the-art instructional equipment, a computer lab and a testing center.

· WSU Online activities expanded in terms of both course/section offerings and headcount enrollment. Non-resident enrollment in online courses increased by 2.7 percent while resident enrollments increased by 4.7 percent.

Goal 2: Support students, faculty and the community through technology, administrative systems, outstanding service and the physical campus

Facilities:

· WSU received a $2 million legislative appropriation in 2006 to fund planning and design for a new classroom facility to replace Buildings 1 and 2; that effort is underway. An additional $5 million in private funds has been pledged for this facility.

· The first phase (west wing) of the remodeling of the Shepherd Union Building was initiated.

· Planning for the design of a new campus chiller plant was initiated.

· Planning was completed for a new way-finding and exterior signage program to better direct campus visitors to their destinations.

· Facilities projects completed during the 2005-06 academic year included:

Ø Installation of fire alarm and/or suppression upgrades in Wasatch, Stansbury and LaSalle halls and in Promontory Tower

Ø Replacement of the stage rigging system in the Val A. Browning Center

Ø Installation of electronic access control in Lampros Hall

Ø Reconstruction of the Moench Plaza

Ø Construction of a Track and Field Locker Room

Ø Improvements to landscaping on the Ogden campus

Ø Establishment of triple redundancy for electrical power on the Ogden campus

Ø Reconstruction of the power substation on the Ogden campus

Ø Improvement of energy conservation and environmental quality conditions throughout the university

· Facilities projects initiated during the 2005-06 academic year included:

Ø Installation of electrical, heating/air conditioning and security upgrades in the campus computer center

Ø Construction of new playing fields for physical education and physical training

Ø Abatement of asbestos and reconstruction of Lind Lecture Hall

Ø Repair of plumbing and heating systems in Building 4

Ø Construction on new scoreboard in Stewart Stadium

Ø Installation of electronic access control in several academic buildings

Ø Reconstruction of Petersen Plaza

Ø Renovation of the entrance to Stewart Library

Ø Construction of an addition to the stores and receiving building

Ø Installation of new teaching consoles in more than 20 classrooms on the Ogden campus

Ø Renovation of the Rich Lounge

Ø Enhancement of the Student Service and Browning centers to improve the overall environments of those buildings

· In response to a change in IRS policy with regard to business cell phones, the Information Technology Division developed new procedures guiding cell phone use by university employees.

· Progress toward the goal of providing 24/7 information technology support included:

Ø Developed and implemented new policies for 24/7 off-hours support, including on-call procedures and compensation for key professional staff

Ø Implemented improved wireless LAN services, automated security monitoring and new enterprise Virtual Private Network (VPN) capabilities

Ø Completed the first phase of a multi-year implementation of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards. Three people completed ITIL Foundation training and certified

Ø Expanded the Help Desk hours of operation and developed more efficient interface procedures with the Operations area. Created an improved 24/7 coverage schedule; expanded staffing in operations; and issued an RFP for improved Service Desk request tracking software

Ø Created an improved, more secure Network Operating Center (NOC) environment with large continuous status monitoring displays

Ø Worked closely with Facilities Management personnel to prepare for major air conditioning and electrical upgrades to take place in October 2006

Ø Re-established the redundant network link to WSU-Davis and completed planning for the second UEN GeoMax node implementation at WSU-Davis

Ø Completed the upgrade of the WSU-Ogden core network hubs to Gigabit Ethernet

Ø Completed installation of a new backup emergency power generator for the Alumni Center network node

Ø Joined with representatives of other USHE institutions in the initial stages of a major disaster recovery planning effort

· Progress toward the goal of providing enhanced technology support to faculty, staff and students included:

Ø Completed year five of the Information Technology Infrastructure Project (ITIP) implementation, including the final stages of Lynx/Banner Student System implementation (Admissions, Financial Aid & Registration). Installed a new multi-terrabyte Storage Area Network (SAN) and successfully completed the first two student registrations on the new Lynx/Banner software

Ø Completed a major upgrade of the SunGard Banner software to release 7.0

Ø Implemented TouchNet Marketplace software for improved web payment handling capabilities

Ø Implemented a new server cluster to improve reliability of the university's eMail systems

Ø Implemented improved eMail Spam filtering, including a quarantine/user release system for suspected Spam messages

Ø Completed implementation of the new "Site Manager" Web Content Management System and achieved conversion of approximately 40% of department web sites to the new templates and protocol

Ø Completed implementation of the university's new Pinnacle Telecommunications Management System and database

Ø Continued work on the Mobile Internet Access Device (MIAD) project, with improved services for all classes of mobile device users

Ø Implemented the Novell Suse Linux alternative desktop computing environment for a small number of computer users

Ø With the addition of the Intel chipset to Apple computers, updated the Lampros Hall LP-203 classroom computers from outdated Windows machines to iMac computers running both Mac OS X and Windows XP Professional.

Ø Negotiated a new campus-wide software contracts with Microsoft and Corel to provide the Microsoft Office Suite and FrontPage, as well as the ability to upgrade every computer on campus using Windows to the latest version of Windows XP Professional. This will provide the campus with a standard OS version that is more secure

· Career Services counselors were trained and certified to develop/teach online courses to make their guidance available to WSU students on a 24/7 basis. As a result of this training, a two-credit online Career Development class was developed and delivered to more than 100 students.

· As a result of the installation of Uniprint, paper use and cost associated with student printing were cut by nearly half during the 2005-06 academic year.

· Online Level I training and testing has been implemented for students working in campus computer labs.

· Podcasting capabilities were added to the WSU website, providing users with the option of accessing audio of high-profile guest speakers and lectures. More than 3,400 visitors have taken advantage of this feature since January 2006.

· Podcasting technology was used to augment the university’s recruiting efforts more than 350 times during the 2005-06 academic year.

· Services for Students with Disabilities provided 152 books in alternative formats (audio or digital) for WSU students.

Goal 3: Develop a campus environment of support and engagement for students, faculty and staff

Student Engagement:

· The third annual Undergraduate Research Symposium and Celebration was held in March 2006. A total of 133 students participated in the symposium, which included 78 poster exhibits and oral presentations.

· For a second consecutive year, a WSU student was invited to participate in the prestigious Posters on the Hill display of outstanding undergraduate research in Washington, D.C.

· Twenty-two WSU students presented reports on their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Ashville, N.C. These students represented the colleges of Arts & Humanities; Education; Health Professions; Science; and Social & Behavioral Sciences.

· An Office of Community-Based and Experiential Learning was created to promote service learning and civic engagement efforts.

· WSU faculty cooperated with the Housing and Resident Life Department to develop living/learning programs in math, Spanish and outdoor recreation.

· New student internship opportunities were created in several university departments, including Student Involvement & Leadership; Counseling and Psychological Services; Services for Women Students; and Career Services.

Support for Faculty and Staff:

· WSU Presidential Distinguished Professor awards were presented for the first time in spring of 2006. Funded by an anonymous donor, this award will be presented to three outstanding faculty members each year. Each recipient will benefit from a $16,000 cash prize, paid in installments over a four-year period.

· The annual Dixon Award program was expanded to honor one faculty member and one staff member each year.

· The 2^nd Annual Faculty Forum was held to promote the sharing of scholarship between WSU faculty and students and increase community awareness of the role of scholarship at the university.

· The annual New Faculty Retreat was hosted by the Teaching and Learning Forum.

· The Office of Sponsored Projects achieved an increase of 37 percent in external funding received, bringing the total amount in grants and earmarks for faculty research projects and equipment to $10.46 million.

· New staff members participated in facilitated training sessions during their employee orientation sessions. Key topics included civil rights; records-keeping and ethics; environmental health and safety; and computer safety and compliance.

· The Student Affairs Recognition Program was implemented to offer individual impact and outstanding performance awards as well as similar recognition for team efforts.

· The Student Affairs Division has initiated an annual honor entitled “The Toni Weight Student Development Lifetime Achievement Award.”

· Services for Women Students has implemented a care-giver support group for WSU faculty and staff. The group currently has 28 members.

· The Human Resources Office facilitated faculty and staff access to the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” software program and its follow-up “Maximizer” program.

· Professional development programs for WSU faculty and staff that were sponsored and/or facilitated by the Human Resources Office included optional training during Spring Break Week; the Higher Education Academy; and the Supervisor Lunch-n-Learn Program.

Support for Students:

· The Office of Undergraduate Research distributed more than $150,000 in funds to support undergraduate research at WSU, including $10,000 in grants to four faculty members that provide pay stipends for student researchers.

· Shepherd Union staff developed and implemented the Campus Block Party at the opening of the fall semester drawing over 3000 in attendance. Over 120 campus programs and local vendors participated.

· Student Involvement & Leadership conducted an on-line survey regarding student needs and their knowledge of student government services and programs. More than 2,200 students responded. Information from the survey will be used in the planning and delivery of services.

· The number of registered clubs and organizations has grown to over 115. This provides students with greater opportunities to develop leadership and organizational skills and make meaningful social connections outside the classroom.

· Contributions by the Financial Services Office to the implementation of the Banner Student module included the following:

Ø Redesigned the WSU tuition collection process to move from a pre-paid basis to a full accrual basis.

Ø Redesigned the tuition payment plan for WSU students.

Ø Implemented a linear tuition and fee schedule.

Ø Improved the Banner budget lapsing process.

· As a result of outreach efforts by Services for International Students, 80 complete applications for admission were received from the Saudi Arabian Culture Mission in Washington DC. Twenty of these students are already on our campus.

· Club Sports involved 350 student athletes. The following five teams finished in the top 10 nationally: (1) Women=s Rodeo Club finished 1^st in the nation; (2) Women=s Snowboarding Team placed 1^st in the nation with Lynn Neil winning an individual national title; (3) Men=s Soccer Club finished 3^rd in the nation; (4) Women=s Fast Pitch Softball finished 5^th in the nation; and (5) Division I Ice Hockey finished 9^th in the nation.

· A committee of students, faculty and staff completed a revision of the WSU Student Code during the 2005-06 academic year.

· The university’s Stores and Art Services functions were consolidated with the WSU Bookstore to reduce redundancy, improve service and stabilize the financial performance of these entities.

· The university’s Motor Pool and Shuttle Bus programs were consolidated to reduce redundancy, improve service and stabilize the financial performance of these entities.

· Enhancements to the university online employment site implemented during the 2005-06 included a pooled position option; a faculty/staff data form (short application); direct links for internal postings; and satisfaction surveys for both search committee members and applicants.

· Process improvements developed or implemented by the Human Resources Office during the 2005-06 academic year included:

Ø A new online version of the Applicant Rating System

Ø A new required training program for campus supervisors

Ø A ten-week Employee Wellness weight management course for employees, spouses and retirees

Ø A Wellness Committee to assist in guiding future wellness efforts at WSU

· The Human Resources and Payroll offices cooperated in the development of a new time and attendance system for hourly employees.

· A new career ladder program was established to promote the retention and professional development of campus police officers.

· An emergency operations center for the Ogden campus was established in Lampros Hall.

· A new ticketing system was implemented by the Dee Events Center to provide convenient web-based ticket purchases for WSU performances and events.

· The Student Union Business Office has implemented training for student leaders focusing on financial responsibilities, relevant university politics and opportunities for students.

· Career Services, the Student Union Building, Tutoring Services and the Computer Labs are cooperating to implement training, leadership seminars and retreats for student workers to enhance their professionalism, customer service skills and personal confidence.

· The Student Involvement & Leadership Office has implemented a monthly campus-wide council to help student leaders learn about key issues from campus and community leaders.

· The Financial Services has launched a Bookstore Reinvesting in the Campus Initiative intended to support various parts of the campus with bookstore resources.

· The Campus Police expanded their community-based education and campus awareness programs concerning criminal and safety issues at WSU.

Goal 4: Foster connections and support with/from external communities

Community Connections:

· Efforts to connect with WSU alumni included sending the digital CyberCats newsletter to more than 100,000 E-mail addresses each month; the Alumni Association newsletter was sent to 85,000 home addresses; hosting three “Classes without Quizzes” and two faculty presentations in partnership with the Weber County Historical Association; and three sold-out historical bus tours.

· A total of 792 favorable stories about WSU were placed in 12 local and national newspapers with a value of more than $630,000. Those 2005-06 statistics represent a 12 percent increase in the number of placements and a 13 percent increase in their value over the previous year.

· The College of Applied Science & Technology continued efforts to expand its Project Lead the Way (PLTW) in Utah and surrounding states. This program, which encourages high school students to pursue degrees in engineering and engineering technology, is expected to favorably impact enrollment in those programs soon.

· In cooperation with Northern Utah AHEC, the Dumke College of Health Professions hosted approximately 80 high school students at a three-day health careers exploration camp. WSU representatives also participated in an awareness project sponsored by the Northern Utah AHEC that made 157 presentations promoting health professions careers to more than 4,500 students at 137 area schools.

· The Career Center partnered with Veterans Services to develop a veterans’ career counseling program and received a $25,000 contract to counsel veterans leaving the military.

· Employer participation at the Career Fair increased by 45% from 74 employers in 2005 to 107 employers in 2006.

· The Career Center partnered with the Alumni Center to develop an Employment Transition Seminar to offer career counseling and employment advice to alumni.

· Services for Women Students created the “Aspire Higher” Women’s Conference. The DATC, the OWATC and the Roy, Davis and Weber County High Schools participated in the program.

· The WSU Soccer Team won its second consecutive Big Sky Championship during the 2005-06 academic year and advanced to the round of 32 teams in the NCAA Soccer tourney by beating 17^th ranked BYU.

· The Facilities Management Office enlisted the support and cooperation of local communities (Ogden, Layton and Clearfield) and state/regional agencies (UDOT, UTA, WFRC) to begin development of a university transportation plan.

Educational Connections: