Setting the Standard for the 21st Century - Strategic Directions

Resources and Support

Attaining the various objectives and goals outlined related to the institution’s mission – teaching, research, and service – is the responsibility of faculty, staff and administrators assigned to managing these initiatives. Yet, these can only be accomplished with the assistance of central support functions that secure resources and marshal other critical support.

State funding of public universities is undergoing a fundamental transformation. States face increasing demands on their resources as they strive to provide appropriate, high-quality services such as transportation, public safety and education with reasonable taxes and cost-effective management.

Development and Advancement/Marketing

As a public institution, Colorado State is taking on characteristics of a private institution by reducing (but not eliminating) its dependency on the state and by increasing various forms of private support. Donors – including alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students, friends, foundations, corporations and others with an interest in the university’s mission – play a critical role in our success. Similarly, Colorado State must be positioned as an innovative educational leader in the minds of all customers.

In addition to increasing alumni involvement (Goal 30), the Division of University Development and Advancement, working cooperatively with the academic and administrative units, is charged with meeting one of our key objectives with three specific goals:

Expand Fundraising and Marketing

Goal 31 – Yearly Giving

Substantially increase annual private support.

Over the coming years, we will build and invest in an organization able to substantially increase our levels of private support and to increase Colorado State’s endowment.

Goal 32 – Capital Campaign

Build assets to fund key projects through a multi-year comprehensive capital campaign.

Following a thorough analysis of needs and opportunities, a major fund-raising initiative will be launched to generate assets for critically needed scholarships, facilities and program enhancements. Such an effort is essential at a time when state capital expenditures will be limited.

Goal 33 – Marketing/Brand Management

Create broader public awareness and greater appreciation of Colorado State.

We want to strengthen recognition of Colorado State in the major population areas of Colorado and at the national and international levels to support student and faculty recruitment, provide benefits for alumni, influence grant and contract activity, and facilitate fundraising. Among Coloradans, we want to foster a stronger affinity with the institution and understanding of the contributions it makes to the quality of life and economic development. Among the members of the Colorado State community, we need to strengthen relationships based on consistent and credible communications.

Facilities and Information Technology

Well-designed, environmentally sensitive state-of-the-art facilities are critical to Colorado State’s core values of excellence in teaching and research in today’s technologically sophisticated environment (see Goal 5 and Goal 21). In addition, the digital revolution continues to drive change in the way faculty teach and students learn – and how knowledge is discovered, analyzed, disseminated and preserved.

Our infrastructure objective is advanced by two goals spearheaded by the Administrative Services Division and Academic Computing and Network Services, respectively:

Build Necessary Infrastructures

Goal 34 – Master Building Plan

Maintain and upgrade the overall campus environment.

In addition to improved learning and research facilities (Goal 5 and Goal 21), we must maintain a campus environment that meets the needs of a flourishing academic community – including support facilities that range from parking to residential living/ learning facilities. This goal will be achieved in ways that complement the aesthetic character and environmental commitment of our campus through a design-review process based on established criteria. Funding will come from a variety of sources: state, federal, donors, students and users.

Goal 35 – Information Technology

Create an IT environment required for student-focused learning, faculty research, service and outreach, and effective management.

Colorado State will continue to invest in its technology infrastructure. These investments also will support improvements in financial and human resource management, student enrollment and academic record management, research data management, and internal and external communication.

Human Resources

Faculty and staff are the critical human capital of Colorado State University. Their knowledge, skills and passion are essential to creating and maintaining the University’s commitment to excellence.

To recruit and retain the most talented people requires an enlightened approach to human resource management, facilitative leadership, resources, and a professional culture that values people. Strategic investments will ensure that Colorado State provides a human environment of the highest quality.

We will pursue our human resource objective through two goals that will be the responsibility of the Academic Affairs and Administrative Services divisions, along with the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

Nurturing Human Capital

Goal 36 – Human Resources

Provide nationally competitive compensation, benefits and employee services for faculty, administrative professionals and classified staff.

Despite the lifestyle and geographic attractions of Colorado, we recruit nationally for faculty and administrative professionals and compete locally with the private sector for other staff. We must recognize the escalating cost of living in Colorado and the importance of providing both financial and nonfinancial rewards for people, including training and development to enhance performance.

Goal 37 – Employee Diversity

Increase the diversity of faculty, administrative professional, and state classified personnel through the recruitment and retention of individuals from groups that have been historically excluded.

Administrators must be creative in recruiting and be accountable for reaching diversity goals in the areas of both recruitment and retention. The university will support their efforts by providing guidance, training and systems to assure we meet our commitment to equal opportunity, affirmative action and a diverse work force.

Financial Management

With our changing funding sources, it is imperative that we transform ourselves into an entrepreneurial enterprise that focuses on revenue as an enabler of quality. We must pursue, but become less dependent upon, state appropriations while growing our revenue from gifts and grants. We must also develop market-based strategies for establishing tuition and fees charged to students, governments, other organizations and the agency customers we serve.

Guarantee Financial Stability

Goal 38 – Comprehensive Financial Management

Grow revenues, manage costs, and invest/reallocate resources effectively to achieve strategic goals.

Our future success will depend on our ability to make good decisions about institutional priorities and to follow pragmatic financial-planning strategies (see right). Through the annual budget exercise, we also must reallocate funding and make strategic investments in programs that can generate revenue and sufficient return on investment.

Our primary benchmark of financial stability will be a set of widely accepted standardized institutional performance ratios that allow us to compare ourselves with other institutions.

Program Assessment

The Board of Governors has specified accountability as a core value of the CSU System and is committed to closely reviewing indicators of our progress. That accountability extends to the periodic and consistent review of the outcomes specified here. Thus, our final objective and goal are:

Monitor Plan Progress

Goal 39 – Assessment Systems

Provide the Board, the campus and the public with transparent measures of accountability.

This plan includes metrics against which progress can be assessed and that provide the foundation for measurable annual priorities and key results areas (KRAs) identified by the Board of Governors.

Evaluation of this plan cannot be considered independently from other program and administrative reviews. Instead, we intend to integrate assessment with other existing reporting and evaluation programs to eliminate redundancies and improve data reporting and efficiency. Progress toward goals will be reviewed quarterly, with more thorough semi-annual and annual reviews.