Continuing Excellence Update February 2007

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

• Outstanding pedagogical and/or professional research. (Academic Affairs)
• The integration of technology as a means of augmenting and enhancing teaching and learning. (Information Technology, Academic Affairs)

E1.

• In October 2006, two faculty members—one in History and the other in Political Science—were the first recipients of the Ruth & Ted Braun Fellowship Program Award.

• To improve security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness for instructional technology, Sakai/V-Space has been selected as the replacement technology for VSpace. Implementation is in progress. (See Technology 1B1 and 2C1.)

(-47.6%). The number of new minority faculty hired in fall 2005 and fall 2006 remained the same (three each year) and the retention rate of female faculty also remained the same (40% turnover rate in 2004-05 and 2005-06). However, the retention rate of minority faculty was 100%. Minority faculty now represent 14% of the total number of faculty, with Asians comprising the largest group. Although the absolute number of minority employees has increased in the past few years, as a percentage of the total workforce those numbers have remained essentially the same.

A2.

• ABS has expanded the range of its internship program in Criminal Justice through new participating agencies. The Crisis Management Intervention Center has developed contacts with regional law enforcement and correctional agencies to offer demonstrations and computer simulation training.

• CBM now has a thirty-member Advisory Board representing communities and industries throughout the service area. The Family Business Program was restructured to include an Executive Committee. These two bodies (the Advisory Board and the Executive Committee) were instrumental in revising mission and goal statements for the College and for the Family Business Program. Stakeholders also provided significant input during the development of the entrepreneurship minor.

• COE’s external advisory committee dates to 1990 when it was established to inform and advise for purposes of accreditation. It has since been reconstituted to serve a broader role and advises on assessment, programming, and mentoring of gradutates. The committee is comprised of area K-12, ISD, and Charter School representatives and meets fall and winter semesters.

• Advisory Committees for Nursing and Occupational Therapy continue to provide useful information regarding program evaluation, program development and possible curricular change, and clinical environments for student learning. A similar advisory group provided guidance in the development of the Health Science programs. It is anticipated that such a group will also be formed to support the existing medical technology/clinical laboratory science program.

• SET has established a Corporate Education Dean’s Advisory Council comprised of 16 members who represent regional manufacturing, engineering, and technology-based industries. The Council meets each fall semester.

In addition to College initiatives noted above, the University, in collaboration with several partners across a thirteen-county area, received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor entitled "Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development." The "WIRED" grant is valued at $5 million per-year for three years. (See Community Relations 3A1.)

• Nursing–2005
• Engineering–2005
• Athletic Training–2008
• Occupational Therapy–2006
• Education (NCATE)–2009
• Business (Interim Report -2006)–2013
• Social Work–2014

• Nursing accreditation was achieved for a full ten-year period for both undergraduate and graduate Nursing programs. An interim report will be due in 2010, followed by a full report and accrediting agency visit in 2015. The Accrediting Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) reconfirmed accreditation for both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering programs for a full six-year period. ABET also noted that there were "no weaknesses" in the programs. A self-study report for Occupational Therapy is due in January 2007 to be followed by an accrediting agency visit in March 2007.

• The AACSB Interim Report was completed and sent to the accrediting agency in January 2006, with a follow-up report submitted in October 2006.

• Other departments are also on-schedule for achieving and/or maintaining program-specific accreditation.

B1. Course-level assessment of GE goals is part of a regular evaluation cycle. An assessment of overall GE program goals was piloted winter semester 2006 and is now on-going. (See Academic Improvement 1A1.)

B2. Diversity is included in almost all GE categories. Courses under consideration for GE renewal are assessed in part relative to a diversity component. In addition, overall GE program assessment will determine whether the integrated category approach is effective in meeting diversity goals. (See Academic Improvement 1F2.)

C3. In AY 2005-06, study abroad participation increased by 19 students from the previous year, from 91 to 110 (+18%). Much of this increase is due to the greater number of short-term faculty-led study abroad experiences, which drew 78 students in AY 2005-06 as compared to 25 the previous year. (See Academic Improvement 1F3.)

D1. Curricular revisions from the following departments were ratified in December 2006: Art, Computer Science, Communication, Criminal Justice, Electrical & Computer Engineering, English, Law & Finance, Math, Modern Foreign Languages, Occupational Therapy, Political Science, and Teacher Education.

E1.

Arts & Behavioral Sciences: The CMM program was revised to offer two tracks—one in Human Communication and the other in Technical Communications. The MAS program was also revised and now includes a certificate in Workplace Conflict Resolution and a track in Student Services Administration. Both revisions were ratified by the faculty in December 2006, with implementation to begin by fall 2007.

Business: The MBA program is being revised, with approval expected no later than winter 2007 and implementation no later than fall 2007. In addition, the revised MBA program will include an elective Engineering/Technical Management cognate, with courses to be drawn from existing PMSE courses. (See SET below.)

Educational Leadership: A new Master’s degree in Principalship is being developed, with approval anticipated by winter 2007 and implementation to begin by fall 2007. This focused principalship program follows a national model and will be the first of its kind in Michigan. Program delivery will be flexible and convenient and will use a combination of hybrid, on-line, and summer institute instruction. Two cohorts will be established each year—one on the main campus and the other at Macomb.

Nursing & Health Sciences: A Master’s of Science in Health Leadership was approved in May 2006. The program will be implemented in fall 2007.

Science, Engineering & Technology: A Professional Master’s of Science and Engineering was approved in fall semester 2005. Due to enrollment conditions, the program will remain dormant. PMSE courses, however, will be used for the MBA Engineering/ Technical Management cognate. Most PMSE courses are suitable as currently configured; as many as three PMSE courses may need to be revised for the purposes of the MBA cognate. (See Business above.)

E2. The Task Force on International and Graduate Student Enrollment concluded its work in fall 2006. Programs were assessed for sustainability, and new graduate student enrollment goals were established. (See Enrollment Management 1A2 and 1A3.)

In general, the sustainability of several graduate programs will depend on a) increased recruitment and retention of international students and b) increased delivery of courses in on-line and hybrid formats:

a) In order to improve international graduate student enrollment and retention efforts, the Office of International Programs was reorganized with several new or redefined staff positions. The University also established a scholarship for international graduate students. In its inaugural year (AY 2007-08), eight awards at $6,000 will be offered to qualified students; the cost of these awards will be off-set by enrollment of seven new international students paying full tuition. (See Enrollment Management 1A1 and 2C1.)

b) For fall 2006, 11 graduate courses were offered completely on-line and seven courses were offered as hybrids. Faculty were provided tutorials as well as guidelines and manuals for the teaching of such courses. Group training has been scheduled for winter 2007. In addition, the new Department of Educational Technology & Development in the College of Education will begin offering the MAT in Instructional Technology entirely on-line as of fall semester 2007. (See Technology 1G2.)

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

A1. The Student Research & Creativity Institute Committee is being restructured to include additional members from ABS and SET. Application guidelines, publicity materials, and the web-page were revised for the second year of the program. The Institute was promoted through brochures, web-postings, the "CardsParty", and articles in on-campus publications. (See Community Relations 4A6.)

A2. The SRCI was funded at $50,000 for 2007.

A4. A front page news story in the Saginaw News, a comprehensive piece by TV-5, and other articles and pieces resulted from the media conference in February 2006. Several individual student projects by 2005-06 SRCI grant recipients were featured in more expansive stories throughout the year, and a successful media event took place upon completion of a student mural project. (See Academic Improvement 1D1 and Community Relations 4A6.)

A1. This fund was maintained as a budget item in the FY 2006-07 budget.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

A1. Total enrollment for fall semester 2006 was 9,543, a decrease of 26 students (-0.27%) from fall semester 2005 enrollment of 9,569 students. Fall 2006 credit hours were 104,545, an increase of 1,265 (+1.2%) from fall semester 2005 credit hours of 103,280. While enrollment increased in the total undergraduate, graduate, non-Education, and non-degree groups (+64, +0.88%; +28, +11.48%; +39, +18.06% respectively), declines continued in the graduate Education and teacher certification cohorts (-28, -1.71%; -101, -21.44%). However, the rate of decline in the graduate Education cohort was moderated by the enrollment of 42 more newly admitted students one year ago.

The teacher certification decline was consistent with projection. Total enrollment for winter semester 2007 was 9,216, an increase of 110 students (+1.2%) from the winter semester 2006 enrollment of 9,106. Winter 2007 credit hours were 98,588, an increase of 1,776 (+1.8%) from winter semester 2006 credit hours of 96,812.

(See Enrollment Management 2C1.)

Because growth in undergraduate and non-degree enrollment alone will not be sufficient to meet total enrollment goals, a number of steps have been taken to increase graduate enrollment:

a) The position of Associate Vice President for Program Development & Graduate Recruitment has been created, along with a new position of Graduate Recruitment Coordinator. Graduate student marketing materials have been revised and a new database/prospect list is being established. Revisions to several graduate programs have also been undertaken. (See Academic Improvement 3E2.)

b) Several new graduate enrollment initiatives are underway in the College of Education. These include extended advising and admissions office hours, adding registration dates, and improving web and print marketing materials.

c) Recruitment efforts are planned for several new international markets such as Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, with increased efforts planned for established markets such as China, Taiwan, and India. In addition, the University has established a scholarship for international undergraduate and graduate students. In its inaugural year (AY 2007- 08), five awards at $4,000 will be offered to qualified students on the undergraduate level; the cost of these awards will be off-set by enrollment of 20 new international undergraduate students paying full tuition. On the graduate level, eight awards at $6,000 will be available to qualified students; the expense of these scholarships will be recovered by an increase of seven new students paying full tuition. Foundation Scholarships or other grants will be available to international students not receiving the undergraduate and graduate scholarships described above. New or revised graduate program development is also underway to deepen markets for student recruitment. (See Academic Improvement 3E2.)

A2. Total Education graduate enrollment reached 1,382 in fall semester 2004, then increased to 1,522 in winter semester 2005 (+140 students, +10.13%). Job market conditions in K-12 schools in the region, however, have resulted in COE graduate enrollment declines to 1,394 in fall 2005 (-128 students,

-8.40%) to 1,376 in winter 2006 (-18 students,

-1.29%) and to 1,338 in fall 2006 (-38 students,

-2.76%). Winter 2007 enrollments were rebuilt to 1,408 (+70 students, +5.23%). It is anticipated that the development of a new Master’s degree in Principalship, the on-line delivery of the MAT in Instructional Technology, as well as new marketing and course delivery strategies, will result in additional rebuilding of enrollments. (See Academic Improvement 3E2 and Enrollment Management 1A1.)

A3. The table below lists fall 2006 enrollment in non-Education graduate programs and indicates numerical and percentage changes since fall semester 2005.

* First intake was in winter 2007.
^† First intake was in fall 2006.

The table below lists winter 2007 enrollment in non-Education graduate programs and indicates numerical and percentage changes compared to winter semester 2006.

* First intake was in winter 2007.
^† First intake was in fall 2006.

A4. The University continues to benchmark its tuition and fees with other selected Michigan public universities and remains the lowest of the 15 public state universities.

B1. In fall semester 2006, the on-campus residential student population rose to 2,040, an increase of 171 students over the fall semester 2005 population of 1,869. Residential facilities reached an occupancy rate of 102%. After completion of new housing projects, fall 2007 capacity will have increased to 2,200, with a projected occupancy of 2,196, or 99.8% of capacity.

A1. This goal has been achieved. For fall semester 2006, 42% of the first-time-in-college class had HSGPA’s of 3.5 or higher, as compared to 41% for the previous year’s class.

A2. The ACT composite score for entering freshmen for fall semester 2006 was 20.9, as compared to 21.1 for the previous year’s class. The average for the four-year public universities in Michigan for fall semester 2006 was 20.3. The national average for comparable institutions which reported composite scores for fall semester 2006 was 21.7. It should be noted, however, that there were only five such reporting institutions out of 22 comparable institutions. For these five institutions, the average minimum ACT composite score required for admission ranges from 18 to 22, as compared with the SVSU minimum requirement of 16 with a 2.5 or higher high school GPA.

A4. A total of 18 new endowed scholarships were established from 2004 to the present, and four new annual scholarships were added during that same time period. General fund scholarship support increased by 12.5% in FY 2006-07. Most of this increase was in merit-based awards.

B1. From 2001 to 2005, 12.49% of high school graduates from Bay, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola Counties were African American, Hispanic, and Native American students. During this same four-year period, 13.16% of SVSU’s undergraduate enrollment from these counties was comprised of a comparable minority student grouping.

C1. International student enrollment increased from 290 in fall semester 2005 to 360 in fall semester 2006 (+70, +24.13%). International student enrollment now comprises 3.77% of SVSU’s total enrollment.

Several initiatives are underway to increase international student enrollment beyond current levels:

a) The Office of International Programs has been reorganized and there are now several new or redefined staff positions, including a Special Assistant to the President, a recruiter and admissions counselor, a study-abroad coordinator, and an international student advisor/retention officer. In addition, OIP will enjoy the expertise of Dr. Robert S.P. Yien, who will serve as a special assistant to that office. (See Academic Improvement 3E2.)

b) Recruitment efforts for both undergraduate and graduate students are planned for several new international markets such as Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, with increased efforts planned for established markets such as China, Taiwan, and India. (See Enrollment Management 1A1.)

c) The University has established a $4,000 scholarship for international undergraduate students and a $6,000 for international graduate students. (See Academic Improvement 3E2 and Enrollment Management 1A1.)

d) New or revised graduate program development is also underway to deepen markets for student recruitment. (See Academic Improvement 3E1.)

A1. Completion rates for freshman students declined for the first time in four years, from 36.17% in fall semester 2005 to 33.59% in fall semester 2006

(-2.58% and graduating 13 fewer students than one year ago). The fall semester 2006 graduation rate is based on the six-year graduation rate of the entering freshman class of fall semester 2000. That class reported an initial first-year retention rate decline of 64.41% compared to 67.19% for the previous freshman class, a decline of 2.78%. The cumulative effect of that initial decline in the retention rate resulted in the current decline in the fall semester 2006 graduation rate. Completion rates for transfer students, however, continue to increase, from 44.3% in fall semester 2005 to 47.7% in fall semester 2006. The aggregate annual completion rate for these cohorts increased by .82% over the previous year

(-2.58% for freshmen and +3.40% for transfer students).

A2. This goal has been achieved. The University now utilizes the Federal Government graduation and retention rates, which have become the national standard for colleges and universities.

A3. A student satisfaction survey conducted during AY 2005-06 recorded improved satisfaction rates for the majority of offices. A satisfaction rate ranging from 82% to 94% was attained. Individual office evaluations continue to be administered to assess student satisfaction. (See Campus Culture 1E1.)

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

A2. ITS continues to consult with University clients on unused or underutilized features of the Colleague system.

A4. Through current technology, 100% of the service area is accessible. Sponsored Programs collaborates with Information Technology to secure grant funding to connect the service area with the campus, facilitating access to hybrid courses and professional development classes. Each grant has multiple partners within the University and in the twenty-two county service area. In addition, the FY 2006 grant applications resulted in one statewide partner and 22 regional partners.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

A1. The number of student volunteers in AY 2005-06 increased by 11.5% over the previous year (from 2,127 to 2,372).

A3. The Living Leadership program is in its third year and facilitates community service projects for 60 residential students. In addition, 26 students have been enrolled in AY 2006-07 in the MCC Americorp Scholarship program, which requires 300 hours of volunteer service per student. The total enrollment this year in the MCC program is expected to surpass last year’s total of 35 students. The Student Life Center’s student leadership program is being implemented this year and will include leadership internships hosted by the Board of Fellows and workshops to help students improve in key skill areas

A4. Manager training sessions on goal setting were first offered during spring 2006, with sessions building upon the goal-setting concept offered subsequently. A Leadership Development Program was initiated fall semester 2006. A "mission and vision" session will be scheduled for winter semester 2007. In addition, a Professional Improvement Committee was established and offered its first session in spring 2006. New sessions will target staff development interests that are connected to University goals. Job descriptions now include aspects of University goals to illustrate the connection between specific responsibilities and the overall success of the institution. An "SVSU Outstanding Performance Award" has been established for administrative professionals and staff. A request for nominations will be issued by January 2006. (See Community Relations 2A2.)

A5. This goal has been achieved. At an administrative and coaching staff retreat, the Athletic Department’s mission statement was revised and strategic goals were identified. It is anticipated that a three-year strategic plan for the Athletic Department will be developed in AY 2007-08, subsequent to the hiring of a new Athletic Director.

B1. These reports continue to be published annually and are either posted on the University website or directed to the appropriate unit or committee for action. Findings and results are periodically presented at Board of Control committee meetings. An example of this type of periodic report would be the Report of Disciplinary Referrals for 2005-06.

C1. A Healthy Wellness program was initiated in April 2006, with more than 200 employees participating in the event. Monthly Wellness Workshops have been held on a variety of topics and various incentives for improvements in healthy living have been offered. A "Battle of the Valleys" Step Challenge to increase physical activity was promoted and a smoking cessation program has been offered to all employees. Other initiatives include offering biometric testing and health risk assessments, establishing a health and fitness program, and forming walking groups for the spring and summer.

C2. During AY 2005-06, the number of students attending alcohol and substance abuse prevention programs increased 160% over the previous year, from 2,251 to 5,866 student participants.

D1. A "Dances of India" program was presented in 2006 for the third consecutive year. In April 2006, the yearly Intercultural Night was performed by 60 international students representing 16 countries. More than 300 faculty, staff, and students were in attendance. Through collaborative efforts of the International Club and the Office of International Programs, the International Food Festival was held in November 2006, with approximately 600-700 people participating in the annual event. Other annual programs such as the Fall Focus Lecture Series, the Knowing Our World Symposium, and the KCP Visiting Professors Program include international and multi-cultural aspects and have been well attended.

D3. The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Initiative began its second year in 2006 with the participation of 17 local high schools sending 51 students to interact with 41 SVSU mentors. The cohorts will be involved in campus leadership events, service projects, and professional development seminars.

D4. In 2006, the Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award was presented to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Yien for their efforts to diversity the campus through international faculty and student recruitment and for establishing the King/Chavez/Parks programs at SVSU. The Diversity Circles Award was created in fall 2006 to recognize faculty, staff, and students who have participated in a five-week diversity awareness course. The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute Celebration in June 2007 will recognize faculty, students, and staff for volunteer activities.

F1. Several alumni events have been scheduled to increase involvement. These events include Law Awareness Day, Disability Day, and a mentoring program. The Alumni Board has been included in Board of Fellows meetings and attendance at the Alumni Celebration/Awards Banquet increased from 125 in 2004 to 268 in 2005 (+114.4%). Local donor events have also included alumni.

F2. This goal has been achieved. A Commuter Student Advisory Board has been established and meets monthly. Recommendations of the Advisory Board have led to several initiatives, such as scheduling more events during daytime hours for the convenience of commuters.

A1. The Ryder Center (Cardinal Gym) renovation was completed in summer 2005. The Ryder Center Natatorium was completed in early 2006. The Doan Dining Center renovation and the new Einstein Eatery facility were completed by the beginning of fall semester 2005.

A2. The Wickes Stadium Seating Capacity expansion project was completed on time and prior to the beginning of the 2005 football season. The Pioneer Hall expansion and renovation project design is underway, with the completion of the construction anticipated for August 2007.

A3. Design work has been completed on the landscape master plan. Selected projects will begin in spring 2007.

A4. The new north pond at the main entrance was completed in late 2005 and a new main irrigation line was extended in fall 2006 from the new pond to the main campus to save on utility costs. Renovation of the Old Theatre was completed in May 2006, which allowed the Engineering programs from Pioneer Hall to be relocated temporarily. The Concessions Building and plaza project near Wickes Stadium was completed during fall 2006, with construction of the softball/baseball complex scheduled for completion in March 2007. Several Ryder Center locker rooms were reconfigured and renovated during the summer and fall of 2006. Parking lots J-4 and F were resurfaced during the summer of 2006.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

INITIATIVES

ACTIONS

PROGRESS

A1. Public Affairs convened meetings with units involved with campus programs and events. A sub-committee was formed to identify an appropriate tracking and benchmarking process, with the Conference & Events Center discussed as the probable central organization for this process.

A3. The Cardinalis editorial board solicited comments regarding the content and orientation of the journal and has modified the journal to include more articles by faculty and staff and fewer interviews with visiting scholars. The position of editor is now on a rotational basis, with the current editor the first from a department other than English.

A4. SVSU faculty and staff serve on numerous community arts, cultural, and educational boards including the Saginaw Arts & Enrichment Commission, the Bay Arts Council, and the Midland Center for the Arts Board. Faculty in the College of Education have also served on local school boards. Collaborative efforts between the University and relevant community organizations included an advertising exchange with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and with the Saginaw Choral Society, "Inside the Music" lectures with the SBSO, a "Saints, Sinners, and Spaetzle" fund-raising event for the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum, new marketing materials for the Musical Artist-in-Residence program, and a cultural calendar in Interlude magazine. In addition, a Dow Visiting Scholar lecture was scheduled in the morning to accommodate high school civics classes.

A5. As of June 30, 2006, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (formerly known as the Institute for Learning in Retirement) had 694 members. This was a 14% increase in membership from June 30, 2004 when the OLLI had 607 members. Due to this growth beyond initial expectations, a director was appointed to oversee OLLI activities.

A6. The Fall Focus on "The Challenge of Religion" involved seven major lectures and drew on Dow Scholars lectures, the Edwards Lecture, the Center for Politics & Public Policy symposium, and the Hoffmann/Willertz Lecture. Attendance was high at all events. The Division of Student Services & Enrollment Management reports that 99% of its AP staff has attended a campus program or event during fall semester 2005 or winter semester 2006. Several actions have been taken for 2nd/3rd shift employees, including increased dissemination of information about campus programming, flexible scheduling for event attendance, creating opportunities to change to first shift for summer projects, inclusion on planning committees, and offering information sessions on job benefits during shift hours.

A1. The Government Relations Office has created opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to interact with Federal, State, and local business and government leaders. Examples would be the annual Board of Fellows Legislative Luncheon and the campaign 2006 candidate debates on campus. In addition, the new Center for Politics & Public Policy has brought several legislators to campus for debates, lectures, and other presentations. Student staff writers for the Valley Vanguard regularly attend local government meetings. Human Resources has promoted civic engagement through its newsletter and the United Way campaign. In addition, Human Resources assists community organizations to identify SVSU faculty and staff who can serve as program speakers. The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute celebration in June 2007 will recognize faculty, students, and staff for volunteer activities. (See Campus Culture 1A2 and 1D4.)

A2. In 2006, the Roosevelt Ruffin Diversity Award was presented to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Yien for their efforts to diversity the campus through international faculty and student recruitment and for establishing the King/Chavez/Parks programs at SVSU. The Diversity Circles Award was created in fall 2006 to recognize faculty, staff, and students who have participated in a five-week diversity awareness course. The Saginaw County Youth Leadership Institute Celebration in June 2007 will recognize faculty, students, and staff for volunteer activities. An "SVSU Outstanding Performance Award" has been established for administrative professionals and staff. A request for nominations will be issued by January 2006. Additionally, new ways to recognize exemplary faculty and staff volunteer activities are being considered. (See Campus Culture 1A4.)

A2. The maximum allowable number of charter schools has been reached. However, enrollment in SVSU charter schools continues to increase. Enrollment increased in the September 2005 headcount by 1,131 students, or 17%.

A1. This is SVSU is published annually and Reflections magazine is now published twice a year. The 2006 "Viewbook" was improved by inclusion of a "visit" card for prospective students. A specialized "Viewbook" was created for International Programs. A new Cardinal logo was created; advertising initiatives continue in core and expanded recruitment areas.

Components of an integrated marketing plan include a communications audit, graphic standards, branding, advertising, media relations, and web marketing:

• Advertising: In 2005, U-Comm created a focused advertising plan with a balanced mix of media—outdoor, print, web marketing, television, and radio.

• Media Relations: A media relations/communi-cations advisory panel has been established to provide insight into media strategies and to improve the flow of communications within the institution.

• Web Marketing: The University homepage was redesigned to target prospective students as the principal audience by adding an undergraduate admissions spotlight and rotating profiles of students, faculty, and alumni. All second-tier navigation pages were restructured for ease of operation.

A5. News coverage within the local market remains strong, and news articles about the University appear with increasing frequency in identified target markets. Coverage in Genesee County news outlets has been particularly strong. A crisis communication plan was developed in 2005 and is being coordinated with University Police crisis planning. A media advisory committee with representatives from principal campus units has been formed and meets monthly during the academic year.

A2. The Foundation Investment Committee has engaged an independent investment advisor and will consider new strategies to improve the investment performance of the endowment portfolio. The silent phase of the Promise for Tomorrow campaign has been completed and solicitation has begun in the Major Gifts Division. Since July 1, 2001, a total of $16,488,638

for new and existing endowments has been raised towards the goal of $20,000,000, and 100% participation from the Board of Control and the SVSU Foundation Board has been achieved. This total includes the following major endowments:

• Allen Foundation Research Endowment ($1 million)

• Kresge II Challenge Endowment ($1.3 million)

• Field Endowed Chair in Health Sciences ($1.5 million)

• Spicer Endowed Chair in Engineering ($1.5 million)

• Gerstacker Fellowship Program ($1.5 million)

• Braun Fellowship Program ($1.5 million)

• Entrepreneurship Institute ($2 million)

• Schlicker Scholarship Endowment ($1.2 million)

A3. In consultation with Ketchum and financial advisors, a program is being developed. An advisory group of ten people has been established; two planned giving seminars have been conducted at SVSU. A donor recognition society entitled Creating the Future Society has been established.

A4. In 2006, regularly scheduled alumni events have shown increased participation over the previous year. Attendance at the Alumni Celebration increased from 268 in 2005 to 420 in 2006 (+57%); the number of participants in the Becker Scholarship Golf Outing increased from 112 in 2005 to 131 in 2006 (+17%), earning net proceeds of $10,000; attendance at the Family Fun Day increased from 40 in 2005 to 220 in 2006 (+450% and at the Homecoming Tailgate from 150 in 2005 to 255 in 2006 (+70%). A number of alumni events were inaugurated in 2006: the Lansing Area Alumni Event, the Tri-County Alumni After Hours, and the Alumni Authors Event. To improve visibility and communication, the monthly "Featured Alum" program was continued with the Board of Fellows, Alumni Board members participated in Board of Fellows meetings, and the quarterly alumni electronic newsletter was sent to more than 10,000 alumni, an increase of 1,300 e-mailings (+15%) over the previous year.

In addition, Reflections magazine was mailed to more than 2,000 alumni, and more than one-third of the magazine’s space was devoted to alumni issues. Total annual alumni giving increased from $75,881 in 2005 to $104,449 in 2006 (+38%) and Alumni Association membership is 1,587 for fall 2006. While this appears as a decrease of 319 members from fall 2005 (-20.1%), the method of determining Alumni Association status was changed in 2006 and is now based on payment of annual dues rather than a one-time minimum gift. The change makes it difficult to compare fall 2006 membership data with fall 2005 data. (See Community Relations 5A5.)

A5. In consultation with Ketchum and Milko & Associates, a number of initiatives to increase Annual Fund giving were undertaken. These include identifying Steering Committee members for personal solicitation of prospective donors, a student "Thank-a-Thon" and Alumni Phonothon held partially on campus with student callers, and increasing the number of fall solicitations from 4,500 in 2005 to 40,000 in 2006. The 2006 Annual Fund raised $441,350 from 1,326 donors as compared to the 2005 Annual Fund, which raised $438,584 from 1,412. However, on the advice of Ketchum, several substantial changes to the administration of the Annual Fund have been made, such as no longer including Alumni Association membership payments and changing from a January 31 to June 30 fiscal year end. As a result, exact comparisons cannot be made. (See Community Relations 5A4.)

A1. In 2006, the University received a Federal earmark for $100,000 to further develop the Crisis Intervention Center.

A2. The University received a 5.0% increase in State appropriations for 2006.

A3. Kochville Township leaders meet regularly with University Staff to discuss public safety, water and sewer issues, and future campus plans.