MISSION AND PURPOSE
Offering dynamic programs in the arts and humanities, natural and social sciences, and professional studies, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania prepares our students for successful lives and careers. As an inclusive public institution, Mansfield University provides our students with a welcoming environment, individualized attention, and meaningful opportunities to learn and grow within and beyond the classroom. Through the Mansfield experience, our students develop the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to achieve their educational and career goals.
VISION
Mansfield University will be the leading higher education institution in the region.
We will strive to:
- Provide students with the richest possible educational experience in a supportive environment.
- Nurture the whole student through an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming community.
- Develop academic programs that meet the needs of regional, state, and global communities.
- Collaborate with other educational institutions to achieve mutual goals and expand student opportunities.
MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY’S STRATEGIC PLAN
2015-2020
As the life cycle of the current institutional strategic plan comes to an end, Mansfield University finds itself in a time of transition. At the state level, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is undergoing a redesign process that will necessitate aligning the university’s strategic priorities with those of the system, particularly as these relate to Student Success, University Success, and “Systemness.” At the institutional level, we completed the revision of our mission and vision statements in Fall 2018. Given these circumstances, and after review by the Strategic Plan subcommittee of the University-Wide Assessment Committee, the University-Wide Assessment Committee itself, and the President’s Cabinet, Mansfield University’s Strategic Plan was modified effective Spring 2019. Listed below are the initiatives that remain active as we transition to a new strategic plan for the university.
GOAL 1: STUDENT SUCCESS
OBJECTIVE 1.1: MAINTAIN QUALITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Initiative 1.1.1: Use documented results of formative and summative assessments to improve continuously all MU programs, services, and activities.
Initiative 1.1.2: Cultivate undergraduate and graduate programs that highlight Mansfield’s distinctiveness.
Initiative 1.1.4: Integrate high-impact practices, such as service learning, research, internships, and hands-on learning into all areas of study.
OBJECTIVE 1.2: DEVELOP MANSFIELD'S IDENTITY
Initiative 1.2.2: Promote the development of the whole student by emphasizing the values of the Mansfield Creed as a foundation for personalized education.
Initiative 1.2.3: Increase the percentage of students who pursue post-graduate education or are employed in a chosen field.
GOAL 2: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE 2.1: REVIEW AND REBALANCE STUDENT ENROLLMENT
Initiative 2.1.2: Increase four- and six-year graduation rates.
Initiative 2.1.3: Increase retention rates.
Initiative 2.1.4: Increase the diversity profile of incoming students.
Initiative 2.1.5: Strategically increase overall student enrollment to sustain fiscal integrity and academic quality.
Initiative 2.1.6: Maintain and improve the affordability of a Mansfield education.
OBJECTIVE 2.2: CLEARLY LINK RESOURCES TO UNIVERSITY MISSION
Initiative 2.2.1: Institute a transparent and participatory budget process that aligns resources with University needs as assessed.
Initiative 2.2.2: Achieve efficiencies through streamlined processes and improved communications.
Initiative 2.2.3: Identify, promote, implement, and effectively use up-to-date technologies.
Initiative 2.2.4: Maintain, enhance, and utilize attractive, efficient, and functional spaces for learning and working environments.
Initiative 2.2.5: Increase private and philanthropic support annually.
Initiative 2.2.6: Develop policies and procedures for achieving and documenting connections between strategic planning, resource allocation, and institution-wide assessment.
GOAL 3: STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT
OBJECTIVE 3.1: ATTRACT AND RETAIN AN ENGAGED, TALENTED, AND DIVERSE WORK FORCE
Initiative 3.1.1: Become an employer of choice.
Initiative 3.1.2: Recognize the success of staff and faculty who typify our Creed in the performance of their duties on campus and in support of our surrounding communities.
Initiative 3.1.3: Promote employee engagement with students.
Initiative 3.1.4: Increase support for the ongoing professional development of our employees.
OBJECTIVE 3.2: BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS
Initiative 3.2.1: Match student service learning projects with community needs and programs.
Initiative 3.2.2: Seek opportunities for students to participate in experiential learning with community partners.
Initiative 3.2.3: Emphasize and track community involvement in the life of the university and embrace relationships with organizations in the area.
OBJECTIVE 3.3: FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF RESPECT FOR CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
Initiative 3.3.1: Update the university-wide diversity plan.
Initiative 3.3.2: Increase the number of international students on campus and the number of MU students studying abroad.
OBJECTIVE 3.4: ENGAGE IN A UNIVERSITY-WIDE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
Initiative 3.4.2: Identify and communicate assessment timelines and accountability roles throughout the institution.
Initiative 3.4.3: Develop, implement, and document policies and procedures for tracking and monitoring the strategic plan to ensure that key performance indicators exist, are measurable, and have baselines and benchmarks.