2. ii
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
BY BUILDING CAPACITY
Strategic Plan, 2011-2015
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Strategic planning represents a significant opportunity for Dominican University of
California to engage in institutional transformation and renewal. We believe that, at
this stage in Dominican’s institutional development, building, strengthening, redefining,
and sustaining capacity and agility are the most important ingredients for institutional
ascendancy. Capacity building strengthens infrastructures, programs, systems, policies,
procedures and practices that support and sustain the University’s mission. Strategic
plans provide a map of Dominican’s desired future; capacity building ensures a strong
and sustainable institution as an outcome.
This Strategic Plan is the result of hundreds of hours of engaged participation by
students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees. Some of its proposed strategies
were apparent early in the process, others developed later, and still others represent
compromises between what would be ideal and what is currently feasible in light of
available resources. A common thread in all strategies is their contribution to the
defining characteristic of the basis of Dominican’s sustainable competitive advantage:
innovative, value-added education and memorable student experiences.
By 2015, we envision Dominican as having enrolled 2,600 students, with the new
students attracted primarily to our Pathways, graduate and teaching credential,
international, and online programs. We envision that most of our students will have
Dominican as their school of first choice, that nearly all of them will have been
attracted to Dominican because of its reputation for student learning outcomes and
engaged learning experiences. Average graduation rates will be in the top tier among
peer institutions. We will have achieved these as a direct result of the strategic
investments that we will make in our workforce, our programs and processes, and our
facilities. Through a net cumulative contribution of close to $10 million to the University’s
reserves, the Strategic Plan will be the roadmap for achieving a financially sustainable
university that is fully prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century.
3. iii
STRATEGIC PLAN OUTLINE
1. Introduction
2. Guiding Premises
a. Mission
b. Core Values
c. Vision
3. Themes, Goals, and Strategies
a. Vision Themes
b. Key Performance Indicators
c. Strategic Initiatives
4. Means and Resources to Implement Strategies
a. Action Plan Highlights
b. Strategic Financial Plan Highlights
5. Moving from Plan to Implementation
a. Responsibility Center Management
b. System of Performance and Accountability Reviews
6. Next Steps
7. Appendices
a. Description of the Strategic Planning Process
b. Lessons Learned from Peer, Competitor, and Aspirant Institutions
c. Strategic Planning Committee
4. 1
INTRODUCTION
We are in a time of significant change. We are preparing our students for careers that
do not yet exist. The dilemmas we confront, the workforces that organizations will have,
the technologies we use, and our organizational lives will change sharply in the coming
decades. We must ensure that the University is prepared to deliver to our students the
competencies that are uniquely suited to tomorrow’s workplace. In addition to these
new demands, our students will continue to demand top value for their money by
expecting the same innovative academic programs, well-trained faculty, state-of-the-
art facilities and the organizational efficiency that are offered by comparatively-priced
yet better-endowed universities.
Strategic planning represents a significant opportunity for Dominican to engage in
institutional transformation and renewal. It is the only way to survive, flourish, live the
mission, and deliver the promise of education that Dominican’s founders first envisioned
when our institution was established in 1890. The University’s prior strategic planning
efforts had sought to ensure the continued viability of the University, but had also led to
capital improvements such as the Conlan Recreation Center and the Science and
Technology Center. The current strategic planning process has sought to be inclusive in
terms of stakeholder involvement and data-driven in methodological approach. The
process as implemented did live up to this promise.
We began the strategic planning process with the end in view of identifying “blue
ocean” opportunities that will define the future scope and mix of Dominican’s programs
and offerings. The planning process included affirmations, discoveries, and lessons
learned. We affirmed that the most important definition of Dominican’s success is when
students achieve dramatic increases in intellectual awareness, professional
competence, and ethical sensitivity. Simply stated, the most important ingredients that
make or break Dominican’s success consist of innovative, value-added education and
memorable student experiences.
The Strategic Plan (SP) should focus on our discovery that building, strengthening,
redefining, and sustaining capacity and agility—a capacity for faster and more flexible
responses to the needs of your students and stakeholders—are the most important
ingredients for institutional ascendancy. Capacity building is a systematic, intentional
and strategic process that results in the strengthening of infrastructures, programs,
systems, policies, procedures and practices that support and sustain the University’s
mission. The current SP embodies goals and strategies that seek to empower the
University community through capacity building, unleash ability through accountability,
and build agility and innovativeness to align mission and vision, thereby enabling the
5. 2
University to gain a sustainable competitive advantage and setting the stage to a
higher level of excellence and competitiveness.
Capacity building will result in an authentic and ongoing transformation of Dominican
University of California. Through this process, we will shape our future and transform
Dominican from a “developing university” to a competitive and sustainable university
and confidently face the educational challenges of the 21st century.
6. 3
GUIDING PREMISES
Mission
Dominican University of California educates and prepares students to be ethical
leaders and socially-responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values
of study, reflection, community, and service into their lives.
Guided by its Catholic heritage, the University is committed to diversity, sustainability,
and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences, and professional programs.
Core Values
Since its founding in 1890, Dominican has embraced four core values:
• Study – Development of the human intellect based on seeking truth with the
goal of sharing knowledge with others.
• Reflection – Knowledge of self and greater understanding through the study of
one’s place in the world.
• Community – Development of one’s role as an active, contributing member in
the world-at-large.
• Service – Responding to the needs of others locally and globally.
Vision
Dominican University of California will be internationally recognized for its innovative,
value-added education and memorable student experiences.
7. 4
THEMES, GOALS, AND STRATEGIES
Vision Themes
To achieve our vision, we use a strategic planning and management framework that is
based on a hierarchy of three elements: vision themes, key performance goals, and
strategic initiatives. The hierarchy begins at the highest level with the following nine
vision themes:
• Vision Theme 1: Financially Sustainable University
• Vision Theme 2: Reputation for Academic Excellence
• Vision Theme 3: Engaged Students and Alumni
• Vision Theme 4: Student Intellectual and Personal Growth
• Vision Theme 5: Innovations in Academic Programs
• Vision Theme 6: Motivated and Developed Faculty and Staff Aligned with
Institutional Need
• Vision Theme 7: State-of-the-Art Facilities and Processes
• Vision Theme 8: Visionary, Effective, and Mission-Driven Leadership and Culture
• Vision Theme 9: School of First Choice for Students
8. 5
At the core of our strategic planning are mission, vision, and core values that
collectively drive growth and guide a visionary and effective leadership. A mission-
driven leadership and culture create and sustain a motivated and developed faculty
and staff that are closely aligned to institutional need. A visionary leadership and
culture also enable the offering of state-of-the-art facilities and processes that enhance
the delivery of education, facilitate research, and enable a secure and creative
learning environment. Because of our investments in our workforce, we are able to
create innovative academic programs in response to global demand, expanded
delivery options, and new opportunities. The combined contributions of effective
leadership, engaged faculty and staff, innovative programs, and state-of-the-art
facilities and processes result in student development that encompasses intellectual,
physical, and spiritual growth. Student intellectual and personal growth, coupled with
innovations in academic programs, creates a basis for a sustainable reputation for
academic excellence and memorable student experiences. Dominican’s reputation
for academic excellence, memorable student experiences, and engaged students
and alumni as a result of strategic partnerships eventually makes it attractive to
prospective students as a school of first choice and to prospective financial supporters
who subscribe to the same educational ideals. The end result is financial sustainability
that enables Dominican to pursue more aggressively its educational mission.
Our work is aligned under these nine vision themes. Each of our vision themes is further
defined by key performance goals and strategic initiatives. The key performance
goals, which consist of key performance indicators and annual performance
projections, provide progressively more detailed descriptions of what we plan to
achieve. Each strategic initiative outlines a body of work that supports one or more key
performance goals. The key performance goals and strategic initiatives described later
in this strategic plan cover areas in which we plan to complete work by the end of fiscal
year 2015.
Key Performance Indicators
To assess our progress toward achieving our vision, we will use a variety of key
performance indicators, which are the quantitative measures described in Table 1. We
set annual performance goals for all of these key performance indicators and we will
compare our actual performance with the goals. Collectively, these key performance
indicators help demonstrate the degree to which we will achieve the various
measurable components that comprise our vision.
9. 6
TABLE 1
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Vision Theme Key Performance Indicator
(1) Financially
Sustainable
University
Number of Students (headcount)
Total Expenses
Net Operating Income
Tuition Discount Rate
• Freshman Tuition Discount Rate
• Overall Tuition Discount Rate
Percentage of Operating Funds Allocated to Scholar-
ships and Financial Aid
Percentage of Operating Budget Attributed to
Contributed Revenue
(2) Reputation for
Academic
Excellence
Average Bachelor’s Six-Year Graduation Rate
Percentage of Full-time Faculty with Doctorates
WASC Accreditation without Concerns
Percentage of Degree Programs that are Nationally
Accredited
Net Promoter Score (percentage of promoters minus
percentage of detractors)
Overall Student Satisfaction:
• Undergraduate Day Students
• Adult and Postgraduate Students
(3) Engaged Students
and Alumni
Alumni Giving Rate (% and $)
Percentage of Graduating Students with At Least Three
Engaged Learning Experiences (e.g., Internship, Service
Learning, Study Abroad, Student/Faculty Research)
Percentage of Graduating Students Having Participated
in Study-Abroad Programs
(4) Student
Intellectual and
Personal Growth
Graduates Employed or Admitted to Graduate School
Within 90 Days of Graduation
Overall Retention Rate (Fall to Fall)
Graduating Students’ Passing Rate in Exit Tests
Overall Student Satisfaction with Instruction:
• Undergraduate Day Students
• Adult and Postgraduate Students
Overall Student Satisfaction with Academic Advising and
Support Services:
• Undergraduate Day Students
• Adult and Postgraduate Students
(5) Innovations in
Academic
Programs
Percentage of Gross Revenue Attributed to New
Programs
(6) Motivated and
Developed
Faculty and Staff
Voluntary Attrition by Faculty and Staff (%)
Percentage of Full-Time Faculty Among Full-Time-
Equivalent (FTE) Faculty
10. 7
Vision Theme Key Performance Indicator
Aligned with
Institutional Need
Percentage of FTE Faculty with Research, Scholarly
Works, and Creative Activity Products
(7) Best-in-Class
Facilities and
Processes
Graduating Students' Satisfaction with Facilities and
Technology:
• Undergraduate Day Students
• Adult and Postgraduate Students
Carbon Footprint (kilotons of CO2 emissions)
(8) Visionary,
Effective, and
Mission-Driven
Leadership and
Culture
Total Score on Higher Education Insight Survey
(Climate/Engagement Assessment) in Chronicle of
Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work for”
• Career Development, Research & Scholarship
• Collaboration
• Internal Communications
• Compensation & Benefits
• Connection to Institution & Pride
• Facilities & Security
• Faculty, Administration & Staff Relations
• Fairness
• Job Satisfaction/Support
• Participation in College Governance
• Policies, Resources & Efficiency
• Respect & Appreciation
• Confidence in Senior Leadership
• Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship
• Teaching Environment
(9) School of First
Choice for
Students
Percentage of Undergraduate Day Students Listing
Dominican as First Choice (based on the annual Student
Satisfaction Inventory)
Percentage of Students from Overseas
Number of Top-3 Athletic Teams in the Conference
Athletes' Six-Year Graduation Rate
We will publish annual performance and accountability reports that describe our
progress in achieving our key performance goals. We will continue to refine our
measures, working toward a balanced set of measures that evaluate performance
based on four key perspectives: our results, our students and stakeholders, our faculty
and staff, and our internal operations.
This performance measurement approach recognizes that investments in our intangible
assets—faculty and staff, data bases, and information technologies—are as critical to
its success as our tangible assets—physical assets and access to capital. Thus, the
balanced approach to measuring performance will supplement measures of the
outcomes of our mission accomplishment with other measures that indicate, for
example, how well we are developing, nurturing, and mobilizing our faculty and staff to
accomplish the mission of the University.
11. 8
Strategic Initiatives
This section describes our key performance goals and enumerates our strategic
initiatives that we will implement over a multiyear period to accomplish our key
performance goals. For each strategic initiative, we indicate the member of the
University’s senior leadership team who will be accountable for ensuring that the
strategic initiative is being implemented and resourced as planned.
Vision Theme 1: Financially Sustainable University
Financial sustainability, supported by effective fundraising and diversity in revenue
stream, will support delivery of Dominican's mission. We will track our progress toward
achieving financial sustainability by monitoring our accomplishment of the following
annual performance goals:
Key Performance
Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Size (student
headcount)*
2,039 2,109 2,189 2,239 2,439 2,639
Total Expenses ($1,000) 46,949 49,596 51,956 54,190 57,860 61,319
Net Operating Income**
($1,000)
1,173 652 952 1,094 4,273 8,657
Freshman Tuition
Discount Rate
43% 43% 42% 41% 41% 40%
Overall Tuition Discount
Rate
33% 33% 32% 31% 31% 30%
Operating Funds as % of
Scholarships and
Financial Aid
23% 22% 22% 21% 21% 20%
Contributed Revenue as
% of Operating Budget
6% 7% 7% 8% 9% 10%
*Degree-seeking students at census
**Includes baseline contingency of $923,046
We will implement the following strategic initiatives in order to accomplish the above
key performance goals:
• Increase the enrollment and retention of Pathways, graduate, teaching
credential, and international students. Accountable
• Offer more degree and continuing education programs in an online delivery
format.
: Executive Vice
President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable: Deans
12. 9
• Actively engage Trustees, alumni, University leadership, faculty, and
appropriate staff in the cultivation and stewardship of prospective and
current donors. Accountable
• Complete fund-raising for and construction of our major capital projects:
Dominican Heritage and Alumni House (Edgehill Mansion), Field of Dreams,
and Albertus Magnus.
: Vice President for External Relations
Accountable
Vision Theme 2: Reputation for Academic Excellence
: Vice President for External Relations
Dominican will be recognized for its excellence and distinctiveness in producing
students who achieve dramatic increases in intellectual awareness, professional
competence, and ethical sensitivity while having memorable and life-transforming
experiences. We will track our progress toward building a reputation for academic
excellence by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance
goals:
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Six-Year Graduation Rate 45% 48% 52% 56% 60% 65%
Full-time Faculty with
Doctoral Degrees
76% 77% 78% 79% 79% 80%
WASC Accreditation without
Concerns
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Percentage of Degree
Programs that are Nationally
Accredited
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Net Promoter Score -7% -2% 1% 4% 7% 10%
Overall Satisfaction of
Undergraduate Day
Students
70% 72% 74% 75% 77% 78%
Overall Satisfaction of Adult
and Postgraduate Students
79% 80% 81% 81% 82% 82%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Redesign and offer an institution-wide undergraduate First-Year Experience
and General Education Program, with clearly defined responsible units.
Accountable
• Obtain specialized programmatic accreditation in business administration
(Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).
: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable:
Dean of the School of Business and Leadership
13. 10
• Conduct feasibility study for national programmatic accreditation and, if
appropriate to proceed, develop accreditation plans for the following
programs:
− Art and graphic art (National Association of Schools of Art and Design)
− Communication (Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and
Mass Communications)
− Counseling psychology (American Association for Marriage and Family
Therapy)
− Dance (National Association of Schools of Dance)
− Education (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education)
− Music (National Association of Schools of Music).
Accountable
• Expand and modernize library resources and services.
: Deans of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences;
and School of Education and Counseling Psychology
Accountable
• Encourage commitment of Dominican faculty engagement with students in
and beyond the classroom.
:
Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable
Vision Theme 3: Engaged Students and Alumni
: Deans
Engaged students will result in engaged and supportive alumni. To increase the level of
student and alumni engagement, Dominican will embrace strategic partnerships and
community outreach. We will track our progress toward creating engaged students
and alumni by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance
goals:
14. 11
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Alumni Giving Rate 9% 12% 14% 15% 18% 20%
Graduating Students with At
Least Three Engaged
Learning Experiences
50% 62% 69% 77% 85% 95%
Graduating Students Having
Participated in Study-Abroad
Programs
12% 17% 19% 23% 27% 31%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Design and implement a comprehensive program to ensure that all graduating
bachelor’s students have had at least three engaged learning experiences and
50% of graduating master’s students have had at least one engaged learning
experience. Engaged learning experiences include:
− Internships
− Service-learning
− Study abroad
− Undergraduate or graduate student research with faculty.
Accountable
• Implement Alumni Mentorship and Discovery Project, and externships, thereby
creating a base of engaged alumni who would become volunteers and
supporters.
: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable
Vision Theme 4: Student Intellectual and Personal Growth
: Vice President for External Relations
Student development will encompass intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth. We
will track our progress toward ensuring student intellectual and personal growth by
monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:
15. 12
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Graduates Employed or
Admitted to Graduate
School Within 90 Days of
Graduation
50% 62% 69% 77% 85% 95%
Overall Retention Rate (Fall
to Fall)
83% 83% 84% 85% 86% 87%
Graduating Students’
Passing Rate in Exit Tests
70% 76% 79% 83% 86% 90%
Overall Student Satisfaction
with Instruction
(Undergraduate Day)
78% 79% 80% 81% 81% 82%
Overall Student Satisfaction
with Instruction (Adult and
Postgraduate)
83% 83% 83% 84% 84% 84%
Overall Student Satisfaction
with Academic Advising and
Support Services
(Undergraduate Day)
80% 81% 81% 82% 82% 83%
Overall Student Satisfaction
with Academic Advising and
Support Services (Adult and
Postgraduate)
77% 79% 79% 80% 81% 82%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Redesign system for career and life planning, internship, and placement
assistance to ensure that all students have had at least two internships and at
least three competitive job offers or graduate school admission offers by the time
of graduation. Accountable
• Design, develop, and implement Student Center, living-learning communities,
and opportunities for well-rounded university life, thereby promoting total
wellness through the integration of the academic, spiritual, social, emotional,
and physical dimensions of student lives.
: Vice President for Enrollment Management
Accountable: Vice President for
Student Life
16. 13
Vision Theme 5: Innovations in Academic Programs
Innovative academic programs will form in response to global demand, expanded
delivery options, and new opportunities. We will track our progress toward launching
innovations in academic programs by monitoring our accomplishment of the following
annual performance goals:
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Revenue from New
Programs as a Percentage
of Gross Revenue
7% 9% 10% 11% 12% 14%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Conduct feasibility studies and, as appropriate, develop and deploy market
expansion strategies to offer selected business programs and offerings in off-
campus and international locations. Accountable
• Conduct feasibility studies and marketability assessments and, as appropriate,
develop and introduce innovative and new academic programs in the following
areas:
: Dean of the School of
Business and Leadership
− Environmental Analysis (School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)
− Autism, Speech and Language, Marriage and Family Therapy, Pupil
Personnel Services Credential (School of Education and Counseling
Psychology)
− Actuarial Science, Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science, Health Science,
Health Information Management, Professional Science Master’s (School of
Health and Natural Sciences)
Accountable: Dean, School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Dean,
School of Education and Counseling Psychology; Dean, School of Health and
Natural Sciences
17. 14
Vision Theme 6: Motivated and Developed Faculty and Staff Aligned with Institutional
Need
A motivated and developed faculty and staff will be sustained and closely aligned to
institutional need. We will track our progress toward achieving, building and sustaining
a motivated and developed workforce by monitoring our accomplishment of the
following annual performance goals:
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Voluntary Attrition by Faculty
and Staff
6% 6% 6% 5% 5% 5%
Full-Time Faculty as % of Full-
Time-Equivalent (FTE) Faculty
50% 53% 58% 63% 69% 72%
FTE Faculty with Research,
Scholarly Works, and
Creative Activity Products
50% 58% 63% 68% 74% 80%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Recruit and retain a diverse, highly qualified, and student-centered full-time
faculty to support programs that demonstrate quality, centrality to the mission,
and demand. Accountable
• Design and implement faculty workload tracks—teaching, research and
creative activity, and service—with clear deliverables to foster a high-perfor-
mance environment.
: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic
Officer
Accountable
Vision Theme 7: State-of-the-Art Facilities and Processes
: Executive Vice President and Chief
Academic Officer
State-of-the-art facilities and processes will enhance the delivery of education,
facilitate research and creative activity, and offer a secure and creative learning
environment. We will track our progress toward offering state-of-the-art facilities and
processes by monitoring our accomplishment of the following annual performance
goals:
18. 15
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Graduating Students'
Satisfaction with Facilities
and Technology
(Undergraduate Day)
77% 78% 79% 80% 81% 81%
Graduating Students'
Satisfaction with Facilities
and Technology (Adult and
Postgraduate)
72% 74% 76% 77% 78% 79%
Carbon Footprint (kilotons of
annual CO2 emissions)
2,886 2,562 2,414 2,275 2,144 2,020
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Incorporate and utilize state-of-the-art technology and instructional facilities to
fully enable user-friendly online self-services and business process improvements.
Accountable
• Develop a new Campus Master Plan and secure approval from neighbors and
City of San Rafael.
: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable
• Develop and adopt a campus-wide greening project, including transportation
plan, leading to a Sustainability Campus Leadership Award from the Association
to Advance Sustainability in Higher Education.
: President
Accountable
Vision Theme 8: Visionary, Effective, and Mission-Driven Leadership and Culture
: Executive Vice
President and Chief Academic Officer
Dominican’s mission and core values will drive growth, and Dominican will be governed
by visionary, effective, and ethical leadership. We will track our progress toward
developing visionary, effective, and mission-driven leadership and culture by monitoring
our accomplishment of the following annual performance goals:
19. 16
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Scores on Chronicle of
Higher Education’s “Great
Colleges to Work for”
66% 70% 73% 75% 77% 80%
• Facilities & Security 81%
• Connection to Institution &
Pride
78%
• Supervisor/Department
Chair Relationship
73%
• Fairness 72%
• Job Satisfaction/Support 70%
• Career Development,
Research & Scholarship
68%
• Collaboration 68%
• Teaching Environment 68%
• Policies, Resources &
Efficiency
65%
• Compensation & Benefits 60%
• Internal Communications 59%
• Participation in College
Governance
59%
• Faculty, Administration &
Staff Relations
58%
• Confidence in Senior
Leadership
48%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Institute Responsibility Center Management (RCM) to ensure that planned
strategic directives and priorities drive financial and human resource allocation
and that entrepreneurial activity of schools is complemented by a collective
vision for institutional priorities. Accountable
• Institutionalize a culture of assessment and data-driven outcomes, including
effective assessment methodologies to document mastery of skills and
competencies in undergraduate and graduate programs.
: President
Accountable
• Transform Dominican into an analytical organization, with data analytics driving
decision-making, predictive modeling tools systematically used to improve
success in identifying student match, and performance measurement systems
that reflect RCM and track KPIs at the institutional and school levels.
:
Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
20. 17
Vision Theme 9: School of First Choice for Students
Dominican will be a school of first choice for students. We will track our progress toward
becoming a school of first choice for students by monitoring our accomplishment of the
following annual performance goals:
Key Performance Indicator
Baseline
2010
Annual Performance Projections
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Percentage of
Undergraduate Students
Listing Dominican as First
Choice
49% 53% 55% 57% 59% 62%
Percentage of Students from
Overseas
4% 5% 6% 7% 9% 10%
Number of Top-3 Athletic
Teams in the Conference
5 (NAIA) 0 1 2 2 3
Athletes' 6-Year Graduation
Rate
63% 66% 68% 71% 73% 75%
To accomplish the above goals, we will implement the following strategic initiatives:
• Achieve the internationalization of the University through:
− International partnerships for study-abroad, articulation, and transfer
admission agreements,
− Increased institutional participation in the Fulbright Program, and
− Systems to ensure that international students feel welcomed, wanted, and
included.
Accountable
• Achieve full membership in Division 2 of the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) with adequate complement of athletic teams and a
conference-wide academic achievement award.
: Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Accountable
• Enhance the content, usability, appearance, and visibility of Dominican’s
website.
: Director of
Athletics
Accountable: Vice President for External Relations
21. 18
MEANS AND RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES
Action Plans for Strategic Initiatives
We developed action plans for each of the strategic initiatives. Our action planning
model comprises eight areas: vision theme supported by the strategic initiative, desired
outcome, action steps, measures of success, timeline, responsibility, resource
requirements, and assumptions. A completed sample plan is shown in Table 2.
By Year 2015, the action plans, collectively, will have produced the following outcomes:
• Enrolled an additional 600 students, with the following planned breakdown by
school:
(a) 100 in School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (SAHSS)
(b) 300 in the School of Business and Leadership (SBL)
(c) 60 in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology (SECP)
(d) 140 in the School of Health and Natural Sciences (SHNS)
• Degree and continuing education programs offered in an online delivery
format, encompassing about 20-25 percent of courses offered.
• Clarity and buy-in from all stakeholders about fundraising initiatives, and
perceived shared responsibility and accomplishment of fundraising activity,
leading to contributed revenue accounting for at least 10 percent of the
operating budget.
• Completion of capital campaign and fundraising activities for the Dominican
Heritage and Alumni House and the Field of Dreams.
• General Education Program and First-Year Experience contributing to a four-
percent increase in average retention rate and a 24-percent increase in
average bachelor’s six-year graduation rate.
• Initial accreditation of all business programs by the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
• National programmatic accreditation for most degree programs eligible for
specialized accreditation.
• Archbishop Alemany Library that meets all standards for libraries in higher
education, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries.
22. 19
• Students who are more involved in all aspects of campus life because of the
improved quality and increased frequency of “out-of-classroom” interactions
between students and faculty members.
• A base of core alumni and volunteers who are engaged with students and
recent alumni for career and life guidance.
• All graduating bachelor’s students have had at least three engaged learning
experiences (i.e., service learning, study abroad, internship, and
undergraduate research) and 50% of graduating master’s students have had
at least one engaged learning experience.
• All students have had at least two internships and at least three competitive
job offers or graduate school admission offers by the time of graduation.
• Student Center developed, living-learning communities established, and
student advising services expanded, contributing to a four-percent increase
in average retention rate and a 24-percent increase in average bachelor’s
six-year graduation rate.
• The School of Business and Leadership further developed into a center of
excellence in ethical leadership and sustainability through a series of
revenue-generating, national and international, corporate and
organizational training and development programs.
• New programs in the SAHSS, SECP, and SHNS launched, contributing to 278
new students in these schools.
• Thirty-seven new full-time terminally-qualified faculty members hired—nine for
SAHSS, nine for SBL, eight for SECP, and 11 for SHNS—leading to a full-time
faculty complement comparable to peer institutions.
• Balanced and equitable faculty workload established and implemented,
thereby leading to a high-performance workforce and most full-time faculty
maintaining their academic qualifications through peer-reviewed intellectual
contributions.
• Data and information, availability mechanisms, and hardware and software
systems reliable, secure, user-friendly, and current with educational needs
and technological changes.
• New Campus Plan developed and secured from the neighbors and the City
of San Rafael.
23. 20
• Greener Dominican campus and sustainable practices, contributing to a
Sustainability Campus Leadership Award from the Association to Advance
Sustainability in Higher Education.
• Responsibility Center Management established, with all schools engaging in
entrepreneurial activities and making a positive contribution to the
University’s financial sustainability.
• The “Plan-Do-Check-Act” cycle of continuous improvement embedded in all
educational programs and offerings, academic support and student services,
and business processes of the University.
• Data-driven decision making well-deployed and supported by performance
measurement, analysis, and review mechanisms.
• New articulation and transfer admission agreements for bachelor’s and
master’s degree programs are in place with schools in Australia, Canada,
France, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand, as well as
annual Fulbright Scholar participation (with either outgoing or incoming
scholars).
• Full membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Division 2),
receipt of the conference-wide academic achievement award, and four
new sports teams established.
• Award-winning website among higher education institutions and excellent
brand awareness driver.
25. 22
Strategic Financial Plan Highlights
The Strategic Plan is feasible in light of currently available and anticipated resources.
The Strategic Financial Plan calls for financing the implementation of the SP over the
five-year period 2011-2015 with retained earnings drawn primarily from two revenue
streams:
(1) additional net tuition revenue totaling $37 million from projected increases in
student enrollment and retention rates as a result of student-focused strategic
initiatives, and
(2) additional contributed revenue totaling $7 million from projected increases in
gifts and grants as a result of advancement-related strategic initiatives.
The implementation of the SP will require a total investment of $40 million over the five-
year period. During the first three years (2011-2013), a total of $820,000 will be drawn
from the University’s contingency reserve to support the excess of projected
incremental expenses over incremental revenues. Starting FY 2014, the successful
implementation of the SP will result in a positive net contribution to the University’s
reserve. Table 3 presents the details of the Strategic Financial Plan.
The financial forecasts embodied in the Strategic Financial Plan are based on
management's assumptions concerning future events and circumstances. These
assumptions, which are disclosed and described in detail in the Action Plans, are those
which this management believes are significant to the forecast or are key factors upon
which the financial results of the University depend. The most critical of these assumptions
are those pertaining to the University’s ability to achieve a 5.4 percent compound annual
growth rate in enrollment as a result of the successful implementation of strategic
initiatives pertaining to student enrollment and retention. Given that some assumptions
inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events and circumstances may occur
subsequent to October 2009, the SP periodic review process will include monitoring of the
continued validity of the assumptions underlying the SP.
27. 24
MOVING FROM PLAN TO IMPLEMENTATION
Responsibility Center Management
Effective Fiscal Year 2012, Dominican University of California will adopt a new
management framework—Responsibility Center Management (RCM)—for internal
budgeting and financial reporting. The University’s goal in implementing RCM is to link
strategic planning and resource allocation by establishing a systematic, transparent,
and strategic approach to budget planning, development, and management. In
addition to promoting the broadest possible stewardship of the University’s financial
resources, RCM will also encourage and reward innovation, creativity, and efficiency.
Responsibility Center Management is the decentralization of budgetary responsibility
and resource decision making, with the delegated authority usually residing with school
deans. Under this approach, schools are referred to as “contribution centers” with all or
most of the University’s revenues and expenses assigned to them. The underlying
premise of RCM is that the decentralized nature of the budgetary model entrusts
academic leaders with more control of financial resources, leading to tighter linkage
between strategic planning and resource allocation, more informed decision-making,
and better results or outcomes.
In centralized budgeting models, academic program decision-making is largely
decoupled from financial responsibility. By allowing contribution centers to control most
of the revenues they generate, RCM allows school decision makers to be better able to
understand both the academic and financial impacts of their decisions. Academic
planning and resource decision-making are also placed in a context that is more
transparent within the organizational unit and throughout the University. Armed with
improved information and the potential to retain increased financial resources, decision
makers at the school level may leverage even limited resources more effectively,
improving the University’s accomplishments and outcomes. RCM will enhance the
University’s capacity to generate additional revenues in support of faculty scholarship,
program development, and other academic initiatives.
The RCM model will be piloted during FY 2010 and FY 2011. Once RCM becomes fully
operational, the budgets for the schools and all other responsibility centers will be
presented in RCM format.
28. 25
System of Performance and Accountability Reviews
Board-Level Performance Review
A Strategic Plan Implementation Task Force will be created to track progress toward
meeting the SP goals. The SP performance review system will consist of the following
components:
• SP Implementation Task Force’s quarterly review of achievement of performance
goals along Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• SP Implementation Task Force’s semi-annual review of progress of
implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee’s semi-annual review of achievement of
KPI performance goals and strategic initiatives.
• Board of Trustees’ annual review of achievement of KPI performance goals and
strategic initiatives.
The SP sets clear objectives—innovative, value-added education and memorable
student experiences—and describes a number of strategies to move us toward these
objectives. It is possible that we have not selected the correct strategies, which is why
this plan establishes KPIs by which progress can be monitored. If the strategies
described in this plan are working, then results on the KPIs will reflect that fact. If,
however, intended KPI results are not being achieved, then the strategies must be
reexamined. Accountability is the path to change.
Management Accountability Review
The KPIs form the foundation of accountability within the University. Alignment between
the goals of the University and the schools and other organizational units will form the
basis for a constructive working relationship between the University and its
organizational units. It will be on this basis that funds will be allocated, and that the
success of the University as a whole can be demonstrated to the Board of Trustees and
the public. Each organizational unit of the University contributes differently to these
measurements—some schools will grow in enrollment, all will focus on student retention,
some units will be called to provide exemplary services to students, others will make
investments in improving the quality of student life, and so on.
To make certain that the collective actions of the organizational units are helping the
University meet its overall goals, each organizational unit, through its leader sitting on
the President’s Executive Council (PEC), will translate its strategic plan into an
accountability document that describes the contribution that it will make to the
achievement of the University’s overall SP goals. Further, each year, each
29. 26
organizational unit will translate its accountability document into an annual
performance plan. These FY 2011-2015 accountability documents and FY 2011
performance plans will be submitted not later than April 1, 2010, to the Executive Vice
President and Chief Academic Officer who will develop and distribute a template for
this submission. The President will review all the submissions together, and in consultation
with the President’s Executive Council, seek any changes necessary to ensure that all
the goals of the University are met.
The KPIs will constitute the “report card” of the University. Performance dashboards will
be created and monitored by PEC on a regular basis. They will be posted on the
University’s website and updated as frequently as data are available.
30. 27
NEXT STEPS
Although some elements of the Strategic Plan are already being implemented, the
release of the formal document begins a new phase in the process of transforming
Dominican’s landscape. The Board of Trustees, the President, and Dominican’s senior
leadership team will be dedicated full-time to the implementation of this plan. Several
of the key next steps identified in this report deserve to be reiterated:
• The President will make any organizational changes within his authority that are
necessary to support the implementation of the plan.
• The Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, together with the
Chief Financial Officer, will continue the ongoing consultations to develop the
Responsibility Center Management system that Dominican will implement. The
consultations, which will conclude in June 30, 2010, will involve a wide range of
stakeholders.
• The Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, working with the Vice
Presidents for Enrollment Management and Student Life, will continue
consultations with the School Deans to develop school-specific enrollment and
retention plans and accountability mechanisms.
• The Vice President for External Relations will lead internal and external
communication efforts to explain the main elements of the plan and to build
support for its implementation.
Strategic plans are active, living documents. Any plan can be slowed by changed
circumstances, or improved by new opportunities that were not present when it was
drafted. That is certainly true of this plan, which makes it, in a sense, a work in progress.
This plan is the result of hundreds of hours of consultation with students, faculty, staff,
administrators, and trustees, and with higher education experts across the country.
Some of the strategies described here were apparent early in the process, others
developed later, and still others represent compromises between what would be ideal
and what is currently feasible in light of available resources. Some of the strategies
recommended here will likely cause controversy when implemented. That was
certainly not a goal, though the potential for controversy was not allowed to be a
disqualifying factor if the benefits appeared to outweigh the risks.
There is no “big bang”—the one big idea that will change everything. No such thing
exists. The road to success is marked by hard, effective work and focus, and a
willingness to pursue our collective vision. The process of putting this plan together
made clear that it is imperative that Dominican University of California first empower the
31. 28
university community to think strategically about the future and then build the capacity
required to bring the University to a higher level of excellence, competitiveness, and
distinctiveness. This plan commits the stakeholders of the University to a course of
action that, with patience and dedication, will fulfill these expectations.
32. 29
APPENDICES
1. Description of the Strategic Planning Process
2. Lessons Learned from Peer, Competitor, and Aspirant Institutions
3. Strategic Planning Committee
33. 30
APPENDIX 1
DESCRIPTION OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
The strategic planning process was implemented in three phases. During the first phase,
we benchmarked peer institutions and reviewed and revised University-level guiding
premises (consisting of mission, vision, and core values). The products of the first phase
provided the parameters for the second phase, Strategic Academic Planning by the
schools. During the third phase, the university’s academic support, student services,
and other administrative areas prepared their strategic plans in support of the Strategic
Academic Plans.
Identification of Comparable Institutions
Dominican already has a well-defined process for identifying competitor institutions, as
we know most of these institutions from Table B13 (Schools Most Admitted But Non-
Enrolled Students Go To) of the University Factbook. We conducted three types of
assessments to identify comparable and aspirant institutions. The first analyzed US News
& World Report data on master’s colleges and universities in the West and aspirant
institutions used in the previous strategic planning process. The second used a multiple
regression model on 59 institutions to predict six-year graduation rate from a list of
institutional variables including SAT scores, undergraduate FTE enrollment, percent
34. 31
receiving Pell Grants, percent underrepresented minorities, freshman-to-sophomore
retention rate, budget per FTE, market value of endowment, and state cost of living
index. Under the second method, comparable peers are those institutions whose
predicted graduation rates are closest to Dominican, while aspirants are those
institutions with the highest actual graduation rates. The third approach identified the
20 institutions that subscribe to the New American College philosophy of achieving
balance between humanities and the professional disciplines. From these analyses, a
total of seven universities were identified for benchmarking:
(1) Comparable peer—California Lutheran University,
(2) Competitors—University of San Francisco and Saint Mary’s College of California,
and
(3) Aspirants—Loyola Marymount University, University of Redlands, Chapman
University, and Occidental College.
Formulation of Guiding Premises
Review of Mission and Core Values
In spring 2009, the University’s mission statement was edited to include contemporary
phrasing that was more aligned with the University’s present reality. The edited
statement of mission and core values was sent to faculty, staff and student leaders. The
Strategic Planning Committee received 103 responses over a two-week comment
period and integrated as many of the recommendations as was possible. The Board of
Trustees, at its strategic planning retreat on March 5-6, 2009, considered the first draft of
the revised mission statement. After further revisions, the Board of Trustees approved
the revised mission statement at its annual meeting on May 28, 2009.
Creating the Vision Statement and Key Performance Indicators
Members of the Strategic Planning Committee led 12 visioning sessions that were
conducted by members of the Strategic Planning Committee from December 18, 2008
to February 23, 2009. Dr. Luís María R. Calingo facilitated these visioning sessions, with
the assistance of Dr. Françoise O. Lepage and Maureen Keefe. The 12 groups, listed
with the dates of their respective visioning sessions, were the Strategic Planning
Committee (12/18/08), Graduate Council (1/27/09), President’s Executive Council
(1/28/09), Staff Assembly and Managers Group (1/30/09), Associated Students
(1/30/09), Office of Student Life (2/3/09), Alumni Association Board of Directors (2/3/09),
Faculty Executive Committee (2/10/09), School of Arts and Sciences (2/17/09), School
of Business and Leadership (2/23/09), School of Education (2/26/09), and directors and
coordinators of university-wide centers, programs and institutes (2/23/09).
35. 32
Each visioning session proceeded as follows. First, the participants wrote on Post-It®
pads their vivid descriptions of their vision for Dominican by the year 2020. Second,
using the Affinity Diagram method, the participants clustered the different ideas (vivid
descriptions) into categories or themes. Third, the facilitator led a discussion of the
themes and, if time permits, the development of a vision map that presents the
participants’ understanding of the relationships among the vision themes. The whole
process lasted 45 minutes.
We then prepared a composite vision map that captures the 72 concepts that were
identified during these 12 visioning sessions. We translated the vision themes into key
performance indicators (KPIs), a process that was also informed by a review of strategic
planning research and practice in higher education. During the strategic planning
retreat of March 5-6, 2009, the participants underwent a group exercise whereby they
reviewed the vision map and framework, evaluated the key performance indicators,
and proposed 2015 and 2020 goals that would comprise their vision for their assigned
vision themes.
Strategic Academic Planning
During the months of March-May 2009, each school took the University-level strategic
planning parameters (mission, values, vision themes, and key performance goals) and
conducted the Strategic Academic Planning (SAP) process. The Strategic Planning
Committee created a common SAP template that the schools used. The SAP process
included four major phases: (1) guiding premises—mission, vision, and values, (2)
situation analysis—aspirant schools and best practices, KPIs and performance gap
analysis, and competitor analysis, (3) strategic academic plan—strategic initiatives and
action plan, (4) deployment and assessment—resource allocation and balanced
scorecard.
The school deans prepared their respective draft strategic plans to the Board of
Trustees at its annual meeting on May 28, 2009. The reorganization of Academic Affairs
was a strategic decision that the Board made at this meeting. This reorganization
consisted of the division of the School of Arts and Sciences into two schools and the
expansion of the School of Education to include the Counseling Psychology Program.
After receiving feedback from the trustees, the schools revised their draft strategic plans
over the summer of 2009.
36. 33
Strategic Planning in Academic Support
and Administrative Services
During the months of June-August 2009, each academic support, student services, and
administrative unit of the University took the schools’ strategic plans and conducted its
strategic planning process. The Strategic Planning Committee created a common
strategic planning template that the units used. The unit’s strategic planning process
included four major areas: (1) guiding premises—mission, vision, and values, (2)
strategies in support of the school’s strategic plans, (3) strategies to build capacity and
improve processes, and (4) deployment and assessment—resource allocation and
performance metrics.
The Strategic Planning Committee met on August 24, 2009 to consider the 70 priority
strategic initiatives that have been identified from an initial list of over 130 academic,
administrative and academic support, and institution-wide strategic initiatives. The
President’s Executive Council, Managers’ Group, and faculty representatives
conducted an all-day retreat on September 21, 2009 to consolidate and prioritize the
70 strategic initiatives, resulting in 40 initiatives. The President’s Executive met on
September 22, 2009 to consider a list of 26 priority strategic initiatives identified from the
40 initiatives resulting from the retreat. The 26 priority initiatives then became the basis
of the Strategic Financial Plan.
37. 34
APPENDIX 2
LESSONS LEARNED FROM PEER, COMPETITOR,
AND ASPIRANT INSTITUTIONS
Members of the Marketing and Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees
conducted telephone interviews of academic and student service officers of the
following benchmark institutions: California Lutheran University, Chapman University,
Loyola Marymount University, Occidental College, University of Redlands, University of
San Francisco, and Saint Mary’s College of California.
The following are the key strategies that the benchmark institutions employed to
improve graduation rates:
1. Increase the percentage of full-time faculty teaching freshmen.
2. Increase the number of students accommodated in residential housing.
3. Enhance academic advising and coaching services.
4. Structure academic and first-year experience programs for freshmen and
transfer students.
5. Ensure that students who are a “good fit” enroll.
6. Establish a position or committee focused on retention.
7. Establish strong leadership and institutional priority to improve retention and
graduation rates.
8. Target fundraising for scholarship support.
9. Involve faculty in helping with retention efforts.
38. 35
APPENDIX 3
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Timothy Blackburn (Chair), Trustee
Andrew Barowsky, Trustee
Mary Jane Burke, Trustee
Luís Ma. R. Calingo, Executive Vice President & Chief Academic Officer
Mel Croner, Trustee
Joseph R. Fink, President
Barbara Ganley, Chair of the Faculty Forum
John Gaulding , Chair of the Board of Trustees
Katherine Henderson, Director of Pathways and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Peter Jacobi, Trustee
Maureen Keefe, Vice President for External Relations
Renée Knee, Trustee
Françoise Lepage, Assistant to the President for Special Projects
Sr. Maureen McInerney, Trustee
Harlan Stelmach, Vice-Chair of the Faculty Forum
Richard Stone, Trustee
Ex-officio
Edward Kujawa, Dean, School of Education & Counseling Psychology
Marty Nelson, Dean, School of Health & Natural Sciences
Phil Novak, Dean, School of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Gary Williams, Dean, School of Business & Leadership
