Strategic Goals: Personal and Professional Development - West Chester University

Personal and professional development are shared university values that promote students, faculty, and staff in their growth as professionals and citizens. The university creates meaningful interactions, enhances relevant skills, and provides engaging experiences that result in a sense of connectedness and responsibility for the WCU community and beyond.

Personal and Professional Development

WCU's Strategic Plan: Pathways to Student Success

Goals, Outcomes & Initiatives

Goal P1: Promote everyone’s role as an educator and a learner to facilitate professional growth and life-long curiosity.

  • Outcome P1-1: By year three of the strategic plan, every staff member will include at least one goal related to their role as an educator in their annual performance evaluation document.
    • Initiative P1-1-1: The University will offer regular training sessions and other professional development opportunities to all employees that focus on identifying ways in which individuals can help students learn and contribute to their success through their daily work.
  • Outcome P1-2: By year three of the strategic plan, the University will have increased the number of employees, both represented and non-represented, utilizing their respective education benefits (i.e. employer reimbursement). Measurement for this goal is an increase of 5% when we compare year over year for the next three years.
    • Initiative P1-2-1: Twice a year, University Admissions and The Graduate School will host an information session for all employees to learn about educational offerings that would benefit their career path and promote lifelong learning.
    • Initiative P1-2-2: The University will waive the application fees associated with applying to its educational offerings for all employees.
  • Outcome P1-3: By year three of the strategic plan, every staff member will have pursued at least one opportunity to expand their knowledge/skills by collaborating with another member of the university community.
    • Initiative P1-3-1: The University will offer regular informative sessions to all staff members that focus on identifying employees with common areas of interest across disciplines/divisions/offices, in order to establish possible collaboration ties while expanding WCU employees’ knowledge/skills.
    • Initiative P1-3-2: The University will invite professionals, businesses, and community organizations to present possible collaboration opportunities between them and the WCU community.
    • Initiative P1-3-3: The University will offer regular training/informative sessions and other professional development opportunities to the WCU community that focus on expanding their knowledge, skills and abilities in areas outside their discipline. (Ex. conducting statistical analysis, providing cultural awareness, successful project management tips, etc.)

Goal P2: Enhance meaningful and engaging experiences among and between students, faculty, staff, alumni and local communities to promote lifelong learning.

  • Outcome P2-1: Further develop and promote curricular and co-curricular experiences for students to intentionally engage with faculty, staff, alumni, and local communities.
    • Initiative P2-1-1: Create a comprehensive co-curricular learning framework designed to provide structure, clarity and direction with regards to experiences outside of the classroom.
    • Initiative P2-1-2: During year one, collaborate with academic affairs to identify, prioritize, and create mutually beneficial partnerships that complete the educational mission of the university.
      • Create one residential-based living learning community and/or one themed learning community a year for the next three years.
    • Initiatives P2-1-3: By year three, divisions will create new and leverage existing relationships with campus constituents (alumni, employers and local community members) to provide experiential learning opportunities for students.
  • Outcome P2-2: Enhance strategies to recruit, develop, and retain students, faculty, and staff
    • Student Initiative P2-2-1: During year one, appoint a university-wide task force to evaluate the needs and create a plan to increase the retention, persistence and graduation rates of Latino and African American undergraduate males.
      • During year two, implement the established plan.
      • By year three, create and recommend a systemic approach to support Latino and African American undergraduate males.
    • Student Initiative P2-2-2: During year one, appoint a university-wide task force to evaluate the needs of and pilot initiatives targeted toward first-generation college students.
      • During year two, identify the resources needed to adequately support the needs of this population.
      • By year three, create and recommend a systemic approach to support the first-gen population.
    • Employee Initiative P2-3-1: By year two, the university will provide a comprehensive onboarding process as a condition of the probationary period offering key training opportunities aligned with the university’s values to all new employees.
    • Employee Initiative P2-3-2: Promote and value work life balance in the lives of faculty and staff by supporting health/wellness programs and promotion of a physical activity on campus.
    • Employee Initiative P2-3-3: Increase opportunities for faculty and staff professional and career development through mentoring, support, and continuing education.
    • Employee Initiatives P2-3-4: Develop strategies to best forecast upcoming retirements, resignations, and emerging staffing/skill needs, and ensure appropriate personal and professional development options are available to help ready internal talent to compete for those positions.

Goal P3: Establish and promote personal development programs that result in students, faculty, and staff becoming informed and active citizens.

  • Outcome P3-1-1: Increase faculty, staff, and student civic responsibility and connectedness within and across internal West Chester University communities.
    • Initiative P3-1-1: In year one and two:
      • Conduct a situational/gap analysis
      • Determine the awareness of/and satisfaction with existing opportunities internal to WCU.
      • Identify current resources and programs.
    • Initiative P3-1-2: By year three, enhance and/or develop new programs.
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