Distinctiveness

 
CORE STRATEGY III  
 

To establish its distinctiveness and to differentiate from other institutions, the college will focus upon its experiential learning history, its location, and its niche. The institution’s history, location, and uniqueness will be a primary focus for determining and creating a quality, focused set of programs that will attract and retain students.

Priority Initiatives

  1. Identify and strengthen areas that are distinctive to mission, location, and the college's identity.


  2. Significantly update and strengthen laboratory science infrastructure for Natural Sciences, especially including major renovation/construction for Biology teaching laboratories; and renovate to create safe, pedagogically adequate laboratories for chemistry and physics.


  3. Conceptualize and implement a new model for the School of Business and Management to emphasize and embrace location, and develop synergies within the School of Education and Social Sciences to deepen college-to-career/professional/graduate education pathways. 


  4. Develop, pilot, and implement a new academic calendar, including summer and interterm options with a focus on realizing additional net revenue where possible. 


  5. Develop a defined focus on experiential learning and provide professional development for faculty and others.


  6. Develop and implement an integrated general education curriculum to align with mission, locational strengths, and a new definition of Lees-McRae experiential learning.
Distinctiveness KPI

Central to the success of the strategic plan is regular and recursive assessment, evaluation of the Priority Initiatives and their contributions to the Core Strategies, and the continued transparency of sharing this key information via the college's Factbook. To ensure accountability and optimization, each Priority Initiative will be measured against Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and analyzed for progress towards defined targets. 

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    High Impact Performance Metrics

    • Percent students in internships, field-based study, and experiential learning
    • Percent students engaged in undergraduate research
    • Percent students in study away and study abroad programs
    • Number and Percent students receiving support through support services
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    Enrollment Metrics

    • Percent students in internships, field-based study, and experiential learning
    • Percent students engaged in undergraduate research
    • Percent students in study away and study abroad programs
    • Number and Percent students receiving support through support services