WSU Global Campus 2024 – 2029 Strategic Plan

WSU Global Campus Strategic Plan

Introduction

Since the very first offering of distance degree programs at WSU in 1992, students’ experiences have evolved as new technologies and learning innovations have become available. Twenty years later, in 2012, Global Campus became the fifth campus in the WSU system and has continued to grow by staying true to the mission and core values. As the OneWSU system has evolved, Global Campus has continued to focus on leveraging their strengths as one part of the whole system.

Because Global Campus knows no boundaries, the OneWSU education can be offered to any student, anywhere, anytime. The strategic plan supports WSU’s core mission through all of its goals and objectives and aligns closely with the system goal to prepare future leaders, scholars and global citizens (System Goal 2) and to advance a culture of engagement and collaboration across is multi-campus system that values and invests in resources (System Goal 4).

Mission

To provide innovative online education that empowers learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve their personal and professional goals while contributing to an engaged citizenry of Washington, the United States, and world.

Envisioned Future

Vision

WSU Global Campus will be a leader in online education, recognized for its commitment to student success, teaching excellence, and cutting-edge pedagogical research.

Vivid Description

WSU Global Campus will be known for transforming the lives of our students and the communities we serve by fostering a collaborative learning community that promotes intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and cultural competency.

Our students will benefit from a flexible, high-quality education that prepares them for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century. Our global perspective will drive a more just and sustainable world.

Our valued faculty and staff members will be empowered, motivated, and supported to contribute their best to the growth and success of our institution, fostering a culture of belonging and excellence in higher education.

Goals

Goal 1 – Access and Inclusivity

To ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion in our learning community, Global Campus will enable access to a wide range of educational opportunities, including Continuing and Professional Education. We will work to ensure that our staff represent the diversity in the communities we serve, increasing our ability to attract and support students from all backgrounds.
[Supports System Goals 1 & 2]

Objectives
  1. Inclusive Policies and Practices: Review and update institutional policies and practices to ensure they are inclusive and free from bias. This includes admissions policies, hiring practices, and curriculum updates.
  2. Increase seats, courses, and programs: Expand the availability of seats, courses, and programs for online-only students to increase enrollments on the Global Campus.
  3. Financial Aid and Scholarships: Expand financial aid options and support staff to make education more affordable and accessible to a broader range of students.
  4. Marketing and Outreach: Effectively market Global Campus learning opportunities to reach and attract a diverse and qualified audience of potential students, focusing on non-traditional learners and working professionals.
  5. Credit Transfer and Articulation: Streamline the process for credit transfer and articulation agreements with other institutions to ensure that students can seamlessly transition between programs and campuses.
Anticipated Metrics
  1. Amount of financial support given and the number of students receiving support.
  2. Number of enrolled and graduating Global Campus students.
  3. Demographics of Global Campus students and staff.
  4. Yield of enrolled transfer students.

Goal 2 – Flexible Learning Opportunities

WSU Global Campus will partner with its physical campuses to create and operationalize flexible learning opportunities for current and future students across the world.
[Supports System Goals 2 & 4]

Objectives
  1. Technology Infrastructure: Ensure there is robust technology infrastructure in place to support flexible learning offerings.
  2. Policy: Develop an enrollment policy for student access to Global Campus courses to allow students to seamlessly navigate between face-to-face courses and online courses as their needs require.
  3. Personalization and Flexibility: Increase the ability for all students to access course plans and program pathways, across all campuses, that enable students to tailor their educational experiences to their individual needs, interests, and career goals.
  4. Communication and Transparency: Maintain open communication with students, faculty, staff, and leadership about the commitment to flexible learning opportunities, its progress, and its impact on student success.
Anticipated Metrics
  1. Range of majors, certificates, and courses available to students on all campuses.
  2. Improved enrollment processes and resources available to support students.
  3. Time to degree for students who take advantage of multiple learning modalities.

Goal 3 – Innovative and Dynamic Support for Student Learning

WSU Global Campus will elevate teaching excellence by establishing a comprehensive faculty development program that supports, recognizes, and rewards effective teaching, resulting in innovative and dynamic support for student learning that enhances engagement, promotes academic success, and prepares students for the challenges of the future.
[Supports System Goals 1, 2, & 4]

Objectives
  1. Pedagogical Innovation: Encourage and support faculty in exploring innovative teaching methods and approaches to create more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environments through creation of a faculty development program that clearly defines the criteria and characteristics of teaching excellence.
  2. Multimodal Learning Resources: Develop and curate a diverse range of learning materials, including (but not limited to) multimedia content, open educational resources (OER), and accessible content to accommodate various learning needs.
  3. Educational Technologies: Research and integrate new technologies with the goal of increasing engagement and enhancing learning outcomes.
  4. Research Evaluation: Foster a culture of research and evaluation to assess the impact of innovative learning support on student outcomes and adapt strategies accordingly.
  5. Expand Learning Opportunities: Collaborate with colleges and departments to expand the number and range of degree programs for students and increase the number of courses available on the Global campus.
  6. Stakeholder Collaboration: Strengthen collaborations with industry partners, alumni, and other stakeholders to ensure that course plans and programs are relevant to current workforce needs and career pathways.
Anticipated Metrics
  1. Faculty engagement with faculty support teams.
  2. Diversity of learning resources available for students and faculty.
  3. Number of majors and courses available to students.
  4. Number of industry partnerships and collaborations.

Goal 4 – Student Success

Facilitate student success and a transformative educational experience through initiatives, systems, policies, and programs.
[Supports System Goals 2 & 3]

Objectives
  1. Mentorship and Peer Support: Create mentorship programs and peer-to-peer support networks that connect students with experienced mentors and peers to foster collaboration, motivation, and a sense of belonging.
  2. Student Engagement and Community Building: Expand avenues for student engagement through community building activities and opportunities and create opportunities for student feedback to enrich the student experience.
  3. Partnerships: Expand partnerships with industry leaders and professional organizations to facilitate remote internships, co-op programs, and experiential learning opportunities that enable students to gain practical experience without geographical constraints.
  4. Continuous Quality Improvement: Utilize data analytics, technology, and predictive modeling to foster a culture of continuous improvement and assessment of student success.
Anticipated Metrics
  1. Persistence, retention, and graduation rates.
  2. Student success post-graduation: employment and graduate school.
  3. Availability of relevant data and analysis to meet goals and objectives.
  4. Response rates to student feedback surveys.