Be the Future

Strategic Plan

Centennial Strategic Plan: From Good to Great 2019 – 2022

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This strategic plan is designed to capitalize on those strengths as AUC approaches its centennial in 2019 to ensure that it sustains and enhances its quality and distinction in the fast-changing world of the twenty-first century.

Methodology

As part of the University Strategic Planning process for 2019-2022, AUC cabinet advised to build on the recent efforts conducted during the Strategic Planning Review in 2017. An extensive study of the plan was conducted with the following objectives:

  1. Identifying and clustering key initiatives
  2. Linking key initiatives to the 5 strategic focal points
  3. Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs)

The findings of this study would be the base for more refinement and update by key stakeholders in the Cabinet and Provost Council. Key stakeholders are required to:

  1. Refine or add objectives and initiatives to reflect current status
  2. Define SMART KPIs and incorporate targets
  3. Extend the plan to cover 2019-2022
  4. Revise accountability

  • 1 Quality of Education

    Goal

    Foster academic excellence in a liberal arts culture, through innovative teaching, and quality research to prepare students for future local and international careers and lifelong learning

    INSTITUTIONAL TARGET 1 - 80% overall student satisfaction. Score 70 in Employer reputation index in QS Ranking

    Objectives

    1.1

    Enhance student learning through innovative pedagogies and effective assessment learning experience

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Improve the learning experience by continuous reexamination of the curriculum and the pedagogies employed (All schools/ALA)
    2. Introduce and assess innovative pedagogies (All schools/ALA)
    3. Support and enhance quality teaching by improving the assessment of teaching and by institutionalizing teaching professional development of faculty (All schools/ALA) Enhance the admission process and financial aid to recruit
    4. Enhance the admission process and financial aid to recruit high caliber students (All Schools)
    1.2

    Prepare students with transferable skills for constantly-changing local and global economies

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Maintain university, school and programs-based accreditation schemes (All Schools)
    2. Increase experiential learning and embed an entrepreneurship, creative thinking and innovation in the curriculum (All Schools)
    3. Integrate course materials into the learning management system (All schools)
    4. Enhance AUC's rank in QS ranking (AUC)
    1.3

    Promote high-impact, quality research to enhances learning experience

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Increase quality Faculty research with high impact (All Schools)
    2. Increase opportunities and support interdisciplinary research (All Schools)
    3. Expand undergraduate and graduate research opportunities (All Schools)
    4. Provide community-based research opportunities for faculty and students (All Schools)

  • 2 Internationalization

    Goal

    Enhance the internationalization of AUC among all stakeholders
    INSTITUTIONAL TARGET 2 International students to represent 20% of the student body by 2022, American students to represent 50% of international students by 2022. American Faculty to represent 45% of faculty body by 2022 (according to portfolio)

    Objectives

    2.1

    Enhance the international diversity and exposure on campus

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Maximize presence at international campuses and recruitment events and mobilize ambassadors to promote for AUC abroad (SEM)
    2. Develop and implement effective digital campaigns, with clear targeted messages, and focusing on our unique value proposition for each stakeholder (SEM)
    3. Target embassies of selected countries to recruit degree seeking students (SEM)
    4. Promote joint programs involving student mobility (SEM)
    5. Attract, recruit and cultivate quality local and international faculty (All schools)
    6. Offer a competitive and attractive tuition and financial support packages for International Students (All Schools/Provost)
    7. Streamline financial aid processes to effectively engage international students (DI/Provost)
    2.2

    Strengthen the university’s academic endeavors, and promote cross-cultural and international understanding

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Diversify and expand executive education offerings beyond regional markets (BUS)
    2. Promote quality international research (A&C)
    3. Promote inter-university student and faculty exchanges and expanding cross-cultural programs (All Schools)
    4. Enhance the internationalization of programs and curricula
    2.3

    Establish AUC as the premier globally-accredited American University in the region

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Establish a diversified portfolio of international partnerships (All Schools)
    2. Promote the university in key international markets (A&C)
    3. Enhance AUC's rank in QS ranking (AUC)

  • 3 AUC Experience

    Goal

    Foster a culture of service, trust and collaboration across academic and administrative university departments to enhance the AUC experience
    INSTITUTIONAL TARGET 3: 90% Senior Student Satisfaction from NSSE survey. 85% Faculty and staff satisfaction from Institutional Effectiveness Survey

    Objectives

    3.1

    Foster a culture of service, trust and collaboration to enhance local and global outreach, public engagement to the university’s growing community both on and off campus

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Revitalize both AUC Campuses as an open public center of education, arts and culture (HUSS/A&C)
    2. Fully exploit digital technology to transform the campus experience, academics and operations (DI)
    3. Engage the community through the use of social media and website (All Schools/S)
    4. Deliver academic services and wealth of intellectual activities Beyond the Campus (DI)
    5. Strengthen alumni relationships and contributions to enhance future student experiences (A&C)
    6. Improve advising experience of both students and staff members by purchasing Degree Works Software (SEM)
    7. Optimize the international students’ experience on campus (SEM)
    8. Optimize the critical student-related processes (SEM)
    9. Optimize internal communications and provide personalized messages to students (SEM)
    3.2

    Foster a culture of service, trust and collaboration to enhance academic programs, activities, technology, and services to students, faculty, staff

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Increase academic-civic engagement and learning programs across the disciplines particularly in the arts and culture (ALA/HUSS)
    2. Become a hub of knowledge and advocacy on learning and physical disabilities(All Schools/S)

  • 4 Institutional Effectiveness

    Goal

    Enable a conducive environment that is led by exceptional human capital, optimized through digitized processes and propelled by timely and efficient data-driven decision-making models

    INSTITUTIONAL TARGET 4: 85% Overall Institutional Effectiveness. 70% first choice candidates are hired for faculty and staff and 100% of top two choices. 50% cost cutting on ink and paper by 2021.

    Objectives

    4.1

    Optimize the university’s educational, operational and financial models and platforms

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Effective use of university resources with less dependency on tuition and more on gifts and endowment (A&F/ all schools)
    2. Establish performance evaluation and competency framework for individuals and organizational excellence (A&F)
    3. Provide Professional Development opportunities for faculty and staff (all schools)
    4. Operate with strong Roots (DI)
    5. Enhance the utilization of classrooms and teaching spaces (All Schools)
    6. Revisit the policies and procedures of hiring, retaining and advancing human capital (All Schools)
    4.2

    Enhance the physical, operational, and governance infrastructures that support the mission of the university

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Promote continuous improvement and operational excellence (All schools/ All areas)
    2. Provide quality service to ensure admission of highly qualified prospective applicants (All Schools)
    3. Deliver all services in a Paperless mode to increase transparency and speed (DI)
    4. Reduce red-tape, and bureaucracy and the parallel systems (ALL)
    4.3

    Nurture a culture of continuous improvement through assessment and data-driven decision making

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Build institutional knowledge management systems and memory (DI)
    2. Exploit data to sustain continuous improvement and operational excellence (DI)
    3. Develop and promote new spaces that inspire creativity, collaboration and discovery (LLT)
    4. Continue the assessment of quality of education (Al Schools)

  • 5 Innovation

    Goal

    Establish innovation and creativity, along with liberal education to achieve a unique value proposition. This goal includes the purposing of resources towards creative and versatile academic endeavors that capitalize on state-of-the-art technological and best practices
    INSTITUTIONAL TARGET 5: Continuous improvement of the “AUC Consolidated Innovation Index-CII”
    Advanced Quantitative Measure (and Public Perception) of Academic and Research Output (top 3 institutions in ME and Africa)

    Objectives

    5.1

    Establish innovation and creativity, along with liberal education to achieve a unique value proposition. This goal includes the Purposing of resources towards creative and versatile academic endeavors

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Support online/ blended learning initiatives with a state-of-the art infrastructure (All Schools/DI)
    2. Become a leading resource for online archives (HUSS)
    3. Establish a digital library and an archival research repository (LLT)
    4. Recreate program curricula and research endeavor to instill innovation and creativity for the benefit of civic and global engagement (RIC)
    5. Strengthen and embed the content of innovation in curriculum design, delivery methodology and assessment tools in courses across the entire university academic offering (RIC)
    6. Improve the agility and cycle time of the support processes to research and innovation and removing their barriers (RIC)
    7. Unleash the potential of multi disciplinarily in Research, Innovation and Creativity (RIC)
    8. Enhance AUC's rank in QS ranking (AUC)
    5.2

    Allocate all possible resources to achieve sustainable, creative academic endeavors and transformative state-of-the art technological and best practices

    Sample Initiatives
    1. Introduce innovation as a business differentiator and a value proposition for the university (DI)
    2. Integrate multimedia and digitize collections (LLT)
    3. Advance AUC position in digital learning and raise its profile to a leading regional status (RIC)
    4. Raise AUC Entrepreneurship profile as means for turning innovation into societal and economic benefit (RIC)
    5. Establish AUC as a hub for bridging the “idea-to-public benefit” gap (RIC)