Institutional Advancement Envisioning

Mark Caprio

Saturday, January 7th, 2017

¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Office of Institutional Advancement, Thursday 1/19/2017, 8:45 am,
Slavin Soft Lounge (SPSC members present/facilitators: Bartolini, Fonts, Keefe, Maurano)

¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 On January 19, members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee held an envisioning focus group with members of the Office of Institutional Advancement. Prior to the focus group, a pre-survey was issued to participants to gauge initial thoughts on the four key questions guiding the “discovery phase” of the strategic planning process. The questions posted on the pre-survey were as followed:

0. ¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0
1. If Providence College were to be best known for one thing within the next 10-20 years, what should it be?
2. What should the College be doing in the next 10-20 years that it isn’t doing today?
3. If Providence College had $100M new dollars to spend, how should it be spent?
4. What should be the most important measure or indicator of the College’s success? Why?

¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 Following the pre-survey, the in-person focus group provided an opportunity for the group (approximately 60 attendees) to discuss each of the questions. The team was divided into four groups, and tasked with discussing one question in-depth with a committee liaison present to record responses.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 Below please find detailed notes and interpretations of the group discussions around each core question.

¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 0 Question 1: If PC could be best known for one thing in the next 10-20 years, what should it be?

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• Most common point of discussion was as a first-rate liberal arts college with a stellar undergraduate experience
• Discussion that PC needs improved student housing (traditional dorms, not the suites and residences), and that the living experience needs to match the academic and social experience.
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  • This can be included under “stellar undergraduate experience.”
• Other impressions are as followed:
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  • A nationally known, highly recognizable brand
  • An inclusive institution
  • Job placement/career services (several people felt this should be part of the “stellar undergraduate experience”)
  • Strength of our alumni network
  • Meeting 100% of financial need

¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 Question 2: What should the College be doing in the next 10-20 years that it isn’t doing today?

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• Greater focus on Financial Aid and Endowment
• Grow the endowment to $350M-$400M to meet full need
• Signature/ Capstone work for graduating students to develop and take on with them post-graduation
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  • Will help PC position as a top-notch education
• Grow Career Education Center services
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  • Incorporate student-athlete program to reach a 100% employment rate for graduating athletes
• Expand recruiting efforts, especially with the Latino population, to create a more national-level recognition for PC
• Increase support for study abroad programs and financial aid for students in programs
• Create stronger infrastructure to support students when they arrive on campus for their freshman year (1st generation students, students from different regions, etc.)
• Showcase faculty nationally to garner national attention
• Continue to review curriculum, optimize students’ learning experience

¶ 12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 0 Question 3: If Providence College had $100M new dollars to spend, how should it be spent?

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• Meet 100% of demonstrated need in financial aid
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  • Grow the endowment
• Investment in infrastructure
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  • i.e. building freshman residence facility, improving technology, phone, and web development
• Develop a conference office and use facilities in summer to generate new revenue
• Buy the Dunkin Donuts Center
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  • At least investigate the building of a new facility
• Invest in academic excellence through research, internship, scholarship
• Invest in capital project that includes retail outlets on or near campus
• Enhance existing graduate and SCE programs
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  • Improve revenue from these programs
• Develop a Freshman Year Experience Program that improves retention and builds on academic excellence and endow the FFP program.

¶ 17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 Question 4: What should be the most important measure or indicator of the College’s success? Why?

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• Endowment
• Enrollment targets
• Acceptance rate <50%
• Yield (higher) 30-40% as high as 60%
• Balance across schools/disciplines – debate about a “right” percentage
• Academic quality of applicants
• Career placement – Success of alums attaining jobs of their choice
• Amount/percentage of students participating in an internship
• Retention rates
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  • Aspirational goal of 95%
• Graduation rates
• Alumni giving participation rate
• Research dollars distributed
• Meeting full financial need; while being need blind
• Disciplinary experts at the institution

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¶ 20 Leave a comment on paragraph 20 0 Targets based answers to these questions of alums at 40 years old
-Live their passion
-Where living
-What doing
-How many jobs
-Still connected to PC
-How connected to PC (level of engagement)
-Children attended PC
-Would make same choice again to attend PC
-How PC prepared