Towson University 2016: Building Within - Reaching Out outlines the vision for the university's future, and is the second university strategic plan. Towson University 2010: Mapping the Future was successfully completed in spring 2010.
Towson University 2016: Building Within - Reaching Out outlines the vision for the university's future, and is the second university strategic plan. Towson University 2010: Mapping the Future was successfully completed in spring 2010.
Building Within - Reaching Out conveys Towson's goal to continue to strengthen the Towson University experience, and fulfills the university's metropolitan mission to serve and meet the needs of the state of Maryland and region. Towson University 2016 was created to take Towson University to its next phase of development and build upon the success and accomplishments of the previous strategic plan.
Developed with involvement from internal and external focus groups, the 2016 plan is built upon 16 Guiding Principles with a mission statement and identifies five themes that will guide Towson's advancement:
Towson University 2016 will once again call for all students, faculty, staff, alumni, partners and supporters to actively adopt the plan as their own to ensure its success.
Towson University will pursue selected directions in support of our mission and vision for the future. Our guiding principles are:
Create and serve…
We will respond to the higher education needs of the region and greater metropolitan area. We will also continually work with business, nonprofit and government operations to develop programs that will be responsive to current needs, future needs and create opportunities for partnering with the community to address them.
An engine of change…
Through university centers and institutes we will monitor and analyze academic, social and economic
trends and leverage university expertise and resources. We will respond to changes in the broader environment and drive appropriate and responsive change as warranted.
Responsible growth…
Enrollment growth will be blended with physical and cultural change and growth. As enrollment growth takes place, we will create physical changes that will enable the university to respond to student needs. As size and physical change occurs, we will assure continued excellence in academic capabilities and a university culture that responds in supportive ways to an ever-changing external environment.
Strength within…
We will prepare to serve a changing external environment by strengthening and building bridges in our internal environment to create a more responsive and rapidly adaptable university. Through the blending of expertise, programs, resources and cultures, we will strengthen our ability to be an engine for change and to respond to an ever-evolving external environment.
We recognize that athletics, both intramural and intercollegiate, are key components to the success of our university goals. Athletics will be an integral part of the university culture, to enhance the experience of all students, and as a key partner externally in presenting Towson University.
An institution of unlimited boundaries…
While on-campus physical change and growth takes place, we will expand university boundaries. Through regional centers of education and expertise, we will partner with education colleagues at all levels, partner with government, business, and nonprofit organizations, embrace existing and new forms of distance learning and, through life-long and creative forms of learning, we will achieve goals through efforts far beyond our physical campus.
A timeless experience...
We will continue to support an academic and overall campus culture and environment that will provide an undergraduate education and outcomes based upon our core values and beliefs. We will also create a future for graduates that will encourage them to remain partners with, and supporters of, Towson University. Relying on our campus without boundaries approach, we will be prepared to offer our graduates opportunities through graduate education, non-credit experiences, real-life experiences and on- and off-campus life-long learning opportunities as part of their unique educational path.
A sharing partner…
We will assure that our academic and technical expertise is adaptable to changing environment and work force needs and that we become a destination for the export of expertise and the development of partnerships with all education, social and economic elements of our broader environment. Through these partnerships we will become an engine to drive work force development.
Diverse and Inclusive…
Our diversity initiatives will result in a learning community which mirrors the face of the population surrounding us in our region and state. As new campus community members join us from various cultural, racial and ethnic groups, we will infuse the curriculum and environment with culturally responsive actions to foster broadened perspectives and high achievement for all members of our community.
Able to meet the future…
As we examine our assumptions about the near and distant future, all actions, academic, cultural and physical will be driven by the desire to create a productive future for our students, our region and the metropolitan area. We will position the university to have adequate flexibility and capability to respond to opportunities.
Building on our past success, we continue to emphasize excellence in teaching, scholarship, research and community engagement responsive to the needs of the region and the state.
Assess and strengthen academic programs to ensure students develop Towson's Learning Outcomes.
Enhance and expand academic endeavors to improve the well-being of the Baltimore Metropolitan Region and the State of Maryland.
Challenge, inspire and support students and faculty to perform at the highest level.
Optimize retention and time to graduation for all students.
The Towson University experience expects students to be academically, civically and socially engaged through exciting and challenging endeavors.
Enhance and celebrate a diverse and complex university.
Respond to student needs to strengthen student satisfaction and success.
Involve students in co-curricular educational experiences on- and off-campus that build civic engagement and global literacy, and promote the Towson University experience.
Provide support programs for student populations with non-traditional needs.
Collaboration within our university and with our partners facilitates our path to success.
Continue to be a leader in workforce development in Maryland.
Enhance and support partnerships and collaborations with government, business and educational sectors throughout the region to promote economic development and address social issues.
Emphasize the shared governance structure throughout the university to ensure responsive organizational leadership.
Maximize resources and success through stronger internal partnerships and collaborations.
Targeted resources are crucial to achieving the university's priorities and laying the groundwork for the next 150 years.
Increase philanthropic support to achieve the university's goals.
Enhance recruitment, retention and development opportunities for faculty and staff.
Maintain a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable campus.
Continue to execute the Master Plan to address the educational, research, environmental, housing, recreation and co-curricular space needs to support the Towson University experience.
Cultivate a campus-wide culture of excellent customer service and encourage innovation and continual improvement in the delivery of services for both internal and external constituencies.
Emphasize campus-wide applied research and scholarship efforts.
Sharing the Towson University experience allows us to convey the impact of the work of faculty, students, staff and alumni in the region and beyond.
Continue to improve internal and external communications.
Feature the arts, athletics, academics and community outreach as key components of the Towson University experience.
Communicate the significance of applied research and community engagement initiatives.
Continually assess our success in meeting marketplace demands and continuing education needs through feedback from alumni, donors, employers and business and government leaders.