Standards and Requirements of Affiliation Covered

Standards Covered: I and VI
Requirements of Affiliation: 7, 10, 11, 12

Tri-Chairs

Sarah Baldassaro, chief of staff, President’s Office
Nicole Bresnahan, assistant vice president and controller, OFT
Jan Post, executive director, university budget planning and operations, University Budget Office, OFT**

Members

Ernesto Castañeda-Tinoco, associate professor, CAS
Tony Cortes, director of capital program management
Geralynn Franceschini, executive director of strategic implementation, Office of People and External Affairs**
Olivia Ivey, librarian, University Library; former chair, Faculty Senate Committee on Academic Budgets and Benefits
Ann Joiner, executive director, total awards and service delivery, Human Resources
Eric Leal, associate dean of budget and administration, CAS
Jackie Mabry, executive director, principal gift strategies, Development and Alumni Relations
Joseph Riquelme, vice provost and chief online officer
Syed Salahuddin, financial planning and analysis director, WCL
Ximena Varela, associate professor, CAS
Vicky Wilkins, dean, SPA
Julie Zito, assistant vice president of marketing, University Communications and Marketing
Student (TBD)

**Denotes designated data/evidence lead. This individual will also be a member of the supporting documentation working group to ensure a comprehensive use of available evidence.

Lines of Inquiry

Lines of inquiry are examples of the questions that the subcommittee will address as a part of their chapter.

1. University-Wide Strategic Plan Development. What is AU’s mission and strategic plan and to what extent were they developed in a collaborative manner? How are the institution’s ongoing assessment practices used to inform the strategic plan and strategic planning in general? Are effective mechanisms in place for collaborative participation of university stakeholders in the development of goals?
2. Mission and Strategic Plan. How well do the mission and strategic plan serve the institution and guide the institution in making decisions? Are the mission and strategic plan sufficiently flexible for the institution to be able to respond to internal and external opportunities and changes, including emerging academic disciplines, changing demographics, and new instructional methods and technologies? How well is the university positioned to meet the changing nature of higher education in the decade ahead? How well does the university communicate its mission and goals to faculty, students, staff, alumni, external constituencies, and other university stakeholders, and how will it incorporate input and feedback?
3. Individual Academic and Administrative Strategic Plan Integration. How well do the academic and administrative units contribute to strategic planning and institutional renewal, both within their individual units and in coordinating activities and programs across the university as a whole? How well does the institution integrate, coordinate, and continuously improve planning across and within different academic and administrative divisions in support of the university’s mission? How well do units coordinate their goals to meet/align with strategic plan imperatives and implementation?
4. Institutional Resources in Support of the Strategic Plan. To what extent are strategic plans integrated with human resources, technology, financial, and facilities planning? How well does the financial planning and budgeting process align with the institution’s mission and goals, and how is this alignment continuously improved? How well do the university’s resource development, allocation processes, and management practices position the university to meet the current and future opportunities and challenges of fulfilling AU’s mission? Are these processes responsive to unexpected changes? Is there transparency regarding the university’s resource allocation practices, financial position, and results? Overall, does AU have the financial resources, funding base, and plans for development adequate to support its educational purposes and programs to ensure financial stability?
5. Strategy Implementation. What approach is taken to implement the strategic plan, and how well is progress against outcomes assessed? To what extent does the university have metrics that enable it to track and inform progress on key strategic goals, and how can AU better measure whether it is delivering on its goals? To what extent does the university infrastructure guide, assess, and continuously improve strategy implementation? How are internal and external constituencies involved in strategy implementation? To what extent is progress communicated with internal and external constituencies?