Strategic Map, new faculty highlight opening meeting

Faculty Staff meet 2014Stetson University’s Opening Faculty and Staff Meeting will be held Wed., Aug. 20, 9-10 a.m., at the Edmunds Center with President Wendy Libby and Provost Beth Paul presiding.

Chair of the Board of Trustees and alumnus Lu Prats will welcome you. President Wendy Libby will describe highlights of the new 2014-19 Strategic Map and first-year priorities, and thanks everyone for their input over the nine months the map was being developed. Three trustees will share their thinking behind their commitments to our academic success and how those commitments have led to major donations.

“This important meeting is an opportunity for us to come together and talk about the significant strides we have made over the past year, and our plans to build on that success this year,” said Libby.

Strategic Map

The Strategic Map received unanimous approval from the Board of Trustees in May. Laying out goals, objectives, and tactics to be successful in implementing the new map have already started.

“Our trustees were particularly impressed with the depth of the inclusive planning process, the boldness of the vision and the comprehensive, aspirational approach of our Strategic Map, establishing Stetson as the university of choice for innovative approaches to tackling complex challenges,” said Libby. “It presents a dynamic plan that will adjust as we go, shifting our focus to new priorities as we accomplish others and ensuring we stay on the critical path.”

New Faculty

Part of that critical path involves enhancing excellence in innovation and learning, which includes hiring new faculty to keep up with increasing enrollment while maintaining a low student-to-teacher ratio.

“It is wonderful to engage with Stetson’s dedicated teacher-scholar faculty and academic leaders to select and welcome so many new faculty to our community,” said Paul. “In them, we can see a bright future for learning at Stetson!”

Over the past year, Stetson has hired 60 new faculty for the DeLand and Celebration locations and three at the College of Law. New, enhanced curriculums are being developed, and students are benefiting from new learning opportunities.

Growth

Stetson is enjoying another banner year for enrollment, with an expected 2-3 percent increase over last year’s record-breaking undergraduate numbers, according to Joel Bauman, vice president for Enrollment.

“These numbers are in careful alignment with strategic growth planned by the university,” said Bauman. “Obviously, the more students we have, the more vibrant our classrooms and campus become, and the more faculty and infrastructure we need to support our main mission – providing an excellent education. Building on last year’s success while keeping an eye on student and faculty priorities has been a goal of ours.”

New Staff

Also critical to ensuring Stetson’s success is attracting and retaining the best staff employees.

“The maxim ‘success breeds success’ is certainly as work at Stetson University,” said Bob Huth, vice president for Business and CFO, “evidenced not only by the high quality staff that the university has been able to attract, but also demonstrated in the strength and capability of staff enabling them to be promoted to even more challenging positions.”

Since January, new senior staff members have been added in several areas.

  • Jeffrey Ulmer, vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement;
  • Rosalie Richards, associate provost for Faculty Development;
  • Timothy Stiles, executive director, Career Development and Academic Advising;
  • Elizabeth Boggs, director, Career Development.

Staff changes in status appointments since January include:

  • Resche Hines is now assistant vice president, Institutional Research and Effectiveness;
  • Joel E. Jones is now assistant vice president, University Marketing;
  • Robert Andrews is now director, Admissions.

An updated organizational chart, effective August 2014, can be found online.

Values

Robert Sitler, professor of Spanish and Values Commitment Steering Team Leader, says that Stetson made substantive progress in several areas this past year. A full report of this team’s recent work is available online.

“Our university is already well along the road to integrating our ideals,” into everyday life at Stetson, according to Sitler. “Stetson is now starting to open its stride and truly ‘walk the talk’ about its values.”

Achievements include everything from instituting a smoke- and tobacco-free policy and the development of new policy with the Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee restricting investments in tobacco companies, to cultivating a campus where people from vastly different backgrounds can feel both safe and supported.

New members of VCST for the upcoming year are Felisha McCaster, registrar at the College of Law; Johnel Woods, web developer in University Marketing; and Colleen Price, director of Wellness and Recreation. Ongoing members are Josh Rust, Michael Branton, and Leila Roach.