The Dream and the Challenge

Introduction

In 1997 the Kentucky General Assembly passed the landmark Postsecondary Education Improvement Act, commonly referred to as "House Bill 1," which established goals that postsecondary education should achieve by the year 2020. Achieving these goals will enable Kentucky to develop a standard of living and quality of life that meets or exceeds the national average. House Bill 1 specifically calls for the University of Kentucky to become one of the nation's top 20 public research universities by the year 2020. The University welcomes that expectation and is committed to fulfilling it. Nevertheless, national recognition is not an end in itself; rather, it is a product of excellence in fulfilling our mission and serving the Commonwealth.

In response to House Bill 1, President Lee T. Todd, Jr. appointed a task force to recommend criteria and measures by which the University will regularly assess progress toward becoming a nationally preeminent public research university. The President's Top 20 Task Force issued its report in April 2002. The President also created a task force in July 2001 to recommend areas of research and creative endeavor in which investments of new or reallocated resources should be made. The Task Force on the University of Kentucky Futures: Faculty for the 21st Century issued its report in March 2002. In October 2002 President Todd initiated development of the University's next strategic plan -- The Dream and the Challenge. This plan will guide the actions of the University of Kentucky, including Lexington Community College, for the next three years, July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2006. The recommendations of the Top 20 Task Force provide the framework for the strategic plan, informed by input from other task forces and commissions. A three-year period was selected so that the University could be flexible and respond aggressively to the demands of a rapidly changing environment and a more diverse and interdependent global society.

An Executive Steering Committee and three subcommittees representing the academic, business and clinical enterprise communities of the University developed this plan, The Dream and the Challenge. Significant input was also obtained from many University constituents, including the Futures Committee, the President's Commission on Diversity, the President's Commission on Women, and other committees that have recommended University enhancements. As part of the planning process, the University's mission, vision and value statements were reviewed and revised. The Board of Trustees adopted the revised statements on April 1, 2003. The following goals, objectives and key indicators provide a blueprint for faculty, staff and administrators to follow as they build one of the nation's 20 best public research universities and a nationally recognized community college. Each goal emphasizes a single aspect of the University. Yet, as with a blueprint for a complex building with multiple subsystems, the goals and objectives must be integrated to form a complete picture of the University's plan for the future.

GOAL I: Reach for National Prominence

One of the great strengths of the University of Kentucky is the richness of a campus that brings together undergraduate, graduate and professional students in an unusually comprehensive array of programs. This variety encourages shared ideas across disciplines, promotes multidisciplinary endeavors, and enriches the educational and social experiences of a highly diverse and talented student body. While the richness and variety of campus life are among UK's greatest strengths, the University's progress depends upon a well-conceived concentration of its resources. The full implementation of the Provost model will facilitate the University's ability to capitalize on its intellectual diversity through the integration of all its resources.

As we strive to become one of America's 20 best public research universities, some programs will build upon or attain national recognition and will serve a global constituency. Other programs will advance the land-grant mission by creating the professional, educated citizenry and scholarship needed to serve Kentucky. Although particular areas will be emphasized, comprehensive excellence is essential to the mission of serving as the premier teaching, research and land-grant institution for the Commonwealth. This level of excellence also will be required in other endeavors for which we can serve as a national model, including the creation of a prosperous and mutually beneficial "college town" environment. Over the next three years, we will support our faculty and staff in delivering a comprehensive array of academic programs and other activities and services as we reach for national prominence in priority areas.

Objectives:

1. The University will increase the prominence of faculty scholarship. Our faculty defines the academic enterprise. The quality and achievements of the faculty determine the prominence of the University and the degree to which our missions are accomplished. We must adequately support our faculty while strategically allocating resources to priority areas for future development.

2. The University will enhance the excellence and sustainability of the clinical enterprise. The successful fulfillment of the health affairs (clinical) mission is vital to the realization of our dreams. We must identify clinical priorities and re-focus resources on those areas with the best opportunities for national recognition and preeminence in clinical service and research. The core medical areas must include those where the University can bring excellent programs to the fore, including cardiovascular, cancer, infectious disease, neurosciences, and similar disciplines revolving around high-technology interventional and diagnostic work.

3. The University will increase its resources in order to offer high-quality instructional, research and service programs. The University's progress in reaching its aspirations requires significant new investments in areas of strength and promise. Our primary sources of support are: state funds, grants and contracts, tuition and fees, clinical income, gifts, and endowment income. We must increase the generation of resources and the contributions of our numerous partners and supporters.

4. The University will strengthen the link between funding decisions, plans and results. Our mission necessitates wise stewardship of existing financial support, including the reallocation of resources to support priority programs. We must align planning and budgeting processes more closely to provide the resource and infrastructure needs identified in the Top 20 Task Force Report. We must evaluate our progress regularly and redirect our efforts to ensure success and continuous quality enhancement.

5. The University will streamline its business and information technology services. Advancement of the academic and clinical enterprises depends on the effectiveness and efficiency of administrative, business and information technology support. We must reduce bureaucracy and other barriers to our success, while maintaining accountability for institutional assets and resources. We must provide integrated information technology solutions to enhance the University's overall competitiveness and to ensure high levels of faculty, student, staff and customer satisfaction.

Key Indicators:

By 2006, we will:

• Increase from 10 to 15 the number of top ranked academic programs, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Research Council (NRC), or U.S. News & World Report.
• Increase health affairs clinical income by 10 percent.
• Identify four clinical target programs and implement at least two new related business plans.
• Increase the market value of the University's endowments to $500 million through fund raising focused on the priority research areas identified in the Commonwealth's Strategic Plan for the New Economy.
• Redesign business and clinical processes as part of the replacement of the financial, human resource, student, and health enterprise information systems.

GOAL II: Attract and Graduate Outstanding Students

Educating students is a core mission of the University. In order to attain excellence and achieve national recognition, we must recruit, retain and graduate a diverse group of outstanding undergraduate, graduate and professional students, representing Kentucky, the nation and the world. We expect our graduates to become productive citizens who make significant contributions to their professions and communities. To achieve this valued outcome, we will expand initiatives to attract and graduate outstanding students.

Objectives:

1. The University will admit and enroll an increasingly higher caliber of student. To attract and enroll such students, we must recruit the best students in Kentucky and beyond; expand scholarship, fellowship, and other forms of financial support; and offer comprehensive, modern and challenging curricula. The University's excellence will be reflected through the state, regional and national recognition of our students.

2. The University will collaborate with Kentucky's other postsecondary education institutions to facilitate success for transfer students. A successful statewide transfer program is critical to Kentucky's success in raising its overall level of educational attainment. We must further the academic success of transfer students through program articulation and transfer agreements, support for the Course Applicability System (CAS), and other collaborative activities.

3. The University will engage students in rigorous educational programs and provide an environment conducive to success. Students succeed when they form meaningful connections with the University community, integrating their academic and social lives. We must offer an enriching first-year experience to all new freshmen, continuously assess and improve the quality of teaching and student learning, and involve our students in the intellectual life of the University. By implementing new living-learning communities, we create opportunities for students to interact with the University community and its neighbors. We must provide the finest teaching and academic support possible; assist with personal, social and career development; and develop additional student life programs and facilities. We must facilitate the success of all our students, including student-athletes and minority and special populations.

Key Indicators

By 2006, we will:

• Increase the middle 50 percent range of ACT scores for incoming freshmen to 23-28, as reported to U.S. News & World Report.
• Achieve enrollment and community-college transfer goals established in collaboration with the Council on Postsecondary Education.
• Open a new undergraduate residence hall, designed as a 21st century living/learning community.
• Increase the first-to-second year retention rate of first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students to 83 percent.
• Exceed the predicted levels of attainment on indicators of quality undergraduate education, as reported by seniors on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
• Increase the six-year graduation rate to 60 percent.

GOAL III: Attract, Develop and Retain a Distinguished Faculty

A distinguished faculty is the cornerstone of a successful research university. An excellent and diverse faculty, characterized by exceptional scholarship, superb teaching, and dedicated service, is essential if the University is to gain greater national prominence. The faculty members need the broad-based support of the University community - partnerships with superior staff, excellent facilities, and a commitment to quality - if they are to realize their full promise. A primary focus for the University will be to attract, develop and retain a distinguished faculty.

Objectives:

1. The University will offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain distinguished faculty. Compensation is the most important resource for attracting and retaining distinguished faculty. We must make competitive faculty salaries our first priority.

2. The University will offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain superior staff. Compensation and career development opportunities are essential resources for developing and retaining excellent staff. Staff salaries, as well as health care and other benefits critical to the current and future welfare of all employees, are included among our highest priorities.

3. The University will institute policies to attract and retain a distinguished faculty. The University's policies must facilitate the recruitment and appointment of highly qualified faculty. We must identify and implement best practices in minority faculty recruitment, develop initiatives designed to find employment for partners of new hires, and ease the transition to the University of Kentucky for new faculty.

4. The University will strengthen support to faculty and staff. Providing exemplary support to facilitate effective faculty-staff partnerships is essential to our success. We must improve the quality of the support infrastructure - business and administrative services, facilities and equipment, libraries, development opportunities, and academic and technical services - to enable a talented faculty to achieve national prominence.

5. The University will increase the recruitment and support of high-profile faculty capable of conducting influential scholarship and leading major scholarly initiatives. Through the Commonwealth's Endowment Match Program, the University established significant new endowments to stimulate research capacity and productivity. The University must accelerate efforts to develop and fill endowed chairs and professorships with high-impact scholars, including existing faculty members who are positioned well for attaining national prominence.

Key Indicators:

By 2006, we will:

• Increase the average faculty salary to at least 90 percent of the benchmark median.
• Develop institutional policies and procedures that promote recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
• Increase by three the number of active or emeritus faculty with membership in the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, or the Institute of Medicine.
• Increase from 12 to 15 the number of nationally recognized awards and honors earned by faculty.

GOAL IV: Discover, Share and Apply New Knowledge

As a doctoral, research-extensive institution, the University of Kentucky must demonstrate excellence in discovery and innovation, characterized by preeminent scholarship - encompassing research, creative activities, teaching and learning, and extension, as well as professional practice. Faculty, staff and students participate in the process of research and discovery throughout their careers at the University. To meet our research challenge and maximize its potential for the advancement of Kentucky's economy and way of life, we will identify and pursue innovative ways to discover, share and apply new knowledge.

Objectives:

1. The University will aggressively pursue targeted strategies to increase extramural research funding. A preeminent research university continually develops its capacity to create and share new knowledge. We must assist more faculty in launching productive research careers; link basic, clinical, extension, and other applied efforts to focus resources on critical areas of opportunity; and form multi-investigator, interdisciplinary research teams that will target specific extramural funding opportunities.

2. The University will provide the facilities and equipment necessary to enhance research capacity. Meeting the challenge to become a top research university carries with it the responsibility to ensure adequate laboratory space, research equipment, information access, and staff support. We must continually assess research productivity levels and the need for new space and equipment, develop the means to meet and support identified needs, and ensure wise use and maintenance of facilities and equipment.

3. The University will cultivate the success of diverse efforts in scholarly achievement and research. Excellence and recognition of faculty from many disciplines, including those for which extramural resources are scarce, are essential to fulfilling our mission. We must foster leading scholarship throughout the University; commemorate the accomplishments of faculty, staff and students; and communicate their successes to the Commonwealth and beyond.

4. The University will attract and enroll highly qualified doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars. A reputation for nationally acclaimed programs enhances the ability of top research universities to recruit the finest students and postdoctoral scholars. We must enroll greater numbers of such students, integrate these students into research programs, and facilitate their roles as new investigators. To sustain a cycle of increasing quality, productivity and recognition, we must assist new investigators to become excellent research faculty in institutions throughout the nation.

Key Indicators:

By 2006, we will:

• Increase federal research expenditures, as reported in the National Science Foundation Survey of Research and Development Scientific and Engineering Expenditures, to at least $140 million.
• Secure authorization for an additional state-of-the-art research facility in support of the growth plan for research facilities as defined in the University's Physical Development Campus Plan.
• Increase doctoral degree enrollment from 2,154 to 2,350; and increase doctoral degree production from 216 to 250. D. Increase postdoctoral scholars from 232 to 275.

GOAL V: Nurture Diversity of Thought, Culture, Gender and Ethnicity

The University of Kentucky is committed to creating a diverse, multicultural community of scholars and learners. To advance this commitment we must move forward with specific actions that demonstrate our belief in the value and richness of human differences. We must provide a model for the Commonwealth of a truly diverse society that celebrates human differences, promotes fairness and equity in policies and practices, and upholds basic principles of social justice. To become one of the nation's best research universities, we must foster a creative, supportive environment that will nurture diversity of thought, culture, gender and ethnicity.

Objectives:

1. The University will improve the climate for diversity. Programs designed to create a diverse community in which all individuals and groups can thrive, both personally and professionally, are necessary to build upon recruitment and hiring successes. We must create an inclusive living and learning environment for faculty, staff and students through leadership training, professional development, and mentoring programs that promote sensitivity and respect for the full range of human diversity.

2. The University will create a diverse workplace and learning community. A nationally prominent research university demonstrates a commitment to diversity and equity by following practices that protect and advance the interests of all its members. We must increase awareness of our diversity and equity aspirations, address equitable compensation issues, establish unit goals in support of university-wide goals, and evaluate progress at all levels. We must expect our leadership to demonstrate improvements, and we must reward those who do.

Key Indicator:

By 2006, we will:
Meet the enrollment and persistence goals of the Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education and the employment goals of the University Affirmative Action Plan.

GOAL VI: Elevate the Quality of Life for Kentuckians

Since its founding in 1865 as a land-grant college, the University of Kentucky has applied knowledge and resources to address the Commonwealth's economic, social and cultural needs. We must improve the lives of Kentuckians in the areas of education; health and economic well-being; arts and culture; community vitality and civic engagement; and the environment. We must identify new resources and find innovative ways to use existing means to elevate the quality of life for Kentuckians through partnerships with communities and by expanding and amplifying the original land-grant vision to all spheres of life.

Objectives:

1. The University will engage its people and resources in a renewed commitment to outreach. University outreach and service bring together faculty, staff and students with practitioners, communities, government agencies, schools, businesses, and others to address critical quality of life problems. We must provide leadership to education, business, technology, medicine, and other areas. We must also recognize outreach as a means of education that transcends traditional classroom experiences. Outreach involves the application of knowledge and discovery to societal problems, and we must recognize and reward faculty and students for their outreach and service learning activities, including community involvement.

2. The University will lead in the delivery of specialty care in select clinical areas. The University's clinical enterprise is an essential component in improving the lives of Kentuckians. To be successful, we must advance our position in local, state and national health care markets. We must realign current faculty, staff and facility capacities; consider new, alternative locations for hospital and faculty practice to attract a balanced mix of patients; and ensure access to priority programs for Kentuckians.

3. The University will accelerate industry-funded research and partnerships, technology transfer, and business development to advance Kentucky's economy. A premier land-grant university conducts research and supports the extension of research and other activities in ways that enhance the state economic base. As such, we have a dream that Kentuckians "can compete just like everyone else." To turn our dreams into reality, we must seize opportunities to develop further our intellectual property, corporate relationships, and business ventures, and we must enhance our efforts to fulfill the vision and promise of the Coldstream Research Campus.

4. The University will expand utilization of its cooperative extension network to improve the quality of life for all Kentuckians. The Cooperative Extension Service has a long and successful history of serving as a link between the counties of the Commonwealth and the University of Kentucky to help people improve their lives. We must build upon the recent expansion of this network as a vehicle for the effective delivery of critical educational programs. We must promote public health education, small business and entrepreneurial initiatives, and arts and cultural development, while identifying additional areas of need.

Key Indicators:

By 2006, we will:

• Develop and implement a plan for University engagement that integrates service into the curriculum and recognizes faculty engagement.
• Secure authorization and design a strategic clinical facility.
• Increase industry-funded research expenditures to $25 million.
• Increase the number of patent applications by 10 percent.
• Increase the number of start-up companies to two per year.
• Increase public service expenditures, particularly extramural grant-supported expenditures, in areas critical to improving the lives of Kentuckians.

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Updated: 1/21/2005 by Robert J. Trader