New Mexico State University Chancellor Dan Arvizu and President John Floros presented their go-forward strategic direction for the university as well as their proposed performance management metrics to the NMSU Board of Regents Oct. 3. Here is a statement from the University:
“We’ve been meeting with many of our stakeholders across the university over the last four months and listening intently. This plan really details out the critical components the university plan moving forward,” Arvizu said. “We have outlined our purpose, strategic objectives, where we will add value, and where we plan to develop capacity and build infrastructure. Over the coming months, this will be the basis for the conversation we will have with the academic and administrative units as we seek their feedback.”
Both leaders said student success was the most important of their strategic objectives. This includes effectively growing and shaping diverse enrollment, supporting academic program demands as well as student retention and producing highly qualified graduates. Enrollment, retention, graduation and job placement rates were all identified as key metrics associated with student success.
“We want students to feel the university is attentive to their needs and actively working to help them graduate sooner rather than later,” Floros said. “From the first contact we have with a prospective student to the time they graduate, it should be a student-centric process.”
In addition to improving student success, other categories for measurement include research and creativity, outreach and strategic initiatives, financial stewardship, fundraising and foundation relations, leadership and organizational effectiveness, athletics and board relations. Each category has a number of leading indicators associated with it as well. These areas will serve as the starting point for a comprehensive approach to performance evaluation across the NMSU system.
Over the next few months, the chancellor and president will meet with the university’s deans, academic departments and administrative units to review and refine the performance metrics. Final outlines with performance mechanisms and rewards are expected in early 2019.