Auburn University
Submitted August 2, 2023
Compliance Status: Compliance
On-Site Reaffirmation Committee Report

The institution provides a thorough narrative of its institutional-wide planning process for the 2019-24 Strategic Plan, as well as descriptions of other planning or assessment processes, such as academic program reviews, student learning outcomes assessment, campus master planning process, capital planning process, and budget review and resource allocation. While many of the planning processes are robust, there is insufficient evidence for the ongoing evaluation of the institution’s strategic plan. 

 

The institution’s strategic planning process (2018-19) was inclusive, led by the faculty, research-based, and informed by input from broad constituents. Following the approval of the 2019-24 Strategic Plan, academic colleges and administrative and auxiliary units created unit-level strategic plans that align with the Six Key Areas in the university’s plan. The institution further developed “131 unit-level action items to measure the progress and the plan’s impact and assessment the university-level KPIs.” The institution created a website to identify university-level KPIs that includes historical data as well as targets for each of the five years. However, the two screenshots provided by the institution [exhibits 31 and 32] only present Goal 1 KPIs, leaving out the remaining goals. In addition, according to the detailed institutional effectiveness diagram [exhibit 1], reporting of institutional progress regarding its strategic plan implementation is completed at the end of each fiscal year. This reporting includes both KPI reports as well “action item reports.” The institution’s narrative mentions “annual updates” several times but no evidence was provided.

 

Examples of unit-level annual reports on their assigned strategic items and examples of the comprehensive annual update would be helpful to demonstrate the systematic review of institutional goals and outcomes. It is also unclear whether colleges or administrative and auxiliary units provide annual updates of their progress toward achieving their goals.  In addition, it is not clear whether the institution’s leadership or a designated committee reviews the institution’s progress toward achieving its strategic goals. The narrative indicates that “in addition to annual updates, the university provides a periodic update on the university’s KPIs at the Board of Trustees meetings…” However, Exhibit 5 provides little evidence of KPIs, data, or the board’s involvement in reviewing or assessing the institution’s progress toward achieving its strategic goals.
Response

The Off-Site Reaffirmation Committee (the Committee) reviewed Auburn University’s planning processes and found them to be robust. There was some concern expressed, however, that there was “insufficient evidence for the ongoing evaluation of the institution’s strategic plan.” The Committee also requested evidence of annual reporting “to demonstrate the systematic review of institutional goals and outcomes.” This response will provide sufficient evidence of ongoing evaluation of the university’s strategic plan as well as evidence of the annual reporting and review conducted across the institution.

Evaluation of the Strategic Plan

Following the implementation of Auburn University’s 2019-2024 Strategic Plan, the university provides ongoing evaluation by preparing annual assessments and updates on the goals, action items, and institution-level key performance indicators (KPIs). The university's annual assessment and reporting process includes a comprehensive review of institutional progress related to its six strategic goals, including annual measures of its KPIs and action items across various units. These assessments support the university’s continuous improvement process and are designed to (1) inform institutional decision-making and (2) identify initiatives, resources, and activities to advance progress toward achieving annual targets and outcomes.

 

Annual reports on institutional goals and KPIs include periodic updates that are developed and shared with the university’s key stakeholders, including the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, administrators, student groups, and the President’s University Leadership Group (a group that includes a broad representation of campus units and shared governance groups). Working together, these groups steward the plan’s goals and ensure the institution is providing strategic prioritization to campus units and programs while providing updates to the campus community. Regular updates on the implementation of strategic goals, initiatives, and KPIs are provided to the university’s Board of Trustees at workshops held in tandem with each meeting.

 

The university maintains an annual process for reporting institutional-level KPIs and programmatic updates that demonstrate an integrated approach to identifying areas for continuous improvement and areas where additional resources and focus may be necessary. These updates enable the university to assess the overall performance both to determine its progress relative to the plan and to develop strategies for advancing the institution’s land-grant mission.

 

An example of the university's strategic plan implementation update can be found in Auburn’s “Mid-Plan Report,” which provided quantitative and qualitative updates on institutional-level KPIs and highlighted programs and initiatives from the plan’s first two years of implementation.

 

The evaluation of activities has allowed the institution to better assess goals and measure progress on metrics directly impacted by the pandemic, such as high-impact practices, research productivity, and outreach. The Mid-Plan Report presented updates on the institution’s goals while providing critical narratives on the university’s emphasis on continuous improvement despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.

 

Additionally, the university’s “Year Three Update” provides additional KPI updates and comparative peer data to determine institutional strategies and resources further needed to achieve annual targets.

 

The university's strategic plan website also provides regular progress updates to each goal KPI, as seen in the attached evidence:

  • Strategic Plan Goal 1
  • Strategic Plan Goal 2
  • Strategic Plan Goal 3
  • Strategic Plan Goal 4
  • Strategic Plan Goal 5
  • Strategic Plan Goal 6

 

As part of its continuous reporting, the university has provided regular updates to the institution’s Board of Trustees at scheduled workshops. These updates highlight progress on KPIs and other initiatives and programs initiated as part of the institution’s strategic plan. A sample of prior updates is provided:

  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Update – July 2019
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Update – February 2020
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Goal 1 Update – April 2020
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Update – April 2021
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Pathway Programs (Goal 1) Update– April 2022
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Update – September 2021
  • Board of Trustees Workshop, Strategic Plan Update Notes – September 2021
  • KPIs, Year Four Update

Annual Reporting and Review

Annual updates to the university’s KPIs are provided at the end of the fiscal year, with some metrics reported at the end of the academic year. These annual KPI updates reflect the institution’s processes for continuous improvement, including progress on annual targets and the development of additional goals, programs, and initiatives. Actions supporting the strategic goals and KPIs are supported by units, individuals, and committees to further assist the university in developing data-driven strategies and processes to facilitate continuous improvement.

 

All units develop goals and objectives aligned with the university’s plan and measure their outcomes regularly using appropriate assessment approaches and utilize the results to develop annual goals and programs. These reports are submitted annually to the senior administrator overseeing these areas. A sampling of these reports from the last three years is provided as evidence:

  • Office of Inclusion and Diversity Annual Report 2021-2022
  • University Outreach Annual Report 2021-2022
  • University Research and Economic Development Annual Report 2021
  • Graduate School Annual Report 2019-2020
  • College of Agriculture Annual Report 2020-2021
  • Harbert College of Business Annual Report 2019-2020
  • Ginn College of Engineering Annual Report 2019-2020
  • College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Annual Report 2020
  • College of Human Sciences Annual Report 2021
  • College of Nursing Annual Report 2021
  • Harrison College of Pharmacy Annual Report 2019
  • College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Report 2020

Conclusion

Auburn University engages in rigorous planning and evaluation processes that are reflective of its commitment to continuous improvement. These ongoing, university-wide processes include the kind of long-term planning necessary to secure the university’s excellence in the future and to take advantage of opportunities to reflect, reevaluate, and respond to the ever-changing demands of higher education.