As approved by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents 2005

Frostburg State University
Mission Statement

Summary

Frostburg State University has provided paths to success for students for over 100 years. Founded in 1898 to prepare teachers, the institution today is a public, comprehensive, largely residential regional university offering a wide array of affordable programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The only four-year institution of the University System of Maryland west of the Baltimore-Washington corridor, the University serves as the premier educational and cultural center for western Maryland. At the same time, it draws its student population from all counties in Maryland, as well as from numerous other states and foreign countries, thereby creating a campus experience that prepares students to live and work in a culturally diverse world.

The University is distinguished by a scenic campus encircled by mountains, its excellent academic programs, its nationally acclaimed community service programs, and its vital role in regional economic development initiatives. As a result, it holds the distinction of being one of the University System institutions most closely woven into the fabric of the surrounding area.

Frostburg State University is, first and foremost, a teaching institution in which students are guided and nurtured by dedicated, highly qualified faculty and staff. Faculty engage in wide-ranging research and scholarly activity with the ultimate goal of enhancing student learning. The academic experience of undergraduates includes a rigorous general education program in the liberal arts and sciences, including development of core skills. Major areas of specialization are offered in education, business, science and technology, the creative and performing arts, and selected programs in the humanities and social sciences. The University provides numerous opportunities for students to engage in community service, leadership development activities, undergraduate research, and internships. These activities serve as experiential laboratories in which students apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations. Graduate programs provide specialized instruction for students involved in or preparing for professional careers.

Frostburg State University continues to define its core mission as providing pathways to success – in careers, in further education, and in life – for all of its graduates.

Institutional Identity

Founded in 1898, Frostburg State University (FSU) is a comprehensive, largely residential, regional university. It is the only four-year institution of the University System of Maryland (USM) west of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, thereby serving as the premier educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. With both a culturally and ethnically diverse student population and faculty and staff, FSU provides unique programs and experiences and a stimulating learning environment to the entire state. Because of its significant role in the System and state, FSU has a tri-fold mission of excellence in education, community service, and economic development.

Frostburg State University offers a comprehensive array of high-quality and affordable undergraduate and graduate degrees emphasizing academic programs in education, business, applied science and technology, and creative and performing arts, with selected programs in the humanities and social sciences. Although the main campus focuses on traditional residential students, the University serves the diverse learning needs of nontraditional students with on-line courses, distance learning, collaborative programs and downstate centers. The academic programs promote intellectual growth with a diverse learning environment that equips learners with critical thinking skills essential to developing civic responsibility and global awareness. These programs provide “real life” experiential learning opportunities for students in virtually every discipline. Through a distinguished and caring faculty and staff, students are afforded a supportive environment which helps them complete their degrees in a timely manner.

Nationally known for its programs in community service and leadership, FSU offers an array of opportunities for students to engage in regional volunteerism and service-learning activities. Through students’ internships and volunteer positions at statewide businesses and non-profit and government organizations, the University encourages practical application of classroom knowledge and promotes civic responsibility. University faculty also serve the community through educational outreach activities, hosting educational events and training programs for regional schools and businesses. In addition, Professional Development Schools serve as valuable resources for K-12 teachers throughout Western Maryland and neighboring states.

FSU is also an integral component of regional development initiatives. Each college provides technical and business expertise through its faculty, students, and facilities. Faculty administer research grants, offer consulting services, and manage experiential-learning programs. Students are involved in internships, applied projects, and student-led research and problem solving. The University also makes available shared space for business incubation with an emphasis on engaging faculty and students with business to ensure the collaborative nature of all ventures.

Institutional Capabilities

Building on a foundation of excellence, Frostburg State University will continue to grow and to develop programs responsive to the diverse needs and interests of students and will collaborate in outreach initiatives focusing on education, public and community service, and economic development.

The University holds as its primary function the provision of high-quality education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As the result of a comprehensive review of its offerings, the program of undergraduate education provides students opportunities for interdisciplinary study, collaborative experiences, service learning, and undergraduate research through both its program of general education and its majors. Graduate programs offer students additional opportunities for scholarship and research in a variety of fields.

The University also recognizes its responsibility to assist the State in addressing the critical shortage of teachers and information technology professionals. Therefore, the University will seek to increase the number of qualified undergraduate and graduate students recruited to and graduating in those disciplines. Expanded curricular offerings in education and applied technology will be accompanied by increased efforts in retention in those fields.

FSU also acknowledges its responsibility to strengthen public schools through the preparation of certified teacher-education graduates and K-16 partnerships directed at improving curriculum and pedagogy. Increased opportunities for the continuing education of teachers will be accomplished through the expansion of Professional Development Schools in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

In addition to its focus on teaching, the University understands fully the unique opportunities presented for public and community service as the only public four-year institution of higher learning west of the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Collaborations with government agencies, other educational institutions, and business and non-profit organizations address the emerging needs of the broader community. The institution's highly acclaimed programs in volunteerism and community service (AmeriCorps, America Reads, VISTA, VOICE, Learn and Serve) have brought the University national eminence.

The University also uses its facilities and professional staff to bring to the region outstanding productions at both the local, national, and international levels in music, dance, theatre, and public/current events, in addition to serving as the home for a rich array of student productions. These programs draw audiences from Allegany and Garrett Counties and adjacent counties of neighboring states. Both private and University resources have combined to make the institution the premier cultural center of the region.

Another integral component of public service is contribution to the area’s economic vitality. In this regard, the University recognizes its role as a major force for economic development in the region. FSU is a major employer in the area, providing a positive stimulus for the regional economy and opportunities for advanced learning for the employees of area businesses and professions. Each year the University attracts thousands of visitors to the region through special events such as Homecoming, Family Weekend, and commencements and through its vigorous summer programming, all of which bring additional resources to the institution and to the area. Excellent campus facilities and the expertise of University personnel also enable FSU to serve as a center for applied research in the environmental and social sciences, teaching and learning, and other disciplines responsive to societal needs.

In addition to its contributions to economic development through employment and campus programming, the University plays a role in attracting new businesses to the area. University faculty are available as consultants in a wide variety of fields and specialties to stimulate business activity. The Center for Regional Progress conducts research and analyses for the local Chamber of Commerce and numerous other area agencies. The University has also earmarked Tawes Hall, the former science building, to serve as a temporary incubator/design facility designed to build the county’s base of technology-related businesses. Ultimately, the University hopes to grow the incubator over the next four years, with current tenants and/or other companies moving into new buildings in the new Allegany Business Center at Frostburg State University (ABC @ FSU). Currently, the University is working with the Allegany County Department of Economic Development and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to establish this business park. A major attraction for both the University and the private sector will be the excellent location and the availability of University resources, including faculty and student interns.

Institutional Objectives and Outcomes

In fulfillment of its mission and in keeping with the goals of the State Plan and the USM Strategic Plan, Frostburg State University will address the following goals and objectives over the next several years:

Long-term:

1. Continue to provide a broad array of high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that promote the personal growth and economic well-being of students and meet the critical workforce needs of the region and the state.

Short-term:

a. Increase the number of teacher education graduates employed in Maryland public school systems.

b. Continue to promote and expand the number of professional development schools in collaboration with regional school systems and the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

c. Increase the percentage of information technology graduates employed in Maryland.

d. Prepare students to enter the workforce by increasing the number of internship opportunities within related fields.

e. Ensure that undergraduates are proficient at the Regents’ required level of technology fluency and are competent at a higher level of technology usage consistent with the needs of the marketplace and their career goals.

f. Increase the number of programs recognized for excellence by achieving national accreditation, i.e., the reaccredidation of the:

- University by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;
- Teacher Education programs by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE);
- Recreation and Park Management program by the National Recreation and Park Association/American Association for Leisure and Recreation;
- Collaborative engineering programs: by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET);
- Counseling Psychology program by the Interorganizational Board for Accreditation of Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council.

g. Achieve first time accreditation in Business by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.


h. Complete the planning phase for the Center for Communication and Information Technology to house the University’s information technology programs.


i. Expand the array of programs available at the University System of Maryland (USM) at Hagerstown through collaboration with other institutions.


j. Develop a student learning assessment plan that sets forth realistic standards for good practices, systematically gathers data, and improves university programs and services.

Long-term:

2. Provide access to higher education for qualified residents of Maryland and the region.

Short-term:

a. Continue to increase the number of enrolled students by providing an academically challenging yet nurturing environment.


b. Develop strategies that provide increases in financial aid for eligible students and seek to balance merit, need-based, and non-need based aid.


c. Provide additional online education opportunities for students, including new courses and greater prospects for studying online throughout the calendar year.


d. Increase the retention and graduation rates for all students.


e. Sustain graduates’ satisfaction rate with education received for work and for graduate and professional schools at 85% or higher.


f. Increase the percentage of graduates employed one year after graduation.


g. Establish an Advising Center to provide increased support for transfer students and undeclared majors.

Long-term:

3. Create an environment that prepares students to live and work productively in a diverse society.

Short-term:

a. Maintain a diverse student population by continuing to improve retention and graduation rates for minority students.


b. Continue efforts to recruit and maintain a diverse faculty and staff.


c. Provide experiences that enable students to gain insight into the cultural determinants that shape individual perspectives of the world and influence interaction with people from different backgrounds.


d. Implement the Undergraduate Education Initiative (UEI) by providing interdisciplinary educational programs and services that increase students’ knowledge of the humanities, the natural and social sciences, and the arts and that develop students’ ability to think critically; gain proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; explore, evaluate, and define their values; and become responsible citizens.

Long-term:

4. Serve as a catalyst for economic development in western Maryland and the region and continue to work with Allegany County to attract companies to the Allegany Business Center (ABC) at FSU.

Short-term:

a. Work with state and local government agencies and private corporations to attract new initiatives to the University’s temporary incubator/expansion facility in Tawes Hall.


b. Encourage incubator/expansion partners to employ student interns and develop collaborative research with faculty.

Long-term:

5. Implement the service-to-community philosophy embraced by the University’s faculty, staff, alumni, and students.

Short-term:

a. Provide increased opportunities for students and faculty to engage in service learning and other forms of community service.


b. Expand programs that enable students to engage in direct, hands-on experiences that reinforce classroom learning (e.g., internships and undergraduate research opportunities).


c. Encourage faculty and staff to engage in regional and local community service.

Long-term:

6. Continue the University’s commitment to an aggressive physical plant expansion plan that will permit the institution to meet projected growth in enrollment and provide the infrastructure required to meet the needs of academic programs.

Short-term:

a. Complete the planning stage for the Center for Communication and Information Technology.


b. Complete the expansion of the University’s student center.


c. Continue to expand core information technology infrastructure to facilitate online learning and other modalities of instruction essential for today’s instruction and scholarship.

Long-term:

7. Achieve FSU goals as a component of the USM capital campaign goals.

Short-term:

a. Invest in a feasibility study to determine readiness.


b. Complete the planning phase of the USM capital campaign that will direct the University’s activities.


c. Increase the number of major gifts.


d. Increase the average gift size.