Strategic Planning at FSU

Impetus for Change

In 2006, an Evaluation Team from FSU's regional accrediting agency, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, conducted a campus visit for reaffirmation of Frostburg State University’s accreditation status. The team affirmed that that Frostburg State University continues to meet the eligibility requirements in Middle States’ Characteristics of Excellence.

The visiting team made four recommendations to be addressed in the 2011 Middle States Periodic Report. One of these recommendations is tied to planning, resource allocation, and institutional renewal:

Middle States Standard 2 Recommendation. Frostburg should fully review and revise its planning and resource allocation processes to more fully engage the broader campus community and to provide for transparency within the process, including the provision of explanations for establishing priorities and analyses of how budget decisions impact each division.

The Frostburg State University Strategic Planning Team (SPT) was formed in fall 2007 to address this recommendation.

Message from the President
"Frostburg State University is experiencing a period of rapid and consequential change. This is brought about by the retirement of long-valued faculty and staff, the creation of a sustainable university, industry-wide changes in academic programs, and the expansion of technology in virtually every sector of our lives and that of our students.

"In order to meet the demands placed on a 21st century university, a coherent strategic plan must be in place. Effective, thoughtful data-informed decision-making must be connected to a planning process that helps us, as a community, retain our focus on our institutional goals and vision.

"Frostburg State University, with its rich history and exciting future, will benefit from the creation of a strategic plan grounded in a shared vision and supported by a transparent process of decision-making and resource allocation."

Dr. Jonathan Gibralter,
President
Frostburg State University

Oct. 4, 2007