Create an engaged, inclusive, and diverse academic and professional home for students, staff, and faculty. Elevating all of our people and maintaining a collaborative, collegial, and supportive environment is essential to achieving all elements of our mission.

Strategic Initiatives

• Create or enhance opportunities for students, staff, and faculty to develop new skills and realize professional aspirations.
• Recruit, retain, and reward a diverse and accomplished community of students, faculty members, and staff members who are committed to learning, intellectual growth, and discovery.
• Foster a supportive, accepting, and vibrant workspace for collaborations among students, staff, and faculty.

Action Steps

• Promote and facilitate hiring practices for faculty and staff that improve diversity.
• Increase the quality and number of students in the college through an aggressive student recruitment program.
• Implement direct freshman admission to the Gatton College and a transfer program to enhance student success.
• Enhance co-curricular support and enrichment programs to aid in retention and student success.
• Align private scholarship awards with Gatton College goals for student success.
• Engage with the business community to promote learning and professional opportunities.
• Create a weekly common free period to support social and professional development.

Metrics

• Diversity of the Gatton College community relative to appropriate benchmarks
• Turnover rates among faculty and staff members
• Enrollment growth with improved academic success indicators for entering classes
• First-to-second year retention
• Graduation rates
• Achievement gap between under-represented minority students and non-minority students
• Results of an annual engagement survey of members of the Gatton College community