MSCHE Evaluation Report May 2021

Team Report (Self-Study Evaluation)

Page 18

Standard VI: Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement

The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.

In the team’s judgment, the institution appears to meet this standard.

This judgment is based on a review of the self-study report, evidence, and interviews with institutional constituencies to clarify information and verify compliance during the self-study evaluation team visit.

Summary of Findings

Planning and Budgeting The SUNY College of Optometry has regular, transparent, inclusive, and distributed planning processes for both academic and administrative units. These planning processes are directly tied to the College’s institutional strategic priorities and goals. Evidence shows that individual units within the College must refer to contributions toward these, as applicable, in their planning as well as in annual priorities and goals specific to a unit and a unit head. It was noted that “Starting in 2018-19, annual goals were formally matched to the goals/objectives of the strategic plan,” and the president meets annually with each vice president to assess progress on the plan. Furthermore, there are Annual Implementation Meetings where each vice president presents “a data-driven analysis that addresses progress on the strategic plan in the vice president’s area of responsibility” to the Institutional Research and Planning Committee and the rest of the senior management. The team saw evidence of these reports, showing data on a multi-year basis and relating to specific strategic objectives The College adopted a strategic plan in 2018 ( 2018-2023 Strategic Plan: Care, Lead, Advance ) when it engaged in an assessment and renewal process from the prior plan and identification of new initiatives around nine strategic objectives. In turn the College initiated a longer-term view, “An Exploration of Strategies for the Long-Term Sustainability of the SUNY College of Optometry,” with a draft report issued in February 2020 (Framework for the Future: Phase 1 Draft) ; however, that planning effort was interrupted by the Covid-19 emergency and should resume in the Fall of 2021. Within the framework of the SUNY and New York State budget processes, the College’s annual budget preparation and resource allocation relate directly to its mission, goals, and objectives. There is evidence from review of the budget call letter and sample budget submissions that data are used to assess financial and programmatic performance, and budget requests relate directly to a “specific component of the strategic plan.” The institutional research function provides regular data analysis as part of the College’s Assessment Plan. Financial Position The College’s operating and capital needs depend on six categories of income or support: ● State support through SUNY ● Income from student tuition and fees