Strategic Plan

Michigan Tech is a globally recognized technological university that educates students, advances knowledge, and innovates to improve the quality of life and to promote mutual respect and equity for all people within the state, the nation, and the global community. - Michigan Tech Vision Statement

To support this vision, the Provost's Office engaged with Engagement and Belonging to develop a strategic plan related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging (DEIS). Using the provided toolkit, our office outlined goals, desired outcomes, and action plans related to the following planning domains:

• Recruitment: Bringing a world-class diverse and inclusive student body, faculty, staff, and administration to MTU.
• Retention: Developing systems of welcome and support that help individuals thrive and achieve their educational, career, and personal goals.
• Climate: Cultivating a culture that imbues all members of the MTU community with a sense of belonging.

The Provost's office current DEIS Strategic Plan is available as a document and is also outlined below by domain.

Outcomes

• Language pertaining to contributions to the Michigan Tech mission and vision are included in 100% of faculty and academic administrator job announcements as assessed by job postings and advertisements.
• Michigan Tech specific expectations that relate to the mission and vision of the university will be included in 100% of offer letters.

Action Items & Timeline

• Deans Council to develop desired qualifications statement to be included in faculty and administrator position descriptions regarding DEIS experience and/or ability that articulates Michigan Tech specific expectations. Completed July 2023
• Deans Council to develop wording for faculty and administrator position descriptions that encourages applicants to address potential contributions to the mission and vision of the university in their cover letter. Completed July 2023
• Deans Council to work with academic forum to develop wording for offer letters that articulates expectations relating contributions to the vision and mission of the university. Completed November 2023

Outcomes

• Use Digital Measures (DM) for optional reporting/reviewing of DEIS efforts.
  • Overall target: 75% of users choosing to enter these activities into DM.
• Roll out of reporting and reviewing in DM.
  • AY 2023-24 target: 60% of tenured, tenure-track, and instructional-track faculty choosing to have data in at least one DEIS-related field within Digital Measures. 
• DEIS activities that faculty chose to document will be a criterion in annual reviews and merit processes.
  • AY 2024-45 target: 75% of unit leaders including these contributions as an evaluation criterion.

Action Items & Timeline

• Determine where in DM DEIS related information will be entered consistent with the faculty handbook. Completed December 2023
  
  • Assemble a working group to make recommendations on where information will be entered and what the output will look like.
  • Disseminate information through Academic Forum about where information that faculty chose to enter will be housed in Digital Measures.
• Incorporate information into DM training sessions currently held for faculty, chairs, and deans to share information.
  • Develop training plan for those who would review a Faculty Activity Report (administrators, TPR committees, etc.). Expected spring 2024
• Discuss at Academic Forum how optional DEIS related information might be considered in the review processes in preparation for Spring 2024 annual performance evaluations and TPR process. Expected spring 2024

Outcomes

• Provide more transparency of the efforts and endeavors of the provost’s office by updating our web presence.
  • AY 2023-24 target: web traffic increase of 10% when compared to the traffic prior to the updates.
• Increase accessibility to the provost as measured in the amount of office hour visits over baseline,
  • AY 2023-24 target: increased utilization of provost office hours that will include at least one visit per scheduled office hour (either the current, by-appointment, hours or the new open office hours held at a central location).

Action Items & Timeline

• Increase transparency with stakeholders by updating the website to be more welcoming (e.g., a personalized message from the provost and stating what the office does) and advertising office hours and open office hours. Completed September 2023
• Expand open office hours starting Fall 2023. Completed September 2023
  
  • Post existing weekly (by-appointment) office hours schedule on the provost’s website. An announcement in Tech Today is posted at the beginning of each semester reminding the campus community of this opportunity.
  • Add additional open office hours to be held in locations on campus such as the library cafe three times/academic year; these would not require an appointment. The date and time for these meetings will be determined early in Fall semester and advertised via Tech Today.
• During the AY 2023-34 year, initiate open forum(s) by the provost and deans once per semester (one early in the fall to cover goals for the year and another late spring semester to discuss where we are at with the goal); these would be open to the campus community, with a baseline goal of 30 attendees per session. Postponed until 2024-25
  
  • Obtain questions/topics of interest via a Google form, which can be advertised through Tech Today & the weekly digest email to deans and chairs.