Part I: Comprehensive Development Plan Narrative

Upon his appointment as Millikin's twelfth President in December 1998, Thomas F. Flynn immediately embarked on a process for the University's new strategic plan. Throughout 1999 dozens of informal "re-reading the campus" discussions-involving students, staff, faculty and other community members--laid the groundwork for a more formal planning efforts. Campus comments were organized into a set of emerging priorities related to 1) student success, 2) learning, living and space, 3) partnerships and competition, and 4) development of university resources. 

In March 2000 the President established the Centennial Priorities Committee (CPC) to establish the priorities for a strategic plan. The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Stephanie Quinn, led the CPC. It consisted of 17 key administrators, staff, students and faculty members representing the university's four colleges and schools. Throughout the planning process the CPC published progress reports to the campus community, hosted campus-wide discussions, and used feedback to develop its statements. 

The CPC 1) reviewed and evaluated the themes that stemmed from the campus discussions and identified a set of institutional priorities; 2) shaped a vision statement; 3) developed a single mission statement for the institution; and 4) addressed a series of overarching strategic challenges identified by the Board of Trustees (quality value and cost; size and growth, institutional complexity and location).

The CPC used the previous strategic plan, the NCACS self study, the case statement for Millikin's five-year $75 million capital campaign, and documents from the 1999 campus-wide discussions summarizing the planning topics. The CPC also examined information from a range of university satisfaction surveys, exit interviews, and instructional assessments, along with attrition and retention data, a diversity study, and reports on technology, faculty advising and faculty/staff compensation.
The group's work was systematically overseen by the President and Board of Trustees and evaluated by a panel of national leaders. 

The CPC presented its official report, approved by the Board of Trustees, to the campus community in February 2001. Its central features were a new vision statement, mission statement, and a focused set of five broad-based priorities to under gird the institution's strategic plan. Underlying the five priorities are twelve proposed strategies (listed under Institutional Goals and Objectives) for addressing the Board's strategic challenges (quality, value, cost; size and growth; institutional complexity; and location).