Weber State University honing its ... Vision for 2030
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Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | 
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Amy K. Stewart
Standard-Examiner staff
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By Amy K. Stewart
Standard-Examiner staff
OGDEN -- Students at Weber State University in the late 1980s happily typed away on their small-screen Macintosh computers, drove to campus in vehicles like a Ford Escort and probably never used the word "Internet" as part of campus conversation.
What will the future, with its potential leading-edge technology and predicted population growth, bring for Weber State?
No one can say for sure, but university officials aim to be prepared.
"It's important to have a strategy," said Weber State President Ann Millner.
In the past 20 years, Weber State has grown by 7,000 students, implemented six master's degree programs, constructed seven buildings, added an online program and opened another campus.
University faculty, staff and administration gathered Tuesday afternoon to help create a vision of what the school will be in the next decades -- and what steps the university should take to reach those goals.
"This process helps us prioritize the university's needs and direct its resources to where they'll have the greatest impact," Millner said.
The roundtable discussion was a follow-up on a session last fall in which participants offered their ideas regarding the future of the university.
The ideas were collected by the University Planning Council, and Tuesday's participants viewed the rough draft created from those ideas.
The draft document is titled "Looking Forward: Planning Strategically for Weber State University in 2030."
The vision statement includes: The university will meet the needs of a diverse student body; will welcome traditional and nontraditional learners; and will continue excellence in teaching as it prepares students for their future professions.
Some changes for the university could include: growth of buildings, programs and student services to meet the growing student population; expanding online services; and increasing the university's importance as an economic engine for the regional economy.
In 2030, the university is expected to have 26,000 students compared to its current enrollment, which fluctuates between 17,000 and 18,000. Commuter rail should be in Northern Utah, and there will be much competition for students and state dollars, Millner said.
Participants during Tuesday's roundtable offered both praise and suggestions for "Vision 2030," saying it is an excellent work in progress but adding that a few things have been overlooked.
For example, the draft doesn't include alumni, pointed out Carol Ruden, the university's director of alumni/development services.
"They're missing the component of going back to our alumni and bringing our alumni in to help further the university," she said.
Dale Ostlie, dean of the college of science, said, "We need to find ways to reach out to the community in every way we can."
Irma Hernandez, Hispanic student representative, said diversity needs to be taken into consideration.
"Unfortunately we're not seeing a lot of Hispanic students coming to Weber State," Hernandez said, suggesting recruitment efforts need to be boosted.
She added it's also important for the university to keep its tuition low.
The council will take the feedback, revise the draft and have a final product to present at the end of the school year.
The council has spent the last several months gathering input from student leaders, deans and department chairs, as well as advisory panels and other campus organizations.
"These are reflections of the university's stakeholders," said Kimbel Wheatley, staff to the University Planning Council, referring to the draft document distributed during Tuesday's workshop.
The council studies higher-education trends across the state and nation, using the information to help determine which areas the university should concentrate on updating and improving.
Weber State University's "Vision 2030"
1. Help students earn degrees and meet the needs of the region
2. Maintain excellent teaching with extraordinary faculty and student interaction
3. Meet the needs of a growing and diverse student body of more than 26,000
4. Deliver courses at convenient locations and times, and use leading-edge technology
5. Welcome and support traditional and nontraditional learners
6. Recruit and engage students, foster faculty and student research and enhance the reputation of the university
7. Maintain substantial external funds that support a vibrant level of scholarly pursuits
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