Taylor University
PAE-2: Strategic Plan

The 2016 Academic Vision and Plan is based upon and includes the university mission, vision, and purpose statements. One of these purposes is, “To offer liberal arts, professional and life-long education based upon the conviction that all truth has its source in God, and that being Biblically anchored, the Christian faith should permeate all learning leading to a consistent life of worship, servant leadership, stewardship, and world outreach.” This list of outward expressions of the Christian faith including stewardship is key to the educational philosophy of Taylor and is repeated several times throughout the plan. It is also reimaged as one of the five “foundational outcomes” which form the first of five layers of the university “curriculum architecture” modeled in Appendix E. This concept of stewardship of environmental, human, and financial resources is a main component of a biblically-based emphasis on sustainability. The fourth of seven “Critical Success Factors” deals with financial, physical, and technological resources required to achieve the rest of the plan. Sub-point two of this factor is to “Develop an academic plan for appropriately utilizing the West Campus in ways that reflect stewardship of the creation and meet University program and community needs.” Being a good steward of creation is to sustain the local environment. Even more direct is sub-point four which states that the university will “Initiate a campus wide sustainability and ‘green’ initiative.” Factor six is focused on the environment that provides a “vibrant community of scholarship and faith…” Sub-point four requires that the university “Develop a new campus master plan aesthetically expressed and prioritized to advance holistic learning, reflection, relationships, and stewardship.” Sustainability is also included in the Quality Driven Performance Model developed at Taylor to satisfy the requirements of AQIP (see public notes below). The model is a triangle with layers including from bottom to top: foundational documents, academic vision and plan, performance management system, and the seven critical success factors. This is framed by the three sides of the triangle which are accountability, transparency, and stewardship/sustainability. [Also see answers below.]

The 2016 Academic Vision and Plan starts with ten guiding principles including “(1) Stewardship requires excellence and continuous improvement in teaching, scholarship, service, and fulfilling administrative responsibilities… (6) The Life Together Covenant provides the framework for sustaining a distinctive community of Christian relationships, faith and worship.” These principles express the desire to preserve the current campus culture which places a high value on service and relationships. The plan includes many other references to valuing people and communities. Examples include: The first of seven critical success factors is, “Taylor University will employ, retain, reward and develop, distinctive, dedicated and diverse faculty…” Sub-point five under critical success factor seven is, “Design a faculty/staff leadership development program to prepare and sustain effective instructional and administrative leaders for anticipated appointments and transitions.” [Also see the answers above.]

The second of the ten guiding principles that start the 2016 Academic Vision and Plan is “The campus should reflect the Creator, the beauty and meaning of this world, and good stewardship of our natural and financial resources.” This is important to administrators for the sake of the university’s financial sustainability and as a role model for students. [Also see the answers above.]

Taylor University has adopted a model of accreditation that demands a regimen of continuous quality improvement called the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) administered by the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. In order to align university processes with this new methodology campus planning processes have been re-engineered to fit this model of continuous process improvement. Consequently, university campus and academic master plans undergo frequent revision as opportunities for improvement are identified and priorities are reevaluated. Taylor is currently operating under frequently updated versions of the 2016 Academic Vision and Plan while also beginning to form a Strategic Directions 2021 plan.