Notre Dame College’s
environmental scanning ca.
February, 2004:

Partial list of strengths:
– Small enough to be responsive

– Location near a major metropolis

– Beautiful campus in good condition

– Safe and secure campus

– Diverse enrollment

– Growth of international student recruiting

– Dedicated, experienced, and caring faculty

– Values of the Sisters of Notre Dame

– Happy discovery of the demand for teacher education in Youngstown

– The Weekend College and its excellent reputation

– Commitment to technology

– Dedicated and caring staff

Partial list of weaknesses:
 – Students need an attractive…area for rest, relaxation, and entertaining

– Need to strengthen the fundraising capacities of the Board and alumni

– Classrooms are antiquated with no air conditioning

– Low pay and benefits for all employees

– Lean budgets

– Lack of web-based access so that students can have access to information in our CARS System

– Limited facilities for growth of programs

– Need for consistent advertising, multiple messages now

– Lack of informational flow among departments

– Lack of information available regarding what graduates are now doing

– Need to strengthen relations with the South Euclid community to expand facilities

 

Criterion Statement: Notre Dame College’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and respond to future challenges and opportunities.

Since the 2000 Self-Study visit, the College’s strategic planning activities have continued through two administrations. Prior to July 1, 2003 an ad hoc committee that included faculty, students, a Board member, staff, and administrators monitored the planning process. The plan was organized around four themes:

  1. Career-oriented liberal arts,

  2. Flexible student-centered structures,

  3. An inclusive campus life, and

  4. Maintaining a safe, healthy, and beautiful campus environment.

These themes were loosely used by the administration when making major decisions. At the end of each year, activities aligned with strategic initiatives were added to the planning document.

The College’s financial fragility was a major constraint to the effectiveness of strategic planning and decision-making. As noted in Chapter One, the last self-study concluded that strategic planning, enrollment, and financial strength were major concerns. These concerns were interrelated as a causal loop. That is, actions that would support strategic initiatives could not be undertaken due to lack of funds. Financial fragility was due to low enrollment. It was understood that unless the College improved programs and facilities, enrollment would continue to drop. A major change was required to turn the College’s direction and position it for not only survival but vibrancy.

In 2000, that decision was made and a change was implemented: Notre Dame College expanded its mission to include international students, men, and home-schooled students. This decision had the anticipated effect: enrollment of first-time, first-year and transfer students increased from 29 in Fall, 2000 to 137 in Fall, 2001. The effect, however, was not sustained; in Fall, 2002 first-time, first-year and transfer student enrollment dropped to 109 and in Fall, 2003 it dropped to 80 (see Table 1.4).

During 2002, the former President, Dr. Anne L. Deming decided to retire. A search for her replacement began and on July 1, 2003, Dr. Andrew P. Roth became Notre Dame College’s thirteenth and first male president.He immediately initiated short-term measures commensurate with turnaround and startup strategies and began a new strategic planning process. Dr. Roth completely revamped both traditional and adult admissions and recruiting activities, took the Teacher Education Evening Licensure (TEEL®) program to Youngstown, Ohio, added several new athletic teams and began a two-year nursing partnership with the Huron School of Nursing. The results were both immediate and dramatic. Where only 80 new students enrolled at Notre Dame in Fall, 2003, 200 students enrolled in Fall, 2004 followed by 214 students in Fall, 2005 (see Table 1.4). As documented in monitoring reports filed with the Higher Learning Commission in 2003 and 2004, this enrollment growth resulted in the College’s dramatically improved budget performance. Further, in Fall, 2003, Dr. Roth founded the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC) to continue the College’s strategic planning activities. The IPPC worked throughout 2004 – 2005 until it was folded into the Self-Study team in late 2005. As the Self-Study comes to a conclusion, the IPPC will again take up the challenge of the College’s planning activities. In Spring, 2007, a Strategic Thinking document will distributed to the College community as a prelude to planning. This document poses the College’s planning task as meeting its capacity, enrollment and financial challenges within a mission-centric context.

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