SRU President Karen Riley updated the university on strategic planning, focusing her message on gratitude in the fall semester’s second Town Hall in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.
Riley’s messaging Thursday during common shifted from the semester’s statistic-driven first Town Hall to a tone of gratitude and self-care.
“I am continually in awe of all that we have to be thankful for here,” Riley said. “When I meet with other presidents, when I listen to the chancellor, when I read The Chronicle, when I listen to parents, often times I am reminded of things that I forget. Things that I should be grateful for.”
The Rocket previously reported on the Fall 2024 semester’s first Town Hall updating the university on largely positive statistics and SRU’s upward trajectory in comparison to its sister PASSHE schools.
“I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all of your work,” the president said. “I see it, the cabinet leaders see it, the Council of Trustees see it, people in the community see it.”
As the semester closes out, Riley encouraged faculty and staff to refrain from emailing over SRU’s Thanksgiving break and instead to “engage in self-care.”
“Let’s make a deal. From 4:30 on Wednesday to 8 o’clock the next week, no emails,” she said. “Please take some time to be reflective on all the great things that we have going on here.”
Success Center, job searches and committees
The Campus Success Center (CSC) is set to open for the Spring 2025 semester.
“There is a slight problem with the gas line to the life safety generator which created delays to the occupancy process,” the president said. “As you know, we thought we would be actually moving in maybe in July but this gas line thing has caused quite a bit of a problem.”
The Rocket previously reported on the lack of a gas line to the CSC as a reason for delays in opening.
Riley said as of today the CSC passed its occupancy required to open and is pending a variance test on Nov. 19 for the elevator. Riley said DGS will provide a turnover date for occupancy later this week. Those who have offices in the CSC will be permitted to enter and survey their new space, according to Riley.
The president announced Dean of the College of Engineering and Science Nicole Dafoe is leading the search for the Associate Provost for Academic Innovation and the Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education. Riley said the role of Chief Diversity Officer will not be addressed following PASSHE Chief Diversity Officer Dinese Pearson assuming the role of provost at Cheney.
“Right now, we are gonna take one foot off the gas for a second to figure out what is going on at PASSHE before we do something that might set someone up to not succeed,” the president said.
Riley also announced the Integrated Marketing Committee tasked with improving collaboration and reducing redundancy among public relations, outreach and admissions.
“This is how we should be working together,” Riley said.
Strategic planning updates
Riley also shared the discussion in the Smith Student Center Ballroom with leaders of the four pillars of strategic planning at SRU.
“I am so proud of this group. I was not worried about them getting up and talking,” Riley said. “I am proud of what they’re doing. I don’t know if we’re seeing this in other places.”
The pillars, their tasks and organization are available on the SRU website here.
Additionally, SGA now maintains a representative in every pillar.
A central theme among Pillar Leaders was to “develop a system to reduce program overlap and encourage collaboration,” according to the presentation.
Pillar 1, Commitment to a Robust, Supportive and Inclusive Culture has met three times in the fall semester so far. The first two meetings focused on reviewing strategies, voting on activities and assigning group leads.
Leading ideas in Pillar 1 for strategy 1.3.b, “raising the reputation of SRU,” include increasing support for faculty and staff presentations at national and international conferences, more resources and support to develop global partnerships, and “campaign to encourage/increase ‘word of mouth’ positive talk.”
Leading ideas in Pillar 1 for strategy 1.4.e, “create/enhance programs to strengthen holistic wellbeing for the entire campus community,” included a gathering area or lounge for faculty, staff and administration, enhance and expand mental health wellness prevention programming, and mentoring for new employees and job shadowing.
Pillar 2, Commitment to Academic Discovery and Growth, focused on strategy 2.2.c, “enhance the quality, functionality, and aesthetic appeal of the campus environment.”
Conversation topics focused on accessibility, branding of buildings and programs, faculty and staff lounges, classroom spaces including McCay Education Building functionality and SGA Childcare Center, mailroom services, parking, student engagement, and “traffic by Macoskey Center.”
Pillar 3, Commitment to Community Impact and Collaboration, proposed leading ideas focused on strategy 3.2.d, “develop educational-specific partnerships with industry and philanthropic leaders to enhance student learning experience while cultivating outside funding sources for program growth.”
Leading topics included assessing the current state of community by developing a data collection instrument and map of existing partners. The presentation also noted the establishment of guidelines and membership of a campus-wide advisory group for increasing internal partnership and collaboration.
Pillar 4, Commitment to Financial Sustainability and Resource Stewardship, focused on strategy 4.1.e, “encourage collaboration communication, and connection across campus to minimize the duplication of programs services/increase variety of option.”
Leading topics included increasing engagement across campus and the community through committees developing strategies for coordination, survey insights into stakeholder engagement, events committee for coordination of CORE and Ad Astra, and collaboration of communication between alumni, community and local businesses.
Pillar 4 also suggested increasing awareness of services and resources by creating a process for sharing equipment focusing on organizational efficiency, enhanced transparency, and identifying and resolving unmet and under-met faculty and staff resource needs such as software and equipment.
To “foster a culture of idea-sharing and collaboration,” Pillar 4 is working to explore “college-level development-alumni-advancement-committees.” The presentation noted a task force to enhance initiatives related to disability services and a feasibility study to create a “makers/interprofessional collaboration space” for students, faculty and staff.
