President's Report Card 2016-2017

Strategic Plan 2016-2021

The University's Strategic Plan focuses on ensuring academic excellence and instructional quality, guiding student success, supporting an engaged staff and faculty, assuring accessibility and inclusion, communicating the achievements and commitments of Coastal Carolina University effectively, and adhering firmly to practices that assure financial stability and appropriate infrastructure. The strategic plan is comprised of the following key strategy statements:

Strategy 1: Academic Excellence and Instructional Quality

Commencement: 2016-2017
A total of 2,095 students were awarded degrees (1,821 UG, 274 GR) for the academic year 2016-2017. A record total of 719 students were eligible to walk in the Fall 2016 commencement.

U.S. News and World Report Best College
CCU was ranked 62nd in the Best Regional Universities (South) category. CCU was also one of 15 Southern institutions that made the Best Value category, with a rank of 8.

America's 100 Best College Buys
For the eighth consecutive year, CCU was named one of "America's 100 Best College Buys" by the independent consulting firm, Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc.

Forbes Ranking
Coastal Carolina University was ranked among Forbes' America's Top Colleges in July 2015.

Most Affordable Colleges Online
CCU was named one of the Best Online Colleges in South Carolina for 2016-2017 by Affordable Colleges Online (ACO). CCU was ranked third in the state.

College of Distinction
For 2016-2017 CCU was named as a College of Distinction. Colleges of distinction are chosen as those that deliver engagement, teaching, community, and outcomes.

Veteran Friendly University
For the eighth consecutive year, CCU was designated a “Military-Friendly School” by G.I. Jobs magazine. This honor places the University in the top 20 percent of all schools nationwide as a university committed to educating military veterans.

Addition of New Undergraduate Degree Programs
In an effort to meet the needs of all students, CCU continued to expand undergraduate programs. The University offered 70 areas of study toward the baccalaureate degree with two new Bachelor of Arts programs, in art history and anthropology and geography, beginning in the AY 2016-2017.

Addition of New Graduate Degree Programs
CCU has continuously added new graduate degree programs with 19 master's degrees currently being offered. In the AY 2016-2017, the University began offering two new graduate degrees: the M.Ed. in special education (Summer 2016), and the M.Ed. in instructional technology (Fall 2016).

Strategy 2: Student Excellence

Trustee Award Recipients
Twenty May 2017 graduates received the $5,000 bonus Board of Trustees Award for earning their bachelor's degree in three years instead of the traditional four. This was the first class to complete the program.

Internship Opportunities
Internships continue to be an important component of a student’s overall academic experience at CCU, and the majority of the 70 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs offer credited internship courses. During AY the 2016-2017, 97 undergraduate and 27 graduate level courses connected students to an internship or practicum experience. A total of 2,177 students completed these academically-supported internship courses, a 12% increase over the previous year.

Experienced@Coastal
Experiential Learning (EL) continues to provide benefits to CCU students by providing hands-on experience in chosen fields. The number of EL course sections increased from 159 in 2012-13 to 404 in 2016-17, representing a 154.1% increase. The number of students enrolled in these courses similarly increased from 1,875 to 4,289, a 128.7% increase.

Student Athlete Academic Success
For the Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 semesters, a total of 72 student athletes graduated, including 25 with honors: three summa cum laude, 11 magna cum laude, and 11 cum laude.

Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research continues to be supported by the president. Highlights from 2016-2017 include:
• More than 100 student presentations (representing all University colleges and 22 different majors) were delivered at the CCU Undergraduate Research Competition in April 2017.
• CCU was awarded a $325,000 grant to serve as a three-year site for the Research Experience for Undergraduates program sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Study Abroad
Highlights from 2016-2017 include:
• International student recruitment has been emphasized and now 2% of CCU's enrolled students are international.
• 183 students participated in 13 short-term study abroad programs.
• Nearly 190 students experienced global educational opportunities through 12 Maymester study abroad trips.

Strategy 3: An Engaged Staff and Faculty 

Center for Teaching Excellence to Advance Learning (CeTEAL) Programs
CeTEAL continued to offer innovative sessions and experienced an increase in attendance at sessions. Highlights include:
• 2,016 (duplicated) faculty served or "through the doors." In 2016-2017, 1,733 faculty were served which represents a 16% increase over 2015-2016.
• 363 sessions were offered, including 112 in instructional technology.

Support Network for Administrative Professionals (SNAP)
This newly formed group experienced high participation rates as evidenced by the following:
• Best Practices - 210 attendees
• Training Institute Best Practices - 211 attendees
• Training Institute Professional Development Sessions - 378 attendees

Communication Excellence Advisory Group
This committee was developed and membership determined. The group consists of 10-12 designated members from: Faculty Senate, University Communication, Staff Advisory Committee, Campus Life and Student Engagement, Human Resources and Equal Opportunity, Executive Administration, Student Government Association, student leadership, Athletics and Philanthropy. The group is charged with identifying and developing targets for improving communication across the University.

Fulbright Recipient
Casey Woodling, lecturer of philosophy was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant for the AY 2016-2017.

Emergency Notification System
During the AY 2016-2017, the University expanded its Emergency Notification System with the installation of a mass notification system to provide timely warnings during emergency situations or conditions. The mass notification system allows Public Safety dispatch to alert the University community if a situation exists that poses an immediate risk or threat to safety, providing instructions for the University community to take action.

Communications Climate Study
A communications climate study was conducted in Spring 2017 with the objective of obtaining information regarding the University community’s communication preferences and suggestions for improvement. Data from the survey will be used to create a communications plan that is in line with the goals and objectives of the 2016-2021 University Strategic Plan.

Strategy 4: Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity

Chief Diversity Officer Position
A chief diversity officer position was established with the goal of having a qualified individual hired in 2018.

Chant Life Program
In the Fall 2016 semester, 58 first-year students participated in the Chant Life program. Themes in the program included assessing attitudes toward diversity, bystander behavior, and engagement.

Ethics and Leadership Academy
The annual Ethics and Leadership Academy was held over three days with a sustainability theme. Current Jackson Scholars welcomed 49 rising sixth graders from seven local middle schools to campus. The program offered students the opportunity to become aware of the importance of character for their success in school and in life.

University Access Council
A standing committee was established and charged with completing an internal assessment to ensure a barrier-free environment. The key barriers to be assessed on an annual basis will include: financial, cultural, special needs and online/technical.

Academic Coaching – Office of Accessibility and Disability Services
Eligible students who are registered with Accessibility and Disability Services were invited to participate in an academic coaching program. There were 11 participants in Fall 2016 and 13 in Spring 2017. Most students participated in 10 or more weekly academic coaching sessions each semester.

Barriers to Use – Kimbel Library
A barriers to use inventory was taken and the following changes implemented:
• Development of a more accessible layout of library space.
• Implementation of the Universal Access Workstation.
• Revision of equipment load period policies for students to reduce overdue fines and increase equipment usage.

Fall 2016 Welcome Message
At the beginning of the AY 2016-2017, CCU President David DeCenzo and Student Government Association President Austin Nichols communicated to the campus community the vision for a campus that provides numerous opportunities for difficult but necessary dialogues to occur. Announced was the upcoming hiring of a chief diversity and inclusion officer and the establishment of a student organization team charged with building a network for promoting collaborative thinking and relevant work that is focused on student needs and solutions development.

Strategy 5: The CCU Story

Feel the Teal® Service Excellence Initiative Mission
During the AY 2016-2017, under the direction of the president, the University continued its service excellence initiative, Feel the Teal®. This initiative works to create and sustain a stronger sense of institutional community among the University’s faculty, staff, and students. The following accomplishments of the Feel the Teal® initiative achieved over the past year included:
• Faculty and staff training in all seven Feel the Teal® modules.
• A total of 373 employees completing all training modules and attending the Feel the Teal® Celebration (Module 8) event.

University Joins Sun Belt Conference
The CCU Chanticleer athletic programs joined the Sun Belt Conference effective July 1, 2016.

Presidential Service Excellence Task Force
This task force was created with the goal of addressing four new strategic goals:
• Design and implement a comprehensive recognition program for faculty, staff, and student staff who provide service excellence.
• Identify and empower a team of faculty, CeTEAL and Training, Development, and Service Excellence staff charged with creating and implementing specific CeTEAL sessions that specifically address excellence in all elements of the teaching and learning process.
• Develop and commence the pilot phase of a student training program appropriate for student staff and student organization leaders during 2016-2017.
• Move to take the lead among all private and public, two- and four-year institutions of higher education by conducting the initial research and creating the framework for a national – and perhaps international – association here at CCU for professionals engaged in providing and studying service excellence in higher education to include professional standards, a clearinghouse of information and resources, consulting/ review services, and an annual CCU-hosted institute or symposium.

Strategy 6: Financial Stability and Infrastructure

"I'M IN" Endowment Campaign
Under the direction of the president, a major endowment campaign for the University was publicly launched during an on-campus gala April 2016. The goal of the campaign is to increase the University’s endowment by $20 million by 2020. In doing so, the University will gain approximately $800,000 in new funds annually to support student scholarships and academic excellence. As of March 31, 2017, nearly $13 million had been raised.

Construction Projects
Major construction projects completed in 2016-2017 included the following:
• DeCenzo Hall (previously Teal Hall) and CINO Hall were completed and opened for students in Fall 2016. These are the last buildings of a major new housing complex constructed close to the core campus; the building completions added 1,274 beds to student housing.
• An academic classroom building which will provide additional instructional space for the computer science, psychology, and recreation sports management departments as well as the CCU honors program and Information Technology Services was completed and scheduled to open Fall 2017.
• Campus roads underwent a major overhaul on the core campus which involved the building of new cul-de-sacs, gates, speed bumps, interior driving lanes, and bike lanes in an effort to ensure safety for pedestrians.

CCU's Economic Impact
The University had a total economic impact on the state of $565.8 million in 2016, according to a study conducted by CCU’s Grant Center for Real Estate and Economic Development. The study also shows that the University’s economic impact on the state increased 12% during the past four years. A previous study reported that CCU’s total economic impact was $498 million in 2012.

Independent Audit Findings
For the eighth consecutive year, the University received an unqualified opinion from external auditors Cline Brandt Kochenower & Co., P.A. for the annual financial statements from the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. According to the audit findings, there were no significant deficiencies, material weaknesses or instances of non-compliance material to the financial statement.