The Strategic Plan for Capital University Law School
Building on our Momentum, Securing our Future: Strategies 2010

INTRODUCTION
THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
PLANNING COMMITTEE
COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN
OUR MISSION
OUR CORE VALUES
KRA 1: STRENGTHENING ADMISSIONS AND ACCESS
KRA 2: IMPROVING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
KRA 3: ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
KRA 4: ENHANCING INFORMATION RESOURCES
KRA 5: DEVELOPING OUR PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS
KRA 6: ENHANCING FACULTY PERFORMANCE
KRA 7: ENHANCING STAFF PERFORMANCE
KRA 8: BUILDING OUR REPUTATION AND ENERGIZING OUR ALUMNI
KRA 9: DEVELOPING OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH
MAJOR INVESTMENT PRIORITIES
2006-2007 REPORT OF KEY ACCOMPLISHMENT (PDF)

INTRODUCTION

The pursuit of excellence requires a strong foundation upon which to build. Capital University Law School has more than a 100-year history of educating some of the finest lawyers, judges, and business professionals in central Ohio and across the country. This Law School is proud of providing, through its full and part-time programs, hard working men and women with access to a legal education — an education that continues to have a transformative impact on the lives of our students, their families, their clients, and their communities.

This strategic plan, Building on Our Momentum, Securing Our Future: Strategies 2010, recognizes that Capital University Law School has made great strides in the past decades toward becoming an outstanding regional law school with a growing national reputation. We now reside in a first-class educational facility in a historic downtown building that is wired for the information age. We are attracting increasingly greater numbers of applicants with strong entering credentials. We have recruited a talented core of faculty. We have increased the production and breadth of our scholarship, and we have continued to refine a curriculum that focuses on the competencies needed to enter the practice of law.
With this plan as a guide, we will secure our reputation as a law school that provides students with a rigorous professional education, assembles an outstanding faculty of educator/scholars, and includes alumni of growing accomplishment and civic engagement.

Building on Our Momentum, Securing Our Future builds upon our recent successes and focuses on securing our future by:

• strengthening and diversifying our student body while honoring our core value of access to a legal education;
• enhancing the student educational experience;
• refining a curriculum that prepares our students to pass the bar and enter the practice of law;
• increasing the size and diversity of our faculty;
• enhancing the quality of teaching and scholarship;
• enhancing the use of information and technology, both educationally and administratively;
• examining our programmatic focus;
• increasing the engagement of our alumni; and
• developing our culture of philanthropy.

In today’s fast changing society, there is no status quo. We have the responsibility to be forward thinking, forward looking, and forward moving. This plan will enable us to crystallize the value of the Law School to our region and, increasingly, to the nation and world. To implement it successfully, we will demand more of ourselves — as students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The promise of Building on our Momentum, Securing our Future: Strategies 2010, requires no less.

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THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
The strategic planning process began in the fall of 2004. A consultant/facilitator, Max Stark, was retained and the process was lead by two groups: a Steering Group to guide the process, and a Planning Committee which formed the content of the Plan. The Planning Committee was composed of faculty, administrators, alumni, and students. In addition, input was gathered by several focus groups of students, staff, adjunct faculty and alumni, as well as the counsel of the Alumni Association Board and the Board of Counselors. Throughout the process there were six plenary sessions -- attended by faculty, administrators, and staff – to provide extensive feedback and input on the developing plan. The Planning Committee divided into Key Result Area Teams and added faculty and staff not already members of the Planning Committee to do critical assessment and planning work in nine areas fundamental to the School’s success. At the close of the 2004-05 year and start of the 2005-06 year, these KRA Teams developed and refined the “Key Results” (specific 2010 outcomes) and “Strategic Work” (major 2006-2010 initiatives), including extensive work to define outcomes and cost of initiatives. A final plenary session was held to prioritize the major cost and staffing intensive initiatives. This Strategic Plan is the result of a year-and-a-half of information gathering, reflection, dialogue, debate, and hard work by all of the School’s major constituents.

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PLANNING COMMITTEE

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COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN

This plan is expressed through the following components:

Mission: An expression, brief enough to know by heart, of the ultimate timeless purpose of the Law School.
Core Values: A short list of the major organizational tenets at the heart of the Law School that guide behavior, whatever the goals and strategies.
Key Result Areas: The nine major categories where the Law School needs to make progress by doing important strategic work.
2010 Key Results: The most important outcomes the Law School is committed to achieving by the end of the 2009-2010 operating year.
2006-2010 Strategic Work: The major approaches and methods within each Key Result Area designed to address issues and opportunities over the next three years and achieve the Key Results.

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Our Mission

We will strengthen society and our legal system by
developing skilled lawyers who serve diverse communities well,
promoting professionalism and ethics,
and furthering discourse and knowledge.

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Our Core Values

We are committed to:

• The rule of law in a constitutional, democratic society
• Excellent teaching and effective learning
• Integrity, ethical conduct and service
• Intellectual and scholarly engagement
• Access to the profession for first-generation professionals, minorities and other underrepresented groups
• Diversity in background and thinking
• Mutual respect and support
• High standards of performance
• Innovation and resourcefulness

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KRA 1: STRENGTHENING ADMISSIONS AND ACCESS

2010 Key Results

1. Increase in quality of incoming student body:

a. Improvement of our 25th LSAT Percentile from 150 to at least 153, or should the national LSAT median (151) decline, at least 2 points above the national median. Efforts to improve our 25th percentile are not to the exclusion of continuing efforts to maintain and improve the top half of the class.

b. Improve from 50% to 60% the proportion of our student body coming from undergraduate institutions whose LSAT college mean is at or above the national LSAT median.

c. Improve the yield from 45% to 40% and improve conversion from 45% to 47%.

2. Increase in diversity of the student body in regard to racial, geographic, and academic/ professional backgrounds. Increasing racial diversity is to be the primary focus; increasing geographic and academic/professional diversity is secondary.

2006 – 2010 Strategic Work

1. Increase the number of students in the applicant pool by 600.

2. Review, analyze and revise the scholarship grids each year to more effectively target and increase the yield of scholarship recipients in each cell of admitted students above the current LSAT median.

3. Increase the amount of scholarship funds by 65% to assist in the achievement of our quality and diversity goals.

4. Increase faculty involvement in student recruitment (participation at open houses, faculty contact and communication with applicants, etc.)

5. Develop new and creative mechanisms (events, communications, use of technology, etc.) for converting admitted students to matriculants.

6. Form a pre-law advisors committee from select feeder schools for the purpose of developing programs that will seek and provide information and build relations with pre-law advisors in general.

7. Sponsor and fund pre-law visitation day(s) of feeder schools, including select feeder schools and sister schools (ELCA schools).

8. In 2005-2006, review existing diversity recruitment efforts with a view to developing and implementing in 2006-2007 a comprehensive diversity enhancement plan for the law school designed to identify, attract and increase the number of minority students enrolling in the law school.

9. Review existing recruitment efforts and develop new, creative and targeted recruitment efforts.

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KRA 2: IMPROVING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

2010 Key Results

1. Above state average for first time takers on the Ohio bar examination and annual improvement in the percentage of all takers passing the bar.

2. Preparation of students for career success through:

a. Annual increase in the percentage of students writing at the highest targeted levels upon graduation.

b. Assessment of current specialized instruction in statutory construction and interpretation, and, if necessary, development and implementation of curriculum revisions to increase such instruction at various points in each student’s legal education.

c. Expanded curriculum offerings which enhance students’ ability to use law-related technology.

3. At least double the number of annual in-house presentations to teaching faculty on current issues and advancements in teaching and testing.

4. Specialized academic support delivered to those students identified as being at the most risk of being unable to successfully complete law school without it.

5. Faculty agreed-upon, objective measurements of the effectiveness of each academic support program.

2006 – 2010 Strategic Work

1. Monitor, for the next three years, the fair attrition/support approach adopted by the faculty via reports each semester to the faculty by the Dean (including bar passage rate, attrition rate and impact on minority students).

2. Further clarify/expand the approach (should the approach demonstrate success) by:

a. referring to AAC proposed revisions of the dismissal policy;

b. developing a package of services to help multiple time takers;

c. instituting a tutoring program for at-risk minority students preparing to take the bar exam;

d. reviewing and addressing problems with the part time day program; and

e. planning for a minor reduction in class size in light of possible falling entering credentials so efforts to increase bar passage are not undermined.

3. Consider other approaches (should the current approach not demonstrate success), including:

a. mechanisms to ensure that attrition occurs consistently across the curriculum;

b. a minimum GPA that must be obtained in all required bar courses;

c. a “Mock Bar Exam;” or

d. a drastic decrease in the size of the entering class.

4. Apply the writing rubric to 1st and 3rd/4th year students to assess writing proficiency and gather data on students’ writing strengths and weaknesses.

5. Enhance the writing skills of students participating in moot court by requiring these students to take a course in appellate advocacy (or trial advocacy where appropriate) and giving academic credit (including upper class writing credit) for participation.

6. Gather information on current instruction in statutory construction and interpretation. Building on best current practices, develop statutory interpretation exercises for the faculty to run in appropriate code and statutory based courses; expand the teaching of statutory interpretation techniques in LR&W and in Legal Drafting; and add statutory interpretation skills to appropriate academic support programs.

7. Conduct Faculty Development events (utilizing inside and outside speakers) on new advancements in teaching and testing: including learning theory, exam writing and testing methodologies, and the use of technology in teaching. Specific sessions to be targeted at full time faculty and at adjuncts.

8. Reach out to all faculty (legal writing faculty, adjunct faculty and to upper class faculty) to ensure they are committed to the fair attrition/support approach; are aware of the writing expectations; emphasize statutory construction where relevant, and have exposure to new advancements in teaching and testing.

9. Develop and conduct a series of first year academic support programs (summer, fall and spring) that train students (who are most at risk of being unable to successfully complete law school without academic assistance) in case briefing, note taking, outlining, exam writing, studying skills and time management etc.

10. Identify and apply criteria measuring the effectiveness of all academic support programs (including first year ASP; Legal Analysis; Supplemental Legal Writing; and the small and medium sections).

11. Create a basic technology course or offer training sessions to educate students who need such training on basic skills such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint etc. Also create, and recruit faculty (full-time and adjunct) to teach, additional “technology” focused courses, which integrate instruction on relevant legal technology into the course’s substantive area. This could include:

a. Creating “technology” sections of existing courses such as Trial Advocacy, Business Planning Practicum, and General Practice.

b. Creating courses with technology components such as Advanced Discovery.

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KRA 3: ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

2010 Key Results

1. An expanded and coordinated system of academic, curricular and career advising/counseling for students.

2. Web-based student services related to registrar and financial matters, including:

a. class registration, course drop/add, course wait-listing, transcript ordering, and exam number, grade and class rank access, and

b. tuition, scholarship and loan payment and processing, including loan and scholarship applications, the submission of loan documentation, refund requests, and additional scholarship aid applications.

3. Enhanced student appreciation for the importance of pro bono and community service by:

a. creation of summer public interest fellowships and a loan repayment program for graduates working in public interest jobs, and

b. at least 75 % of CULS faculty, senior staff, and students, respectively, meeting the 50 hours of community/public service goal over the applicable 3 or 4 year period.

4. Enhanced student appreciation for the importance of professionalism and ethical conduct in school and in the workplace by providing:

a. greater recognition to CULS community members exhibiting these characteristics,

b. increased attention to these topics at symposium and other CULS community events,

c. increased faculty teaching about and modeling of these characteristics, and

d. a new system to continue and sustain efforts aimed at enhancing these characteristics.

5. A safe, secure, technologically up-to-date, clean, comfortable, accessible facility, with a bi-annual student-faculty-staff survey yielding at least a 90% level of satisfaction with the facility’s safety and security and at least an overall 75% level of satisfaction with other facility characteristics.

6. Enhanced intellectual and social community life that brings students together with each other and faculty and staff at CULS.

2006-2010 Strategic Work

1. Develop criteria and manage the phasing in and the oversight of the 50 hour community/public service goal, including the development of systems to provide students compliance opportunities and to track faculty, senior staff and student compliance.

2. Develop criteria for fundraising for and implementation of summer public interest fellowships and a loan repayment assistance program for graduates working in defined public interest positions.

3. Establish group responsible for:

a. establishing benchmark levels and annually measuring the levels of activity which:

i. recognize professionalism and ethical conduct among members of the CULS community,

ii. bring attention to these topics at symposia and other CULS community events, and

iii. involves faculty teaching and modeling of professionalism and ethical conduct.

b. finding ways to annually expand the activity described immediately above.

4. Enhance system of academic, curricular and career advising/counseling to students by:

a. appointment of a central administrator or senior staff person as the designated academic/curricular adviser (analog to the career counseling provided by the Career Services),

b. assigning smaller groups of students to a broader group of faculty and senior legal staff advisors,

c. training faculty and staff regarding academic, curricular and career advising,

d. assuring an annual meeting between each student and a faculty/staff advisor,

e. assuring a universal opportunity for students to be matched with an alumni advisor/mentor, and

f. receiving recommendations for improvements in academic, curricular and career advising/counseling and assessing, bi-annually, the level of satisfaction with this array of services.

5. Facilitate the establishment of web-based student services related to registrar and financial matters by:

a. developing parameters, policies and procedures regarding fair and appropriate secure web access to various registrar services,

b. developing, testing and implementing software necessary to the provision of these services, and

c. providing necessary training to students, faculty and staff regarding permissibility and means of access.

6. Administer a bi-annual facility satisfaction survey with different portions targeted at different relevant audiences outlined above (to be incorporated, whenever appropriate, with other survey instruments contemplated by strategic work associated with other KRA’s).

7. Establish administrative processes for:

a. securing recommendations from an outside expert on the safety and security of the facility and recommending to the law school administration, on at least a bi-annual basis, potential safety and security improvements,

b. receiving internal safety and security recommendations, and

c. administrative review of all safety and security recommendations for possible implementation.

8. Enhance intellectual and social life at CULS by:

a. establishing standing committee responsible for determining benchmark and annual levels of intellectual and social community life activity, designing program to expand that activity – including increased opportunity for extra-curricular faculty/student interaction – and implementing the program, and

b. expanding financial, physical, administrative and leadership support for student organizations so that they can actively participate in the expansion of intellectual and social community activities.

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KRA 4: ENHANCING INFORMATION RESOURCES

2010 Key Results

Library

1. Continued improvement in the Library’s support of student study, faculty teaching, faculty scholarship and alumni learning as measured through objective annual surveying of all three user groups.

2. Ensuring that the library is an effective support to the academic and scholarly objectives of the Law School by developing the library’s key resources (personnel and materials) to a level that is above the median for all ABA law schools.

3. A plan for increased library capacity to meet demands for library expansion.

Information Technology

4. Increase in the overall satisfaction of students, faculty, and administrators with the support technology provides in helping them be effective in their roles.

5. Effective use of relevant, emerging technology by an increasing percentage of faculty members to enhance their teaching in the classroom and by an increasing percentage of students to enhance their overall learning.

6. Improved project, record and data management by administrators through increased use of appropriate software tools and access to mainframe support.

7. Standardized communications within the CULS community.

8. Piloting of content management approaches.

2006-2010 Strategic Work

Library

1. Conduct survey of students, faculty and alumni every two years with consultation of the Library Director and staff.

2. Use the results of survey by library director and staff to determine how to continue and enhance library services, and to determine what additional resources, staffing and space are needed for the enhancement of library services.

3. Increase library materials budget by 10% every year.

4. Increase library staffing levels to ensure progress toward the median.

5. Hire architect to plan for library expansion to meet expected growth within next 15 years.

Information Technology

6. In conjunction with library, conduct a survey prepared by an expert in measuring user satisfaction in conjunction with IT director. Survey assesses users’ ability to be productive with services provided and administer survey every two years.

7. Retain an instructional technologist, i.e., expert in training in applied technology, to address satisfaction of faculty, staff, and students.

8. Inventory the hardware and software required by faculty/administrators/ staff to be effective in their roles.

9. Increase faculty ease in using technology in the classroom by:

a. Centralizing AV to one location so that faculty focus can be on classroom lecturing and IT can support both centrally and remotely the technical functions for classroom needs). Centralizing Technology requires:

i. installing equipment

ii. hiring an AV specialist.

iii. identifying working space

b. Increasing availability of interactive technology to improve student learning and assist faculty with effective/interactive teaching (webcams for students to monitor negotiation skills, clickers in classroom for gauging student understanding of topics)

i. Authorization of “computer only classes,” i.e., to enroll the student must have a properly configured laptop.

ii. Increase staff to provide real-time support for faculty’s use of classroom technology.

c. Training of interested faculty – at least two a year – on PowerPoint and web-based classroom environments appropriate to the law school needs.

d. Providing three IT presentations per academic year on emerging technology that could be implemented in the classroom environment.

10. Expand virtual classroom capability by:

a. Improving speed and bandwidth of Internet access; and

b. Increasing number of classrooms capable of supporting a virtual classroom from current number of one (A121) by minimum of 2 per year.

11. Enhance student learning by:

a. Ensuring that all students either have or have access to a properly configured laptop by the start of the 07-08 academic year, by 1) Students who are purchasing laptops will be encouraged to purchase properly configured laptops; 2) Law school will ensure access to laptops for those students without resources to purchase a laptop by providing a rolling cart of laptops or financing/subsidizing purchases for students. (Note: this commits IT to support academic functions [Exam Soft], facilitate vendor relationship with laptop supplier, and network functions at CULS, but not to supporting the hardware, performance issues [speed, extra software or peripherals] other networks attached to personal units, or providing anti-virus updates).

b. Continuing Peer-To-Peer in the Computer Lab on functions that aid studying (e.g., Outline Programs in Power Point) and enhance training of the peer trainers.

12. Improve project management by:

a. Establishing a baseline of current Project Development users,

b. Training in use of Project,

c. Creating a user group for Project issues, both software and implementation issues, and

d. Training an IT Staff member certified in Project Management.

13. Improve efficiency and effectiveness of data and report management through access to mainframe:

a. Coordinate with Main Campus for access to the mainframe system at the programming level,

b. Hire a database administrator, and

c. Work with law school administrators on law school issues related to the mainframe system (example of activity would be an admissions on-line application going from on-line web applicant entry to direct input into mainframe)

14. Standardize communications by:

a. Identifying adjuncts,

b. Creating on-line accounts for adjuncts,

c. Training on e-mail specifically and Outlook functions generally, and

d. Building community groups to enable access to specific constituencies, including alumni.

15. Work with individual departments to identify content management approaches.

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KRA 5: DEVELOPING OUR PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS

2010 Key Results

1. The Law School has either adopted a specialty area and successfully launched it, or has decided that this would not be strategically useful to the School and that it should not be pursued.

2. Concentrations and other academic programs are deliberately chosen, aligned with institutional priorities, and organized in a way that allows clear and effective communication of their value to students and the larger community.

2006-2010 Strategic Work

1. Assessment of existing program offerings (Summer-Fall 2006): The Dean appoints a Program Assessment Committee that, in consultation with the Program Development Committee, conducts an audit of existing law school academic programs and compiles a comprehensive inventory of: (1) existing programs (including concentrations); (2) the level of student and other participation in these programs; (3) the resources that the law school is currently putting into these programs and other costs associated with running them; and (4) the benefits that these programs bring to the school. It then assesses the extent to which these programs are serving institutional priorities and are organized in a way that promotes clear and effective communication of their value to students and the larger community. The Committee recommends to the faculty which of these programs should be retained, which modified and which, if any, should be discontinued.

2. Initial Assessment of Possible Specialty Areas (Summer-Fall 2006): Dean appoints a Program Development Committee. Committee hires a consultant with expertise in assessing the market for legal education and in developing funds to support a specialty. The Committee, working with the consultant, and in consultation with the Program Assessment Committee, completes an initial assessment of possible specialty areas. In evaluating possible specialties, the Committee should consider whether a given area: (1) is a staple of law practice; (2) is relevant to small/medium firm and/or government practice; (3) is related to economic trends; (4) is responsive to the market for legal education; (5) is not adequately covered by competitor schools; (6) provides opportunities for fundraising to support the specialty; and (7) exhibits other factors that the Committee deems relevant. The Committee should consider the following substantive areas: (1) Regulatory/Government law; (2) Business law (or Business/Tax law); (3) Insurance law; (4) Health law; (5) Family law (including Adoption law); (6) Other areas that the Committee deems worthy of consideration.

3. Recommendation and vote as to whether to pursue a specialty at all (Fall 2006): Program Development Committee evaluates whether resources exist to pursue the identified specialty area(s), and whether these resources are best spent on developing a specialty or on other means of enhancing reputation, student entering credentials and fundraising effectiveness. Committee forwards a recommendation on these points to the faculty. Faculty votes on recommendation.

4. Recommendation and vote on particular specialty to be pursued (Spring 2007): Assuming that faculty votes in favor of pursuing a specialty in some area, the Program Development Committee and Consultant complete their analysis and recommend a specialty area to the faculty. Faculty votes on whether to pursue the recommended specialty.

5. Essential components of specialty put into place (Fall 2007-Spring 2010): Assuming that the faculty votes in favor of establishing the recommended specialty, the Dean and Development office pursue funding for the specialty. The law school hires, or recruits internally, one nationally-recognized faculty member to direct the specialized program and one additional faculty member to work in the specialty area. The law school holds a kick-off event for the specialty, offers at least five courses in the specialty area every two years, and creates a web page for the specialty area. The Capital Law Review publishes at least one issue per year devoted to a topic in the specialty area. The law school holds an annual symposium on a topic in the specialty area. Faculty working in the specialty area publish at least one scholarly piece per year on a topic in the area. The faculty decides whether to create a LL.M. in the specialty area and/or whether to launch a specialized journal in the area.

6. Success of specialty assessed (Spring 2010): The faculty develops measurable, objective criteria for assessing whether the addition of the specialty is enhancing the law school reputation, improving student entering credentials, and increasing fundraising effectiveness. The law school carries out an assessment of these outcomes and considers whether to establish an additional area of specialty.

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KRA 6: ENHANCING FACULTY PERFORMANCE

2010 Key Results

1. A larger faculty of full-time, tenured and tenure-track professors that has increased from 33 in 2005-06, to at least 35.

2. A student-faculty ratio for Legal Research and Writing and Legal Drafting Instructors that achieves the 45:1 student-faculty ratio for Legal Writing Instructors recommended by the ABA’s Sourcebook on Legal Writing Programs. (Based on 2005-2006 staffing and student enrollment, an increase of 1.5 full time Instructors will be needed by 2010).

3. An overall student-faculty ratio, calculated by ABA standards, that has improved from the 2005-06 level of 16.04: 1.

4. An annual evaluation and reward process for all tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and adjunct faculty that: a) sets mutually agreed-upon goals for enhanced performance and professional development; b) reviews progress on those goals at year end; and c) allocates recognition and rewards commensurate with that progress.

5. The efficient and equitable allocation of faculty time and resources, taking into account any disparities identified in a baseline survey, as well as agreed-upon strategic goals.

2006-2010 Strategic Work

1. Conduct a baseline survey of how faculty currently engage in scholarship, teaching, and service, identify all activities that necessitate tenure-track faculty involvement in light of educational and strategic needs, and allocate those activities appropriately among the faculty.

2. Contract with non-tenure-track faculty members who wish to participate in the supervision of student activities that are currently supervised by tenure-track faculty (e.g., advising a moot court team; acting as an expert for Law Review papers).

3. Engage in a continuing dialogue between the Dean and faculty regarding the structure, content, and efficacy of the annual evaluative processes. The Dean will carry out the evaluation of all tenured and tenure-track faculty based on performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.

4. Enhance faculty teaching strategies, scholarly achievement, and service opportunities, for example, by taping faculty presentations and offering training sessions by experts secured by the Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Development.

5. Procure new resources, explore the creation of incentives for faculty retirement, and reallocate resources made available by the retirement of current faculty members, in order to hire additional faculty and legal writing instructors. Thereafter, hire and deploy them.

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KRA 7: ENHANCING STAFF PERFORMANCE

2010 Key Results

1. Alignment of staff roles and performance goals with the Strategic Plan.

2. 100% of staff reaching at least 80% of their annual performance goals.

3. Increased staff satisfaction with all aspects of workplace (communications, teamwork, supervision, professional development, workload, rewards, etc.).

2006-2010 Strategic Work

1. Survey staff on a confidential basis annually, providing feedback and results to the staff and addressing issues and opportunities for improvement.

2. Develop and implement a performance management system that includes regular goal setting (based on the strategic plan) and evaluation with periodic written reviews as well as frequent informal, candid feedback.

3. Teach and support appreciative behavior that recognizes contributions and achievement wherever appropriate.

4. Evaluate, improve and maintain a new employee orientation process, including use of an evaluative tool for follow-up purposes.

5. Develop, implement and maintain a training program to assist hiring committees better assess, interview and evaluate candidates seeking staff or administrative positions at the Law School.

6. Develop a mentoring program for new hires and current employees.

7. Structure a professional development program for all staff that prioritizes needs and skills and lays out a multi-year sequence.

8. Develop departmental missions and plans that are aligned with the Law School mission and strategic plan.

9. Enhance the effectiveness of staff and department meetings, through regular scheduling, clear agendas, prepare material that eliminates rote reporting, written summaries, facilitation training, etc.

10. Support a culture of diverse thinking where all ideas/questions are heard and explored through developing process, tools and supervisory training that invite this type of sharing.

11. Develop, implement and maintain an internal communication systems designed to foster dialogue and information sharing between and among faculty, administrators and staff.

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KRA 8: BUILDING OUR REPUTATION AND ENERGIZING OUR ALUMNI

2010 Key Results

1. Significantly improve the school’s reputation among key constituencies over the baseline year data.

2. Annual contact with 90% of our alumni through maintenance of a current and accurate alumni data base.

3. Increase in percentage of alumni engaged with the Law School from 1.5% to 15%.

2006-2010 Strategic Work

1. Create and implement surveys that measure law school reputation across a number of constituencies (create a baseline in FY 05-06 and reuse every two years to measure improvement).

2. Conduct research, update, and maintain an alumni and friends database that allows email and surface mail communication with at least 90% of law school alumni (data base should be populated with law school affinity groups, such as law review, moot court, federalist society, etc., and degree concentrations).

3. Increase alumni participation in the law school through functioning alumni boards that have a range of regular alumni activities.

4. Create and maintain a comprehensive communication plan that targets admissions, students, faculty, alumni, managing and hiring partners, other employers, and judges and which includes:

a. A systematic focus on electronic and printed communications (e.g., develop a law school media guide)

b. Capturing and communicating faculty, student and alumni accomplishments through the school, the student newspaper, all alumni communications, and all events and activities.

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KRA 9: DEVELOPING OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH

2010 Key Results

Key Results 1-4 for annual gifts, major gifts and pledges, and planned gifts and pledges to be secured from 7/1/2005 through 6/30/2010 total $12+ million. The aggressiveness of these goals will require a comprehensive major fund development campaign approach.

1. Increase in percentage of J.D. alumni giving annually from 8% (2004-05) to 18% (2009-10).

2. Increase in annual gift receipts, from all sources, from $191,792 (2004-05) to $500,000 (2009-10). The Law Alumni Association Board (LAAB), via its planning process, has articulated increasing the annual gift receipts from alumni from $109,865 (2004-05) to $350,000 (2009-10)

3. Secure $10.25 million in Major & Planned gift receipts and pledge commitments from 7/1/2005 through 6/30/2010 ($372,556 in 2004-05).

4. Increase CULS endowment from $5.25 million (6/30/2005) to $12.5 million (6/30/2010).

5. Develop, implement, and utilize a rolling, dynamic 5-year CULS Business/Financial Plan.

2005-2010 Strategic Work

1. Expand and solidify annual giving:

a. Support an effective development leadership role for the Law Alumni Association Board, specifically the Law Alumni Association Board’s Fund Raising – initiated 7/1/05.

• Via the Law Alumni Association Board, support/conduct a class agents/reunion giving program – implement 7/1/06.

• Via the Law Alumni Association Board, support/conduct law firm/business sector/public sector challenge programs; start program design 1/1/06 – implement initial phase 7/1/06.

b. Conduct annual graduating class gift endowment campaigns; September 1st through April 30th each academic year – implement 9/1/05.

c. Conduct an effective direct annual solicitation program (direct mail, phonathons, e-solicitation, etc. with defined revenue goals for each appeal and each segment) – implement 7/1/05.

d. Establish a dynamic on-line giving program – start program design 1/1/06 – implement 7/1/06.

e. Grow CULS faculty/staff annual giving with a target of 100% participation for full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty and salaried/administrative associates (implemented 7/1/05).

2. Build a major gifts/planned gifts program appropriate to CULS history and constituency:

a. Identify and cultivate major/planned gift prospects; set number of calls, solicitations, and gifts (started 7/1/05).

b. Create and maintain a planned gift society and populate that society – start program design 1/1/06 – implement 7/1/06.

c. Establish and maintain an endowment education program (how it works and benefits):

• Develop Case for Philanthropic Support of CULS concurrent with the development of the CULS Strategic Plan – complete Case by 6/30/06.

• Funding priorities/opportunities to be reflective of strategic initiatives identified within CULS Strategic Plan which is to be completed early spring 2006.

• Funding opportunities to be “validated” by CULS business/financial planning model which is hoped to be available to support the 2006-07 budget planning.

3. Further develop overall recognition/stewardship, including:

a. Design and install a CULS donor recognition wall – planning initiated; installation to be completed for 4/29/06 “ribbon-cutting” reception.

b. Donor recognition societies – conceptual discussions have occurred; complete definitions for incorporation within the donor wall.

c. Annual Donor Honor Roll to reflect new recognition societies; incorporate into 2005-06 Dean’s Annual Report.

d. Insure annual distribution of stewardship letters to endowed scholarship donors notifying them of 1) scholarship recipients, 2) scholarship amount, 3) market value of endowed fund, and 4) the date for the annual Donor / Scholarship Recipient event.

e. Coordinate with Capital University’s Institutional Advancement Division to insure CULS’ appropriate participation in stewardship events such as the annual Philanthropy Celebration Dinner and any events held in context of a university-wide campaign.

f. For 2006 calendar year; initial statements may be produced only for donors above a specific dollar amount, and/or initial test may be selected “test” constituencies, i.e. faculty/staff.

g. Develop and implement a well-defined “membership” program that articulates the “benefits” of being a Dean’s Circle/Council level donor.

4. Develop, maintain, and utilize (starting with the 2006-07 budget process) a rolling 5-year CULS business/financial plan, including:

a. A tuition revenue model.

b. An investment revenue model for endowment & law school surplus.

c. A philanthropic revenue & cost/$ raised model.

d. A human resource model.

e. Personnel & non-personnel expense models.

f. A capital investment model.

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MAJOR INVESTMENT PRIORITIES

Through a Plenary Session, the faculty and senior administrators prioritized the major initiatives that require a significant new investment of funds and/or personnel time. The priorities below are not meant to eliminate other initiatives set out in this Plan. Many initiatives discussed in this Plan do not require the investment of major dollars or personnel time and thus are not included in the prioritization listed below, but, nonetheless, will be implemented. Other initiatives that do require the investment of new funds or personnel time, even though they were not identified as of the highest priority, may be fully implemented, especially if they receive support from interested parties.

Criteria for Prioritizing Initiatives

1. Degree to which it contributes to the success of our students (preparing skilled lawyers, bar passage, professionalism and ethics)

2. Degree to which it contributes to the success of our institution (discourse and knowledge and reputation)

3. Degree to which it is an effective investment (leverages strengths, favorable impact on net revenue)

Top Priority Initiatives Requiring Significant New Investment

• KR6.1: Hiring Additional Full-time Tenure-Track Faculty
• KR4.2: Library Materials Budget
• KRA9: Comprehensive Fund Development Campaign To Raise Money
• KRA1: Scholarship Increases
• KR6.2: Hiring Additional Legal Writing Faculty
• KRA8: Significantly Improve Reputation & Alumni Engagement
• KR.3.1: Enhanced Curricular and Other Advising
• KRA5: Develop Plan for Specialty Area
• KR2.2: Enhance Student Skills (Writing, Statutory Interpretation, Use Of Technology)

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2006-2007 Report of Key Accomplishments

[ Download the report (PDF) ]

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