FY 2008 Annual Report of Achievements - Gallaudet University

Dear Readers:
The FY 2008 Annual Report is a transitional document that departs from previous years’
practice of emphasizing process through narrative descriptions of activities. This report is results
oriented with an emphasis on numerical data. Because of the reorganization of some units, as well as
the university’s emphasis on documented results, not all units were able to complete the process of
defining specific goals, setting up sustainable data collection procedures, and generating quantitative
data in a single year. Future reports will reflect the university’s commitment to demonstrating
verifiable outcomes and results.
Summary
• A new, five-point strategic plan with specific targets and indicators was developed with
the community’s full participation and approved by the Board of Trustees.
• The university successfully addressed accreditation issues identified by MSCHE. This
work was a major focus of the faculty and staff during FY 2007 and 2008 and resulted in
MSCHE’s reaffirming the university’s complete accreditation.
• As predicted during the summer of 2007, undergraduate enrollment declined while the
quality of the admitted and enrolled students increased.
• In response to the need to increase enrollments, recruitment initiatives targeted students
in mainstreamed programs and transfer students.
• The university launched several new initiatives to improve recruitment and retention
through a commitment to better understand and respond to the needs of specific groups
of students.
• To improve retention, the JumpStart Program provides additional support to help newly
admitted freshmen acclimate to collegiate life during the summer before their first term.
• To improve retention and graduation rates, a new General Studies program was initiated
that reduced the total number of required credits while introducing multidisciplinary
courses.
• Specific new student learning outcomes were developed, and all undergraduate degree
programs, down to the level of individual courses, were aligned with the outcomes.
• Other recent initiatives include the introduction of capstone courses, internship
requirements, and the increasing integration of service learning in academic programs.
• The university began a process of introducing specific standards for student support
services as a first step toward increased accountability in this area.