18 October 2005
To the OSU Community:
In September 2004, I set in place a process that began by defining Strategic Plan implementation goals for the university and for each academic and support unit, as well as periodic reporting of progress and issues throughout the academic year. The process culminated in reports from academic and support units that summarized initiatives undertaken during the year and their outcomes, performance on key metrics, and programmatic achievements and accomplishments of faculty, staff, and students. I also committed at the time to present to the campus community an annual summary of our activities from the previous year, an assessment of what worked, where we fell short, and plans and challenges for the new academic year. My report for the 2004-2005 academic year is attached.
As you will see in my report and the companion reports from academic and support units, we can be proud of what we accomplished. While our efforts have been guided by our strategic plan, our success in providing outstanding education to our students, in research growth, in producing high-quality scholarship and outreach programs, and in creating a diverse learning community, is a result of the passion of our faculty for excellence and human development, and the dedication of our staff to provide a strong supportive environment. The outcomes also speak highly of the leadership provided at the unit and college levels. In spite of a constrained resource environment, quality is reflected in all dimensions of the university's mission.
In the attached report, I have provided you with a synopsis of the 2004-2005 year along the following dimensions:
- Highlights of programmatic and faculty achievements
- Strategic plan implementation initiatives
- Tentative plans and challenges for 2005-2006
I also invite you to visit http://leadership.oregonstate.edu/strategic-plan/. Posted at this site are: (1) Strategic Plan Implementation Report; (2) Metrics for the university and for academic units, representing the quantitative snapshot of our performance; and (3) Summary of Priority Focus Areas. You will find annual academic reports from each college and academic support unit at http://leadership.oregonstate.edu/provost/0405/unit-plans.
I hope the recent academic accomplishments highlighted in my report give you a sense of the excellence and commitment for educational activities and significant collaboration in research, outreach, and learning that exists at OSU. I am very proud of our OSU community. President Ray and I thank you for your service and leadership.
I welcome suggestions that you may have to improve upon this annual reporting process in the future. Best wishes to you for a successful and productive academic year.
Sabah Randhawa
Provost and Executive Vice President