FY25 Objectives and Projects
This year's playbook contains eight long-term objectives that focus on enrollment, student success, curricular adaptation, economic and civic development, amplified impact through engagement, and internal capacity around human resources, data, and technology.
The projects highlighted in this playbook represent cross-sector, urgent opportunities and needs. These projects do not represent all of the efforts and resources focused on achieving our institutional objectives. University sectors, individual units, and existing institutional efforts like those outlined in UM's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan, contribute to meeting our objectives.
Objective 1: Increase enrollment through recruitment and access
Strengthen prospective student communications and engagement
Project purpose: To ensure the timely, persuasive and effective execution of enrollment communications and engagement so that we meet enrollment goals.
Project Leads: Sydney Hovenkotter and Kelly Nolin
Executive Sponsors: Chief Enrollment Officer and Jenny Petty
Objective 2: Increase retention and persistence through enhanced student experiences
Enhance student well-being through a robust community of care
Project purpose: To support wellbeing as a major factor in student success through a robust community of care and prevention efforts so that we strengthen the ecosystem of a healthy campus community.
Project Lead: Kayli Julius
Executive Sponsor: Leslie Webb
Continue building consistency and excellence in advising
Project purpose: To enhance advisor hiring, onboarding, training, and operational practices so that advisors can support students’ ability to progress toward a degree in a timely manner.
Project Leads: Brian French and Shonna Trowbridge
Executive Sponsor: Leslie Webb
Enhance Native American student access and culturally informed support
Project purpose: To more deeply understand the strengths brought by Native American students and to understand their experiences navigating UM systems so that we can design more culturally informed processes that honor and serve these students.
Project Leads: Karla Bird and Michelle Guzman
Executive Sponsors: Leslie Webb and Kelly Webster
Cultivate excellence in teaching, learning, and assessment through evidence-based practices
Project purpose: To cultivate evidence-based teaching practices so that we bolster student engagement and outcomes, reduce DFW rates, and improve instructor efficacy.
Project Lead: To be determined
Executive Sponsor: Adrea Lawrence
Objective 3: Differentiate UM through an integrated curricular and co-curricular journey that emphasizes academics, service, leadership, and career preparation
Establish an annual process for assessing the health of our offerings, curricular complexity, responsiveness to student needs and desired outcomes, and compliance with regulatory requirements
Project purpose: To develop processes for ongoing review of academic offerings so that we remain responsive to changes, meet compliance requirements, and enter a cycle of doing less, better.
Project Lead: John DeBoer
Executive Sponsor: Adrea Lawrence
Develop and communicate a student experience framework that integrates the curricular and co-curricular experience and emphasizes UM’s commitment to academics, service, leadership, and career development
Project purpose: To clearly articulate the UM student experience so that we effectively communicate UM’s strengths to prospective students, build brand awareness, and improve institutional reputation.
Project Leads: Theresa Floyd, Stephanie Geyer, Brian Reed
Executive Sponsors: John DeBoer, Jenny Petty, Leslie Webb
Develop a cross-campus effort to model civil dialogue and practice civic and democratic engagement
Project purpose: To develop the expectations and opportunities for students to practice civil dialogue and collaboratively designed solutions so that they can contribute to democracy as engaged citizens.
Project Leads: Michael Rohd and Katie Vaughan
Executive Sponsor: Kelly Webster
Objective 4: Differentiate UM by serving the needs of a wider range of learners through partnerships and clearer curricular pathways
Build market-driven online degree programs
Project purpose: To develop online degree programs so that UM is responsive to a broader range of students, giving them greater access and more flexible learning opportunities.
Project Lead: Shara Tscheulin
Executive Sponsor: Shara Tscheulin
Design and implement non-credit to credit pathways in collaboration with colleges
Project purpose: To collaboratively develop non-credit to credit pathways so that we increase access to higher education and provide more flexible credentialing options that meet the needs of learners at all stages of their lives.
Project Leads: Kristina Berger, Grace Gardner, Paul Gladen
Executive Sponsor: Shara Tscheulin
Design and implement partnerships that position UM as a platform for learning
Project purpose: To partner with businesses and peer institutions in the design and delivery of learning so that UM serves as a connector and facilitator of diverse educational opportunities rather than a discrete provider of education.
Project Leads: Tom Gallagher and Brad Goan
Executive Sponsor: Shara Tscheulin
Map user experiences for a wider range of learners, from inquiry to completion
Project purpose: To map student experiences so that we can improve business processes and better serve students at all stages of their lives.
Project Lead: Julie Cahill
Executive Sponsor: Shara Tscheulin
Objective 5: Build partnerships and leverage research and economic development initiatives to address urgent community, state, and global needs
Collaborate with partners to address health needs across Montana, with a particular focus on mental and behavioral health
Project purpose: To apply UM's expertise and educational programs in mental and behavioral health so that we support the State's behavioral health workforce needs.
Project Leads: Lily Apedaile, Michael Rohd, Faculty TBD
Executive Sponsor: Brad Goan
Engage state, federal, and private partners in key research areas, e.g., AI/machine learning, human performance, cyber, biotech, health outcomes, climate, integrated environment, and autonomous systems
Project purpose: To match UM strengths with immediate funding opportunities and urgent needs so that we maintain our Carnegie Research Very High Activity (R1) designation, which impacts faculty recruitment, supports additional graduate students, brings additional revenue to UM, and bolster's UM's reputation.
Project Leads: Lily Apedaile, Jeremy Crowley, Drew Reinert
Executive Sponsor: Scott Whittenburg
Objective 6: Attract and support employees through improved recruiting, retention, and management efforts
Implement new strategies and processes in seeking and attracting talent
Project purpose: To develop and articulate our employee value proposition and implement new recruitment strategies so that we are attracting and retaining talented employees.
Project Lead: Marcie Briggs
Executive Sponsor: Jay Stephens
Implement new strategies and processes in onboarding talent
Project purpose: To implement new strategies and processes in onboarding talent so that we increase employee engagement, improve productivity, and reduce attrition.
Project Lead: Jasmine Laine
Executive Sponsor: Jay Stephens
Design and test a revamped performance development process
Project purpose: To design and test a revamped performance development process so that we leverage the potential for managers/supervisors to positively impact employee engagement, morale, retention, and productivity.
Project Lead: Shawn Blair
Executive Sponsor: Jay Stephens
Objective 7: Broaden alumni, community, and donor engagement
Shape the UM narrative and empower external partners to promote UM’s brand, accomplishments, and impact through community engagement
Project purpose: To leverage a broader base of storytellers on UM's behalf so that we build brand awareness, affinity, and confidence in the University's impact.
Project Leads: Dave Kuntz and LeAnn Layton
Executive Sponsors: Jenny Petty
Expand and deepen Alumni’s campus and community partnerships in support of students’ access to networks and mentorships
Project purpose: To develop and strengthen alumni partnerships so that we support students' career readiness by bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world experience and providing students access to industry insights and professional guidance.
Project Leads: LeAnn Layton and Andrea Vernon
Executive Sponsors: Jenny Petty and Leslie Webb
Build Griz pride in UM as a hub for community and statewide arts and athletics engagement
Project purpose: To expand UM's offerings as a hub for arts and athletics engagement so that we enhance UM's reputation, grow revenue, foster economic growth in the region, and enhance community vitality and cohesion.
Project Lead: Paula Short
Executive Sponsor: Kent Haslam
Objective 8: Strengthen core infrastructure and processes to improve students’ and employees’ campus experiences, enhance efficiencies, and maintain safety and integrity
Design data structures and processes that support decision making
Project purpose: To enhance data quality, structures, and processes so that trustworthy data is available to support decision-making.
Project Leads: Pope Ashworth and Jeanne Loftus
Executive Sponsor: Zach Rossmiller
Modernize Banner to increase efficiencies and capabilities for employees and students
Project purpose: To move the Banner system toward "baseline" and implement modern tools so that the system is more user-friendly for students and employees, and more easily managed and maintained.
Project Lead: Corey Cardoza
Executive Sponsor: Zach Rossmiller
Simplify student and employee user experience
Project purpose: To create a single user identity for accessing all UM technology systems so that we simplify the user experience and reduce security threats.
Project Leads: Scott Holgate and Jonathan Neff
Executive Sponsor: Zach Rossmiller