Grow Theme Initiative Updates

This fall, significant work has taken place with our Strategic Plan and preparations for the spring 2022 semester. Below are some highlights from the three initiatives within the Grow Theme. At the end of each initiative is a link to more information about the work accomplished to date, along with next steps. Please join me in praying for this important work and for the teams involved. 

Academic Programs: Cheryl Norman, Team Lead; Joel Johnson, Project Manager

• Creating a compelling program portfolio that reflects institutional mission and achieves enrollment growth
• Strategically developing and growing programs that are . . . 
  • mission-centered and driven, relevant, and market-informed (leverages clear metrics)
  • viable and sustainable (provides favorable margin)
  • distinctive (creates competitive advantage)
• Assessing program opportunities through a process that . . . 
  • is outcomes-based and supported by the university 
  • includes offices from across the institution
  • provides recommendations on current and future programs to launch, grow, maintain, and sunset
  • is efficient and effective
    • conducts a holistic analysis to understand true impact on mission and financial viability, current and future
    • successfully combines strategic growth and sunsetting processes

See the "Updates" section on Confluence for more information about the Academic Programs initiative.

Global Online: Dale Lemke, Team Lead; Joel Johnson, Project Manager

• Strategic analysis of academic, marketing, and enrollment needs 
• Analysis of student needs and program models  
• Three-year strategy with goals, objectives, and measurables 
• Program rollout plan with phases
• Program launch strategy 
• Plan for ongoing partnership development and growth 
• Assessment of program roll-out and program launch plans and implementation processes 
• Identification of new marketing strategies for implementation by May 2022 
• Implementation of new enrollment recruiting and communication strategies 

See the "Updates" section on Confluence for more information about the Global Online initiative.

Unifying Modalities: Jessa Nelson, Team Lead; Adam Dolezal, Project Manager

• A model for appropriate cross-venue, flexible student registration for existing courses and modalities
• A model for courses and modalities that are available to students in multiple venues/programs by design
• A model for appropriate use of emerging modalities, including the following:
  • Multivenue: a course offering that is intentionally designed for students across multiple venues/student populations (e.g., Trad, AU, and DE) 
  • Multivenue Dual Degree: a “multivenue” (see above) course offering that also includes a cross-listed graduate level option
  • Trad Online: a “Trad” venue course offering that is 100% virtual
  • Hyflex/Multimodal: one course section with multiple modalities (face-to-face, virtual synchronous, and virtual asynchronous) with students able to choose their preferred modality each week
• A model for universal non-degree student engagement with Northwestern.

See the "Updates" section on Confluence for more information about the Unifying Modalities initiative

Evaluating COVID Protocols

Thank you, Colleagues, for continuing to uphold UNW's current COVID-19 protocols in support of our students and community. I am also grateful for the dedicated teams in Health Services, Student Life, and Academic Achievement that directly support our students. Together, we make an amazing team! 

With the fall semester wrapping up, we are once again evaluating the state of our protocols. Throughout the pandemic, we have utilized both internal and external data to inform our decision-making process as we seek to mitigate risk while maintaining campus experiences and operations. As our Fall 2021 data indicates, a significant number of students have needed to isolate or quarantine this semester. The number of those quarantined who have converted to a positive COVID status has been very low, especially in classroom-related close contact. Because of this fact, our teams are reviewing potential protocol changes in quarantine requirements for spring semester. The SLT plans to finalize and communicate these plans to the community before finals week. 

Preparing for the End of Fall Semester

Final Exams

As we approach the end of the semester, you may have questions about preparing for and administering final exams. Please review the communication sent earlier this week about support available for you in delivering your exams and for students in completing their exams. Remember, you may have students unable to attend final exams in person. Thanks in advance for working with your students as needed to facilitate their course completion. 

Commencement Attendance

Attendees to commencement on Friday, December 17 (i.e., full-time faculty, academic administrators, and others who have volunteered to attend) can participate either in person or virtually. You are encouraged to attend this important academic event in person if you are comfortable doing so; face coverings are encouraged, and reserved seating will be sufficient for attendees to space themselves every other seat. For those who prefer to attend virtually, we are pleased to be able to offer this option for you. The virtual livestream will be available through this link.

If you choose to participate in person, please accept the email invitation from Academic Affairs by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7, to allow enough time for our teams to finalize preparations for the event. Additional details can be found on the Fall Commencement Planning web page. We look forward to celebrating the success of our students together!

Submitting Final Grades

As you are preparing for the upcoming winter break, please be aware of the deadline for submitting final grades. As the communication from the Registrar's Office stated, Monday, December 27, at 10:30 p.m., is the deadline for submitting Quad 2 and Full Semester grades. Thank you for ensuring your grades are submitted prior to this deadline.

Professional Development Spotlight

What Goes Wrong in Moodle Gradebooks: TA Mistakes and Other Misunderstandings to Avoid

"My gradebook is not calculating correctly!" This webinar will cover common mistakes, frustrations, and misunderstandings with the Moodle gradebook. Watch this webinar before throwing your computer out the window! Watch Recording (50:16)

Sharing Your Thoughts

Moving through the end of the semester can bring joy, anticipation, stress, and many more responses. For this week's feedback, I'd love to hear how you're doing, along with any questions or concerns you may have as we approach the Christmas break. Please use this anonymous form (feel free to include your name if you'd like) to share your thoughts. We are on this journey together!