There is a broad consensus that our future as a national university hinges on the establishment of a distinctive, JMU blend of liberal arts, research and professional education.

Create innovative academic programming and strengthen inclusive academic supports to encourage exploration, enhance student success and academic excellence, and prepare students to contribute to a dynamic society.

1-1. Develop and sustain new, high quality academic offerings (majors, minors and certificates) at the undergraduate and graduate levels that meet commonwealth needs and serve student interests.

1-2. Ensure Academic Program Reviews (APR) align with stated learning outcomes and include plans for improvement.

1-3. Develop infrastructure, policies and expertise to provide a range of options for degree completion for undergraduate and graduate students, e.g. flexible scheduling, varieties of course modality.

1-4. Build a sustainable advising framework and systems that strengthen transfer student support, first-year transitions, and exploratory and pre-professional pathways.

1-5. Develop an Early Success / Early Alerts program to increase retention, engagement and degree completion for all students.

1-6. Develop comprehensive student mentoring, academic coaching and other academic supports for undergraduate and graduate students.

1-7. Expand internship, cooperative/early career and class offerings for undergraduate and graduate students to increase workforce readiness.

1. In AY 2022-23:

   1. We began requiring employability metrics at the earliest stage of submission for new programs (rather than the latter stages as in the past) to ensure new offerings are meeting the needs of the commonwealth and serving the interests of students.

   2. Faculty Affairs and Curriculum started to gather benchmark data on the median time it takes for a curriculum proposal to move through the curriculum approval process. This project will be completed by the end of 24-25. We will continue to monitor proposal progression to assess continuous improvement. 

2. In AY 2023-24, a second SCHEV liaison was hired to ensure we are efficiently processing curriculum proposals. By the end of 24-25, this person will be fully trained.

3. In AY 2023-24, we adjusted our APR guidance document to instruct programs to reflect more deeply on learning outcomes. By the end of 24-25, we will develop a summative report that documents plans for improvement and attention to learning outcomes across all APRs.

4. Optimize the student to advisor ratio by college and program type measuring from a baseline of 2021-22.

Source: University Data

5. Optimize the student to advisor ratio by advisor type ( primary and faculty) measuring from a baseline of 2021-22.    

Source: University Data

6. Increase the first-year retention rate for all students and identified student groups measuring from a baseline of 2021-22. 

Source: PAIR Data

7. Increase graduation rates for all students and identified student groups measuring from a baseline of 2021-22.

Source: PAIR Data

8. The Internship Task Force formed by the provost in Fall 2022 guided the efforts of Academic Affairs to expand internship, cooperative/early career and class offerings that increase workforce readiness.

   1. During the fall 2022 semester, the ITF:

      1. Established subgroups to address its primary tasks:

         1. Defining and identifying existing work-based learning experiences at JMU.

         2. Interviewing students about their internship needs and experiences.

         3. Interfacing with employers about internships within their organizations.

         4. Contacting other institutions about how they define and support work-based learning experiences.

         5. Applying for grant support.

      2. Members of the ITF also presented on internships and the activities of the task force at the Board of Visitors meeting in November 2022. 

   2. During the spring 2023 semester, the ITF:

      1. Tested and revised the new definition.

      2. Finalized information about JMU work-based learning experiences (WBLE) practices.

      3. Completed interviews and compiled information about peer institutions’ practices.

      4. Launched a snapshot survey to JMU students.

      5. Submitted a SCHEV VTOP grant application.

      6. Was renamed the “Work-based Learning Experience Task Force.”

   3. During the 2023-24 AY, the Work-based Learning Experience Task Force:

      1. Began its second year of activity by focusing on Communications, Community/Employers Outreach, Data Analysis and Ongoing Strategies and Infrastructure, with support from a grant to Enhance and Promote Experiential Learning from SCHEV (awarded for AY 2023-2024). (Fall 2023)

      2. Used funds from the 2023-2024 SCHEV grant to add an Ai Resume model to the University Career Center's existing contract with Big Interview to help students evaluate how effectively their resume highlights WBLEs and other aspects of their candidacy. (March 2024)

      3. Created a White Paper about the Task Force's findings over the two years and recommendations for implementation. (Spring 2024)

      4. Received confirmation that we had been awarded a SCHEV Institutional Internship Data Collection Grant ($100,000) for 2024-2025. (February 2024)

      5. Received confirmation that we had been awarded a SCHEV Institutional Award for Student Internship Support Grant ($100,000) for 2024-2025. (February 2024)

      6. Submitted a Big Idea Proposal for JMU WBLE Initiative. (March 2024)

      7. Synthesized feedback from JMU stakeholders and prepared JMU's Response to SCHEV SB 1280. (April 2024)

      8. Initiated a catalog of JMU webpages with WBLE-related terms to begin crafting consistent messaging about WBLE opportunities and processes. (March 2024)

      9. Developed a presentation to introduce WBLEs to JMU constituents. (April 2024)

      10. Began previewing software products including In Place, Handshake, and 12twenty to assess their potential utility for tracking WBLEs at JMU. (October 2023 - March 2024)

      11. Conducted a student survey of WBLE completions between Summer 2023 and Spring 2024, nearly doubling the number of responses from last year; 44% of respondents completed at least one WBLE experience during this time frame. (April 2024) 

   4. During the summer of 2024, the Academic Affairs Work-based Learning Experiences Task Force was retired as the Presidential Work-based Learning Experiences Committee was established. This standing committee will continue to deepen and expand JMU's efforts related to work-based learning experiences for all students. 

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