Goals, Outcomes & Strategies

Through well-aligned and meaningful initiatives, we work to eliminate access and completion gaps defined by measurable increases in access, retention, and completion across all student populations.

Desired Outcomes

The outcomes below focus on the changes to organizational culture and university systems that are required to close access and completion gaps. 

1. Proactively identify barriers that contribute to gaps in success and completion for students and create, implement, and assess comprehensive plans to address them. 
2. By the end of their first year, 70% of students will report a sense of belonging at the university, matching the level reported by all students. We will review data disaggregated by different characteristics in an effort to remove barriers to belonging.
3. Recognizing the impact faculty and staff satisfaction has on students, we will establish a methodology by the end of FY 2025-26 to measure faculty and staff engagement and sense of belonging.        
4. By the end of academic year (AY) 2025-26, all first-time students, fall-to-fall retention rate (for Fall 2024) will be 60% (up from 56% for Fall 2019 students). 
5. By the end of AY 2025-26, 80% of first-time students will earn a 2.2 GPA for their initial semester (up from 70% for Fall 2019 students).
6. By the end of AY 2025-26, at least 34% of concurrent enrollment and 52% of early college high school graduates will become matriculated degree-seeking students within three years of high school graduation.
7. By the end of AY 2025-26, 46% of entering students from AY 2016-17 will have completed a certificate, associate’s or bachelor’s degree (up from 42% for AY 2011-12 students).
8. 70% of students who have earned 90+ credit hours during AY 2023-24 will complete a bachelor’s degree by the end of AY 2025-26, and 60% of students with 50+ credits in an associate’s track will complete that degree in 1 year (up from 56% and 45% respectively for AY 2017-18 students).
9. By the end of AY 2025-26, close 8-year completion gaps between the overall student population and the following student populations of interest:
   a: Low-income (Pell-eligible) students: reduce current 6% gap to a 4% gap
   b: Students placed in developmental math and English: reduce current 28% gap to a 20% gap
   c: First-generation students: reduce current 7% gap to a 4% gap 
   d: Racial and ethnic minority students: reduce current 12% gap to an 8% gap
10. By the end of AY 2025-26, establish a baseline of the net student cost to complete a degree. Continue strengthening existing strategies and develop new structural interventions to keep net student cost low.
11. By the end of AY 2025-26, develop and implement strategies to improve student well-being.
12. By the end of AY 2025-26, reverse the 15-year downward trend in 25+-year-old undergraduate first-time, returning, and transfer students.

 

On their path to their own definition of academic success, the experience of every student is filled with rich and impactful relationships with faculty, staff, students, and the community.

Desired Outcomes

Mentoring

• The number of students who have at least one mentoring relationship (student, staff or faculty) during their time at WSU will increase 10% annually.

Connection with WSU Community

• Every program should include at least two opportunities that promote a strong connection and a sense of belonging to the university community, such as high-impact educational experiences (HIEEs) co-curricular programs, immersive projects, and Student Involvement and Leadership activities.
• By the end of AY 2025-26, 90% of bachelor’s degree completers will have two or more HIEEs.

Classroom Engagement

• Students’ level of engagement in their classroom experiences increases by 10% per year.

 

We intentionally leverage our intellectual assets, economic influence, and financial and human resources in partnership with regional communities to seek a sustainable economic, social, cultural, and environmental system that provides opportunity for all. We help students learn the skills and competencies to successfully adapt to the challenges of a modern workplace, graduate school, and other opportunities.

Desired Outcomes by end of FY 2025-26

Economic Development Outcomes

• We have utilized our convening power to create ecosystems in entrepreneurship and aerospace and defense.
  • Current: 24 Programs
  • Desired: 59 Programs
  • Difference: 35 Programs
•  By the end of AY 2025-26, establish a measure to more holistically reflect economic ecosystem impact.

Workforce Development Outcome

• We have proactively identified, developed, and delivered programs that respond to workforce needs by innovating, collaborating, and leveraging resources to meet the dynamic needs of our community as indicated by continuing our 2.9%* annual growth in Utah System of Higher Education’s (USHE) market demand degree attainment measure. *Roughly equivalent to prior 5 years 2.919% compound annual growth rate, AY 2014-15 through AY 2018-19
  • Difference: 551 additional certificates or degrees
  • Desired: 2.9% annual growth* or AY 205-26 result meet or exceed 4,138 certificates or degrees
  • Current: 3,587 certificates or degrees (last reported by USHE, AY 2018-19)

Sustainability Outcome

• We achieve Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Gold by the end of FY 2025-26, carbon neutrality by the end of FY 2039-40, and helps the region strive for carbon neutrality by the end of FY 2049-50.
  • Current: Silver
  • Desired: Gold
  • Difference: 1 level

Community Development Outcomes

• 25% of faculty are engaging their teaching, research, and service agendas to address social, cultural, economic, and environmental challenges facing our communities, including the East Central Neighborhood of Ogden.
  • Current: 17% (177 faculty)
  • Desired: 25% (263 faculty)
  • Difference: 8% (86 faculty)
• We have improved business practices related to hiring, purchasing, and investing to build prosperity across all our communities.
  • Current: 7 business practices improved
  • Desired: 10 business practices improved
  • Difference: 3 business practices improved

 

WSU is an “institution of choice” for key target audiences* looking to pursue higher education, with an emphasis placed on increasing awareness of WSU’s value proposition among the “general population.”

*Key target audiences will be further analyzed for the most viable segments based on prominent targeting criteria: substantiality, identifiability/measurability, accessibility, and responsiveness.

Desired Outcomes

1. At the conclusion of the first six months to a year, we will have researched and articulated audience and competitors’ insights, tested and solidified its brand and unique value proposition as it relates to those audiences, and developed a detailed communication/marketing plan to effectively apply that value proposition to its key target audiences. IMPORTANT ASSUMPTION: All other desired outcomes listed below rely on successful completion of the first desired outcome (value proposition with key targeted audiences).

2. By the end of FY 2025-26, a majority of marketing resources (51% or more) will be shifted toward the key target audiences.

3. By the end of FY 2025-26, Marketing & Communications will begin to measure and improve its marketing efforts, targeting a 10%* annual increase of ROI. This will be measured by visits to the Admissions website.

4. By the end of FY 2025-26, Weber and Davis counties’ historically underrepresented populations will regard WSU as a place of higher education that provides a welcoming space where they can thrive as they pursue their higher education goals. This outcome will reflect a 10%* change in attitudes by the end of FY 2025-26. It will be measured with telephone surveys of this perception.

5. By the end of FY 2025-26, increase the WSU top-of-mind awareness of the population* from 44% to 55%.

6. By the end of FY 2025-26, increase the WSU perception of high-quality* among the first-year admits from 20% to 25%, and see key value propositions reflected in responses.