May 15, 2003

Report details achievements of Highest Order of Excellence plan

The Highest Order of Excellence, the 1998 framework for institution-wide strategic planning, has had an impact on virtually every corner of the University since it was adopted five years ago.

A report summarizing the achievements through the end of calendar 2002 has been completed by the Office of Administration and Planning and is now available online at the Office of the Provost at www.northwestern.edu/provost/highestorder/report-2003.pdf.

Articulation of the “Highest Order” vision for Northwestern’s future was the result of a concentrated series of conversations conducted by the Provost and the Vice President for Administration and Planning with an ad hoc committee of two dozen distinguished faculty members. Ideas were also sought from and shared with the deans, additional faculty groups, students, staff, alumni and prospective donors. A steering committee of deans and faculty then oversaw the implementation of plans to realize the vision.

President Henry S. Bienen and Provost Lawrence B. Dumas said that the accomplishments of the last five years prepare the way for future ones. In an introductory message to the report, they said, “We expect to engage the community in a new cycle of University-wide planning discussions over the next 18 months.”

Major support for enhancements to faculty, programs and facilities came from three major sources. First, additional revenues from a special undergraduate tuition increase provided unrestricted funds for immediate use to expand and strengthen the undergraduate experience. New gifts were sought through Campaign Northwestern, some to use immediately for current programs, some to fund construction of new facilities, and some to build endowment for ongoing needs. Finally, some existing resources were redirected to implement strategies identified in the “Highest Order” plan.

The report provides a wealth of information, covering growth in philanthropic support and research awards and the resulting investments in faculty, student, and administrative resources and activities. Four major sections summarize and provide detail on accomplishments in the four priorities of the Highest Order plan:

• Invest in Faculty

• Intensify Undergraduate Learning

• Redesign Graduate Education and Strengthen Professional Education

• Build the Infrastructure for Teaching, Learning and Research in the 21st Century

Highlights in these areas include the following:

Faculty

New endowment funds of $281.4 million for faculty positions and/or program support raised through Campaign Northwestern include naming gifts for the Weinberg and Feinberg schools and 32 endowed chairs. Through calendar 2002, 23 faculty lines had been added in Weinberg College and five in the McCormick School, and Feinberg had added 59 research faculty in its quest to grow by more than 100.

Twenty faculty members were added to Northwestern’s representation in the prestigious academic honor societies — the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Twelve new faculty recruitments designed to synergize strengths between schools and/or prominent disciplines, including six distinguished senior appointments, were accomplished.

A $1 million fund from the Provost to enhance minority faculty recruitment resulted in the hiring of 14 additional minority faculty and 23 women faculty in its first recruiting season.

Awards of sponsored research increased 77.2 percent over five years, from $183.2 million to $324.5 million; five major new research institutes were created; and enhancements have been made to some existing and new centers.

Undergraduates

Revenue from the special undergraduate tuition increase that took effect in fall 1998 enhanced academic and career advising and expanded opportunities to conduct original research, serve internships, study abroad and develop mentoring relationships.

Comparison of responses to COFHE surveys of Northwestern’s classes of 1998 and 2002 showed significant increases in students from the latter class being “very” or “generally” satisfied with the areas in which investments were made.

Noteworthy among those investments were: new approaches to undergraduate advising, both within schools and about transferring between them; more funds were made available for undergraduate research; professional school course offerings available to undergraduates were increased; the “Engineering First” curriculum was introduced in McCormick; Kemper and Slivka halls opened, adding enough on-campus residential space sufficient to meet undergraduate demand.

In addition, study abroad programs were expanded; Campaign gifts increased endowment support for undergraduate financial aid by $60.7 million; and the Multicultural Center opened in 1999. The Office of Fellowships was established in 1998, greatly enhancing the services offered to support students who want to compete for prestigious national and international awards, such as Goldwater scholarships and Marshall or Fulbright fellowships.

Graduate Education

A precedent-setting policy of guaranteeing four years of year-round support for new Ph.D. students was implemented. Other new initiatives include establishing tougher admissions requirements, establishing new standards for matriculation and articulating clearer expectations for career placement.

Six doctoral programs were either new, consolidated and/or reconfigured in the last five years. An additional $24.4 million in endowment from donors or the President were provided for graduate fellowships in arts and sciences, and an additional $37.8 million in endowment was raised for graduate professional schools.

The Kellogg School moved decisively to place a global emphasis on all of its programs and continued to be ranked among the best business schools in the nation. The School of Law adapted many programs to respond to major changes in business, government, society and international relations and their impact on the legal profession. The Feinberg School of Medicine recruited 10 new key departmental leaders, transitioned to a new model of financial management, and admitted classes in 2000 through 2002 with the best credentials of any in the school’s history.

Infrastructure

More than $576 million has been invested in new facilities and new instructional and administrative technologies in the last five years.

Major facilities investments include enhanced and expanded Evanston campus recreational facilities ($60 million), renovated and expanded library facilities ($7.3 million), and three large renovation projects and nine new construction projects for academic buildings ($425 million projected cost for projects started during the last five years). Philanthropic support provided about $316 million, and the state and federal governments provided $56.3 million for two of the new buildings.

New instructional technologies have been implemented on campus. More than 870 faculty members now use an online course management system to supplement classroom time. The number of classrooms with advanced multimedia capabilities increased from 13 to 28.

In the last five years, the University began to convert older information systems in human resources administration, student records and services, library services, development and alumni relations to keep pace with advances in hardware, software, networking and Internet technologies. Much organizational work remains to be done in order to fully utilize the functionality that these systems now offer. An Office of Change Management was established in 2000 to facilitate implementation of administrative reengineering projects and to follow through on accountability reporting.

Twenty-eight managerial units of the University — individual schools and various administrative areas — now formulate three- to five-year strategic plans (instead of making periodic requests for special budget supplements) and meet annually with central administration to review them.

President Bienen and Provost Dumas noted that credit for the accomplishments of the last five years must be broadly shared. Details on the implementation process are provided in an appendix to the report.