FutureSTATE 2015

A strategy for Mississippi State University to become
the region's most respected land-grant institution

Appendix C -Recommendations for future implementation or consideration

• Enhance the accountability and effectiveness of academic department heads, using faculty and staff input and following the governance document.
• Conduct a comprehensive compensation study and provide funding to address compensation issues of internal equity and market competitiveness for all staff.
• Identify and implement, where practical, a career ladder for staff positions.  Ensure that professional development opportunities are available to staff members.
• Strengthen formal lines of communication between senior administrators and staff and between Human Resources Management (HRM) and staff.  Initiatives could include regularly scheduled meetings between the president, vice presidents, HRM administrators, and the Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council. 
• Designate a university ombudsman.
• Institute a formal program for trailing spouses.
• Establish incentive funds to aid colleges and schools in increasing the number of underrepresented women and people of color in tenured and tenured track faculty positions.
• Implement a “grow our own” program to assist qualified minority candidates in attaining terminal degrees and provide them with employment paths and experience opportunities.
• Provide mentoring for undergraduates from underrepresented groups to help them prepare to earn advanced degrees.  Increase minority student memberships in professional societies and provide funds for student travel to state, regional, and national conferences. 
• Establish endowments and scholarship programs to support students from underrepresented groups to increase diversity and maintain enrollment levels of underrepresented groups. 
• Develop mentoring programs for new employees.  Identify appropriate contact persons to acquaint new employees with the community.

• Increase the programming budget for the concert programming board (Music Makers) to enable growth in the number and quality of concerts on campus.
• Build a permanent roof over the amphitheatre stage, allowing more events to be held at that underutilized venue. 
• Improve campus-wide coordination of events, including maintaining a new central calendar of activities. 
• Await the reports of the Student Affairs task forces on alcohol-related issues and health, nutrition, and wellness during the coming academic year and consider incorporating their findings and recommendations into the overall strategic plan. 
• Add sworn officers to the MSU Police Department to replace previously lost positions and keep salaries comparable to surrounding police agencies.  Continue to hire student employees in high visibility positions such as library patrol, night escorts, and parking lot security. Employ uniformed civilian employees to supplement departmental presence.
• Request that the MSU Foundation develop a campus beautification fundraising campaign and communicate the specifics of the campaign to alumni.
• Contract with a professional traffic engineer, in cooperation with the city and county, to perform a total campus traffic study and a parking plan to address future needs.
• Optimize utilization of on- and off-campus facilities.
• Determine the future mix of renovated versus newly constructed residence halls, and the order in which renovation and construction occur. 
• Establish a group to investigate creating a botanical MSU Memorial Garden, which could generate funds to be used to establish and maintain the garden and the campus. 
• Continue to monitor and improve facilities management operational efficiency.  Review funding sources and expenditures for operation and maintenance and current use of repair and renovation funds, and develop a funding program for deferred facility maintenance. 
• Enhance the university’s information technology environment in support of teaching, learning, the student experience, and institutional effectiveness.  Ensure adequate information technology planning and budgeting on all new construction and major renovation projects.
• Consider creating the position of Chief Information Officer to identify information technology needs and implement a campus strategic plan for information technology.

• Create an MSU-Community Relations Team consisting of the City of Starkville Chief Administrative Officer, Oktibbeha County Administrator, and MSU Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement.
• Consider joint purchasing agreements among MSU, the city, and county for equipment, materials, and services to reduce costs. Examples of such agreements include the 911 system and waste management services. 
• Develop a system for MSU, the city, and county to provide prior notice, via e-mail or fax, regarding construction or street repairs that alter normal traffic patterns to ensure that emergency vehicles can chart alternative routes for entering and existing campus.  The notice should be sent to the fire department and the Oktibbeha County Hospital Ambulance Service. 
• Support requests for state and federal funding to construct and operate a Fire and First Responders Education and Training Center.
• Participate with the city and county in strategic planning and funding of the Horse Park.
• Improve data systems to support service and outreach.  Identify an ongoing process of internal assessment and review for departments and develop a systematic means of accounting for service and outreach efforts.
• Create joint opportunities to bring events and attractions to the county, such as pooling resources to bring in top performers. 
• Organize a diverse committee of university, city, and county personnel to work collaboratively on fostering inclusiveness.  
• Develop an annual legislative agenda involving MSU, the city, and the county. 
• Develop and implement, with the city and county, master growth plans that create synergy among the three entities.