Page 7 - 2018AnnualReport

Clear Strategy Student-focused Culture

In January, Dr. Jon Anderson joined Middle Georgia State as Provost and Our faculty and sta have long enjoyed a reputation for caring deeply
Vice President for Academic A airs. The provost is the University's chief about our students. With a student-faculty ratio of 17 to 1 and dozens of
academic o cer and serves as the chief executive in the absence of the co-curricular activities, our students have the opportunity to find their
president. niche.

With a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky, The tie that binds us is a love of 17:1
a master's in Business Education from the University of West Georgia, learning and sharing knowledge. We
and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Utah State University, Dr. have a heart for students who seek student-instructor ratio
Anderson brings significant experience in the University System of transformative growth — whether
Georgia to Middle Georgia State. He spent nearly 15 years at the that student is a 16-year-old dually
University of West Georgia, where he served in a number of leadership enrolled high schooler or a
roles. 60-year-old checking a college
credential o the bucket list.
Within 60 days of his arrival, he worked with faculty and sta to clarify
and articulate our academic identity and strategy. Our identity is as a Some of the skills our students — particularly those who are
diverse, student-focused state university with an access function first-generation college students — need to succeed include how to
embedded in Middle Georgia, with a coherent set of certificate, nexus, navigate the curriculum. Key to their success is their advisors, whether
associate, baccalaureate, and graduate programs that fill the region’s members of the faculty or professional academic advisors whose sole
needs. focus is providing guidance.

Our three-point strategy calls on us to: Thanks to support from the
University System of Georgia,
1) Enthrone Teaching and Learning — teaching is our primary we grew our advisor ranks by
mission and learning one of our core values; both are at the 25 percent this year. For the
heart of who we are, why we exist, and what we do; first time in our existence as
one institution, every student
2) Elevate Program-Completion Thinking — the goal must be to who attends Middle Georgia
equip our students with a valuable credential and the right State is assigned to an
mindset, one that reflects our values of stewardship and advisor from the moment he
adaptability, on each of our five campuses and online; and or she is admitted until the
day of graduation. Research
3) Extend Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities — the shows that this can be a
teaching and learning that takes place outside the classroom game changer, and we are
through these e orts reflects our value of engagement and counting on that outcome as
speaks to our responsibility to positively impact the region as we focus on improving
its public university. retention, progression,
and graduation.
That identity and strategy, paired
with the vision articulated in the
President’s 2018 State of the
University Address, served as the
foundation for the Strategic Plan
that we published in early August.

DR. JON ANDERSON