The SSU mission is to prepare students to be learned men and women who:

• Have a foundation for lifelong learning,
• Have a broad cultural perspective,
• Have a keen appreciation of intellectual and aesthetic achievements,
• Will be leaders and active citizens,
• Are capable of pursuing fulfilling careers in a changing world,
• Are concerned with contributing to the health and well-being of the world at large.

The vision for Sonoma State University is to:

• provide a superior liberal arts and sciences education for all students,
• respond to the needs of the community within the bounds of our educational mission,
• be a public university, relatively small, increasingly residential and diverse, with a liberal arts and sciences core and specialized and professional studies,
• have high levels of academic excellence, student retention and graduation, and student satisfaction (exceeds students’ needs and expectations),
• have high quality faculty whose primary mission is teaching and who also pursue scholarship, research, and creative activities,
• and be an engaged community of scholars committed to promoting growth and excellence in all of its members: students, faculty, staff, and administration.

We strive to build an exemplary educational community characterized by:

• an intellectual environment that is both challenging and nurturing,
• encouragement and support for curriculum and pedagogy dedicated to diversity issues,
• a commitment to social justice and equality,
• a respect for human diversity,
• and a genuine appreciation of how the many differences among us enrich a liberal arts and sciences university.

• Faculty are engaged in their fields and in teaching, supported by an environment that fosters growth in teaching, scholarship, research, and creative activities
• Students are engaged in their learning, supported by a learning and teaching environment that stimulates engagement and fosters curricular and cocurricular development
• SSU is a resource to the six-county service area and the State of California and the external community is engaged in the campus life at Sonoma State University

• An institutional planning process that sustains a planning culture, and
• A resource base that is expanded and diversified beyond the general fund.

The institutional planning process is an on-going three-year plan that links long-range, strategic, and incremental planning processes with articulated timelines. There is continuous consultation with all Schools, Departments, and Academic Committees. School Deans develop plans for growth that articulate the number of students per year and coordinate curriculum and faculty hires with the university-wide mission and the impact on academic programs (such as departmental and interdisciplinary concerns). A result of this planning process is improved collegial opportunities and open decision making among the campus community to promote a collaborative environment (which is an aspect of diversity).

The expanded and diversified resource base allows for the development of programs and facilities that promote the SSU Shared Vision. It includes endowed Chairs. The donor gift policy includes a percentage of the gift to pay for managing the funds. It promotes energy efficiency by adding passive solar panels to one building a year. It actively assists faculty and staff to obtain external support for research and sponsored program through the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs
 
 

In order to facilitate this goal, recruitment, hiring, and retention of new tenure-track faculty must reflect the mission and vision of Sonoma State University. Because we value personal interactions with student in student learning, we maintain a student-faculty ratio (SFR) around 20 to 1 and the ratio of tenured faculty to lecturers of 75% to 25% FTEF.

SSU fosters retention of faculty by mentoring new faculty and nurturing faculty (and staff’s) personal and professional development. SSU will develop new faculty and staff housing. SSU provides support for faculty efforts to secure external resources to support their creative, scholarly, and research interests through the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs.
 
 

Enrollment Management

SSU is committed to remaining small by growing 3.5% FTEF not headcount in student enrollment 2001-2002 and 4% each year afterward to a maximum of 10,000 contingent upon adequate funding to support this growth. We want to attract and retain upper-division students from the local area and attract and retain freshmen from the service area and throughout California.

SSU has a goal to increase the number of other than White students (to better than the six-county area percentages). In order to accomplish this, we want to expand the funding base and recruitment efforts for low income and first generation students
 
 

Student Learning

SSU faculty identifies student learning outcomes in the majors and in General Education and use student learning outcomes assessments to revise curriculum and improve teaching. Faculty invites outside consultants in the disciplines as part of the Comprehensive Program Review efforts by departments and GE in order to guarantee that they stay current in their fields. Faculty also receives professional development with respect to teaching from the SSU Center for Teaching and Learning.

Student learning is enhanced by a curriculum that reflects our goals toward diversity. The SSU community understands and strengthens diversity through (1) representation of racial and ethnic groups, (2) civility, respect and collaboration among all groups, and (3) articulating the impact of group membership on both individual development and the content of academic scholarship and study.

Student learning is fostered in the student residential community. Student interaction with faculty is fostered and valued as reflected in the evaluation of advising in faculty assessment (SETE) and program review.

Classrooms are adequately furnished and routinely updated through the Classroom Innovation Program. Classes are small enough to allow for faculty and student interaction.

There is also a desire to increase the number of classrooms (including more large classrooms distributed equally across the departments and Schools) and to provide support for faculty who teach large classes (extra units, additional instructional support).
 
 

Student Satisfaction (Exceeding Students’ Needs and Expectations)

SSU strives to exceed students’ needs and expectations for curricular and cocurricular services. For example we make every effort possible to offer classes when students want them and in a manner that utilizes space. We are committed to improve the living and learning community and to enhance student services. Students’ opinions about and need to campus services are regularly assessed via surveys such as the Student Needs and Priorities Survey (SNAP), the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ), and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
 
 
 
 

Student Retention and Graduation

SSU offers many programs and services to help students’ transition to college life and engage in campus activities such as the Educational Mentoring Program. Most SSU students enter SSU prepared to do college-level work and if necessary, complete remediation in Mathematics and English within one year of entry as a freshman. Students are encouraged to take courses at a pace to graduate in four years (15 units per term) resulting in a six-year graduation rate that exceeds the CSU average.
 
 

The SSU faculty, students, and staff are involved in the community in many different ways including Service Learning activities and the faculty experts program. We promote positive relationships with our alumni and measure the level of alumni satisfaction through the Alumni Surveys. We strive to increase the number and types of activities that appeal to the service area such as the Green Music Center and other arts and cultural programs and the Lifelong Learning Institute. We provide internship opportunities for students in the community. We collaborate with external organizations to develop sponsored programs that engage faculty and students in community-based teaching and learning experiences through the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs