President Farvardin drafted a 10-year strategic plan, called The Future. Ours to Create, back in 2012. The ultimate goal is to help Stevens become a “premier, student-centric, technological research university.” At the end of 2018, the sixth year in which this plan has been implemented, Stevens released their annual report. The statistics used are based on the new class that enrolled in Fall 2018.
The first goal of the 10-year strategic plan is to have an undergraduate student enrollment of approximately 4,000 by Fall 2022. From Fall 2017 to Fall 2018, undergraduate enrollment increased from 3,123 to 3,431. Additionally, President Farvardin hopes to diversify and have a more even distribution between engineering and other majors (such as computer science, science, humanities, business, etc.). The target goal for 2022 is that engineering majors will constitute 60% of the undergraduate population. In Fall 2018, 59% of the undergraduate student enrollment was in an engineering program, signifying that the goal for 2022 is on track. Along with its goal of diversified majors, Stevens is attempting to diversify and represent students from different backgrounds. Undergraduate admissions is aiming for a population that is at least 35% female, 48% out-of-state, 8% international, and 15% underrepresented minorities. From Fall 2017 to Fall 2018, the percentage of undergraduate women decreased by 1%, from 29% to 28%. Similarly, the percentage of out-of-state undergraduates decreased by 1%, from 39% to 38%. The percentage of international undergraduate students also dropped from 4.1% in Fall 2017 to 3.5% in Fall 2018. Optimistically, the percentage of underrepresented minorities increased from 12.5% in Fall 2017 to 13.6% in Fall 2018. In order to help diversify the student body, Stevens introduced the first cohorts of the A. James Clark Scholars and the Stevens ACES (Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science). The goal of these programs is to help underrepresented students (minorities, women, and people from underserved communities) become professionals in STEM fields, with monetary incentives such as generous financial aid.
In order to accommodate the rapidly growing, diversified community, Stevens is hiring more faculty in the areas with high demand. This is to ensure the integrity of the low student to faculty ratio that Stevens boasts. Additionally, Stevens is re-evaluating some of its academic programs to ensure that they align with the school’s vision. The History and Computational Science programs are being cut from the Stevens curriculum. Stevens is also considering adding new majors that they do believe will align with the university’s focus.
The second goal of the 10-year plan is to increase the selectivity of the school. Despite the growing undergraduate population, Stevens intends to accept a smaller percentage of applicants and strengthen the academic profiles of admitted students. By Fall 2022, the middle 50% of the SAT score range is projected to range from 1280 to 1450, with an acceptance rate of 35% or less. From Fall 2017 to 2018, the numbers of undergraduate applications increased from 8,335 to 9,265 and the acceptance rate decreased from 44% to 41%. In Fall 2018, the middle 50% of SAT scores ranged from 1330 to 1480. As the student profiles improve, Stevens intends to expand programs such as the Pinnacle Scholars, the Clark Scholars, and the ACES.
The third goal of the 10-year plan is to increase the six-year graduation rate to at least 88% and improve the retention rate. Some strategies that have been used include an improved system for academic advising, MapWorks surveying, and programs that support first-generation college students.
The fourth goal of the plan is to maintain a placement record of 95% for graduating students. In 2018, 96% of graduates either entered the workforce, were admitted to graduate school, returned to their home country, or joined the military. This has been attained by encouraging and helping students secure internships, the cooperative education program, and creating new resources for pre-professional students.
The fifth and final goal is to improve the relations between students and faculty in order to provide a more personalized experience. This has been implemented through a new office hours policy, new guidelines requiring academic advisors to outline their responsibilities to the students, engagement in the Student-Faculty Alliance, and communication between the Student Government Association and faculty.
Generally, Stevens is on track to fulfill the goals of the 10-year strategic plan. The future of this university is, statistically, looking optimistic and it is evident that the school is making an effort to improve in many areas. Although there are some hurdles, including the housing issues, we are making some significant progress.
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