Review Team

STRATEGIC PLAN REVIEW TEAM MONTHLY UPDATES

• Enrollment and Affordability 

  Tuesday, February 18, 2025 
  Caitlin Clark, Vice President for Enrollment Management 
  Kathleen Thomas, Assistant Vice President for Student Financial Aid 

  Caitlin and Kathleen shared enrollment and admission information. The team reviewed fall 2025 domestic first-year admissions numbers. Graduate admission updates were also provided for the MBA, M.Ed., PA program, DPT, MSN (ENP and FNP), and a new MSOT program pending ACOTE approval.  

  The FAFSA for 2025 opened early (November 21), with early financial aid offers issued on December 16. Efforts have been made to increase merit awards for international students, with the new need-based Hall Scholarship replacing appeals for international students. Transfer students are supported through the Pell Opportunity Grant and Manzilla Award, and first-year domestic students can take advantage of the Choose Ohio First Grant (focused on CCP students) and Say Yes Cleveland Partnership. 

  Caitlin provided an update on an SEO partnership with BrightEdge to boost Mount Union’s online presence. This includes keyword and page alignment for all majors, content organized into topic clusters and pillar pages, and dashboard creation for keyword performance tracking, all of which is in progress. 

  She also shared details regarding the athletic logo redesign initiative in partnership with CLC. The goals were to honor tradition, create a cohesive brand identity, and reinforce Mount Union’s Division III prestige. This was a multi-phase discovery (brand audit, goal setting), development (feedback from coaches and surveys (1400+ participants), application (vendor and trademark processes), and launch. The new logo will be revealed on April 15, including social media rollouts and gear updates. 

• Search Engine Optimization 

  Tuesday, March 18, 2025 
  Dominic Golembiewski, assistant vice president for marketing 
  Ryan Smith, director of content and academic marketing 

  Dominic and Ryan discussed the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) in ranking academic programs on Google, emphasizing the need to be strategic due to competition from larger institutions. They mentioned the partnership with Bright Edge, a company with extensive experience and major clients, aimed at improving graduate and undergraduate program rankings. This includes bolstering page content and finding ways to rank higher on Google through keywords and different types of content. 

  They explained that the primary goal of using SEO is to attract prospective students and families, with the ultimate aim of supporting recruitment, retention, and reputation. They then outlined the high-level process of determining winnable keywords, incorporating them into page content, and analyzing their performance over time. They also explained the concept of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and the use of topic clusters to improve domain authority and reputation. The Office of Marketing is still in the beta phase of implementing topic clusters, with a few published examples on the engineering and marketing program pages. This approach helps with both SEO and reputation by showcasing faculty expertise and meeting search queries. 

  Dominic and Ryan also discussed the factors influencing domain authority. Domain authority is influenced by several factors, including the age of the site, the number of links to the site, the traffic it receives, and the relevance of its content. They shared how the institution's domain name change from muc.edu to mountunion.edu in 2009 reset their domain authority, impacting our website ranking compared to competitors with longer-standing domains. 

• Student Senate Update 

  Tuesday, March 18, 2025 
  Alaina Metzler, President of Student Senate 
  Morgan Klein, Vice President of Student Senate 

  Alaina and Morgan provided an update on student engagement, noting increased enthusiasm with the arrival of spring but also challenges in maintaining participation among upperclassmen. 

  They then shared some topics of recent discussion among student senators, including the bathroom bill and other higher education issues. They recommended considering the use of more video messaging and the utilization of the TV screens in the cafeteria to disseminate information more effectively. 

  They also offered updates on Student Senate initiatives, announcing the appointment of a new student-athlete representative in partnership with SAAC, which is expected to enhance student representation in athletics. They also shared news of the launch of the MUcaw squad, which has been active in organizing events and giveaways at sports games, and the addition of new clubs on campus, including Women in Physics, Psychology Honors: Psi Chi, and AWARE, with additional clubs pending approval. 

• Retention 

  April 8, 2025 
  Rodney Dick, Director of Retention 

  Rodney spoke about how FYS 105, originally for provisional students, is no longer meeting current student needs. Some of the concerns include groupthink and limited student growth when like-minded students are grouped together. The plan is to distribute provisional admits across regular FYS 100 sections to avoid overconcentration and foster diverse interaction. 

  UMU 100 is being revised by Jody Bryan and Marci Muckleroy. Jody proposed a two-year program model inspired by a conference, aimed at at-risk students. Rather than repeating UMU 100, students might move through a tiered progression (e.g., UMU 101, 102, etc.). This is designed to allow onboarding and off-ramping depending on individual student needs. 

  Rodney then spoke on retention and enrollment. The fall 2023 to fall 2024 retention was 86.5%, and the current cohort from fall to spring is now at ~85% retention, with some temporary withdrawals. The projected fall 2024 to fall 2025 retention is ~72%, which is above the 68% prediction model. The goal is to maintain 3-5% above predictive retention models, and so far, it's on track. There is no graduation rate data using the prediction model yet, as insufficient time has passed since the program is only about 1.5 years old. 

• Leadership Opportunities for Faculty and Staff 

  May 13, 2025 
  Marci Craig, Director of Human Resources 
  Missie Gardner, Chief Communication Officer 

  Faculty, staff, and administration can take advantage of numerous leadership opportunities – both on and off campus – including Leadership Mount Union, Dare to Lead training, Stark County leadership opportunities, Organizational Impact Coalition programs, and national leadership programming. 

  Our Leadership Mount Union (LMU) Class of 2024-2025 successfully completed the program, with both capstone projects receiving approval from the President’s Council (PC). Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to welcome 12 new faculty and staff into our 2025-2026 LMU cohort, marking our fifth year of this impactful leadership initiative. 

  We also saw strong engagement in external leadership development. Two individuals participated in the spring cohort of Leadership Stark County’s Spotlight Program, and two others joined Goodwill’s Project Blueprint, expanding their leadership impact. We’ve also merged our Dare to Lead training with previous campus offerings to create a refreshed program focused on how individuals “show up” in their roles and interactions – deepening our commitment to authentic engagement and workplace culture. 

  In addition, in past years, faculty and staff have participated in national leadership development programs, including those offered by HERS, ACE, AGB, and other organizations. 

• Core Values 

  May 13, 2025 
  Mark Black, Chief Organizational Impact Officer 
  Marci Craig, Director of Human Resources 
  Missie Gardner, Chief Communication Officer 

  Mount Union was founded with principles of equality, inclusiveness, and academic rigor. Orville Nelson Hartshorn emphasized equal education for all, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Our mission is to prepare students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship. Our vision is to support holistic growth and future readiness. Our purpose is to create a community where everyone belongs and can reach their full potential. 

  About 200 faculty, staff, students, and trustees participated in core value sessions held on campus during the spring of 2025. Words and themes from the discussions were analyzed by the 11 individuals on campus who are Dare to Lead trained and were grouped into “buckets” of like terms, which eventually led to the proposal of three core values. These core values were approved by the University’s Board of Trustees in May of 2025.
  
  

  Core Values

• Surplus, Strategic Planning Fund, Efficiency, and Cost Savings

  September 22, 2025
  Pat Heddleston, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer

  Pat reported that last year’s record enrollment led to a record revenue year of approximately $61 million, significantly boosting the University’s net assets. The endowment also performed strongly, achieving three consecutive years of 10% returns and growing from $161 million to $191 million. After accounting for expenses and operating draws, this resulted in a net increase of $30 million.

  The University generated a surplus of about $2.2 million last year. However, accounts receivable rose by $1 million, primarily due to students who left the institution with unpaid balances. Pat noted that federal regulations prohibit withholding transcripts for unpaid accounts, which complicates the collection process.

  Regarding surplus allocation, Pat explained that the Board of Trustees designates funds between the strategic planning fund and a quasi-endowment. Decisions on project prioritization and funding typically occur in January or May. The strategic planning fund supports new program development without affecting the overall budget. Last year, over $585,000 was spent on initiatives such as launching the occupational therapy (OT) program, marketing efforts, course development, and an athletic logo transition.

  For the current year, $420,000 in spending requests have been submitted, including continued branding efforts, marketing for OT and the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), a new enrollment contract with EAB for online graduate programs, and a $50,000 contingency. Pending board approval, an additional $500,000 from the surplus will be allocated. Due to higher-than-expected OT enrollment, related expenses are being shifted from the strategic planning fund to the general operating budget a year earlier than planned, freeing up funds for other initiatives.

• Campus Projects and Fundraising Efforts Related to Housing and Athletic Facilities

  September 22, 2025
  Pat Heddleston, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer (and on behalf of Logan Aguiniga, Vice President for University Advancement)

  Patrick shared a comprehensive update on recent and upcoming campus projects, highlighting nearly $4 million in summer investments. These included network upgrades, renovations to the campus center and King Hall, the purchase and renovation of the Alpha Xi Delta house, stadium improvements, installation of a new digital entrance sign, construction of pickleball courts, and the establishment of a new data science and artificial intelligence center.

  Looking ahead, several major projects are under consideration. These include replacing the All Persons Trail at the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center, renovating a building for the physical therapy program, restoring the Chapman Hall entrance, and developing the 23rd Street athletic fields, along with an indoor athletic and recreation center.

  Patrick explained that the Board of Trustees annually reviews and prioritizes capital requests totaling $15–16 million. Fundraising efforts are actively underway to support several of these major initiatives.

• Advisory Councils, Corporate Fundraising, and Advancement Partnerships

  September 22, 2025
  Pat Heddleston, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer on behalf of Logan Aguiniga, Vice President for University Advancement

  Pat shared updates on the University’s strategic fundraising efforts, which include the early planning stages of a major campaign, on behalf of Logan Aguiniga, who was unable to join the meeting due to illness. This initiative will begin with a silent phase to secure foundational commitments before launching publicly. The campaign is designed to support capital projects, bolster the Mount Union Fund, and grow the endowment, positioning the institution for long-term financial sustainability.

  To strengthen these efforts, Pat emphasized the expansion of advisory boards that will play a key role in fundraising for targeted programs. These boards will also foster collaboration between students, alumni, and the business community, creating pathways for internships and job placements. Additionally, he highlighted recent corporate partnerships with organizations such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Crystal Clinic, Raising Cane’s, and Bell Stores. These partnerships offer sponsorship and engagement opportunities, and Pat noted that ongoing discussions with other potential partners are focused on aligning support with institutional priorities.