• Potential for Enrollment Growth

• A&M-Corpus Christi has a ten year record of increasing enrollments
• State’s college population will continue to increase until 2012
• Location
• Close to four fast-growing population centers (San Antonio, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, Laredo)
• New Buildings

• Higher Education Accountability System Strengths

• 20.6% headcount growth from Fall 2000 to Fall 2004 (statewide avg. 16.3%)
• Graduates in key fields such as computer science and engineering have shown a substantial increase over the last four-year period, well above the statewide increases.
• Teacher production and certification has increased 58.9% from 2000-2003 as compared to the state increase of 8.3%; the total percentage passing the TeXes has increased by 3.4% as compared to the state increase of 3.2%. Hispanic pass rate is higher than the state average.
• Lower division SCH taught by tenured/tenure-track faculty is 52.6% as compared to the state average of 46.2% (although both the A&M-CC and state percentage have decreased since 2000).
• Percentage of baccalaureate graduates who are employed in Texas and/or enrolled in a Texas graduate program within 1 year is 88.5% as compared to the state average of 85.6% (although both the A&M-CC and state percentage have decreased since 2001)

• Quality Academic Program

• Dedicated, qualified faculty
• National and State recognition in first-year program: only Texas public university to be named as a Founding Institution of Excellence in the College First Year (by Policy Center in the First Year of College—John Gardner’s group)
• "Pathways to Science" program; Star Award winner
• National Ethics Bowl – major presence in regional & national ethics competitions
• National Ocean Science Bowl Host
• Technology-rich Environment on campus
• NSSE – Noel-Levitz data indicate student satisfaction above national average on all variables
• Low student-teacher ratio
• Quality of students who are diverse and first generation
• Professional accreditations in College of Business (AACSB), counseling (CACREP), music (NASM), GIS and engineering technology (ABET), nursing (CCNE), and clinical lab science (NAACLS)
• Tutoring and Learning Center received national award in 2004
• College of Education named as leader of English as a Second Language project

• Expanding Research Mission

• Active centers & institutes (research)
• State and federal agencies on campus
• Research expenditures have increased by 80.5% since 2001
• Federal Research Expenditures per FTE Faculty have increased 71.8% since 2001

• Collaborations with Community

• Formal Partnerships with Public Schools & Health Care Organizations
• ECDC on campus
• Community Outreach
• City of Corpus Christi considers A&M-CC as a major engine for economic development and has identified the needs of the university as a top legislative priority
• Driscoll/Spohn/A&M-CC initiative
• Corpus Christi Symphony and Performing Arts Center relationship
• South Texas Public Broadcasting System relationship

• Campus Collegiality

• Collaborative culture with faculty, administrators and staff
• Personalized interactions between professors and students
• Student Activities
• Flat Administration

• Component of the A&M System

• Many major donors from the community have made significant gifts to the university.
• The university has been successful in having federal initiatives funded.

• Not enough land on island
• Parking and lack of alternative park-and-ride facilities

• Lack of critical academic space, particularly specialized spaces (i.e., art studios, music studios, theater performance space, psychology clinic, science laboratories, library addition, faculty research space)

• Difficulties managing institutional change

• Slow pace of administration/infrastructural development
• Too many low level decisions need President’s Cabinet approval
• "Release Time" culture is prevalent

• Not enough understanding of P/T in non-traditional assignments (field-based, creative/performing arts, projects)
• Comprehensive, consistent way of assessing across this university – data gathering
• Faculty workload perceived to be misaligned with increasing research expectations and increased significance/emphasis on graduate education
• New SACS Principles emphasis on student learning outcomes has not become institutionalized.

• Lack of growth in Corpus & quality of life issues in Corpus
• Communication between academics & other divisions
• Isolated "out there"
• Vibrancy of campus (i.e., not enough school spirit, student/staff enthusiasm, ethnic/cultural diversity)
• Housing – not enough types of housing (especially low cost) on campus
• Increasing tuition costs
• Costs of living on campus (Resident ethnic profile does not match The New Texas)
• Food service – too expensive & lack of convenient locations
• Faculty hiring not keeping up with enrollment increases since 2002
• Time crunch to achieve all goals

• Limited Resources

• Too dependent on state resources
• Full professors experiencing salary compression phenomenon
• Support infrastructure
• Support staff
• Equipment & staff resources needed
• Advertising budget low
• Auxiliary enterprises not making money
• HEF resources stretched and recalibration will not provide enough increase to match needs
• Have not engaged the Hispanic community as major supporters

• Higher Education Accountability System Issues

• Hispanic enrollment growth, (which has increased 14.4% from Fall 2000-Fall 2004) is below the state Hispanic enrollment growth of 29.3%
• 4, 5, and 6 year graduation rates below state averages as is the 6 year graduation and persistence rate
• Number of degrees awarded increased 15% from FY2000 to FY2004 (below state average of 16.9%); degrees awarded to Hispanics increased 8.7% while statewide the increase was 24%.

• State Economy
• National Economy
• Major Hurricane hitting campus
• Proprietary school getting into the Corpus Christi market
• Harnessing & utilization of technology
• Resource de-emphasis on higher education
• Private good v. public good debate about higher education
• Internal inertia
• Inability to get into a Division I Athletic Conference and issues which surfaced in the NCAA certification process

• Harte Research Institute
• Conrad Blucher Institute re-focused mission and new director
• Performing Arts Center
• Arena
• Convention Center
• Research Intensive/Student Research Emphasis
• The Student Engagement Initiative: American Democracy Project – BEAMS Project (Bringing Engagement and Access to Minority Student)-The FYE Project (First Year Experience Project)
• Honors Program
• Port Industries
• Renewed focus on undereducated workforce as a topic of community concern (should get more representation on Workforce Development Board)
• Growing awareness of ocean needs from recently published national studies
• Increased communication with Del Mar College
• Articulating the goals of university
• Dialogue with local community, particularly in the area of health care
• Developing "A Learning Commons" in the next phase of library expansion
• Migration to new Student Information System
• Virtual Lab Project
• Electronic Learning in Nursing Education (eLine)

*Major Planning Question:

What is the optimal size of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi?

Report compiled by Provost Sandra Harper with input from the Academic Council (academic department chairs, associate deans, deans, directors, associate vice presidents) from November 2003-December 2004.

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