Strategic Focus Area 5: Outreach and Engagement

Impact felt far beyond the walls of our campus.

As a university community, it is important to prioritize outreach and engagement initiatives that promote visibility and recognition of our achievements to and among our many stakeholders. By doing so, we can increase awareness of the valuable contributions that our members make to the broader community, and foster a sense of pride and connection among all those associated with our institution.

Whether through public events, social media campaigns, or other means, we must actively seek to showcase the talents and accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff, and ensure that our impact is felt far beyond the walls of our campus.

Strategy Groups to Boost Outreach and Engagement

Strategy Group 1: Increase awareness and support (funding) of S&T’s goals, expertise, and initiatives, and S&T’s awareness of legislative funding priorities – State and Federal legislators and other elected officials

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Chief of Staff

Tactic 1: In coordination with the UM System Office of Government Relations, develop annual legislative outreach plans to inform and engage key state and federal legislators, members of the executive branch, and their staffs of the benefits of Missouri S&T to the state economy and social well-being.

Strategy Group 2: Increase awareness and support (funding) of S&T’s Goals, expertise, and initiatives, and S&T’s awareness of agency funding priorities – government agencies and research-centric organizations

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

Tactic 1: Foster relationships with national labs.
Tactic 2: Foster research relationships with peer-universities.
Tactic 3: Foster relationships with minority serving institutions.
Tactic 4: Facilitate multi-institutional and industrial collaborations.

Strategy Group 3: Increase awareness and support (funding) of S&T’s goals and initiatives in student career readiness and S&T’s awareness of employer needs – employers

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Director Career Opportunities and Employer Relations

Tactic 1: Formally survey employers annually in collaboration with college deans.
Tactic 2: Assemble recruiters and hiring managers for an annual professional development mini-conference at S&T.
Tactic 3: Provide additional resources and outreach for departments/programs with the lowest positive outcome rates.

Strategy Group 4: Increase awareness and support (funding) of S&T’s research goals, expertise, and initiatives, and S&T’s awareness of corporate needs and funding priorities – corporate research sponsors

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization

Tactic 1: Develop a plan to identify a corporate “front door” for the university.
Tactic 2: Develop a plan to better identify and approach foundations for university support.

Strategy Group 5: Increase awareness of S&T’s goals, expertise, resources, and initiatives in economic development, and S&T’s awareness of local, regional, state business needs, opportunities, and priorities

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Director of Engagement and Outreach

Tactic 1: Establish annual engagement forums to communicate the university’s mission, strategic goals, and initiatives to the community.
Tactic 2: Enable and support a broad range of campus and community collaboratives with local organizations, businesses, and non-profits that align with university expertise and resources.

Strategy Group 6: Increase awareness of S&T’s goals, initiatives, and expertise in K-12 education, and S&T’s awareness of school- and district-level needs, opportunities, and priorities in K-12 education, and inspire students to attend S&T and pursue careers in STEM and STEM adjacent fields – K-12 schools and districts

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Director Kummer Center for STEM Education

Tactic 1: Expand the teacher lending loan program based on feedback from the teacher curriculum cohort professional development and school district meetings.
Tactic 2: Annually, create outreach plans for major external K-12 STEM events.
Tactic 3: Annually, evaluate the impact of K-12 STEM outreach and internal S&T reach.

Strategy Group 7: Enhance the organizational capabilities to advance institutional communications and boost visibility and reputation

Strategy Group Accountable Person: Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications

Tactic 1: Develop annual plan to share brand pillars and strategies with campus.
Tactic 2: Develop comprehensive content marketing plan.
Tactic 3: Conduct market research and identify target areas based on results and goals.
Tactic 4: Expand media outreach efforts regionally, statewide, and in selected markets.
Tactic 5: Explore communication options for enhanced exposure with alumni and other stakeholders.
Tactic 6: Identify niche areas across campus for potential national exposure and develop media plan.
Tactic 7: Creation of an Office of Outreach and Engagement to provide centralized resources, training, and coordination of outreach and engagement activities campuswide.

Goal Alignments

North Star Goal Alignment

Attain Carnegie R1; Achieve a top 100 ranking.

Missouri Compacts Primary Alignment

Engagement and Outreach; Research and Creative Works; Inclusive Excellence; Planning, Operations, and Stewardship.

Strategic Team

Strategic Focus Area Leadership

Steve Roberts—SFA Accountable Person

Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives

Kwame Awuah-Offei—Faculty Liaison

Union Pacific / Rocky Mountain Energy Professor and Department and Chair, Department of Mining and Explosives Engineering
Department Chairs Committee, Chair

Strategy Group Accountable Persons