Implementation

Planning Phase Complete:

• Campus wide Guided Pathways steering committee formed to develop and assess EOU Guided Pathways Plan
• Pathways steering committee, with support from shared governance and campus partners, focused on aligning existing data, initiatives, and strategic efforts with the pathways framework to identify student barriers, address gaps, enhance cross-campus collaboration, and determine additional data needs
• Summer 2025 President Ryan issued a memo requesting a new Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, which will also include retention and persistence, to replace Guided Pathways project. Steering committee formed and the charge was delivered
• Student Success matrix being developed through cross department collaboration

Planning Phase Complete:

• Leadership identified and committee developed to formulate plan, deliver training, develop assessment tools for Fall 2024 to Spring 2025

Initial Pilot and Assessment Phase Complete:

• Piloting mentoring program, called Mountaineer Success Guides, for on campus first year students and new transfers
• Mentoring program director and committee developing plan to provide mentors for first year and transfer online and on campus students; assess and refine mentoring program from 2024-2025
• Report delivered to EOU Leadership Group
• The 2024-25 pilot program data showed that persistence rates for mentees were higher than for students who did not have a success guide mentor: +2% (Freshmen), +7% (new transfers).
• Over 200 students served during AY24-25

In Expansion and Refinement Phase:

• AY26 Mountaineer Success Guide program is expanding to serve all EOU students through a certified mentor network
• Increased program communication and mentor identification across campus (portal presence, signage, website, badges) to raise awareness among students of the ease of access, the supports available, and the sheer largeness of the mentors available

Planning Phase Complete:

• Director established and leadership team created to assess needs and formulate plan; developed plan for student friendly space in Inlow Hall

Pilot and Initial Assessment Phase Complete:

• Mountaineer Information Center piloted 
• Currently assessing Mountaineer Information Center and student needs to refine plans to deliver services 
• Report delivered to EOU Leadership Group
• The Mountaineer Information Center served 2,592 in-person visitors, with peak traffic during term-start weeks; top inquiries included general questions, financial aid, cashier, and admissions support, delivered through walk-in services, digital kiosks, email, and phone
• Student feedback from surveys and QR forms informed continuous improvements, while Week of Welcome sessions boosted awareness—40% of new students returned to the Mountaineer Information Center later in the term

In Refinement and Assessment Phase:

• Physical modifications to the Mountaineer Information Center completed in summer 2025-26 to improve access to computing and shared spaces
• AY 25-26 enhanced digital access and integration, expanded services and staffing, improved marketing and outreach

In Planning and Early Implementation Phase:  

• Faculty and staff committee formed to develop enhanced career focused programming and build faculty expertise opportunities; currently assessing and auditing existing programming
• Faculty and staff committee developing enhanced career focused programming and building faculty expertise opportunities
  • Programming includes the Career Expo and the Student Employment Fair
  • Faculty partnerships and opportunities include:
    • Building relationship with First Year Experience with one hour of content proposed for Fall 2025
    • Continue to build course connections to Career Expo with two achieved in 2025
    • Building career support by college/major with college deans with clear plans for career pathways for each major by spring 2026
    • Developing ties between experiential learning and career opportunities

Planning Phase Complete:

• Trained and engaged faculty in EOU/Slate’s early alert system; assessed and refined communication plan for students on early alert
• Action plan delivered to President on training and communication plan for early alert; and report delivered to EOU Leadership Group
• Student Commission on Student Success and Belonging established and delivered survey to students and prioritizing goals, report delivered to President
• Student Affairs implemented initiatives integrating career focus resources, strengthening retention supports, and enhancing communication to all student populations to improve utilization of disability services, the Learning Center, and other student support services
• Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and University Advancement reviewed student communication plans and calendar of events to ensure EOU is optimizing tools for student engagement based on best practices

In Training, Pilot, and Assessment Phase:

• Slate early alert system piloted in 2024-2025
• Continue training faculty on EOU/Slate early alert system, aiming to increase participation on weeks of greatest need to retain students and maintain their financial eligibility
• New communication plan delivered in AY 25-26 that focuses on communications on student support (advising, enrollment services, athletics) and the business of being a student (financial aid, registrar, residence life).  Messages will be tracked via Slate to track engagement and effectiveness of communications
• Quarterly meetings held assess impact of new communication plan
• New calendar software purchased to better serve student engagement (at request of the Student Commission on Student Success and Belonging

Planning Phase Complete:

• Faculty Senate conducting study of general education curriculum and best practices; established committee to review
• Transfer Council established to review transfer policies and practices with student centered lens
• Faculty and staff Admission Requirements Committee formed to review GPA requirement 
• Provost working with deans to establish three direct admissions program for EOU undergraduates to (eligible) graduate programs

In Early Pilots and Assessment Phase: 

• Provost established three direct admission agreements in AY 2024-2025; two additional agreements for AY 2025-2026
• Admissions office assessing communication and effectiveness
• The Faculty and Staff Admission Requirements Committee’s recommendation to revise the admissions GPA requirement was adopted in the interim Policy 2.05.10: Admission Requirements for Freshman Applicants, approved on July 1, 2025. Shared governance meets over the requirements in AY 2025-2026
• One academic program established a direct admissions pathway for eligible EOU undergraduates into its graduate program, effective Fall 2025, with a second program offering in development

In Planning and Early Pilots Phase:

• Leadership team assessed opportunities to provide education to Eastern Oregon correctional facilities; applications completed, submitted and approved by Oregon Department of Corrections and Higher Education Coordinating Committee; application being refined for Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
• Admissions director and staff developing plans to further engage student and alumni ambassadors in recruitment; assess and refine programming 
• Established direct admissions agreements with La Grande, Umatilla, and Griswold school districts
• Provost and AVP CESI creating feasibility study of enhanced agreements with COFA and Pacific Islander institutions
• Strategic Enrollment Management Steering Committee formed with a deliverables timeline for improving yield rates, expanded geographic focus, and projects

In Planning and Early Pilots Phase:

• Piloted pre-registration of Islander students in Spring 2024
• Created Fall 2026 schedule early and piloting earlier registration of newly admitted students 
• Refining and publishing updated student checklist on website
• Identifying one point of contact for new admitted students and refine plan turnover to advising; create a process to ensure students are taking steps towards matriculation (admissions, financial aid, registration, housing, etc.); increase engagement through building of online modules for students over summer
• Developing course schedule to be delivered a year in advance for students; develop practices to pre-register new students for the entire year
• Data build completed on stop out trends and assigning duties to engage in re-enrollment efforts
• Redesign of ROI to Enrollment Support Services in Spring 2025
• Through campus collaboration, new scheduling software has been identified with implementation planned AY25-26 to streamline course offerings as well as classroom, conference room, and lab space scheduling

In Pilot Phase:

• Student Canvas orientation module launched May 2025 to increase engagement for students over summer.
• Updated student checklist published: https://www.eou.edu/admissions/checklist/
• Stop out duties incorporated into advising, with hiring of additional staff

Planning and Pilot Phase Complete:

• Action plan developed to redesign website for recruitment and to be in line with new accessibility standards
• RFP completed and consultant chosen and prioritized calendar of improvements
• Initial EOU branding study completed by consultant and delivered to President 

In Pilot Phase:

• Working with consultant on redesign; EOU link established on Risepoint managed webpage
• Following listening and discovery sessions with the EOU community, working with consultant on redesign in spring 2025.  Several mock up styles delivered to Marketing in Summer 2025

Planning Phase Complete:

• Small committee identified barriers in existing onboarding process during Spring 2024
• Larger committee established to develop programming in concert with Human Resources to build belonging, support, and knowledge about EOU through onboarding, using internal and external expertise from Summer 2024 – Spring 2025
• Action plan delivered to President on suggested modifications to onboarding and professional development of staff and faculty
• Report delivered to EOU Leadership Group on onboarding
• Ongoing and Completed Pilots and Assessment: 
• Embedded professional development into opening session Fall 2024
• CTLA, CESI, and Library hosted faculty professional development series Fall 2024-25
• Professional development opportunities for grant writing and faculty research in Spring 2025
• Professional development opportunities delivered to multiple constituencies (Cabinet, managers) to introduce the power of teamwork, empathy, trust, and collaboration

In Pilot Phase:

• EOU’s Orientation and Onboarding program launched Fall 2025
  • Reports delivered to EOU leadership Spring, Summer and Fall 2025
• Ongoing and Completed Pilots and Assessment: 
  • Embedded professional development into opening session Fall 2025
  • Professional development and team building delivered at EOU Leadership Group and Cabinet

Planning Phase Complete:

• Recognition program committee established to assess current programming and report on improvements needed; report delivered to President on employee recognition from committee
• Develop space to memorialize faculty, staff, and administration recognitions in Inlow 

Pilots Completed:  

• New staff and faculty recognition programs and events initiated in 2024 and 2025 
• Employee retirement recognition program reinstated in 2024

Ongoing Pilots:

• Staff and faculty recognition programs and events continue in 2025
• Establish monetary rewards for faculty member, classified employee, and administrative professional employee recognized as “Distinguished.”

Planning Phase Complete:

• Student Affairs created a civility campaign for all members of campus in 2024-2025
• Plan development, alongside University Council, to respond to GCTWF 2024 survey input
• Listening sessions held soliciting feedback on performance evaluations and university safety in Winter 2025
• Student Affairs developed plan for Resilience and Wellness Lounge (with grant funding) within Inlow Hall for all university members

In Pilot and Assessment Phase: 

• Student Affairs delivered a civility campaign for EOU in 2024-2025
• Report on civility campaign delivered to President and EOU Leadership Group
• Reignited American Democracy Project with established leader and events in civic education and engagement in 2024-2025
• Resilience and Wellness Lounge established in Inlow Hall
• Administrative Professionals performance evaluation process has been improved following campus wide listening sessions

Ongoing and Completed Planning:

• Develop plan for student centered branding strategies inside and outside buildings
• Creation of camera ready opportunities across campus
• Plan for opportunities for employees to access EOU branded items
• Marketing and Academic Affairs conducting studies of EOU’s value proposition using community stakeholders
• EOU branding installed in Inlow, Ackerman, Badgley, the Library, Zabel, and Loso early summer and fall 2025

In Pilot Phase:

• External EOU branding of Hoke
• President’s office purchased EOU branded items to distribute to TEAM EOU 

Planning Phase Complete:

• Facilities’ plan for student centered upgrades to Loso Hall submitted to HECC and Oregon State Legislature 
• Facilities worked with student committees and Student Affairs to address needs and improvement opportunities within Hoke; report delivered to President 

In Pilot Phase

• New painting in Hoke; outdoor patio seating established in Hoke; soft seating purchased for Hoke
• Hoke updates/renovations began Spring 2025 and opened in Fall 2025.  Improvements include additional seating, meeting rooms, wellness room, and games

In Planning Phase: 

• Steering Committee developed with the provost, several deans, faculty senate president, and faculty to assess the market for new academic programs that will attract new markets of on campus and online students.  Survey and data on demographic trends, EOU’s  mission/vision, and marketability collected to inform decision making. Committee developing processes and policies necessary to establish common data sets, review academic programs, and recurring timelines 
• Two committees to be formed in Fall 2025 to further this work
• Fall 2025 committee developed process and policies necessary to establish common data sets, review academic programs, and recurring timelines

In Pilot and Planning Phase:

• During Spring 2024, the first retention grants were piloted. Data from this pilot showed adjustments were needed in delivery of aid  
• A new committee formed to study effectiveness of retention grants, develop new guidelines, and to pilot the second round of grants for 2024-2025  
• Report delivered to President and  EOU Leadership Group on retention grants
• VPFA to create a study of tuition that looks at encouraging students to take a full load; assesses our marketability; and considers the impact of resident/non-resident tuition and fees; housing costs; and online/in person fees. This work will coincide with the shared governance body of Budgeting and Planning Committee

In Assessment Phase:

• Retention grant process refined with targeted financial assistance distributed to reduce financial burdens that impact persistence, particularly for historically underserved students
• Report delivered to President and Cabinet on retention grants
• Round 2 of retention grants pilot begins Fall 2025 with assessment of the last academic year

In Planning Phase:

• Finance and Administration to review current centralized and other purchasing business practices and make recommendations on areas of improved efficiencies for the campus
• 2023-25 State General Funds of $18.7M allocated to the TRU’s and PSU via HECC provided funding to engage a consultant to study shared services among TRUs as one initiative to improve the long-term financial sustainability of PSU and the TRUs. Campus visits/interviews begin October 2025

Ongoing and Completed Planning and Pilots: 

• Reduction in $400,000 in software contracts
• Ongoing vetting of open positions and new positions
• Piloting and filling vacancies with dual role positions

In Planning Phase:

• Building list of targeted Eastern Oregon organizations and pilot enhanced relationship building
• Investigating models for successful comprehensive campaigns
• Comprehensive campaign planning began in summer 2025. Consultant met with alumni, Board of Trustees, and Foundation Board