Aspirations for the future. Guidelines for everyday work. See where the UNC Charlotte School of Professional Studies (SPS) plans to go: our goals, objectives, and potential activities for the next half decade or so.
Chancellor Gaber says, ”Every great city has a great university. UNC Charlotte is Charlotte’s great university.” Our Strategic Plan builds on this idea, outlining how SPS will make the University even more indispensable for learners around Charlotte in the coming years.
Developed collaboratively following a comprehensive self-assessment in 2023 and aligned with the University’s Shaping What’s Next strategic themes, the plan focuses on expanding access, accelerating workforce readiness, enhancing teaching and learning, and reinforcing UNC Charlotte’s role as a vital partner to the area’s people and industries.
Check out the plan’s four themes below. Each theme is accompanied by specific goals, measurable objectives, and potential actions that SPS may take to drive a decade’s worth of progress.
Just so we are all on the same page, here’s what our plan’s important phrases mean.
Programs or benefits designed to engage specific groups—like alumni, employers, or professional associations—and strengthen connection and value.
A learner’s ability to demonstrate relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities upon completion of a learning experience (program, course, module).
A digital document that provides a complete picture of a learner’s skills and achievements across their entire learning journey, including academic courses, co-curricular activities, internships, and other experiences, allowing them to showcase their competencies beyond traditional transcripts to potential employers or further education institutions; essentially, it’s a verifiable record of their knowledge and abilities in a machine-readable format. (1EdTech)
CPL is college credit that students can earn for skills and knowledge they’ve gained outside of a traditional classroom. Includes noncredit activities like volunteering, community service, or independent study; employer training; standardized exams like CLEP, DSST, or AP; Industry certifications, licensures, or registries; Military service or training; Student-created portfolios (UNC System Policy)
Intentional and evidence-based approaches, resources, and practices designed to support learners in achieving their educational objectives, aligning with institutional goals, and fostering personal and professional growth.
A person actively seeking knowledge or skills through participation in a School of Professional Studies (SPS) offering.
Within the context listed, the term is defined as the entirety of the learner’s engagement with the School of Professional Studies (SPS) from the point of prospective inquiry and exploration to enrollment and registration; to their active learning and progression, to graduation/completion; and then on to continued upskilling and lifelong learning opportunities. The learner lifecycle also alludes to the fact that learners represent all ages from youth programs through post-career learning.
Multiple delivery lengths or delivery formats.
As an option for credit for prior learning, learner’s can earn academic credit through a portfolio review process where leaners demonstrate that they meet the outcomes of a course though life or work experiences. Evidence is usually required as part of the portfolio.
A structured and purposeful set of courses, experiences, and outcomes designed to achieve specific educational objectives, align with institutional goals, and meet the diverse needs of learners and stakeholders.
Standout, mission-driven experiences uniquely designed to showcase the excellence and impact of Youth and Summer Programs at UNC Charlotte, foster community engagement, and create memorable opportunities for learning, growth, and connection among participants and stakeholders.
A unified and impactful identity that communicates the value, mission, and contributions of SPS to its diverse stakeholders. This definition focuses on elevating brand awareness, fostering consistency, and showcasing the importance of SPS employees as brand ambassadors.
Individual programmatic or service-based identities under the SPS umbrella that serve distinct target audiences, address specific educational needs, and align with SPS’s overarching mission and values. These sub-brands maintain unique attributes while reinforcing the SPS parent brand, ensuring consistency, clarity, and strategic alignment across marketing, program management, and development efforts.
A set of guidelines and operating principles, identified within each SPS unit, that guides prioritization of effort, operations, and communications to actively promote a students-first mindset
“Students” and/or “participants” can be defined as diverse and motivated individuals actively engaged in learning experiences designed to achieve personal, professional, or academic goals while contributing to the broader mission of the institution.
An initiative that engages Charlotte-region business and community partners to choose UNC Charlotte for their employee education needs. The primary focus is on driving enrollment through employee utilization of employer tuition benefit programs. However, the broad scope is advocating for enrollment in professional credit and custom training too.
Potential and actual students in various stages of life and encompassing all levels of program interest.