For the past year, the College has been engaged in a strategic planning process to identify and address the issues critical to FIT’s future. One significant result is the College’s first multi-year investment plan that integrates financial and operational initiatives with institutional vision. To ensure the success of the five-year $23.3 million plan, the College has enlisted support from the Board of Trustees and the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries. Other factors, including increased tuition and enrollment as well as increased City and State support, will also be crucial to implementing the entire plan.

President Joyce F. Brown presented the plan to the Educational Foundation’s executive and finance committees and to the Board of Trustees. In October 1999, both bodies approved the plan and supplementary funds to support implementation of the first year, adding $1.8 million to the College’s operating budget. Implementation of the plan began on January 1, 2000.

The Five-Year Investment Plan outlines and supports key initiatives which the College will pursue to ensure growth and development, and to preserve the College’s position as the premier educational institution for art, design, and the business of design-related industries. These initiatives are among the priorities that have emerged from FIT’s Strategic Planning process.

The following six areas embody these priorities and will require our time, energy, and resources during the next five years and beyond:

1. Faculty and Curriculum Development
2. Academic and Administrative Technology
3. Student Recruitment and Services
4. Campus Improvement and Expansion
5. Human Resource Development
6. Institutional Advancement and External Relations

While each of these initiatives is summarized separately, they are all interrelated, and are at the heart of the academic life of the College.

1. Faculty and Curriculum Development

As information technology transforms the role of faculty from expert to guide, it is increasingly critical for us to invest in our teaching community by providing them with their own opportunities for learning. To maintain proficiency in current instructional models, to expand their skill base, and to develop new curriculum materials, the college will provide release time and other support. Moreover, we are currently searching for a Dean for Curriculum and Instruction to provide the faculty with the necessary leadership for programs and curricular matters.

Outlined is an array of specific initiatives to enhance and ensure faculty and curriculum development:

New Faculty Lines
To ensure the academic health of the institution, high priority will be placed on restoring and maintaining the highest possible ratio of full-time faculty lines to enrolled students to be consistent with quality education and the needs of the departments/areas. The plan provides funding to increase the number of faculty lines to 200 this academic year and to 220 by the end of the plan period.

Allocation of faculty lines will be based on College priorities, enrollment, curriculum innovations, and a careful determination of institutional strengths and weaknesses. Educational goals and statistical criteria, including a department’s student-faculty ratio, student retention rate, number of majors, and employment opportunities in the industries and professions for which graduates are being prepared, will be considered. FIT’s strategic educational goals include introducing technology into the curriculum, expanding interdisciplinary offerings, fostering collaborative learning, building competencies across the curriculum, and responding to globalization.

Faculty Development
The faculty development program provides opportunities for enhancing teaching. Faculty will be supported in their efforts to develop new courses, establish interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching and learning experiences, introduce technology into the curriculum, as well as other opportunities for research and professional development. The following areas will be pursued:

Teaching Strategies Program
In coordination with the FIT Teaching Institute, the College will sponsor a series of seminars/workshops. They will be led by academic and industry experts who will discuss and explore teaching strategies and ways in technology in the classroom, both as a pedagogical tool and as a resource for dealing with industry, will be addressed.
Conference Participation Funds will be provided for faculty to attend professional conferences in order to maintain currency in their fields, establish links with colleagues in their own profession, and report their experiences and applications of new knowledge to faculty in the department or in the College community.

Support for Summer Research
A summer fund will increase opportunities for faculty to pursue research and other projects that could not be completed during the fall and spring semesters.

Establishment of FIT Symposia
FIT symposia will bring renowned experts to address issues of pedagogical innovation in areas related to FIT’s academic mission. In addition, seminars will be organized throughout the year to support faculty awareness of new approaches to program planning and curriculum development.

Professional Development Workshops
The faculty development program will also support enrollment in professional workshops or short modular courses in which faculty can enhance their understanding of emerging technologies appropriate to their disciplines.

Classroom Infrastructure
The classroom infrastructure fund has been established in order to outfit classrooms, studios, labs, and faculty offices. Thus far, every full-time faculty member has been provided a desktop computer. Additionally, at the start of the fall 1999 semester, funds were distributed among the divisions in consultation with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the academic deans.

The Graduate Studies Division and the Library have also been provided funds for the purchase of computers for students to do research on the World Wide Web and for the completion of writing projects. This process will be renewed on an annual basis.

Continuing Education
The College has appointed an Acting Dean for Continuing and Professional Education. The work of this office will be coordinated with that of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to develop initiatives which will attract working adults to pursue a variety of educational experiences via traditional and non-traditional, non-credit and certificate studies.

The publication of course offerings directed to part-time evening students has been revised. A marketing program is underway to reach new part-time, non-degree adult students through radio advertising and other media, open houses, and targeted mailings. The College is undertaking plans to re-engineer registration and advisement activities to function efficiently for these students. There are plans to examine ways to use the shorter, more intensive winter and summer academic sessions to provide courses appropriate to the needs of part-time evening and continuing education students.

Distance Learning
Support from SUNY’s Learning Network (SLN) has made it possible for FIT to encourage faculty to invest time and effort exploring distance learning via online teaching and new presentation formats for their courses through faculty stipends, underwriting of training costs, and provision of laptop computers. In the fall 1999 semester, FIT received SLN training funds for ten additional online courses. This will enable FIT to offer the entire Fashion Merchandising Management (FMM) one-year associate degree program online. Faculty assigned to teach additional courses will begin training in spring 2000 for courses to be taught in fall 2000.

New Academic Program Implementation
The faculty development initiatives will result in innovative curricula to be delivered by well-trained faculty in well-equipped classrooms. Our goal is to inject our pedagogy with the vitality and forward thinking required for an educated workforce in the 21st century. Funds for the implementation of new academic programs will cover one-time start-up costs for preparation or retrofitting of space, equipment for personnel and laboratories, and marketing and recruitment, etc.

2. Academic and Administrative Technology

A steering committee has been established and a request for proposal prepared to develop a technology initiative to plan campuswide computing over the next five years. An annual allocation of funds has been earmarked for the maintenance and upgrade of the technological systems which support academic and administrative computing, and we will continue to seek additional supplementary funds to support these areas. For fiscal year 1999-2000, we obtained $300,000 in increased aid from the State legislature and $200,000 from SUNY for technology needs. We will try to build on that success in the coming year, and expand the scope of areas for which we receive supplementary aid. To further support these technology efforts, the College has implemented a technology fee for appropriate courses. These funds will be used to offset the ongoing upgrade and replacement of technology for academic offerings.

Academic Computing
Funds have been earmarked to outfit state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, and rooms dedicated to faculty development, and to upgrade our Library’s interactive and online capabilities. It is important to support our academic programs with educational resources and up-to-date technology. Industry partners count on our ability to produce graduates who are technically proficient as well as academically prepared to conceptualize, analyze, and solve problems that will be born of industry transformations. The new technology, including e-commerce, e-tailing, and Web site marketing, must be integral to our curriculum. Faculty will be encouraged to continually seek ways to use the power of visualization, simulation, and the interactivity of the Internet to engage students and prepare them for the workplace.

Administrative Computing
In order to support a greatly expanded number of users and more powerful computer programs, the College’s administrative computing capacity will be upgraded. Through the plan period, we will purchase the required hardware to increase our capacity and add technical staff in order to better support users throughout the College.

3. Student Recruitment and Services

Recruitment
Key to FIT’s success is a healthy application pool. Increasing the number and quality of applicants across all of our undergraduate and graduate degree programs remains an important institutional priority. It is also essential that we increase enrollment in our continuing education and professional studies courses. Enrollment and tuition are among the few areas available to us to change–and to generate revenue. FIT has been fortunate in maintaining a relatively stable enrollment of full-time students, in spite of an extremely limited recruitment budget.

Student Services
This fall, the College allocated funds for the addition of a Dean for Student Services and Dean for Student Life. Searches are underway. These individuals will work with the Vice President for Student Affairs to develop effective student services programs and create an environment that promotes both academic and personal student satisfaction at FIT. The Dean for Student Services will oversee the Registrar, Financial Aid, Career Services, and Admissions offices. The Dean for Student Life will work with the Counseling Center, Health Services, Student Life, Residential Life, and the Educational Opportunity Program. Funds earmarked for student initiatives will provide the resources necessary to develop and institute programs that best serve the FIT student community. This will include a review of the registration process in order to streamline advisement, registration, and payment processes; academic, career, and personal counseling services; and processes to address the specific needs of our non-traditional and commuter students.

FIT has recognized that technology affects not only curriculum, but the entire learning environment. The College has invested in transforming the teaching and learning experience at FIT by implementing a student e-mail system. Further investment will need to be made to train faculty, student services personnel, and students to fully utilize this communication capability.

These efforts will receive priority attention and will include the modernization of the College’s registration processes by investment in a records-scanning system and Internet registration software; expansion of Career Services by making job postings and career research available via the Internet; and if determined necessary, the creation of an off-campus housing office in response to the growing demand for student living space.

Application Processing
Recently, FIT forged a strategic relationship with New York State Higher Education Services Corporation and XAP Corporation to customize an Internet admissions application. This will allow students from any geographic location to identify specific educational options at FIT and apply directly to the College. Making the customized application available online will help market the College and provide improved exposure to all of our educational offerings.

As a complement to the Internet admissions application, the College will improve communication with prospective students by purchasing a customer relationship management (CRM) software system. This software will utilize e-commerce techniques to allow customized e-mail communications and Internet marketing. Successful implementation will require additional personnel and technical support staff.

The World Wide Web
The College has made giant strides in developing an FIT Web site. As an institution with a student body from around the globe, a faculty sought by press for their expert opinion, a leader in developing and offering related education worldwide, the Web provides FIT the virtual stage needed to further communicate our messages. There is enormous potential here: for e-commerce, such as a Web-based museum shop and an online college bookstore; the ability for students to apply, enroll, register for classes–and obtain their grades; the convenience of accessing faculty course outlines and notes; for marketing and public relations. The vice presidents are working as a committee to develop a scope of work for the enhancement, maintenance, and showcasing of the FIT Web site.

Presidential Scholars Honors Program
The College has recently implemented a Presidential Scholars honors program which has attracted highly qualified applicants. This program has elevated our academic stature and visibility in the high school guidance community.

4. Campus Improvement and Expansion

Master Plan
The College, by SUNY’s standards, is 258,000 square feet short of what is required for a college of 12,000 students and more than 30 curriculum offerings. Pegged to 1994 enrollment levels, this space shortfall has increased and will continue to do so. In order to address this critical need, FIT has developed a long-range $137 million campus master plan. Implementation of the plan will result in approximately 400,000 square feet of renovations and the addition of 300,000 square feet of space. The plan is divided into two phases over a ten-year period:

Phase I

• Great Hall and Conference Center
• New dining facilities and construction of approximately 36 new
  classrooms and faculty offices by renovating the fifth and sixth
  floors of the Dubinsky Student Center
• Streetscape and campus identification projects
• Expansion and renovation of the Marvin Feldman Center

Phase II of the campus plan includes the renovation of the Pomerantz Art and Design Center and the Gladys Marcus Library, and the extension of the Business and Liberal Arts Center.

Security
FIT has commissioned a review of its security procedures and the methods used to safeguard the College’s property and grounds. It is anticipated that the review will outline recommendations for investment in the College’s physical plant.

5. Human Resource Development

Employee Training Programs
An ongoing training program for the College’s more than 450 classified staff is planned. Implementation will focus on skills enhancement and new skill development. Considering the diversity of expertise and skills of the FIT staff, the training program will cover a broad array of topics, including the use of e-mail, business writing, College policies and procedures, technical skills enhancement, supervisory skills, and customer service. To undertake this effort, the Office of Personnel Administration will search for a Training Specialist to oversee our training program planning, offerings, and follow-up.

ADA Requirements
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that the College make its programs, services, and facilities accessible to individuals who have disabilities. We will employ an individual to serve as campus ADA coordinator to oversee numerous compliance issues. Programs will include training of faculty and staff about the needs of individuals who have disabilities, and the ways in which policies, practices, and procedures might be modified to address such needs. Personnel will be assigned to provide specific counseling services for these students and employees and to address the variety of accessibility issues that may arise concerning existing College services, programs, and facilities.

6. Institutional Advancement and External Relations

Institutional Advancement: Design for Success—The Campaign for FIT
We are engaged in an ambitious fund-raising campaign to be used primarily for implementation of our facilities master plan. To date, we have raised $7.5 million in cash and pledges, inclusive of $2.8 million from the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries and a $600,000 challenge grant from the Reeves Foundation. Our goal for Phase I of the campaign is $15 million. Given our fund-raising to date, we have a balance of $7.5 million to meet our goal.

FIT’s Institutional Advancement Program
Our Vice President for Institutional Advancement is developing a strategic plan for the department, and we are working to have some staff members in place by the end of the fiscal year 2000. When fully staffed and functional, the Institutional Advancement and Foundation staff will work to develop and expand programs in Corporate and Foundation Relations, Annual Fund, Major and Planned Gifts, Prospect Research, Special Events, and Development Systems. It is our plan to have the development office become a self-supporting, revenue-producing center for the College.

External Relations
As we undertake and succeed in these strategic Collegewide initiatives, it is critical to communicate a variety of messages to our myriad constituencies by capitalizing on FIT’s name recognition, marketing the FIT "brand," and building image as we seek new partnerships, new faculty, new students, and new donors.

We have been shortsighted, however, in our commitment of resources in this effort and lag behind similar institutions in New York City. We must increase our advertising, marketing, and development budget–it will, in the end, pay for itself.

A Vice President for External Relations has been appointed. This individual’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, all internal and external communications, including advertising and marketing. The Office of College Relations has begun to set the framework for building a new communications program by:

Selecting a new graphic design firm
Following a comprehensive search and review, the world-renowned graphic design firm Pentagram has been retained to help establish a visual image and attitude for the College and to develop graphic standards for a variety of uses. The outcome will be a comprehensive visual design program that will coordinate all of FIT’s print and other materials.

Reassigning advertising
By nearly any measure, FIT’s advertising budget is a modest one which we must build. While we work to bring the budget in line with the competition, we can begin to focus on our messages and their quality. As a result, we have selected a new agency in order to develop new advertising strategies to enhance FIT’s institutional image, and maintain and increase enrollment at a number of levels. The agency will work with the College to develop outstanding creative messaging as well as relevant and effective media buying opportunities.

FIT is uniquely poised to grow and position itself for further distinction in the new millennium. This five-year investment plan identifies the initiatives that are not only value added for the College and meet our students’ needs, but are critical to our success and to the preservation of FIT’s well-deserved reputation for quality, performance, and innovation.