Overview

The Conceptual Framework for the Plan

• The plan will be driven by the mission of the university, which will raise our aspirations to think more globally in the years to come.
• The plan will be guided by a commitment to innovation, excellence, and distinctiveness.
• Key audiences for the plan will be identified including students, parents, alumni, employers, and society.
• A set of cross-cutting program considerations will be examined to ensure that potential initiatives can be effectively integrated into the life of the university.  These program areas include undergraduate education, graduate education, life-long learning, distance learning, research, student life, diversity, and community relationships.
• Planning themes have been identified to guide the work of the planning teams.  These include, (1) Urban & Global Dimensions, (2) Experiential Learning Dimensions, (3) Fundamental and Translational Research Dimensions, and (4) Creative, Aesthetic, and Ethical Dimensions.
• Each of the themes will include areas of inquiry that the teams will be asked to explore in the course of their work.
• The teams will be asked to look for synergies between the themes that should be explored in order to maximize the potential for success.

The Organizational Design of the Planning Process

• The president is responsible for developing the plan and recommending it to the Board of Trustees for approval.  He appoints members of the committees and teams that will be most directly involved in the planning process and charges these groups with task of developing a thoughtful plan.  He will inspire new and creative thinking on behalf of the university’s future.
• The Long-Range Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees will provide guidance and advice, ensuring that the planning process is sound, and the plan sufficiently ambitious.
• The Senior Leadership Team will shape the conceptual design and organizational process for planning, and ensure that the implementation of the plan is feasible.
  Steering Committee will be co-chaired by the Provost and the Chief Planning Officer.  This committee will ensure that the planning process moves forward in a manner consistent with the charge it receives and produces an integrated, well articulated plan.
• An Advisory Committee composed of corporate leaders and employers will be appointed to provide insight and advice to the Steering Committee and Planning Teams.
• The Planning Teams will include representatives of the campus community who will work together on behalf of the entire university to review relevant data and information and recommend initiatives for the plan related to the themes they are asked to explore.
• A series of thematic events will be arranged for the campus community to explore the dimensions outlined for the plan.  In addition, major donors, trustees, and alumni leaders will be invited to these events followed by a dinner with the President as an opportunity for cultivation.
• Members of the campus community will be also encouraged to participate in the process through open meetings and by submitting ideas and comments through the planning website.  Faculty in particular will be encouraged to participate in this way.
• An Implementation Task Force will be appointed to study the plan as it emerges and outline the organizational implications for the plan including financial resources, needs for physical space, technology infrastructure, and organizational change that will need to be aligned with the plan to ensure successful implementation