Strategic plan takes shape
Want to help chart the course of the university? Now’s your chance.
Beginning this week, faculty, staff and students can review and comment on drafts for a refined campus strategic plan, which will be ready in early fall 2001.
“The refined campus strategic plan will build on tremendous momentum carried forward from the previous plan,” says Maury Cotter, who will coordinate plan development and implementation as director of the Office of Quality Improvement. “The plan will identify specific focused directions and actions for the campus for the next three to five years.”
A new interactive Web site explains the strategic planning process and timeline. It also includes drafts of some plans and invites comments. Final planning documents will be posted on this site as well as the chancellor’s Web site.
The university uses strategic planning and active implementation to advance its vision and priorities. Because strategic plan priorities affect resource allocation decisions, all campus employees and students have a stake in the planning process, Cotter explains.
The plan is being refined to builds on findings and recommendation of the recent reaccreditation self study, summarized in “Targeting Tomorrow.” The plan will use as its foundation five long-range priorities identified in the extensive campuswide reaccreditation process involving faculty, staff and students, Cotter says.
Many groups and individuals are contributing to the development and review of the new plan, including the the University Committee, Academic Staff Executive Committee, Associated Students of Madison, Deans’ Council, school/college planning committees, the university relations team and student life directors, among others.
The plan will focus on five broad areas meant to:
- Promote research, which means increasing resources and improving infrastructure, bringing discoveries into the classroom, applying results to promote economic development and general well-being
- Advance learning, which for undergraduates means improving learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, focusing on residential learning communities and using technology to enrich learning, among other things. On the graduate level, the plan will address demand for interdisciplinary programs, recruiting and retaining the best students, targeted development of masters, capstone and certificate programs, and other measures.
- Nurture human resources, which means improving the campus climate and professional culture through mentoring, professional development, equity and diversity efforts and other measures.
- Accelerate globalization by maintaining national leadership in area and international studies, applying collaborative learning with partners here and abroad and facilitating faculty involvement in international programs, among other things.
- Amplify the Wisconsin Idea through efforts such as making international education more central to students, ensuring that students understand other cultures and societies, developing new models for a global economy, and using technology to support outreach, distance learning and service learning.