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from the issue of December 6, 2007
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East Union to host next forum Jan. 24
Faculty, staff offer feedback on strategic plan
BY KIM HACHIYA, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
About two dozen faculty and staff attended the first open forum on the proposed strategic plan/compass Nov. 27, and several offered suggestions to improve the document.
The strategic plan, according to Barbara Couture, senior vice chancellor, outlines a general direction that summarizes campuswide hopes and aspirations. In that respect, the plan serves as a compass, offering wide guidance without specifying an exact roadmap, she said.
The plan under discussion rolls together information from previous departmental, unit and college plans and is also informed by previous efforts such as the 2020 Vision, the Blue Sky report and the Transitions to University task force report.
The plan outlines two overarching priorities or central ambitions -- undergraduate education and research. Two strategies that support those priorities are to invest in excellence and to maximize resources.
Chancellor Harvey Perlman, who has previously stated his reservations about strategic plans, said he has come to see the value of these type of plans because they allow the university to fashion conversations in helpful ways. "They give a reason and purpose for what we do and why we do it, and they help organize how we talk about things. It makes it easier for us to analyze requests and also gives us better reasons to say yes or no to requests."
However, he said, his biggest fear about planning is the tendency for some to adhere too strictly to the plan without looking at other opportunities.
Among suggestions offered at the open forum:
• Develop a checklist or other mechanism to assess progress.
Perlman said he thought that was a useful activity, but stated he believes progress should be assessed at the departmental or college level.
• Insert a section describing the purpose of the document.
Perlman agreed with the suggestion.
• Expressly articulate outreach as a priority mission.
Perlman said that outreach is an obligation of the entire university and not the sole province of Extension. "Helping Nebraskans improve the quality of life is a universal obligation of a land-grant institution and is not just an obligation limited to one or two units," he said.
The small turnout for the forum could indicate general approval of the document, both Perlman and Couture said. Both encouraged additional comments be forwarded; a second forum is scheduled for Jan. 24 at the East Union (room posted).
After the forum, Couture said she thought the broad, general strategies outlined in the compass document meant it could be applied across the university.
"These are goals that apply to anyone," she said.
The document can read at http://www.unl.edu/ucomm/chancllr/compass/.
GO TO: ISSUE OF DECEMBER 6
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