July 17, 2008

Strategic plan to guide campus units

The "New Synergies" plan will serve as a template as each college, school, department and administrative unit begins to evaluate its own strategic plan, says Rab Mukerjea, director of strategic planning and assessment.

 "Each area will review its current strategic plan in the context of the new University plan and make adjustments to be in alignment," Mukerjea says. "As with the first strategic plan, timelines for completion will vary by unit. Some areas started before the trustees  approved  the Universitywide strategic plan, and the remainder are expected to begin this summer or fall. They will need to be completed as quickly as possible."

These plans will require the approval of the offices of the President, the Provost and the vice presidents as appropriate before being implemented.

Plans will be reviewed annually to assess their progress, effectiveness and continued alignment with the University plan.

Mukerjea said that assistance is available through his office and the Office of Institutional Research various units who have questions about how to craft a strategic plan. Questions may be directed to Mukerjea at 49-49708 or rnmukerjea@purdue.edu.

"A lot of the areas have some experience due to their work with the first strategic plan, but they may need a different type of help at this point," he says.

Getting started in HFS

Housing and Food Services is following a development process similar to what it used for its 2002-07 plan, says John Sautter, vice president for housing and food services.

Senior staff will review the University plan before holding a daylong retreat to establish the division's priorities.
HFS also will form work groups within its four main operational areas -- University Residences, Food Stores, Purdue Memorial Union and Hall of Music Operations -- to gather input from employees for discussion. The HFS strategic plan is slated for completion in the fall.

"We're taking an inclusive approach as opposed to a top-down approach," Sautter says. "The goal is to involve a lot of our staff in developing and exercising the plan. We'll go through the process and see how we fit in to the larger University plan. It's a huge puzzle. We have many of the pieces, and we're excited to see how we can contribute."

Several key priorities from "New Synergies" caught Sautter's attention, including promoting a global mindset, recruiting skilled staff and engaging alumni and retirees in University life.

"We strongly cultivate our relationships with retirees to afford them the opportunities to make contributions on campus," he says. "They are invited to help with student organizations and to attend social events. These are activities that we can continue and expand upon."

College of Science progress

The College of Science began preliminary work on its strategic plan in 2007 and officially started the process in January 2008.

During 2007-08, the college assessed its previous plan, evaluated multidisciplinary priorities and surveyed its stakeholders about future goals. In addition, a steering committee formed and subsequently charged four pillar groups to identify strategies and progress measures on four key areas: discovery, learning, engagement and diversity.

A college-wide retreat and two town hall meetings helped solicit further input.

"We want to create a focused plan so that we can really make a difference in the most effective way possible," says Jeffrey Vitter, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "We will use our time and resources productively while ensuring that we are aligned with the University's plan."

To ensure alignment, the college's planning process lagged several months behind the University's. In addition, Mukerjea was asked to serve on the steering committee, and President France A. Córdova spoke at the committee's first meeting.

Committee members also studied a draft of the University plan that was released in April.

"We took that opportunity to align our thoughts, which were very similar in content, so that they matched the structure of the University plan," Vitter says. "We adopted the three general goals of the University plan and added a fourth that involves building a diverse community of excellence."

Vitter expects the plan to be completed in the fall. Several of the college's seven departments are starting their own strategic planning, and two will incorporate it into their external reviews in the coming year.

'It's been a great learning experience," Vitter says. "In a process like this one, you always learn about the amazing diversity of things going on in the college -- the stellar breakthrough accomplishments, how valued our educational experience is and how we can make a real difference in the community, the state, the nation and the world. Our planning helps set focus, and ultimately it's going to lead to greater success."

Strategic plan

The 2008-14 strategic plan is available at www.purdue.edu/strategic_plan/SP-APPROVED_BY_BOT.pdf.