September 28, 2007

Purdue president starts process for university's next strategic plan

She announced that she will form working groups focused on key areas identified during her visits with students, staff, faculty and administrators at the West Lafayette and regional campuses, as well as seek input from community groups, alumni, the governor and lieutenant governor, local legislators, other Indiana universities, and the Indiana Commission on Higher Education. She aims to have a draft plan ready for discussion in early spring and to present it to the trustees in May.

The plan will continue to be centered on the themes of the past strategic plan, which were learning, discovery and engagement, yet position Purdue in new strategic areas, Córdova said.

"Purdue achieved great success with its last plan. I am confident that we can climb to new heights by pursuing our goal to be among the top-ranked public research universities in the world," she said.

Córdova will form working groups focused on student experiences; large-scale research and research infrastructure; economic development; integration of science and engineering with the humanities; quality of life at the workplace; globalization; campus design; graduate education; and attracting new students to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Córdova said the planning process will incorporate Purdue's values and best practices in resource partnerships and diversification, energy and environmental awareness, communication and marketing, management and stewardship, global perspectives, recruiting a diverse and talented student body and work force, and facilities enhancement and repair.

Rab Mukerjea, director of strategic planning and assessment, is helping to lead the effort toward the new plan.

Representatives on the various work committees will be composed of faculty, staff and students, as well as community members. Leaders from those groups will form the nucleus for the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, which will prioritize goals and develop plans from the inputs of the working groups, Córdova said.

Córdova, who arrived in mid-July as Purdue's 11th president, also outlined several university achievements in her first speech to the trustees.

Purdue has doubled its research program over the last seven years, and Córdova wants to take it further in coming years with continued emphasis on interdisciplinary discovery and broader partnerships with government, industry, and other universities and national laboratories.

While Purdue ranks among the nation's best in engagement, she said the university must continue to discover and deliver its research to the marketplace where it can touch lives and strengthen the economy.

"We want Purdue to become evermore distinguished, and we want to achieve distinction that matters to the state and the country," Córdova said.

Writer: Jim Bush, (765) 494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu

Source: France A. Córdova, (765) 494-9708, president@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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