Strategic Planning for UFV 2009/2010
Overview of the framework and process
It is time to begin planning the future of our university. The following is a brief description of the process and a request for your help. (This message was distributed to faculty, staff, and administrators at UFV. A modified version was prepared for students, alumni, and community stakeholders. Read it and view the video here...).
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Dr. Mark Evered, President & Vice-Chancellor of the
University of the Fraser Valley on your role in the
strategic planning process.
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The
previous strategic plan was approved five years ago in November, 2004. It has served us well. Many of the goals identified in that plan have been attained, especially the primary goal of gaining university status. There is much to be proud of in our previous work, but now it is time to plan our future.
Our planning this time will be in two stages. The purpose of the first stage is to establish the broad institutional goals that define our future and unite us in our work across all areas of responsibility in the university. This will be the foundation for the second stage, the development and coordination of action plans for each functional area, to guide us in achieving our goals. The intent of this two-stage process is to ensure that our work over the next five years is directed toward the achievement of common, collegially-determined goals that reflect the realities of today and the years ahead.
Our planning must respect our legislated mandate. It must also address the expectations of the communities that fought for us, and our responsibilities to contribute to the development of those communities. It must take into account the demographics that determine our potential student population, the changes in the aspirations, needs, and learning styles of our students, and the needs and expectations of employers. It must also recognize the challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified faculty and staff, the need to develop the scholarship that is the foundation of our work, and the competition from other education providers.
Our planning must also be based on economic reality. Our resources are limited and we cannot do everything we or others might think desirable. It would be irresponsible to plan as if we could simply add to what we are currently doing. We must not shy away from setting priorities, and we must use those decisions to guide the reallocation of our resources. We must be responsible stewards of our government funding, our students’ tuition, and our own time and energy.
The first stage: setting the strategic directions for UFV
The first stage will establish the mission and the goals that define our future and our priorities. I envision three to five goals that describe succinctly and without ambiguity our common purpose as members of this university, regardless of our individual roles or duties as faculty, staff, administrators, or students. Essentially, we will address the question “What will UFV be known for?” The answer will become the guide and the measure of all we do.
Contributing to the first stage: sending us your views
The process of developing our common goals must be consultative and collegial. We have an opportunity and responsibility to draw on the good ideas of the many people who have a stake in our success, and the setting of our priorities must be determined collegially. Our planning must be based not only on our own personal values and aspirations, but must also respect the needs and aspirations of those with whom we work and study. That is fundamental to collegiality. I am expecting wide participation in this process. After all, we are planning our shared future.
This is an invitation to all faculty, staff and students to submit over the next few weeks your thoughts on the future of UFV. (Stakeholders were asked to respond to these four questions using a web form, which has since been deactivated):
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1. What do you think UFV should be known for? |
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2. How would you describe UFV’s mission? |
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3. What do you believe should be UFV’s top three goals for the next five years? |
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4. From the values listed in the previous strategic plan and in the branding exercise done last year, which are the five most important to you? |
All of you are urged to participate. Some of you may wish to consult with your colleagues and submit your ideas through your department, division or faculty council. But individual contributions are definitely welcome. Please note, though: no anonymous submissions will be accepted, and all submissions will be shared with the university community at a later date.
Reference documents
Links to a number of documents relevant to the planning process are listed here for your reference:
Managing the process of stage one
I have asked a group of people to assist me in managing this crucial first step in the planning process. This ad hoc Steering Committee will be chaired jointly by the Provost -- Eric Davis -- and me. I approached Senate for members, and I am pleased that the following have agreed to serve: Sue Brigden (faculty), Rod McLeod (faculty), Leanne Tielmann (staff), Amarjit Ghatore (student), and Jacqueline Nolte (dean). The Board of Governors will be represented by Rob Nicklom (former Board Chair and honorary doctorate recipient). Tim Segger (VP Administration) will represent the administrative side of the university. Jill Smith will provide administrative support to the Steering Committee and Kim Lawrence will assist with communications. Robert Buchan (VP External) will lead the consultations with government and community groups.
I want to emphasize that the role of the Steering Committee is to facilitate the collection and review of your submissions, and to assist with the development of drafts of the plan. As drafts are developed, they will be shared with the university community. The final approval of the plan will be the responsibility of the University Senate and the Board of Governors, in accordance with their legislated powers and responsibilities. I anticipate that this stage of the planning process will be completed this coming spring.
Timelines and further consultations for stage one
The Steering Committee will meet this December to review all submissions, and will draft for your consideration a Strategic Directions document that will describe our mission, values, and goals. This will be distributed campus-wide in January. There will be an opportunity for you to respond to this draft, and based on that, the Steering Committee will prepare a second draft. This will be distributed in February and meetings will be set up for campus-wide discussions. The final draft will be submitted to Senate in March and it is anticipated that the Board will review the document and Senate’s recommendations in April.
The second stage: developing action plans
Although the focus at this time is on the first stage of planning, I would like to briefly outline the second stage. This will begin in the spring of 2010. The second stage of the planning process will be the development of specific strategies for achieving our goals. For example, we will likely need a new Education plan, an Enrolment Management plan, a Marketing and Recruitment plan, a Student Success plan, a Research plan, a Facilities plan, a Human Resources plan and a Development and Fundraising plan. Others may be identified once we have completed the task of setting our goals. And of course we will need a Budget plan that ensures resources are allocated according to our newly-established priorities.
Although each of these action plans may be defined and developed as separate documents, integration of the plans and coordination of the actions will be critical to our success in achieving common goals. I will be asking the senior administrators group, under the leadership of the Provost, to take responsibility for this coordination and integration of plans.
I recognize also that some of these plans, like the Education plan, the Enrolment Management plan, and the Research plan, are already underway. This work should continue; we have to address some of our most pressing needs and it does not hurt to get a start on these important documents. Nevertheless, once the first stage of the strategic planning process is complete and we have identified our institutional goals, all plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, modified to ensure consistency with and support for our common goals.
Thank you in advance for your help and guidance in developing our shared future.
Dr. Mark Evered
President & Vice-Chancellor
University of the Fraser Valley
