Faculty, staff give strategic plan input

Suzanne Scott, budget operations manager, Resource Management Division, studies a series of goals at a campus strategic planning session. (Photo: Tom Hutton/University Advancement)

More than 250 faculty and staff attended a strategic planning update session last week in Berger Hall to offer thoughts on the direction the university will take the next eight years.

The hourlong sessions began with overviews from Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak, Peg Bacon, provost, Brian Burnett, vice chancellor, Administration and Finance, and Homer Wesley, vice chancellor, Student Success and Enrollment Management. Following the brief presentations by UCCS leaders, participants shared their thoughts on 12 overall goals as well as individual actions and outcomes for each goal by various divisions of the university. Following a format used at an October 2011 strategic planning search conference, individuals offered hand-written comments on index cards.

The comments will be compiled and available at www.uccs.edu/chancellor.

The 12 overall strategic goals are:

• Foster academic programs that serve diverse communities and develop intellectually curious and globally, culturally competent graduates.
• Provide excellence in leadership and execution of economic, environmental and social sustainability.
• UCCS will actively seek responsible enrollment growth that enhances both the achievement of our mission and values and our financial viability.
• Cultivate a vibrant, healthy and engaged campus community that unites students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university to support the educational goals of the institution.
• Build a diverse and inclusive UCCS educational community to advance learning and scholarship for a changing world.
• Build mutually beneficial economic, cultural, civic and system-wide collaborations to enhance UCCS and advance UCCS and the southern Colorado region.
• Grow and diversify revenue through the expansion of business enterprise, investment in research and innovation, intentional stewardship and philanthropy, and responsible management of revenues and expenses.
• Cultivate an environment that sustains and extends quality research, scholarship and creative work.
• Provide an infrastructure of enhanced technologies, collaborative learning spaces and effective facilities.
• Develop the global, cultural competencies of the UCCS community while substantially increasing the number of international students and scholars on campus.
• Grow and diversify communication and marketing programs to help the university achieve premiere status.
• Provide a transformative educational experience that engages students both in and out of the classroom.

Amy Sutz, assistant director, Office of Student Financial Aid, receives clarification from Provost Peg Bacon during a campus strategic planning session. (Photo: Tom Hutton/University Advancement)

The goals were developed after receiving input from faculty and staff at an October planning session. Additional input was received from local business and community leaders and from interviews with members of the CU Board of Regents and staff members at the CU System.

Later this month, the goals will be reviewed by UCCS governance groups. In March, a draft will be submitted to the CU Board of Regents. The CU Board of Regents is expected to vote on the plan in April.