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To: The William Paterson University Community

From: Strategic Planning Steering Committee

Re: Draft Strategic Plan 2012-2022

Date: December 15, 2011

The William Paterson University Strategic Planning Steering Committee is pleased to present a draft of the Strategic Plan 2012-2022 [internal access] to the community for its consideration. The draft is the result of months of work by the Steering Committee and extensive input and feedback by faculty, staff, and students from a wide range of departments and programs.  

When the framework of the Strategic Plan was distributed to the University community on September 6, 2011, we asked for careful review and comments back to the Committee. We are pleased with the level of engagement and recommendations we received from various groups and individuals on campus, including the Faculty Senate, the Directors Council, the Student Government Association, several academic departments, a student life department, the Foundation Board, the Alumni Executive Council and the Board of Trustees.  We also received recommendations and reactions at the Fall Faculty Meeting, two Town Hall Meetings and other meetings of various groups and via the Strategic Planning BLOG.

The Strategic Planning Steering Committee, working with our consultants, Anthony Knerr & Associates, reviewed all of the comments and sought to address areas of major concern, including the academic focus of the framework, the campus-wide role in supporting student success, the importance of adjunct faculty and the opportunities for experiential learning, civic engagement and values that link to those defined in the University Core Curriculum, among other issues.

We now present this draft of the Strategic Plan for your consideration and request that you discuss it within your units and departments and join the Strategic Planning Steering Committee in the following public forums:

• SGA Open Forum – January 24, 2012, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., Ballroom C
• Spring Faculty Meeting – January 26, 2012, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Ballroom
• Town Hall Meeting – January 30, 2012, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Library Auditorium
• Faculty Senate Meeting -- January 31, 2012, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Ballroom
• Directors’ Council Meeting – TBD late January/early February
• Town Hall Meeting-- February 1, 2012, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Library Auditorium
• Board of Trustees Meeting – February 3, 2012, (Retreat) 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Board Room

Toward the end of the document, in the section titled “Moving Forward,” is a brief outline of the proposed implementation phase of the Plan.  The Implementation Plan will address the specific goals delineated in the draft Strategic Plan, including metrics against which our progress will be measured. A preliminary Implementation Plan will be forthcoming by mid-January 2012.

Feedback on the draft Strategic Plan is strongly encouraged. Your comments and suggestions may be sent electronically to the e-mailbox Strategic-Plan on Outlook, or posted to the Strategic Plan BLOG, found on the Strategic Plan webpage on the University’s homepage.  After all feedback has been received and following the Board Retreat on February 3^rd, the Committee will reconvene to make final edits to the document so that a final draft will be ready for distribution to the community by mid-February.  The Strategic Plan will go to the Board for adoption in March 2012, and implementation will begin shortly thereafter.

Thank you.

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

Click here to view draft of the Strategic Plan 2012-2022 [internal access] »

Timeline for Strategic Planning Process at William Paterson University

April 2011 – February/March 2012

April 2011

• April 1: Anthony Knerr & Associates (AKA) retained to facilitate the strategic planning process and coordinate the preparation of the new Strategic Plan.  Anthony Knerr and John Braunstein of the firm conducted interviews with key members of the community in April and May.
• April 1^st: President Waldron issued memo to Campus Community announcing the start of the process.
• April 5^th: Strategic Dinner Discussion on Institutional Visibility.
• April 19^th: Strategic Dinner Discussion on Resource Planning.
• April 19^th: First meeting of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC).
• In April, a strategic planning website was created and is accessible to the William Paterson community from the University’s homepage (“Strategic Planning Process 2011-2020”).  The planning website allows for dissemination of materials and provides a means to receive comments and suggestions. Previous planning documents are available, and an email address ( Strategic-Plan@wpunj.edu) is provided for members of the WPU community to use to offer their feedback and comments. An interactive blog will be created to allow ongoing dialogue and comments.

 

May 2011

• May 3^rd: Board of the William Paterson Foundation discussed the planning process.
• May 5^th: Strategic Dinner Discussion on Academic Focus.
• May 10^th: Strategic Dinner Discussion on Enrollment Management.
• May 13^th:The Board of Trustees Executive Committee met with AKA.
• May 23^rd: AKA facilitated a Board of Trustees Retreat on strategic planning in an Open Public Meeting that included members of the University Administration.
• May 26^th: Second meeting of the SPSC.

 

Summer 2011

• June 9^th: The Directors’ Council met to discuss the strategic planning process and to conduct a SWOT Analysis.
• June 22^nd: Alumni Executive Council met to discuss the strategic planning process.
• June 29^th:  Third meeting of the SPSC.
• July 29^th: Fourth meeting of the SPSC.
• August 23^rd: Fifth meeting of the SPSC.  

 

September 2011

• September 1^st: Opening day address to University community, President Waldron will discuss the strategic planning process and describe the initial Strategic Plan framework for campus-wide discussion.
• September 6^th: The initial Strategic Plan framework will be disseminated to the entire community via the planning website.
• September 13^th : The Faculty Senate meeting will be devoted to discussion of the initial Strategic Plan framework. Updates on the progress of the planning process will be provided at subsequent Faculty Senate meetings.  Summaries of the comments and suggestions received at these and subsequent meetings will be prepared by the University and provided to members of the SPSC and AKA.
• September 22^nd: The Fall Faculty meeting will be devoted to discussion of the initial Strategic Plan framework.
• September 23^rd: Board of Trustees will review and discuss the initial framework at its regular meeting.
• September 26^th: Sixth meeting of the SPSC.
• September 27^th: The Faculty Senate will discuss the strategy.
• September 28^th: Town Hall Meeting on the initial framework, noon-2 p.m.   

 

October 2011

• The initial Strategic Plan framework will be reviewed and discussed with Faculty (in departmental meetings), Deans Council, Director’s Council and Student Government Association and other groups at their regular meetings in October 2011.
• October 6^th: Town Hall Meeting on the initial framework, 4-6 p.m.
• October 24^th: Seventh meeting of the SPSC.

 

November 2011:

• November 8^th: Eighth meeting of the SPSC.
• November 16^th: Ninth meeting of the SPSC.
• November 18^th: Board of Trustees will review and discuss the initial framework at its regular meeting.

 

December 2011

• A draft of the full Strategic Plan will be prepared and distributed to the University community for review before the end of the fall term 2011.

 

January - February 2012

• SGA Open Forum – January 24, 2012, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., Ballroom C.

• Spring Faculty Meeting – January 26, 2012, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Ballroom.

• Town Hall Meeting – January 30, 2012, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Library Auditorium.
• Faculty Senate meeting to discuss the draft of the full Strategic Plan – January 31st, 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., Ballroom.
• Late January SPSC meets.

• Directors’ Council Meeting – TBD late January/early February.

• Town Hall Meeting – February 1, 2012, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Library Auditorium.

• Board of Trustees will review the draft Strategic Plan.
• The final draft of the Strategic Plan will be circulated to the University community via the planning website by the end of February 2012. 

• Board of Trustees Meeting – February 3, 2012, (Retreat) 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Board Room.

 

February - March 2012

• Late February, early March: The final draft of the plan will be reviewed and approved by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee with a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
• Late February, early March: Approval of the Strategic Plan by the Board of Trustees.