Implementing a Vision and Strategic Planning Wanda J

“Implementing a Vision and Strategic Planning” Wanda J. Blanchett University of Missouri-Kansas City Kathe Rasch Delta State University

Critical Questions You Must Answer (Activity) • What is your vision for the SCDE? • Where do you see the SCDE programs going? • Where will the SCDE be in 3 -5 years? • What will the SCDE be most known for? • For what will external forces look to your SCDE for?

Establishing a Passionate Vision Exercise: (Use Adjectives) 1. What makes your SCDE unique from other SCDE’s? 2. What differentiates it from other SCDE’s of education? 3. What are your core values or things that if removed, would kill your SCDE? 4. Rank your list in terms of importance Citations: Buller, J. L. (2007). The essential academic dean: A practical guide to colleges leadership. Jossey-Bass, CA: San Francisco.

Foundations of Visioning and Strategic Planning • Want to preserve what makes the SCDE unique in terms of values. • Want to engage in a process that will involves all key stakeholders. • Want to galvanize broad support for the process and its outcomes. • Want to honor and celebrate the SCDE’s prior successes.

Who Creates the Strategic Plan • Depends on your local context, institutional structure and team – Ideal • Faculty and staff driven strategic plan process and actual action plan • Involvement (real involvement) of key community partners (e. g. , PK-12, civic/business and grassroots representatives). • Dean’s/ Chair’s office coordinated/influenced action plan • Consider obtaining an outside facilitator to allow all deans/chairs, faculty and staff to all be participants.

A Suggested Approach • SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) – Strengths—attributes of the unit that are helpful to achieving the objective – Weaknesses—attributes of the unit that challenge achieving the objectives – Opportunities—external conditions that are helpful to achieving the objectives – Threats—external conditions that challenge achieving the objectives

Data Needed to Begin Process • Institutional Mission/Vision/Goals – How is the SCDE currently aligned? Not? • Environmental Scan – Competition – Market potential and opportunities – Competing forces • Existing Strengths/Weaknesses • What it will take to accomplish goals

Eventual Strategic Plan • Should be accomplished in 3 -5 years • General goal statements • Specific objectives, milestones and timelines • Consistent and mindful collection of data and evaluation of progress • Align all resources to goals & priorities • Report progress to provost, school, boards

Strategic Planning Activity 1. Look back at your vision for your school/college and your institution’s strategic goals. Are they compatible? If not, how will you reconcile them? 2. Given your vision for the school/college, how might you fashion some strategic goals and priorities?

Resource Management--Turns Vision to Reality – Strategic planning and decision-making must drive resource allocation and management • Key Resources – People (personnel) – Budget Management – Development and fundraising priorities • Data is critical for optimizing your resources

Reasons for Data Gathering • Productivity – Administrative – Program – Faculty and Staff • • • Ranking Accreditation Development Resource Procurement Marketing and Visibility

Data Management • What is the most important information you need? • Can you get the information you need to make sound decisions ? • Is the information reliable?

Givens • Great deal of your time will be spent on gathering and analyzing data • Must use data to support your decisions • Data can help you tell your story

Telling Your Story • • For accountability For marketing and visibility For image and ranking For development and fundraising

What Data are Important to Have and Report? • Internal Audience – What does the Provost/President or Chancellor value? • List top three indicators your Provost/ President will hold you accountable for • Outside Public – Who do you need to influence? • List top three people/ groups, agencies you need to influence?

Data to tell your unit story – Admissions data – Diversity data – Student enrollment and retention – Graduation rates and exit data – Graduation follow-up preparedness data – Program and faculty productivity – Retention in profession – Activity • Discuss what data you have readily available and who you will need to tap for data

Data to tell your Faculty story • • Involvement in and impact on PK-12 Impact on the field through scholarship Number of students influenced Number of teachers & educators reached Impact on the local community Community and professional service data External funding and grants received Other bragging points

Telling Your Story for Fundraising • Data needed – Prospect and Suspects • Wealth ratings • Giving history – Donor relations • Contacts, follow-up