The University of Toledo

The strategic planning committee is moving closer to a rough draft of a recalibrated strategic directions document.

At the strategic planning committee meeting on Friday, the more than 100-member group of faculty, staff, students and community members reviewed revisions to the six goals of the 2007 “Directions” document that subcommittees have been working on for the last two months.

The strategic planning committee is aiming to revise the 2007 “Directions” document to account for real, supposed and probable economic, technological and social challenges, and to more closely align UT’s strategies to those of the University System of Ohio. This is the third time the entire group has met.

The six revised goals, though still considered drafts, read as follows:

I. The undergraduate academic programs at UT will be regionally distinguished and highly ranked nationally. The undergraduate experience will provide exceptional student-centeredness and a learner-driven focus, which combine to ensure a personally satisfying, professionally relevant and affordable education.

II. The graduate and professional academic programs at UT will be widely distinguished and highly ranked nationally. These programs will be known for high quality while maintaining accessibility, affordability and engagement. Science and professional programs will have high visibility.

III. We will enhance the University of Toledo’s standing as a major metropolitan research university with internationally recognized areas of research, scholarship, and creative activity.

IV. We will be distinguished for our student-centeredness and for our vibrant programs and environment that enhance the sense of community on our campuses and in the surrounding areas.

V. We will be nationally recognized for our high-quality clinical enterprise and as a transformative force in the ongoing evolution of regional and national health-care delivery systems. We will continue to work toward distinction aspiring to status as a “top 100 tier” academic medical center, and in so doing meet or exceed prudent fiscal targets. As such, the clinical enterprise will remain an integral part of our academic mission, our community engagement and our fiscal well-being.

VI. We will enhance our community engagement to drive the revitalization of the region’s economic, educational, health, cultural, environmental and civic quality of life with a keen awareness of global scope, national relevance and regional impact.

Each goal contains more specific sub-goals, strategies for reaching the goals, and metrics for measuring the progress being made on each goal.

Dr. Jamie Barlowe, co-convener of the strategic planning committee and professor and chair of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, said the group is making great progress.

“The hard work that goes into this and the way people are committed to this institution … it’s amazing,” Barlowe said. “We have a full rough draft two months into the process. That’s enormous progress.”

Barlowe said the next stage of the revision is for the work groups to make sure they have “value-added” measures in their strategies and metrics.

“We have to ask ourselves, ‘What have we done to positively impact student learning?’” Barlowe said. “We need to be certain that our measurements are more than a simple ‘Did we do it?’ statement.”

You can learn more about the strategic planning process and progress, read the full versions of each draft goal, and learn how to join the committee to share your voice at utoledo.edu/strategicplan.

Also, participate in weekly discussions on the strategic plan on Facebook or on Epsilen.

The next meeting of the whole strategic planning committee will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, April 30, in the Mulford Library Café.

This entry was posted  on  Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at  5:22 am and is filed under  News, UToday.
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