Northwestern administrators are enlisting the help of students, faculty and all other community members to create a new strategic plan, which will lay out the goals and visions the university hopes to attain within the next 10 years.
The administration released a preliminary framework on Nov. 7, outlining goals and strategies, and proposing questions about priority areas for the university in the next decade. In an e-mailed statement, Provost Daniel Linzer encouraged the Northwestern community to give feedback to the draft, which the university expects to finalize by the beginning of 2011.
“We want input from everyone on this. We’re a family, all working together,” Linzer said. “The more you can involve the members of the community and listen to their ideas, the more informed you are about the choices that you’re making.”
The framework, which was discussed during the Associated Student Government meeting on Wednesday, emphasizes academic excellence and the improvement of the intellectual, civic and social experience outside the classroom for students, faculty and staff. It also highlights the continuing internationalization of Northwestern, as well as extending its affluence and influence across the world.
In these goals, the future strategic plan will build upon the legacy of its predecessor, the Highest Order of Excellence, which was in operation in 1996-2005, and was later revised and extended through 2010.
Under the plan, the university created International Studies and Global Health programs, Linzer said. He also pointed to energy and sustainability initiatives that make Northwestern a more progressive, forward-reaching institution.
The fellowships office was also created under the existing plan to encourage students to “tackle big international problems,” Linzer added. He attributed the boom in Northwestern Fulbright scholars in large to the university’s commitment to globalizing students’ experiences.
The next strategic plan will also seek to take full advantage of Northwestern’s location by offering students resources from major institutions and companies in the Chicago area. In the past 10 years, Northwestern has added free shuttles to Chicago and developed partnerships with the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Field Museum and the Art Institute, among others, to offer classes and work opportunities for students.
Marilyn McCoy, the university’s vice president for administration and planning, emphasized the importance of public feedback for creating an effective strategy.
“We did not have as open of a process last time around,” she said. “Basically, last time, a very high-level, largely faculty committee was put together that worked to come up with the Highest Order of Excellence.”
Moreover, according to Linzer, having a written plan is much more convincing to potential investors than just telling them the direction in which the university would like to go.
“We can’t achieve new initiatives without new resources,” he added. “In some cases, something may have just died out and we can redirect the resources, but that’s very hard, because there are still people working in that area.”
“It definitely is a more challenging environment this time,” said McCoy, who looks for funds from donors and investors as part of her job as a strategic planner. “But strategic planning is about working with the role you’re in, so you have to be very focused on the most important developments and what opportunities are created.”
The administrative team will meet with ASG on Friday to get a better understanding of how the student leaders and the student body in general envision the university’s future development. The administration will also meet with alumni groups, the Board of Trustees and the General Faculty Committee next month to discuss their personal and collective views for the school.
Meanwhile, in the most recent ASG Executive meeting on Wednesday, committee members made suggestions for the seven umbrella topics within the framework: Technology, Beyond the Classroom, Globalization, Diversity and Inclusion, Strategic Partnerships, Communication, and Purple Sky. Among the issues discussed were residential college experience, faculty diversity and the creation of more student centers on campus.
Lorraine K. Lee contributed reporting.