Laying the groundwork for a new Strategic Plan
I have used my first year on the campus to meet people, to learn more about what is important to them and to gain some understanding of the community around us. I have asked people what they are doing that is unique to the University of Windsor, and where they see opportunities to do new things. I have also met with many alumni and heard their ideas on future directions we could take and what the University of Windsor has meant for them.
During all of the consultations across the University community, it has been reinforced to me that the University is a place committed to people. The faculty and staff have all expressed that a high quality student experience inside and outside of the classroom must be central to our efforts. The community and our governments have said that they want us to excel as a university and they want us to contribute to the vibrancy of our region.
There is pride in the things being done that are unique to the University of Windsor, and pride in the many ways in which people are encouraged to achieve their personal best, whether they are a student or an employee. Almost universally, during the consultations, the importance of finding consensus where possible, the importance of community, and the importance of academic quality were emphasized.
In addition, throughout the consultations it was suggested that a new Strategic Plan should identify a relatively small number of strategic priorities that resonate broadly, and should identify actions we will take to pursue them. It was also suggested that the Strategic Plan will only be effective if we measure whether we are making progress on our goals and use that measurement to make decisions about where to invest precious resources. There was very broad agreement on these suggested approaches. There was also a strong message that the process needs to be consultative, and a strong message that people are not interested in investing a lot of time in a strategic planning process if the process will not lead to something distinctive for the University of Windsor.