students sit in a circleA survey seeks feedback on a proposed approach to the University’s strategic planning process.

Feedback sought on proposed University strategic planning process

What can the University of Windsor do to enhance student success, engagement, and experience? What is our impact as an institution and how do we demonstrate that? What do we need to understand better so that our work and learning spaces and the relationships we build in them operate from a foundation of care, respect, and compassion?

These questions and more are some of the starting points outlined in a position paper proposing the University’s upcoming Strategic Planning process.

“We are aiming for an inclusive, transparent, and highly consultative process, and so we are asking the campus community to provide their feedback about how we are planning to proceed before we get started,” says UWindsor president Rob Gordon.

The draft position paper is accompanied by a slide-deck summary and a survey seeking feedback from the campus community. 

The position paper includes:

  • A summary of preliminary input about key values, contextual factors, and goals of the process;
  • A proposed set of guiding principles to shape the collective effort;
  • Information about the type of strategic plan proposed to collectively develop, and how it will be implemented;
  • Thoughts about engagement and consultation strategies;
  • Planned process stages and timelines.

The University has contracted with digital engagement platform Bang the Table, which offers a complete suite of listening, information, analysis, reporting and relationship management features to help people engage easily no matter where they are.

It has been used by more than 800 organizations around the world, empowering over 10 million people with online tools to participate and inform key decision making. The plan is to combine the use of these online tools with many other opportunities for real-time discussions and consultations. 

“Given the uncertainty about health guidelines that may be in place, we wanted to make sure that we could offer a range of ways to engage,” says Renée Trombley, executive director of Public Affairs and Communications. “Bang the Table has become a key tool that municipalities and public institutions across Canada have adopted to connect with their communities.”

Bang the Table ensures data confidentiality and storage within Canada and is GDPR compliant. Read more about its Privacy Policy and Data and Information Security.

The survey is open until Oct. 28 and will inform revisions to the plan, which will be released in its final form on Nov. 3. Find the draft process documents and the survey on the Engage UWindsor website, Aspire: Together for Tomorrow. Registration for the site is not required to view these documents and participate in the survey.