Framework:
    The members of each working group should take the goal statement assigned to them and transform it into a set of specific objectives, strategies, and measures that reflect the overarching vision; i.e., that the College aspires to be a nationally preeminent public liberal arts and sciences university dedicated to excellence in undergraduate education. The working groups should consult the more specific Vision Statement that was approved by the Board of Trustees in July 2000 in the development of their plans. Each group should bear in mind that we strive to be a nationally preeminent institution in a holistic sense. Although not every program or activity of the College must achieve national stature, all must be of a quality that fits within an institution that is nationally preeminent. Strategic planning is a continuous process, and recommendations should reflect long-term as well as short-term aspirations. As with departmental and school goals, plans will be revisited and updated as necessary.

Process:
    Each working group will include representatives from the broad spectrum of constituencies that have a vested interest in the College and its success. Co-chairs, who sit on the Long Range Planning and Coordinating Committee, will be designated for each working group. Co-chairs should convene their working groups by the second week in January and schedule meetings as often as necessary to complete the tasks of the committee by March 15. The co-chairs of the groups will meet weekly to assess progress and to discuss concerns.
    The focus of working group activity should be the development of no more than three specific objectives in priority order to achieve the goal assigned to them. For each objective, no more than three strategies in priority order should be developed that detail the actions necessary to achieve the objective. In turn, each strategy should include a measure indicating how the strategy will be assessed and the benchmarks to be employed to evaluate progress in goal achievement. These strategies and measures should be clearly and fully articulated so that implementation can emerge easily from the working group recommendations. Working groups should include in their description of strategies a time frame for implementation and assessment, specifying measures to be used to indicate where the College should be in three to five years.

Resources:
    The LRPCC will establish a subcommittee that will gather requisite data or consult with working groups on sources of data. Each working group should consider financial, technological, material (i.e., physical facilities), and personnel resources that will be required to meet specific goals.  The subcommittee will be available to help working groups gather information regarding resources.
    The working groups should think in terms of priorities so that they can argue more effectively for the importance of any plans that they recommend. In the same vein, the working group should consider which persons or offices might assume the responsibility for managing given goals so that in the final analysis, decisions can be made about how to distribute the implementation work.
 

12/17/01