Strategic Planning Process invites alumni participation

By Virginia Horvath, Vice President for Academic Affairs

On Monday, Jan. 31, SUNY Fredonia will hold a Strategic Planning Conference, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room. 

All are invited to participate in a short planning conference to begin a month-long process of gathering ideas about the future of SUNY Fredonia.

Participants will engage in several small-group activities designed to gather ideas, and we'll be distributing toolkits for strategic planning discussions in departments, divisions, offices, and other groups.

A light lunch will be available, and faculty, staff, and students are welcome to be part of this event.
--Vice President Horvath

Grab your electronic toolkit and join the process!

• What might SUNY Fredonia be doing to make a strong institution even better?
• How can we position ourselves to build on our strengths and focus our efforts on important priorities?
• These are the questions guiding the next strategic university-wide planning process, The Power of Fredonia.

In 2006, the campus launched The Fredonia Plan, a strategic plan that identified 21 action items designed to further improve campus performance in five areas: student learning, scholarship and creative activities, campus diversity, technology, and image.

President Dennis Hefner appointed a 14-person steering committee in Fall 2010 to lead this effort, chaired by Vice President for Academic Affairs Virginia Horvath and Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences Keary Howard.

That plan led to a number of positive changes on campus, including the creation of the Professional Development Center, attention to first-year programs and capstone courses, increased support for research efforts, more diversity among students and faculty, support for technology in the classroom, and revisions in marketing and publications. The award-winning Statement you’re reading is an example of the kind of effort that arose from the last planning process, and President Hefner and the steering committee hope for another good process that leads to positive change.
 

This year, the steering committee has an innovative, inclusive approach – one that invites everyone who is associated with SUNY Fredonia to give ideas about where we should be in five years and how our campus might coordinate efforts with the Six Big Ideas of the state-wide strategic plan, The Power of SUNY.

The committee has developed a toolkit of activities that any group can use to stimulate discussion and submit ideas.

These activities are varied so that participants can choose the approach that appeals most to them: a discussion of campus traditions and change, a gallery walk, a survey, a campus walkabout, a discussion based on readings, a “game show,” and several other options.