91ÌÒÉ«

91ÌÒÉ« the Planning Process

Why strategic planning: 

Ultimately, the update to the Strategic Plan is one of a number of data points we hope stakeholders will use to learn about us, our points of excellence, our challenges, opportunities for improvement, and our potential for greatness.  We want to ensure that all University leaders and constituents, both new and those seasoned at 91ÌÒÉ«, understand there is a strong foundation upon which to build.

91ÌÒÉ« the planning process:

The 91ÌÒɫ’s last strategic plan ended in December 2020.  The process to create a new plan began in fall 2019, but progress was derailed by the pandemic during the spring 2020 and fall 2020 semesters.  On September 10, 2020, the Board of Trustees approved an extension of the University Strategic Plan until December 2021.  Following, President Waldrop announced his retirement in February 2021.  The University determined its best response was to update the current strategic plan,  allowing a new president to arrive and learn about South before embarking on development of a new mission, vision, and strategic plan. 

The strategic planning committee was reappointed in the fall of 2020 and updated in the fall of 2021.  The committee includes members from the Board of Trustees, university administrators, faculty, staff, and students across all divisions of the University.  In addition, the committee includes local elected officials, community leaders, and business leaders.  The Committee met several times to review information about the University, discuss potential revisions to the University’s priorities, and inform the data collection process. 

Focus groups were held with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community members during the spring, summer, and fall of 2021.  In each group, we asked participants to tell us what each of the five priorities meant to them and what 91ÌÒÉ« success would look like over the next two to three years.  From these conversations, we were able to clarify and update South’s existing five priorities and recommend goals and objectives resulting in an updated strategic plan. 

Next steps include the development of a new Strategic Plan Scorecard with indicators of success for each of the stated goals.