January 10, 2011
TO: UMD Campus Community
FROM: Lendley C. Black, Chancellor
RE: Strategic Planning
Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Connie and I spent Christmas in New York with our son Nick's family, including our new grandson, Henry. Chris, our other son who lives in Georgia, met us there. Duluth prepared us well to deal with the blizzard in New York, and we had a great time.
As 2011 begins, the UMD community will focus on developing a strategic plan for the campus, and I would like to invite you to participate actively in this planning process. By the end of spring semester, we will have a new strategic plan for UMD that articulates a refined vision, mission, statement of core values, and a manageable set of goals and action steps. This new planning process will provide guidelines for moving UMD forward over the next few years within the context of shrinking state budgets and rapid change. It will also provide a sharper focus on the distinctive UMD attributes and unique niche that will place UMD among the best higher education institutions of its type in the country.
We have already made significant progress on the planning process, with 15 groups including well over 100 students, staff, and faculty members working on different elements of the overall plan. A 35-member Steering Committee will continue to oversee the planning process, while smaller groups will draft revised statements about mission, core values, campus vision, and other aspects of the overall plan.
At this point we are seeking wider involvement in the planning process, and I am requesting that you do two things. First, please review the Strategic Planning web site at the following address: http://www.d.umn.edu/chancellor/planning. This site provides additional information about the planning process and offers you a number of opportunities to share your ideas about your hopes and dreams for UMD. Second, please complete a survey that examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that we should consider as a foundation for the planning process. This online "SWOT" survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and can be found at the following address: https://umsurvey.umn.edu/index.php?sid=75834&lang=um. By completing this survey, you will share important information that will provide a foundation for the planning process. It will be most helpful if you can complete the "SWOT" analysis by January 19.
Thank you for any input you may offer to the strategic plan. Your ideas will improve the current planning process and will strengthen UMD for everyone involved with this fine university now and into the future.
