drake university strategic plan 2013 2017

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017

September 2012

Vision 2017

Drake University is a twenty-first century model for

excellence in higher education, distinctive for its innovative and effective learning environments that

prepare students to fulfill both their personal aspirations and society’s needs for an educated,

engaged citizenry and for a competitive workforce.

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017

September 2012 Our vision for Drake University’s future is grounded in a pervasive sense of institutional mission, as articulated in the University’s Mission Statement and discussed in detail in Drake’s Mission Explication. As a binary pair, we must be certain that there is a clear and direct line between our mission and our vision for Drake’s future—they are inextricably linked. The Mission and Vision together provide the energy and direction for the University’s development—in essence, we are driven by the Mission and drawn forward by the Vision. Our ultimate metric in measuring the success of both our vision for Drake University in 2017 and our strategic plan to realize that vision is the quality of the student experience—the learning outcomes of the “exceptional learning environment” promised in the Mission Statement. I. Mission Statement

Drake's mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. II. Vision 2017

Drake University is a twenty-first century model1 for excellence in higher education, distinctive for its innovative and effective learning environments that prepare students to fulfill both their personal aspirations and society’s needs for an educated, engaged citizenry and for a competitive workforce. 1 Throughout this Strategic Plan, the term “21st Century” denotes more than just a period of time. It is meant to acknowledge a variety of changes, challenges, and opportunities that have developed rapidly in recent years and will certainly continue to do so. These include increasing diversity; technological change; alterations in our sense of time and place; increasing interconnectedness; transformations in the nature of work; and, above all, new and evolving assumptions about the way people think, learn, and interact.

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 III. Statement of Values Drake University’s mission, vision, ongoing operations, and strategic planning are all informed by a set of core values that, in essence, define who we are—and what we want to be—as a University. It is critical that these values guide us in the small choices that we make on a daily basis, and in the large choices that we make in crafting the future of the institution— these values determine what we do and how we do it: • Excellence: We must strive for the highest levels of excellence in everything that we do and aspire to do—from teaching and learning, scholarship and student development to athletics, service and University operations—with measurable outcomes (where appropriate and feasible) that demonstrate excellence in a transparent manner that is useful and meaningful to relevant stakeholders; • Learning: Learning is the purpose of the University’s very existence, emphasizing the intrinsic value of knowledge, the importance of critical inquiry and the discovery of new knowledge, and preparation for life-long learning-- grounded in an integrative, multidisciplinary approach; • Essentiality of liberal education: We affirm through policy and practice that the habits of mind, perspectives and knowledge gained through a liberal education are essential to the learning outcomes of Drake University, intentionally and systematically integrated with preparation for the world of practice and the professions; • Creativity and innovation: Our ability to succeed in fulfilling our mission is grounded in a commitment to exploring new ideas, to taking appropriate risks in order to facilitate discovery and to creating new and better ways of doing things while remaining respectful of what we have already created; • Integrity: Our actions and interactions must be informed by fairness, equity, honesty, accountability, justice, and mutual respect; • Academic freedom: We affirm the vital importance of a diversity of views and perspectives in an academic institution consistent with the Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure2 • Civility and respect: Insisting on civil discourse and respectful tolerance of 2 www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/1940statement.htm

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 divergent ideas and beliefs, we maintain an environment that encourages and supports the open expression of ideas;3 • Citizenship: Engagement in all of the communities in which we live—local, regional, national, and global – derives from a commitment to public service and the common good; • Aspiration: While we are proud of the University’s past and present, we will always evince a “healthy dissatisfaction” with our present, and aspire—individually and institutionally—to excel at an even higher level; • Accountability: We are accountable to the various stakeholders who invest their time, energy and resources in the University, and to the public as a whole, and we are committed to providing accurate, timely, accessible and transparent information; IV. Challenges and Opportunities In order to fulfill the promise of our Mission Statement for an exceptional learning environment in the years to come, we must recognize that many of the assumptions, policies and strategies that have informed higher education practice in the past and present are not applicable to the demands of the future, and are inappropriate to the dynamic and challenging environment in which we now exist. Among a number of issues—which are both challenges and opportunities—the following require particular and urgent attention: 4

1. We must continue to provide an exceptional learning environment for future students and those who guide and support their learning (faculty and staff), recognizing the evolving nature and needs of students (e.g., changed cognitive patterns, diverse learning styles, changing career aspirations, changing demographics, access to learning not bound by time and place); 2. We must recognize that current demands on faculty time, attention and energy, with responsibilities for teaching, advising, research and service to the University community, are reaching the saturation point. Our efforts to create the exceptional learning environment of the 21st Century must be respectful of that fact, and we have a responsibility to develop models of

3 See Drake University Statement of Principles: http://www.drake.edu/academics/policies/principles.php 4 See Drake University Vision 2025 2.0 for a more detailed and exhaustive account of the issues facing higher education in 2012.


work that enable faculty members to engage in the creativity and innovation that our collective aspirations for Drake University require. 3. We must develop and implement a sustainable financial model in order to ensure both student access and institutional stability. Higher education is out of reach financially for a growing portion of the U.S. population, students are leaving college with increasingly large loan debt, and there is expanding public resistance to the price of a college degree; 4. As we address the public focus on the instrumental role of higher education (as preparation for careers and as an economic driver), we must emphasize the relevance of liberal education outcomes to workforce needs5, and the importance of liberal education for individual and societal benefit (e.g., the nation’s need for an informed and engaged citizenry); 5. An increasingly broad range of providers for qualified students (including a significant expansion of pedagogical strategies and modes of delivery, and proliferation of knowledge resources) requires us to further differentiate Drake from the competition; 6. Higher education governance and administrative structures and practices must be adapted to accommodate the demands of a rapidly changing environment while remaining faithful to the core principles that inform them.6

There is no question that Drake University is well positioned (compared to many higher education institutions) to address these issues—we have been managing many of the challenges of the present well. But to manage the challenges of the immediate future and beyond we must ensure that Drake University is: relevant to students’ goals and aspirations and to the country’s needs for an educated population and the advancement of knowledge, effective and innovative in its operations, distinctive on the national higher education landscape and funded at a level that supports its aspirations. We must also 5 See the “Liberal Education and America’s Promise” (LEAP) initiative of the Association of American Colleges & Universities: http://www.aacu.org/leap/vision.cfm 6 While the commitment to core institutional principles, and to the core responsibilities and authority of each of the three actors (board, faculty and administration) as articulated in the Bylaws, Academic Charter and other governance documents must remain intact, new modes of carrying out those responsibilities—particularly in regard to pace of decision-making and to effective communication and collaboration among the three principals—are essential.

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 ensure that we make strategic decisions about our priorities that are consistent with our mission, core values and resources, and that build on our rich tradition. V. A Position of Distinction and Strength We begin this process of fashioning Drake University’s future from a distinctive position on the national higher education landscape. Our defining characteristics include: • The academic richness and intellectual resources of a university, combined

with the intimate intellectual interactions and emphasis on student development traditionally attributed to small liberal arts colleges;

• The intentional integration of the best of liberal arts and sciences education with preparation for the world of practice;

• A well-deserved reputation for academic excellence;

• A commitment to affordability, reflected in undergraduate tuition and fees

significantly lower than our academic peers and a major institutional commitment to financial aid;

• Expert faculty and staff with a passionate commitment to student success;

• A pervasive and overt dedication to fulfilling the promise of our Mission

Statement to provide “an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishment and responsible global citizenship;”

• A unique “Drake Culture” that combines sincere modesty with genuine

pride in who we are, a sense of realism with lofty aspirations, professionalism with informality, seriousness of purpose with joy in what we do;

• A symbiotic relationship with the City of Des Moines that enables us to

serve our community while at the same time providing a broad array of opportunities for students, faculty and staff.

We also undertake this process from a position of relative strength that includes the following:

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 • A strategic budgeting process that has produced a balanced budget with a

modest operating surplus for 8 straight years

• A more than 100% increase in undergraduate applications in the past 5 years

• Significantly increased national recognition for academic excellence in the

higher education community • Increased visibility in national publications (both higher education and

general public) • Increased stature and visibility of Des Moines in a broad range of national

rankings VI. Building on Success: Operating Precepts By 2017, the following principles, already evident in much of what we do, should be pervasive in the operating behavior of the University. Taking into account our core values, and the challenges and opportunities with which we must engage, these principles are—in essence—“operating precepts;” the manner in which we must pursue our goals in order to assure our success and fulfill the promise of the University’s mission: • The Discovery, Dissemination and Application of Knowledge: The fundamental purpose of the University is embedded in the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge in its many forms through research, rigorous analysis, debate, study and service. • A Commitment to Excellence: With excellence as a core value of the institution, the University should aspire to excellence in all aspects of its operations, with measurable outcomes that demonstrate excellence in a transparent manner that is useful and meaningful to relevant stakeholders; • A Commitment to Change: We must wholeheartedly embrace the prospect of change—individually and institutionally—if we are to manage successfully the demands and challenges of a complex and dynamic environment while fulfilling the promise of our mission;

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 • Relevance: The University is clearly and demonstrably relevant to student learning needs, and cognitive styles, and career and personal aspirations; the professional aspirations of faculty and staff; and society’s future needs for liberally educated professionals; • Strategic Decision-Making: University decisions at all levels are data- and information-driven, supported by adequate resources and based on the priorities articulated in the University’s strategic plan and vision; • Collaboration: All aspects of the University’s operations—academic and administrative—are to the greatest extent possible and appropriate based on collaborations among students, faculty, departments and schools/colleges; a commitment to a strong shared governance system consistent with the “Joint Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities;”7 the University has productive collaborative relationships with other educational, nonprofit and corporate entities; • Resources and Stewardship: Drake recognizes that our ability to fulfill both our mission and our aspirations is dependent on sufficient financial resources derived from revenues, grants and philanthropy. Further, Drake strives to ensure that its resources are allocated in a manner consistent with strategic priorities, and used in the most responsible, efficient and effective way possible; • Global Emphasis: A Drake education prepares students to function effectively and productively in a diverse and multi-cultural world; • A Diverse Community: Drake University has a commitment to recruit students, faculty and staff of exceptional abilities who believe in the mission, goals and core values of the University, and who represent the diversity of American society and the global community; • Sustainability: Drake’s culture, operations and academic programming reflect the institution’s core commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship. VII. Engaging the Future In order to manage effectively the challenges and opportunities as identified above, the following characteristics must be developed to the point that they are also pervasive by 2017: 7 www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/governancestatement.htm

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 • Informed by current knowledge about learning: Learning strategies and environments are grounded in evidence about effective modes of delivery, measurement and assessment of learning: the nature of faculty/student interaction, where and how learning takes place, how we measure it (quantitatively), and how we assess it (qualitatively);

• Agility: The University’s decision-making processes enable it to respond with appropriate speed to opportunities and challenges in a way that is consistent with the core principles of shared governance and with the University’s mission and strategic priorities; • Flexibility: The University is committed to the modification and improvement of policies, behaviors and practices in response to data derived from ongoing assessment of all aspects of University operations, and to changes in external conditions and student needs, within the context of mission, priorities and resources; • Innovation: The University has a culture of innovation that is: consistent with strategic goals, supportive of experimentation to improve the quality of education and the discovery and application of knowledge, supportive of an appropriate level of risk, and one recognizing that a variety of outcomes can yield valuable information; • Financial Transformation: Drake’s resources, budgetary structure and financial decision-making processes ensure that: 1) the Drake experience is available and financially accessible to students who are academically qualified, representative of the diversity of global society and whose learning goals are consistent with the University’s mission and programmatic resources; 2) the University’s academic and administrative operations are as cost-effective and efficient as possible within the context of our commitment to excellence and the University’s resources; • Culture of Engagement: Reflecting the University’s mission commitment to “responsible global citizenship” the University engages with and is a significant contributor to the vitality not only of Des Moines, but also of its wider regional, national and global communities. Drake’s vitality is supported enthusiastically by all stakeholders, from members of the campus community to alumni to Board of Trustees. Connection to Drake (for students and their families, faculty, staff, alumni, members of the Board and Advisory Councils and the Des Moines community) entails pride, loyalty and ownership of the University’s future; this

Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 September 2012 connection also entails a reciprocal commitment on the part of the University to those same stakeholders, upon whose efforts the University depends for its very existence. VIII. Goals, Objectives & Strategies8 GOAL I: Reshape Drake University’s exceptional living, working and learning environment to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the diverse and global 21st Century

Objective A: Create an exceptional learning environment appropriate to the needs of 21st Century learners

Strategy 1: Design policies and practices that support innovation,9 particularly experimentation with new approaches to learning

Strategy 2: Integrate high impact learning practices10 throughout the student experience

Strategy 3: Review and implement as appropriate the recommendations of the Graduate and Professional Enrollment Task Force (2012) Strategy 4: Intensify the collaboration among curricular and appropriate co-curricular programs (including experiential learning, athletics,11 student organizations, international experiences, Greek Life, and community service) to create an intentional and pervasive

8 See Appendix A for proposed Implementation Plan. Further, it is important to note that in the Goals/Objectives/Strategies below, the Goal Working Groups (as described in the Implementation Plan) will identify the tactics necessary to carry out each strategy. 9 It must be emphasized that the value of innovation is defined by the University’s commitment to excellence and to the fulfillment of its mission. 10 See George Kuh, High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter (AAC&U, 2008); Kuh’s “high impact” learning practices include first-year seminars and experiences, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative projects, undergraduate research, diversity and global learning, service learning, internships and capstone courses and projects. 11 Drake University is distinctive in NCAA Division I athletics for our Athletics Strategic Plan that connects participation in sport to the learning outcomes of the University’s mission


continuum of learning environments for students

Strategy 5: Use evidence of student learning gathered in a variety of ways to improve curricular and co-curricular student learning experiences

Objective B: Create an institutional environment that develops, supports and recognizes faculty and staff for engaging the challenges and opportunities of the future

Strategy 1: Identify, put in place, and continuously evaluate new models of faculty and staff development that support the implementation of creative, effective and innovative learning experiences Strategy 2: Create new models for faculty and staff work that both reflect new modes of learning and support faculty and staff engagement

Strategy 3: Implement faculty/staff recruitment, retention and evaluation policies and procedures that value, recognize and reward creativity and innovation in fulfillment of the University’s mission

Objective C: Increase support for innovative multidisciplinary learning and research12

Strategy 1: Provide faculty/staff development support for multi-unit and multidisciplinary collaborations Strategy 2: Identify and remove barriers to collaboration, innovation and flexibility Strategy 3: Review and revise, where appropriate, appointment, promotion and tenure policies to include recognition of innovative, multidisciplinary, and cross-school teaching and/or scholarship

12 The research and scholarship of the Drake faculty constitute a vital component of our exceptional learning environment. As one of Drake University’s strengths, we must continue to make every effort to enhance support for that activity, but it is also essential to encourage scholarly activities that transcend the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. The intent of this objective is to also support creative endeavors outside of those boundaries.


and/or community based learning pedagogy and research13 Strategy 4: Develop compensation, reward and recognition programs that support innovative, multidisciplinary and/or community-based teaching and scholarship14

Objective D: Infuse global and multicultural understanding throughout Drake University15

Strategy 1: Devise systemic approaches for deepening and sustaining the intercultural learning of students, faculty, and staff Strategy 2: Develop structured opportunities to assist faculty in infusing global and multicultural understanding into existing courses and in developing new curricula Strategy 3: Organize co-curricular activities that enhance global and multicultural understanding.

Objective E: Strengthen the learning infrastructure

Strategy 1: Identify and provide the technology infrastructure and services needed to support the innovative learning strategies envisioned in Goal I

Strategy 2: Ensure that learning spaces are designed to be flexible and easily adaptable to a variety of learning modes in order to support learning at the highest level Strategy 3: Create informal learning spaces on campus that promote faculty, staff, and student interaction and build community

Goal II: Promote agility, responsiveness, and flexibility of decision-making and operation

Objective A: Improve efficiency of decision-making within the context of

13 Cf. Footnote 7 above 14 Cf. Footnote 7 above 15 The development of specific tactics under Objective I.D should be informed by the Internationalization Strategic Plan (2011) and the Internationalizing the Curriculum Plan (2012)


collaborative shared governance Strategy 1: Identify and resolve impediments to innovation and efficient operations

Strategy 2: Develop and implement a culture of evidence and data-driven decision-making

Strategy 3: Review student services to ensure that they are fully meeting the needs of undergraduate, professional and graduate students

Strategy 4: Assess the roles and responsibilities of University

administrative offices and University committee structures and remodel these systems as appropriate to improve efficiency

Strategy 5: Establish a fast-track approval process for short-term pilots or experimental programming before requiring full review and approval

Objective B: Establish transparent, reliable, and timely internal communication systems

Strategy 1: Develop more strategic internal communications

Objective C: Incorporate principles of entrepreneurial funding to enable rapid experimentation and assessment of the feasibility of emerging needs and priorities.

Strategy 1: Consider a budget model that includes flexibility in funding one-time strategic priorities Strategy 2: Align the annual budget with ranked strategic priorities and allow for discretionary allocation of funds for multiyear operational improvements.

GOAL III: Develop a sustainable business model to ensure that Drake University will continue to provide an exceptional learning environment that is financially accessible to students and their families16 16 Note: Objectives A and B focus on the development of a new, sustainable financial model for Drake University; Objectives C-E deal with ways to improve the current


Objective A: Identify and analyze alternative resource and expenditure models

Strategy 1: Establish a broadly representative task force to develop and test alternative innovative financial models that will sustain and enhance Drake University's capacity to fulfill its mission

Objective B: On the basis of the information gained from Objective A, develop, implement and assess new business model Objective C: Explore additional revenue sources consistent with institutional mission that can subsidize the University's core operations

Strategy 1: Explore additional appropriate opportunities for using physical resources and expertise to generate additional income Strategy 2: Review and implement as appropriate the recommendations of the 2012 Graduate and Professional Programs Task Force (see Goal I, Objective A, Strategy 2 above) Strategy 3: Seek additional revenues and cost-savings through internal and external partnerships Strategy 4: Investigate and evaluate the possibility of leveraging the expertise and experience of faculty and staff to provide fee-basis service to area organizations, businesses, and individuals. Strategy 5: Investigate the viability of University investment in potentially profitable research with the expectation of a return on that investment

Objective D: Improve accessibility through development of tuition and financial aid policies and practices that address affordability and student debt without undermining the University's competitiveness in attracting highly qualified students17

Strategy 1: Review and implement recommendations of Undergraduate Enrollment Task Force (2011)

model while new approaches are explored and developed 17 See diagram of strategy in Appendix B


Strategy 2: Develop additional resources for need-based aid

Strategy 3: Identify and recruit a broader pool of academically qualified high-need students

Strategy 4: Undertake a study of best practices and viable options for shortening the time to degree (undergraduate) that would be consistent with Drake’s mission and our commitment to the developmental and educational value of residential education Strategy 5: Identify and implement feasible strategies for reducing student debt

Objective E: Review and amend as appropriate institution-wide resource allocation policies and procedures

Strategy 1: Develop and implement policies to incentivize innovation Strategy 2: Ensure appropriate participation of all institutional stakeholders in setting resource priorities and goals Strategy 3: Ensure that resources are focused on strategic priorities at all levels of operation (See Goal II, Objective C, Strategy 2 above)

Strategy 4: Ensure that all aspects of University operations function with financial efficiency and lack of duplication

Goal IV: Engage with Drake’s key constituents to advance the University and to fulfill its commitments to the communities of which it is a part

Objective A: Develop an integrated marketing plan that addresses the following strategies:

Strategy 1: Elevate the stature and visibility of the University (local, national and global) Strategy 2: Increase awareness among all constituencies of the quality of the Drake experience Strategy 3: Enable Drake to be recognized as a national leader in student learning strategies


Strategy 4: Enable Drake to be recognized as a national leader for innovative models of faculty/staff work Strategy 4: Develop a sense of community and pride among all stakeholders that reflects a shared commitment to Drake University and to celebrating its accomplishments Strategy 5: Support recruitment efforts for students, faculty and staff Strategy 6: Support alumni engagement

Strategy 7: Support the University’s efforts to increase and sustain

philanthropic support Objective B: Increase lifelong engagement and philanthropy among alumni and friends of the University

Strategy 1: Promote the University’s mission and vision to create a strong foundation from which to solicit gifts Strategy 2: Identify ways to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on campus and throughout the Drake community Strategy 3: Create inspirational and educational programs to engage all constituencies Strategy 4: Increase alumni participation to surpass the rate of peer institutions Strategy 5: Ensure a sustainable fundraising program to raise necessary resources to address institutional priorities

Objective C: Strengthen relationships between Drake, the city of Des Moines and other external partners to create opportunities that both serve the community and advance the mission of the University locally, regionally and globally.

Strategy 1: Enhance and expand the University’s relationships with institutions and organizations to serve as a primary driver in the continued success of Central Iowa

Strategy 2: Make Drake’s campus more available for community and


shared campus/community events Strategy 3: Develop and support the implementation of community-based collaboration Strategy 4: Encourage, support and recognize volunteer involvement of faculty and staff in their community of residence


Appendix A

Strategic Plan Implementation

The Drake University President is responsible for the overall strategic plan. This implementation plan, the first of its kind at Drake University, outlines the roles and responsibilities of new and existing groups in the further development, coordination and implementation of the Drake University Strategic Plan 2013-2017. While the Plan identifies a specific structure and process for implementation, it is essential that in carrying out this process we keep in mind the commitments to agility, flexibility, responsiveness and innovation that are highlighted throughout the Strategic Plan. Thus as we proceed we must be committed to making changes to improve the process as opportunities and needs to do so arise. Implementation Procedure:

I. Goal Working Groups: The president will designate a President’s Cabinet member18 to lead a Goal Working Group for each of the strategic plan’s four goals, with responsibility for the direction and coordination of all implementation activities for that goal. Each Goal Working Group will prepare an Action Plan (see below) that includes prioritization of objectives and strategies and timelines for the sequential initiation and completion of tasks. Implementation of the assigned strategic plan goal will be a key aspect of the Cabinet member’s performance goals. Further, a review of progress will be part of the weekly individual meetings with Cabinet members.

18 Cabinet members report directly to the president.


The Goal Working Groups, chaired by a Cabinet member, will consist of faculty, staff, student, board and Senior Advisory Council (SAC) members. Reflecting the multi-disciplinary emphasis of the strategic plan, it is vitally important that the Goal Working Groups be drawn from a broad range of University departments and units, as appropriate to the particular goal. At the same time, it is important that the Goal Working Groups be small enough in size to also reflect the plan’s emphasis on flexibility, agility and responsiveness. We recognize that finding the appropriate balance between these two poles will require both discipline and creativity.

Each Goal Working Group will be responsible for constitution of Strategic Plan Implementation Groups (see section II) and appropriate consultation with University stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, Trustees) as they develop their respective action plans.

II. Strategic Plan Implementation Groups (SPIGS)

Goal Working Groups will convene Strategic Plan Implementation Groups whose role will be to develop and coordinate the development of tactics for each strategy for a respective goal. It is expected that the focus of most SPIGS will align with specific objectives; however, we recognize that there are natural connections among strategies and tactics under different goals, and it is essential that those connections are recognized in the assignments given to each group. The SPIGS will recommend responsible groups or individuals, required budgets and proposed timelines for each tactic under that strategy.

A SPIG will consist of various members of the Drake community and/or stakeholders. A SPIG may be an already existing group, a newly constituted group, and/or any alternate configuration that brings into conversation individuals or groups whose experience and expertise is relevant to that particular objective and/or goal. Consistent with the Strategic Plan’s emphasis on agility and organization efficiency, every effort should be made to assign responsibility for implementation of specific strategies to existing groups (which would then take on the responsibility of a SPIG).

The SPIG will deliver to the Goal Working Group a proposed action


plan for tactics identified for the respective strategies under their objective(s).

III. Support and Coordination: An Implementation Coordinator will assist the president and the Cabinet with the following tasks: a. Ensuring that the work of the respective Goal Working Groups and

SPIGS is coordinated, mutually reinforcing and non-duplicative

b. Setting working priorities and assisting with the details of implementation

c. Maintaining an inventory of all strategic planning activities

d. Coordinating activities across academic and administrative units

e. Identifying resources needed to execute the plan

f. Developing an inventory of resources available to support plan activities

g. Developing creative responses to challenges that arise during

implementation

h. Preparing regular communications to the campus community

IV. Role of the Senior Advisory Council (SAC)19

a. SAC will serve in the primary advisory capacity to the President’s Cabinet on all aspects of strategic plan implementation.

b. SAC will have an ongoing role to review, recommend and coordinate the strategic plan implementation in collaboration with the president

19 For membership of SAC, see http://www.drake.edu/president/Documents/2012-2013_SAC.pdf


and the Cabinet. The action plans (see below), including estimated resource needs, will be distributed to and reviewed by SAC, and SAC will then be responsible for recommending them to the Cabinet. SAC will meet on a regular basis to review implementation and resolve issues that may arise.

c. Each SAC member will be assigned a significant responsibility related to the work of a Goal Working Group. It is expected that some SAC members will be given primary responsibility for particular objectives and strategies. SAC members work with the responsible Cabinet member to lead the Strategic Plan Implementation Groups and Goal Working Groups who will develop the details for implementation of the objectives, strategies, and tactics.

V. Specifics of Process:

Assuming that the Board of Trustees approves the revised plan in early October, each Goal Working Group, in collaboration with the SPIGS, will prepare an action plan with respect to the strategies and tactics required to fulfill their respective goals (including timetable and/or prioritization and indication of how members of the campus community will be involved). It must be emphasized that implementation of all strategies and tactics is not expected to occur simultaneously; the final Implementation Plan recommended by SAC and approved by the President’s Cabinet will include the timetable for the sequential initiation of strategies and tactics based on a careful, realistic assessment of the demands on University personnel and the resources needed. a. In all cases, one person must be designated as the lead responsible

party for each strategy, or strategies under one SPIG, in the final action plan.

b. Each SPIG is expected to identify the specific tactics required for implementation of the assigned strategy or strategies. (The assumption is that those assigned responsibility have the local knowledge to assess those tactics that will work best in realizing the strategy). Given that strategies will be implemented sequentially according to the priorities guiding the process, some of the details will be identified subsequent to the initial implementation plan.


Each Goal Working Group will review the specifics of each SPIG recommendation and finalize an action plan for the entire goal. SAC will review the proposed tactics and action plan submitted by each Goal Working Group and will recommend action to the Cabinet. The President’s Cabinet will be responsible for final approval. NOTE: A number of possible strategies and tactics were identified by the Planning Council and community members in the process of developing the strategic plan; they will be forwarded to the respective Goal Working Groups and/SPIGS, and it is expected that each will use them as they find appropriate.

c. Each Goal Working Group will review and endorse budget requests

or resource reallocation steps recommended as necessary by the SPIGS needed for implementation of tactics.

VI. Engagement & Communications Strategies a. A strategic plan web site will be developed to enable members of the

campus community and Board of Trustees to monitor progress on a regular basis

b. Review of the progress on Strategic Plan implementation will be a standing item on the agenda for the Board of Trustees’ quarterly business meetings

c. Review of the progress on Strategic Plan implementation will be a regular component of the president’s report at monthly Faculty Senate Meetings

d. At the end of each semester, and just prior to the start of the fall semester, each designated Cabinet member (in collaboration with his/her Goal Working Group) will prepare a summary progress report to be reviewed by SAC and approved by the President’s Cabinet, reviewed with Faculty Senate and the Board of Trustees, and posted on the strategic planning pages on BlueView.

e. The president will meet with the All-Staff Council and with the Student Senate each semester to review progress on the implementation of the Strategic Plan as reported on BlueView

f. Each year the Summer Planning Conference (faculty, staff, Student

Senate and Board of Trustees) will convene to review


implementation progress, explore and address significant issues that have arisen, consider revisions to the plan and review action steps for the next year.

Rationale:

The implementation plan is proposed with the following considerations in mind:

I. It builds upon the significant involvement by members of the Drake University community in the FY12 planning process. Over 200 individuals participated in fall 2011 semester focus groups, 32 people served on the Planning Council, approximately 100 attended the spring semester small group discussions of the initial draft plan, and 225-230 attended the June 2012 Strategic Planning Conference. This remarkable involvement needs to be sustained. One of the messages often heard during the past year is that participants want to be part of the process as we move forward. Sounding the same theme, members of Senior Advisory Council (SAC) articulated a commitment to assuming leadership roles during implementation.

II. The intent is to make Strategic Plan 2013-17 a living document. One of the

plan’s major emphases is the need to be innovative and agile in a world of rapid and unpredictable change. That means flexibility and adjustments should be built into the implementation process. Parties responsible for implementing strategies and tactics need to have the option to suggest revisions.

III. Rather than create an entirely new implementation structure—a new set of committees—the approach relies on existing structures and groups, whenever possible. The hope is that a consequence of this approach is to build key features of the plan into the fabric of the institution.

IV. Ultimately the president of Drake University has responsibility for the strategic plan implementation. The goal of this implementation strategy is to incorporate supervision of implementation into ongoing activities, particularly President’s Cabinet meetings and monthly sessions with SAC. The result should be an efficient method to supervise, implement and modify the strategic plan.


Appendix B