Campuswide input being gathered to update strategic plan

Contact: Jeanne Baron

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—All students and employees are being asked to help shape Western Michigan University's future by responding to an online survey launched this week by the University Strategic Plan Transition Team.

WMU's senior leaders authorized the 2015 University Strategic Plan Revision Stakeholder Survey to aid in WMU's transition from its inaugural three-year strategic plan to a revised plan that will guide the institution for a five-year period ending in 2020.

Email sent to campus community

In a Dec. 1 email message, WMU President John M. Dunn asked members of the campus community to contribute to the process by participating in the stakeholders survey, which will remain open at wmich.edu/strategic through Monday, Dec. 14, and also is open to WMU alumni as well as area community members.

The survey deadline has been extended through Sunday, Dec. 20.

"The information you and your colleagues provide will be reviewed by the University Strategic Plan Transition Team and assimilated into the new plan," Dunn said in the email message. "Please take a few moments to provide the kind of insights and feedback only you can offer."

WMU's three pillars—being learner centered, discovery driven and globally engaged—remain at the core of the effort to update the existing strategic plan. The update also will retain five strategic goals, but with revised language and reorganized objectives that are prioritized with the aid of survey respondents.

Questions on the survey are designed to gain feedback about the respondents' areas of interest and about their views on the strategic plan's goals and objectives as well as the University's current and future aspirations and challenges. It asks respondents to consider and rank strategic goals being considered and includes open-ended questions for specific comments on strategic planning.

Information from the survey will be incorporated into a draft of the revised strategic plan. The draft plan will be shared with students and employees in January, and the campus community will have an opportunity to provide additional input through March. A final plan is expected to be sent in late March to the WMU Board of Trustees for its consideration.

For more information about the survey or strategic planning at WMU, visit the strategic planning website at wmich.edu/strategic or contact Jody Brylinsky at brylinsky@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2314.

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