September 25, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

As I indicated at our Academic Year kickoff meeting, we have a busy year ahead of us. We are completing our current strategic plan and will begin developing our next one, even as we begin to implement the RASE Plan. As we look to the future, we are fortunate to be able to build on important work already completed or underway, impressive progress toward the goals of the current strategic plan, and the stabilization of the University’s finances. For this and many other reasons, I am confident the next round of strategic planning will set an inspirational course for Worcester State University’s future and position us to capitalize on opportunities to further distinguish ourselves from other universities in the northeastern region of the U.S.

Provost Lois Wims and I are in the process of forming a 16- to 19-member Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC). Its members will be representative of the University community and will oversee an inclusive process. The SPSC will be charged with preparing and recommending a plan that will help us achieve a widely shared vision for the University in 2025. I’m asking any bargaining unit member who is interested in serving on the SPSC to contact your union representative as soon as possible, who will forward names to me by October 1, as follows: APA, Maribeth Wrobel; AFSCME, Russell Kinell or Joanne Harder; MSCA, Donald Bullens.

The planning process will be coordinated by Assistant Vice President for Assessment and Planning Sarah Strout, Ph.D., and guided by the SPSC. They will receive expert support and guidance throughout the process from Linda Campanella of SOS Consulting Group, LLC. Prior to starting her consulting practice in 2001, Linda served as chief administrative officer and senior vice-president for operations and planning at Trinity College. In addition to being experienced and knowledgeable about both higher education and strategic planning, Linda also knows our University well, having facilitated our last round of planning as well as several other key projects over recent years. In addition to her work with WSU, she recently facilitated strategic planning processes at several sister institutions in Massachusetts.

June 2020 is the target for completion of a draft strategic plan for our Board of Trustees to consider, and Fall 2020 is the target to bring it before the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. In keeping with the strong tradition of shared governance at WSU, the work of constructing the plan will offer many opportunities for community input on iWSUes, goals, and strategies. as well as opportunities for feedback on drafts as the process unfolds.

We will be developing the strategic plan in the context of the Department of Higher Education’s priorities for public higher education in the Commonwealth. At our September 3rd Academic Year Kickoff Meeting, Commissioner Santiago outlined some of the key challenges facing higher education and indicated the central importance the DHE attaches to its Equity Agenda -- which all 29 public campuses will pursue in the coming years, and an initiative that I am pleased to support as a member of its statewide advisory board.

Please take advantage of every opportunity to become engaged in our strategic planning process. We want to consider as many views and voices as possible. This input will help us begin to get a sense of the key iWSUes and themes, as well as hopes and dreams, that will shape a shared vision for the future.

Information about future opportunities to engage and updates will be posted periodically on the WSU Strategic Planning web site. I look forward both to the lively discussion and debate that will occur during the building of the plan and to the subsequent work of achieving its goals. Thank you in advance for participating in this important work.

Barry M. Maloney, President

The Committee's Task

The Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC) is charged with guiding and overseeing a process that broadly and effectively engages the Worcester State community in developing the University’s next strategic plan.

Strategic Planning Steering Committee Membership

Co-Chairs

Julie D. Frechette, Professor, Department of Communication
Edgar A. Moros, Director, Intensive English Language Institute

Committee Members

Thomas E. Conroy, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Studies
Margaret E. Kerr, Professor, Department of Chemistry
Stephen A. Morreale, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
Rodney Oudan, Professor, Department of Business Administration & Economics
Emily Soltano, Professor, Department of Psychology
Tanya Trudell, Instructor, Department of Occupational Therapy
Jamie F. Vallejos, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences
Adam Zahler, Professor, Department of Visual & Performing Arts
Mary Dillon, Clerk IV, Department of Occupational Therapy
Thomas Kelley, Director, Retention
John W. Meany, Associate Director, Athletics
Katey C. Palumbo, Director, International Programs
Linda S. Larrivee, Dean, School of Education, Health & Natural Sciences
Russ Pottle, Dean, School of Humanities & Social Sciences
Stacey A. Luster, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources, Payroll & Affirmative Action
Maribel Mateo, SGA President
Michael J. Mills, Alumni Association representative
David Tuttle, Board of Trustees representative

Sarah Strout (ex-officio), Provost’s Office
Linda Campanella, Planning Consultant (SOS Consulting Group LLC)

Meeting Minutes

As meeting minutes are made available, they will be posted to myWSU for review by internal audiences.

Contact

To reach the Strategic Planning Steering Committee at any time you may send email to spsc@worcester.edu.

September—December

Understanding “What”

• Assessment
• Reflection
• Visioning
• Goal setting

January—March

Identifying “How”

• Strategic development
• Action planning
• Plan formulation

April—August

Establishing “How Much” and “What First”

• Cost analysis and resource planning
• Priority setting
• Plan finalization
• Fundraising goal setting

Inclusivity

The planning process should engage all members of the Worcester State community, affording all the opportunity to provide input and feel vested in the outcome.

Transparency (communication)

Sharing information and timely updates in addition to providing opportunities to engage directly in the process.

Taking a broad (versus local, parochial) view

Determining goals and setting priorities based on what’s deemed best for the University as a whole rather than what’s best for oneself, an individual program, an individual department, or an individual division.

Consensus decision making

Not every decision will be 100% supported by 100% of participants at the table.

Respect

Respect for shared governance, for differing viewpoints, for process, and for confidentiality.

Below is a tentative schedule of opportunities for members of the Worcester State community to engage in the planning process. Others likely will be added as the process evolves. Please check the Announcements and Updates link for the most up-to-date/current information about specific opportunities to provide input and otherwise be involved.

Strategic planning-related data, reports, drafts, etc. will be posted to myWSU, accessible with Worcecster State network credentials

Access internal Strategic Planning Resources

As a public institution, Worcester State University embraces the belief that widespread access to high-quality educational opportunities is the cornerstone of a democratic society. Members of the Worcester State community share the following core values:

• Academic Excellence: We are committed to providing opportunities to excel in a close-knit learning environment characterized by distinguished faculty, excellent teaching, and creative linkages between classroom learning and real-world experiences. 
• Engaged Citizenship: We are committed to promoting community service, social justice, the democratic process, environmental sustainability, and global awareness to prepare students to be active and informed citizens.
• Open Exchange of Ideas: We are committed to inviting and considering the most expansive range of perspectives in teaching and learning, in scholarly and creative work, and in the governance of a complex, diverse institution.
• Diversity and Inclusiveness: We are committed to being an inclusive community in which our diversity enhances learning for all and in which people from all cultures and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate fully and succeed.
• Civility and Integrity: We are committed to respecting the dignity of all members of our community and to demonstrating this commitment in our interactions, decisions, and structures.

• We will channel scholarly creativity in new, exciting, and potentially important directions.
• We will be a dynamic, valued partner with and resource to Worcester, the region, and the world.  
• We will be a model of best practices in promoting retention across the student body and in empowering students to attain both academic and career goals. 
• All members of the WSU community will feel included and valued, and they will hold themselves and each other accountable for upholding shared values and achieving common objectives.
• Our plans and priorities will support the public agenda for higher education in Massachusetts as reflected in the Vision Project’s goals and 7 key outcomes.

1. Enhance our undergraduate academic programs and expand graduate programs in a community of learning that promotes academic excellence and innovation.  
2. Leverage our distinctive strengths, both to enhance our reputation and to prepare our students to lead, serve, and make a difference in the world.
3. Attract and enroll a diverse pool of highly motivated students and attach institution-wide priority to promoting their retention and success. 
4. Cultivate a vibrant campus life and a collaborative work and learning environment in which all members of the WSU community feel welcomed, included, respected, empowered, and valued. 
5. Promote financial strength and organizational sustainability while continuing to secure and invest the resources required to maintain our reputation for excellence and value.