Planning Process
The Strategic Planning (SP) Steering Committee will be led by two co-chairs and will be broadly representative of all divisions. We will select committee members using input from the Provost and other university leaders. To support the work of the steering committee, we will establish six sub-committees to address specific strategic priorities, outlined below. Each of the sub-committees will be chaired by a steering committee member, and will include additional members from across the University community. The SP Steering Committee and sub-committees will meet regularly through the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters. The Office of Institutional Research and Budget Office will provide support as needed. Each of the sub-committees will develop draft priorities, and the steering committee will be responsible for synthesizing the themes and priorities into a final document. The report should include concrete recommendations (with a particular locus of responsibility for each recommendation), realistic consideration of available resources required to execute the recommendations, and metrics and goals to measure progress in real time.
To ensure broad participation and transparency, the steering committee and sub-committees will seek input from our community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, industry and other partners. Input and communication mechanisms may include: focus groups, open forums, discussion at regularly-scheduled governance meetings, and online feedback opportunities. A website that includes updates, meeting minutes, and other key information should be maintained and updated regularly by the co-chairs of the steering committee.
The goal of the steering committee and its sub-committees will be to generate—by May 2019—a focused set of high-level priorities designed to guide Miami for the next five years. These priorities should do the following:
- Reflect the underlying tenets described above
- Seek strategic synergy with ongoing initiatives such as the Big Ideas campaign and the Boldly Creative Strategic Academic Enrichment Initiative
- Be grounded in the university’s values and reflect its mission
- Transcend traditional university boundaries
- Be evidence-based and data-informed, using appropriate external and internal inputs (e.g., professional literature, national trends, data analytics, benchmarking, interviews with leaders from, or visits to, aspirant institutions)
- Be financially sustainable
The committee co-chairs will provide updates on the work of the steering and subcommittees to the Board of Trustees in December 2018, February 2019, and May 2019. The final version of the strategic plan will be presented for review, possible revision, and approval by the President and Provost and finally by the Board of Trustees at its June 2019 meeting. In 2019-2020, the university will develop implementation plans for the key initiatives that will advance the approved strategic priorities. To assure that the strategic plan remains dynamic and responsive, it will be continuously reviewed during the five-year period.