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Updates

March 2008: Strategic Plan: Implementation Plan

Executive summaries of the implementation plan for each strategic goal will be posted quarterly. It is important to note that the majority of the strategic plan initiatives continue to be under development, including budgets and timelines. In most cases, neither final decisions nor priorities have been solidified. Please continue to refer back to this site for updates.



12/14/07: GCF's Summary of Findings from the Research Phase of the Identity Campaign

As part of fulfilling goal #1 of the Strategic Plan regarding Nazareth's identity, the higher-education marketing agency GCF was on the Nazareth College campus conducting research. Brenda Foster and her associates interviewed various college constituencies and performed a communications audit. This is a summary of their findings.

 

2/14/07: Strategic Planning Documentation

1/19/07: An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

As the Spring 2007 semester begins, the work of the operational plans moves forward with new momentum.  Many existing campus committees will begin to mobilize under the leadership of members of the senior staff and several administrative directors.  Committee work will include projecting costs for implementation of initiatives.  It is anticipated that by the end of summer 2007 there will be a strategic plan with costs and timelines associated to each goal.   

There are two documents that will be utilized to map the progress of the strategic plan – an implementation plan and an implementation timeline.  These documents will be reviewed by the Trustees at a meeting of the Board. Following their review, the information will be published on the strategic planning web site for the entire community to use as a resource.  The documents are in their beginning stages now and will be updated throughout the process.

I will keep you informed throughout the semester regarding the work of the strategic plan.

Daan Braveman

 

11/20/06: An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

The next phase of the planning process is the preparation of the implementation plan that will describe the specific steps needed to implement each strategy as well as the cost and timing for doing so. In addition, the implementation plan will include the method for assessing the impact of the strategy on the desired outcome. This stage will determine the priorities for implementation and, like the first stage, will be an inclusive process.

For purposes of developing the implementation plan, a “goal leader” has been named for each of the seven goals.  The goal leader is ultimately responsible for ensuring the development the implementation plan for the specified goal. The role of the goal leader is to coordinate the gathering of data and information, link constituents and their efforts, and facilitate discussions on new data and information that are needed.  The leaders will partner with other senior staff members and college work groups.  

Goal #1, Identity – Daan Braveman

Goal #2, Learning, Discovery, Scholarship, Creative Activity – Kay Marshman (new VPAA in Spring)

Goal #3, Diversity/Inclusion – Daan Braveman and Gaynelle Wethers

Goal #4, Civic Engagement – Daan Braveman

Goal #5, Student Life – Mike Lawrence

Goal #6, Financial and Human Resources – Peg Ferber

Goal #7, Assessment – Kay Marshman

As much as possible, existing faculty, staff, student, alumni, and trustee committees and work groups will be utilized.  However, input will be sought from key individuals and areas where a formal committee may or may not exist but identified additional expertise and knowledge are needed.

Jim Galbally of The President Practice consulting firm spent half a day with the goal leaders on November 15.  He is working with the leaders to mobilize them for developing operational plans that will include financial requirements, timelines, and critical success factors.

As you know, Goal #1 deals with clarifying the college’s identity and dispelling misconceptions.  The first strategy under goal 1 is, “The President will appoint a committee to recommend specific strategies to clarify Nazareth’s identity.”  The Strategic Planning Steering Committee devoted a great deal of time to the “identity” issues and I have asked this committee together with some additional trustees to continue as the group that now works on strategies 1.1.1, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3.  The group met this week and has formed four subcommittees to address each of the following topics:  heritage space; assessing religious symbols; context of the word spirituality (spiritual identity through curricular and co-curricular programs); and clarifying the identity of the College as an undergraduate and graduate institution with liberal arts and professional programs.  Subcommittee work will include gathering information from existing groups and the community.  

We have exciting work ahead as the implementation plan forms.

Thank you,
Daan Braveman

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10/30/06: An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

The Board of Trustees met on October 16 and endorsed the strategic plan overview in principal.  The formal forward motion now begins on developing operational plans for the strategies and tactics of the strategic plan.  As you know, there are several items included in the strategic plan that are currently in process.  That work will definitely continue and be utilized for strategic planning, e.g. core curriculum review/revision, study of math and science center facility needs.  New work to be done will involve as many existing groups as possible, including but not limited to, standing committees, ad hoc committees, and divisional work groups.

Jim Galbally of The Presidential Practice will be on campus on Nov 15 to meet with Peg Ferber, Mike Lawrence, Kelly Gagan, Tom DaRin, Kay Marshman, Pat Genthner, Kristen Green, and me regarding mobilizing groups to gather existing work and begin new work.  Updates will be forthcoming as the Nazareth community launches into the operational planning stage of the strategic plan.

10/17/06: An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

At its meeting on October 16, 2006, the Board of Trustees reviewed the Strategic Plan and made only two modifications. It renamed the document "The Strategic Plan Overview" and it amended the mission statement to read ". . . fostering commitment to a life informed by intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic values....” To view the Strategic Plan Overview (PDF), please click here.

8/29/06:  An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

We continued to work on the strategic plan over the summer and the steering committee met to review the latest drafts.  To view the most recent draft, click HERE.  To view an introductory overview of the College's strategic planning, click HERE. Open forums for discussion of the draft will be held on Tuesday, September 5, 12:15-1:30 p.m. and Thursday, September 14, 12:15-1:30 p.m. in the Shults Center Forum.

The draft is the product of discussions held with nearly 500 people from the campus and larger community. We are on schedule to submit the plan to the Board of Trustees at its October meeting. Following that meeting we will begin preparing an implementation plan that will state for each strategy (1) the division responsible for implementation; (2) a timetable for implementation; (3) the cost; and (4) the method for assessing whether the strategy achieved the desired outcome.

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6/23/06: Long-Term Strategic Goals for Nazareth College -- DRAFT

To view a draft paper of the College's long-term goals (in PDF format), click HERE.

6/5/06: Strategic Planning Meeting

To view the minutes (in PDF format) from the June 5 meeting of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, click HERE.

4/27/06: A Strategic Planning Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

Based on the interviews with over 450 members of our community, the consultants have prepared a second summary of findings and have presented them in the form of goals and strategies. You may view a PDF of this second summary HERE. The goals and the strategies are not listed in any order of priority. So too, the listing is meant to serve as a basis for the next round of discussions and may not reflect the final listing that will be in the plan. We are still a long way from such a final document.

The Steering Committee has reviewed the summary and recommended the following process. Before the end of the semester we will schedule separate discussions of each of the goals to further refine the identified goals and strategies as well as examine the need for additional goals and strategies. If you cannot attend a session, you may submit your comments using the Strategic Planning Web page.

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3/6/06: An Update from Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College

The first phase of the strategic planning process is nearing completion. Over the past 2 ½ months, Ann Duffield and Jim Galbally of the Presidential Practice interviewed close to 350 Nazareth community members and distributed a summary document of these interviews at the Feb 27 meeting of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. You may download a copy of this summary document.

The summary report highlights themes raised by staff, faculty, students, and combined staff and faculty groups. Input from alumni, trustees, and community representatives will be added in the near future.

The report to date shows remarkable consistency in terms of the themes identified by each constituency group. In particular, the issue of identity emerged as an overarching theme with early returns from trustees and alumni also indicating the importance of determining how best to describe Nazareth both internally and externally. Given these results and feedback from our consultants, the Strategic Planning Committee suggested that the next step in the strategic planning process should be a discussion of the identity of the College. Clearly articulating this identity will then facilitate our ability to determine our goals and the best strategies for achieving them.

It is important that the entire internal community participate in this phase. Accordingly we will identify meeting times later in the month for facilitated discussion of our multifaceted identity and how we should be describing ourselves both internally and externally with respect to the following areas:

  • Liberal arts and professional education
  • Undergraduate and graduate programs
  • Spiritual/religious
  • Civic engagement/community service
  • Inclusiveness
  • The Nazareth signature, i.e. Nazareth’s uniqueness in the higher education community

In the meantime, I would like to thank all of the many people who took the time to participate in Phase I of the strategic planning process. I hope you will continue to be engaged as we proceed with the next phase.

Thank you,
Daan

 

2/23/06: An Update from Patricia Genthner, Associate to the President

Phase I of the strategic planning process is winding down.  Ann Duffield and Jim Galbally of The Presidential Practice have met with approximately 350 faculty, staff, students, trustees, and alumni in this initial stage of information gathering.  The Steering Committee will meet on Feb 27; at that time Ann and Jim will report a summary of their findings to the group.  This information will then be shared with the Nazareth community.

Please note that there will be several interviews/meetings taking place on Feb 27, as well as phone interviews next week with a few individuals whose calendars could not coincide with consultant interview/meeting dates.  This information will definitely be part of the Phase I findings.

The next step in the strategic planning process will be a discussion paper that the consultants draft based on the input provided from the Phase I meetings.  The entire community will have the opportunity to react to the discussion paper.  Following next week’s Steering Committee meeting, I will forward more information to you regarding the time frame of when and how the discussion paper can be accessed for your review and input.

Thank you,
Pat

2/06 The Strategic Planning Website goes live!

This website is a central location for information regarding strategic planning at Nazareth College. Please check back often for the latest updates on the planning process, as well as to leave your thought and feedback.

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