Departmental planning helps move UW forward

For more than a year, the “buzz word” around Gerberding Hall has been strategic planning. It is perceived as a new movement supported by the Board of Regents, the President and the Provost.

Since the role of the Board of Regents is to set policy rather than make plans, they initiated a series of discussions that were originally labeled as strategic thinking. They developed major goals in three areas: (a) teaching and learning; (b) graduate education and research; and (c) faculty responsibilities and rewards.

Based on these goals, the administration undertook, or is in the process of planning to undertake, a number of initiatives such as: the UIF; the Tools for Transformation; the establishment of the Teaching Academy; workshop on strategic planning for administrators; establishment of committees to study faculty salaries, and faculty responsibilities and rewards; and others.

The President annually develops a set of goals for himself to reflect the strategic goals of the Board of Regents, while the Provost is requiring the various units to prepare their budgets on the basis of a strategic plan prepared by the unit.

What is the faculty’s position on this movement? The faculty ought to be delighted, because the administration is carrying out what the Faculty Senate requested during the 1995-1996 academic year. In approving the procedures for reorganization, consolidation and elimination of programs, the Faculty Senate recognized the need for planning. It recommended that “The President require long-range planning to be routine at every level.”

But the Faculty Senate also recommended that the planning be “undertaken openly by both faculty and administrators, and planning activities be coordinated to provide a constantly evolving, realistic and accessible vision of the University’s future.”

The big question is: While the administration is moving forward with strategic planning, is the faculty determined to follow through with what the Faculty Senate recommended two and one-half years ago? Strategic planning will not work without the faculty’s involvement, and the best arena where the faculty can play a critical role is at the department level.

Theodore Kaltsounis, Chair
Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate welcomes your comments on this column. Please direct your reactions, inquiries or suggestions on this, or any other issue of faculty concern, to the Faculty Senate,
36 Administration Bldg., Box 351271; 5-2703; or senate@u.washington.edu