Transform UMSL: Strategic Planning
With an eye to the future, the University of Missouri–St. Louis began developing the UMSL Strategic Plan 2018-2023 in 2017 to build upon the strengths of the previous strategic plan and provide new strategies to support five areas of focus known as the Missouri Compacts for Excellence in the 21st Century. The five compacts drive excellence in the areas of: student success; engagement and outreach, research and creative works; planning, operations and stewardship; and inclusion. These compacts also represent UMSL's commitment to its students, faculty, staff and the citizens of Missouri, while recognizing its unique mission as a public, metropolitan research university.
Throughout the strategic planning process, there were numerous opportunities for the campus community to engage in the planning process. A detailed website helped to inform and involve students, faculty and staff in the review process. It contained a timeline for the strategic planning process, a list of committee members, FAQs and a mechanism to ask questions of or make comments to the Strategic Planning Committee.
The UMSL Strategic Plan 2018-2023 was derived collaboratively through group discussions, open forums and written comments from internal and external stakeholders. In addition, the UM System formed compact committees to provide feedback to the campus on each individual compact and the overall Strategic Plan. The final plan was submitted to the Board of Curators on September 20, 2018.
Strategic Plan Timeline
| Dates | Action |
|---|---|
| July 19, 2017 | Developed Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts at the Board of Curators retreat |
| August 21, 2017 | Shared process for strategic plan development with campus leadership |
|
By September 18, 2017 |
Chancellors send reminders to campus shared governance organizations (faculty, students, staff) to get input on Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts Chancellors provide a list of points of contact for each campus governance group to UM System Chancellors appoint faculty, students, staff, administrators to SPC (Strategic Planning Committee) - share names of committee members and chair |
| By September 25, 2017 | Chancellors provide comments, edits, and/or signoff for Strategic Planning template
UM System provide template, guide, timeline, list of objectives |
| By October 2, 2017 | Intercampus Councils, Missouri 100 review and provide input for the Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts Chancellors provide feedback from campus shared governance organizations (faculty, students, staff) about the Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts Feedback compiled for Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts Vision Statement and Missouri Compacts updated with feedback |
| October 25-27, 2017 | Listening sessions/town halls held to seek input from university communities:
|
| November 28-29, 2017 | Listening sessions/town halls held to seek input from university communities:
|
| December 21, 2017 | First drafts of campus strategic plans submitted to UM System University leaders begin review |
| January 15, 2018 | University leaders provide review input to campus leaders |
| March 15, 2018 | Second drafts of campus strategic plans submitted to UM System System Review Committees begins review |
| April 6 and 17, 2018 | Campus open forums held to review draft and gain stakeholder input |
| May 4, 2018 | System Review Committees provides input to campus leaders |
| August 20, 2018 | Third draft of Strategic Plans submitted to UM System President and Board of Curators for review |
| September 20, 2018 | Chancellor presents final strategic plan overview at Board of Curators meeting Campus strategic plan approval by the Board of Curators |
Strategic Plan Fast Facts
- University of Missouri System President Mun Choi requested that each UM System university begin the strategic planning process during the fall of 2017 as the current strategic plans for the four campuses would expire in 2018.
- Each of the UM System universities developed strategic plans based on consistent compacts to accomplish a common vision of excellence in teaching, research and engagement. Just as the four campuses build unique strengths into our university system, each strategic plan was optimized to the unique attributes of the institution.
- The University of Missouri Board of Curators, UM System administration, and campus chancellors, provosts and CFOs developed guiding principles to inform and guide the universities as each develops its strategic plan. Included in these principles was a vision statement calling for the university “To be a premier land-grant institution dedicated to the creation and inclusive sharing of knowledge to advance the educational, health, cultural, economic and social interests of the people of Missouri, the nation and the world.”
- While the Board of Curators and UM System administration initiated the process, everyone within the university community had a part in the development of the strategic plans. Many system-wide groups collaborated early in the process to develop the vision and compacts, including the Intercampus Faculty Council, Intercampus Student Council, Intercampus Staff Advisory Council, Intercampus Alumni and Extension Leadership Council and the Missouri 100. Faculty, staff and student shared governance groups at the campus levels also engaged in this process.
- The chancellor and provost shared responsibility for the development of the UMSL strategic plan. Together, they appointed a Strategic Planning Leadership Team and a Strategic Planning Committee representing faculty, staff, students and administrators, along with chairs of each compact committee.
- Throughout the process, stakeholders were encouraged to attend open strategic planning forums hosted by the Strategic Planning Committee and through online feedback forms for each compact area.
- Three drafts of the UMSL strategic plan were developed throughout the process; each shared broadly with the campus community to gain feedback and drive revisions. A final plan was presented in September 2018 for approval by the Board of Curators.