Strategic PlanningCompanion Slide Deck to Strategic Positioning Document

May 29, 2019

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMPANION SLIDE DECK TO STRATEGIC POSITIONING DOCUMENT

Engagement Round 2A

Open Forum Agreements• Please make space for others to talk. If you have spoken, step

back.• Be mindful of time.• Critique the idea, not the person.• Assume the best interpretation of what is spoken.• Please raise your hand (and we will do the best to go in

order).

COMMITTEE MEMBERSCO-CHAIRSBob Dullea (Vice President for University Planning/Vice Provost)Jen Marrone (Professor, Management)COMMITTEE MEMBERSMarc Cohen (Associate Professor, Management)Brooke Coleman (Professor, Law)Clara Cordova (Vice President for University Affairs, SGSU)Julie Homchick-Crowe (Senior Instructor, Communication)Rick Fehrenbacher (Dean, New and Continuing Studies; Director, CDLI)Shaney Fink (Director of Athletics)Heather Geiger (Director, IT Administration)Jess Juanich (Executive Vice President, SGSU)Amber Larkin (Graduate Student Council Chair)Stephanie Lewis (Core Academic Program Coordinator)

Kent Koth (Executive Director, Center for Community Engagement) Henry Louis, (Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) Erica Martin (Instructor, Hebrew Scriptures, STM)Natasha Martin (Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion; Associate Professor, Law)Chuck Porter (Trustee)Katherine Raichle (Associate Professor, Psychology; Center for Faculty Development)Lucas Sharma, SJ (Instructor, Anthropology and Sociology;)Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture)Ruth Tressel (alumna; Trustee)

Who did we engage?• Students• Faculty• Staff• Deans

• Cabinet• Board of Trustees• External

Community

Summary of Engagement to Date68 events through April 30, 2019:

10 Open Fora10 Open Listening Sessions7 Focus Groups14 Governance Body events, with 7 different governance groups27 Targeted Listening SessionsTotal Attendees ~766 total attendees through May 15

3 faculty staff surveys (992 responses); 1 to students (320 responses)

How did we engage with the community?Faculty and Staff EngagementOpen Fora:Open Forum: February 13 –2:00-3:30pmOpen Forum: February 28 – 12:30-2:00pmOpen Forum: March 15 – 11:00am-12:30pmOpen Forum: April 12 – 9:30-11am

Listening Sessions:Listening Session: March 18 – 9:00-10:00amListening Session A: March 19 – 11:00am-12:00pmListening Session B: March 19 – 11:00am-12:00pmListening Session: March 20 – 3:00-4:00pmListening Session: March 4 – 11:00am-12:00pmListening Session: March 6 – 1:00-2:00pmListening Session: March 6 – 11:00am-12:00pmListening Session: March 11 – 2:00-3:00pmListening Session: March 12 – 3:00-4:00pmListening Session: March 13 – 4:00-5:00pm

Online Surveys:September 2018 November 2018March 2019

Other:Context Documents SP websiteEmails from Faculty/staffOpen Letters to the SP websiteInformal Conversations

How did we engage with the community?Faculty and Staff Engagement (cont.)Program Review Committee – Fall QuarterQuarterly Center Directors Meeting – Fall QuarterProvost's Council – October 22Dean's Council – November 7Cabinet and Dean's Meeting – December 3Psychology Department – February 2019Academic Assembly – February 25Center for Jesuit Education – February 19Bias Prevention and Campus Climate Working Group – February 26Communication Department – February 27Law School Faculty – May 5President's Committee for Sustainability – March 6Anthropology and Sociology Department – March 13Socially Responsible Investment – March 13ICTC Jesuit Catholic Education Task Force – March 14SU ADVANCE IT Grant – March 14Chemistry – March 19Non-Tenure Track Faculty – March 22

Arts and Sciences Staff – March 25Externally facing SU Faculty and Staff – February 25Dean's Council – April 3Department of Public Safety – April 3Law School Staff Council Meeting – April 3President's Cabinet – April 9Staff Council – April 10Global Engagement – April 10Non-Tenure Track Faculty – April 10Academic Advising Council – April 10President's Council – April 16Athletics – April 18Cabinet and Dean's Meeting – April 29President's Cabinet – April 30Dean's Council – May 1Faculty/Staff of Color – May 6LGBTQ Faculty/Staff - May 6Campus Ministry – May 15

How did we engage with the community?Students, External Community, and Board of TrusteesStudent EngagementFocus Group: February 19 – 12:00-1:00pm (Mostly Law)Open Forum: April 4 – 5:00-6:00pmOpen Forum: April 11 – 11:30am-1:00pmOpen Forum: March 6 – 5:00-6:30pmOpen Forum: March 15 – 11:00am-12:30pmOpen Forum: March 19 – 12:00-1:30pmOpen Forum: April 2 – 6:00-7:30pmOpen Forum: April 3 – 12:00-1:30pmOnline Student Survey - Winter Quarter

External Community EngagementJanuary 16 – Seattle Business LeadersFebruary 28 – Service-Learning PartnersMarch 1 – Seattle Catholic Leaders March 5 – Alumni Board of GovernorsMarch 21 – Industry RecruitersApril 17 – Seattle U DonorsApril 26 – Board of RegentsMay 6 – Athletics DonorsMay 14 – Albers Dean’s Executive Advisory BoardBoard of Trustees EngagementFebruary 20 – Board Subcommittee on Catholic, Jesuit, Campus Climate, and Inclusive Excellence February 21 Board Meeting & May 8-9 Board Meeting

Update and Current Status • Late April-mid May

– Following Engagement Round 1 the Steering Committee developed draft “Strategic Positioning Document”

• Current Status– Re-engagement with the community to review draft

“Strategic Positioning Document” (Round 2A engagement)– Circulated to Board of Trustees, Cabinet and Deans

What we heard: Most common themesFaculty, Staff, Students, External Community, Cabinet, Deans, Board

• “Silos” - We are operating as quasi-independent areas. This is remarkably wide-spread.

• We are passionate about our mission and confused about “mission alignment” (e.g., alignment re: diversity and inclusion).

• We are concerned about financial uncertainty. We seek stability, accountability, and fairness in decision making (not noted by external community).

• We need to enhance distinctiveness, increase reputation, student experience, enrollment, and retention (e.g., first choice school).

What we heard: Areas of disagreementThere are several key areas where stakeholders, particularly within and among faculty and staff, seem evenly divided

– Academic calendar– Appropriate level of focus on undergraduate vs. graduate education– Appropriate degree of innovation– Relevant prominence of STEM disciplines (particularly Computer

Science) to the liberal arts– Balance between the investments needed to be high-touch and

student-centered, while maintaining affordability

Key Elements of Draft “Strategic Positioning Document”

1. Explanatory Notes from Steering Committee2. A Vision for the Plan3. Assumptions: External and Seattle University4. Six Commitments with Emergent Tactics or Key Elements

• Note: this is not a full strategic plan: does not include financial components, measures of success, or responsible parties

Vision for the Plan• Our students experience an education that is challenging, supportive and

helps develop the mind, body and spirit. They learn from dedicated and experienced faculty - scholars who are committed to academic rigor and student learning and success. They experience rich co-curricular and social opportunities that create connection and care for them as whole persons. They engage in professional and experiential learning that prepares them to be successful in their careers and lives. They become ethical and discerning leaders with the critical thinking, communications and leadership skills needed to create a more just and humane world. We continually become better at providing the experiences that make students want to attend, graduate from and remain engaged with Seattle University.

Vision for the Plan (cont.)• We excel at providing this kind of education because our work is

grounded in the Jesuit Catholic educational tradition. This 500 year tradition values academic rigor, care for all persons and especially those on the margins, and the development of the whole person. Through better understanding and delivering a truly Jesuit education informed by our unique location, by becoming more integrated, more adaptive, and more disciplined, we will ensure we remain a thriving university and continue to fulfill our mission of empowering leaders for a just and humane world.

Vision for the Plan (cont.)• We recognize that higher education is in challenging times and we

are committed to meeting those challenges. Our work will capitalize on our Jesuit way of educating and on our location in the heart of Seattle, a global leader in technology and innovation offering tremendous professional preparation opportunities, and a city with real-world challenges where our teaching, scholarship and engagement are making a difference.

Commitments• We recommend the university make six commitments,

four strategic and two foundational. • The strategic commitments are intended to improve the

distinctiveness and quality of Seattle University and the educational experiences of our students. The foundational commitments are intended to strengthen our institutional capacity and coherence to better allow the success of the strategic commitments.

• What follows is an brief overview explaining how our Round 1 engagement contributed to these commitments.

Explanation: How We are Using What We Heard• Passion for our mission as

what makes us distinct• Confusion re: “who we are”

or “how we execute our mission”

• E.g., Committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity, yet not fully demonstrated alignment with these elements

Strategic Commitment #1: Enhance our Jesuit Character“Double down” on the Jesuit character at the core of the education we provide: the academic quality, values, pedagogy, student experience and care that make us distinctive. Make clearer – to ourselves and to others – its full meaning in word and action.

We heard… We propose…

Explanation: How We are Using What We Heard

• Passion for our mission as what makes us distinct

• Seattle is a strength• Existing community

engagement is a strength• Relationships with alumni

and Seattle organizations need improvement

Strategic Commitment #2: Fully Embrace Our Location in SeattleLink our Jesuit distinctiveness with our unique location in the heart of Seattle. Deeply integrate the university with our city and region, adapt to and positively impact our context, and leverage the opportunities afforded by our unique location. Name and Own the Formula: Jesuit Education+Seattle=Seattle University.

We heard… We propose…

Explanation: How We are Using What We Heard

• Projected 9% decline in national UG population beginning in 2025 is a threat

• Desire to improve student success and holistic experiences (mind, body, spirit)

• Calls to enhance our distinctiveness and increase reputation, enrollment, and retention

Strategic Commitment #3: Become the First Choice School for Undergraduate StudentsPrimarily for traditional undergraduates and residential students, focus on developing a stronger market position and become a first choice school for more undergraduate students. Better understand the student experience we provide and better understand the experiences provided by our strongest peers, and how their most impressive elements might manifest at SU. In ways that are strongly aligned to academics, create the experiences that lead to greater student demand and engagement.

We heard… We propose…

Explanation: How We are Using What We Heard

Strategic Commitment #4: Meet the Changing Market Needs for Graduate Education

Primarily for graduate and non-traditional students, realign existing resources dedicated to online and professional education to become better at offering programs that meet changing market needs and accommodate the life demands of students managing careers and families. Create the experiences that lead to greater student demand and engagement.

•Projected 9% decline in national UG population beginning in 2025 is a threat

•Increasing opportunity to respond to need for life-long learning.

•Importance of graduate programs in developing professional leadership

We heard… We propose…

Explanation: How We are Using What We HeardWe heard…

• “Silos”: most frequent term• Areas of the institution are

operating relatively independently

• Results in fragmented student, alumni experiences and high frustration of faculty, staff

We propose…Foundational Commitment #1: Become an Integrated Comprehensive Institution Modernize our institution to provide superb levels of support to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Prioritize improving the experience and satisfaction of students, faculty, staff and alumni, and realize greater care for all members of our community, by redesigning systems and structures for improved integration.

Explanation: How We are Using What We Heard

Foundational Commitment #2: Enhance our Culture of Fairness and Accountability

Become better at making the decisions and commitments needed for the SU community to thrive. Undertake a disciplined review of what is and is not thriving and make decisions about what to continue, what to change, and what to end. Develop the strength as a community to more positively manage the conflicts and tensions arising from the adaptive challenges we face as a university and that reflect the larger socio-political landscape of our communities and country.

We heard… We propose…

• Strong desire for accountability

• Strong concern re: financial uncertainty

• Calls for decision making fairness and transparency and improved shared governance

Small Group Discussions. How well does each section serve its intended function?

1. Explanatory Notes: Serve as a preface to the document – provide a context that situates the reader.

2. Vision for the Plan: Articulate the “north star” for the plan – that which the plan works toward.

3. Assumptions: Articulate key points regarding our current context – the reality within which this work begins.

4. Commitments: The key defining elements of the work do be done.• Is the content appropriate and directionally correct? Would

you change anything?• What recommendations do you have to implement the

commitments in this document?

Strategic Planning Process in Context• Prior to Strategic Planning, University Undertook Significant Planning that

should be carried forward:– Campus Climate Survey– Report of the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence– Mission Examen– Academic Affairs Operations Review

• Parallel to Strategic Planning, Board of Trustees and Cabinet are moving forward in several areas:

– Annual Budgeting– Approved Commitments

• faculty / staff wage pool increases; new online programming; applied data center– Fundraising Goals

• Capital Campaign launch in Fall 2019– Facilities

• Board approval of new Center for Science and Innovation• Board feasibility study for an on campus event center

Strategic Planning Process in ContextAt the request of the Board of Trustees, the Steering Committee is considering the possibility of an event center facility within the Strategic Planning Process: How best to do this…• in a manner aligned with the process and standards

we have established?• within the timing constraints we face?

Strategic Planning Process in Context –Event Center

Key Questions:• What do you need to know to have an informed

perspective on the possibility of an event center?• Do you have any ideas for how we can get the

question above to as many different stakeholders as possible before the beginning of fall quarter?

Path Forward: Anticipated Next Steps• Now - June 17th

– Engagement Round 2A – Open Fora / Listening Sessions / Tool kit for Departments and Campus Groups

/ Potential Survey• Goal for end of this Academic Year

– President’s Approval of a Proposed Strategic Positioning Document, revised as appropriate after stakeholder review from Engagement Round 2A

– Hard Pause June 17th-July 1st.• Summer

– Steering Committee will build out positioning document and will develop draft strategic plan integration/alignment with University’s financial planning

• Fall – Campus review of draft Strategic Plan - November submission to BOT

Engagement Round 2A Open Fora Dates

Date Start End Location

Tue, May 28 12:00 noon 2:00pm Sullivan 109

Mon, Jun 03 12:30pm 2:00pm Pigott 103

Wed, Jun 05 12:30pm 2:00pm Wyckoff Auditorium

Tue, Jun 11 12:30pm 2:00pm Harding 143NOTE: Listening Session Dates will be posted on the Strategic Planning website and announced via email.

Please Continue to Reach Out to Us!Email:StrategicPlanning@seattleu.edu

Send comments, questions, suggestions

Request a targeted listening session for a department or community (e.g., working parents, NTT faculty)

Website:seattleu.edu/president/strategic-planning/