Strategic Plan Consultation
Leading with Purpose: University Strategic Plan Draft
Thank you for your feedback throughout the consultation process. The Steering Committee has reviewed all feedback.
The Consultation Process
How can we make the greatest impact that reflects our university’s values, commitments and aspirations? To develop meaningful answers to this question, it is essential that the strategic plan be informed by community input. For that reason, over several months, we gathered to discuss important issues facing the university and opportunities available to address them. Every member of the University of Alberta community who wished to participate in the consultation and planning process had the opportunity to do so. During the months of November and December 2022, the strategic planning steering committee hosted consultation sessions across our campuses. An online forum was also open to members of the university community to share anonymous written feedback.The steering committee carefully listened to your ideas, thoughts and feedback.
In mid-January 2023, a survey based on what we learned from our in-person consultations was shared via direct email and online. The university community had two weeks to complete this survey. The survey asked questions that expanded upon the consultation process up to that point, and sought additional input on ideas that have been shared to gain a better sense of their broad appeal.
After analyzing all discussion notes and survey responses, in March 2023 the steering committee published the "What We Heard" document. The feedback from town halls and an online form was used to develop a draft of the strategic plan.
Even though the draft was a culmination of these months of consultation, it was not an institutional plan quite yet. A revised version of the draft, with feedback from consultation sessions April 18-May 2, 2023, was presented for consideration to the General Faculties Council and the Board of Governors. On May 29, 2023, General Faculties Council overwhelmingly endorsed the university’s new strategic plan, followed by the Board of Governors' unanimous approval on June 17. A final draft of the plan will be shared with the public in September 2023.
The purpose of an institutional strategic plan is to reflect an institution’s collective will. It spells out our common understanding of why we do what we do, and it defines the direction we want to chart for the future of our institution. Accomplishing this means identifying and crystallizing this common understanding through detailed consultation, and we need to ensure that our interpretation of this complex process is correct.
Strategic planning is a time for critical reflection, but also for hope, ambition and courageous ideation. Join us as we work towards creating a vision that is truly ours and that enables us, the University of Alberta, to work together in order to accomplish even more than we already have as we approach our 125-year anniversary.