October 20, 2015
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
I am pleased to report that
the University-wide strategic plan is progressing and ask that you
“hold the date” for town hall meetings next month on each campus -- an
opportunity for you to participate in the strategic planning process.
Each
session will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and will be held Nov. 9 on the
Springfield campus, Brookens Auditorium; Nov. 18 on the
Urbana-Champaign campus, Beckman Auditorium; and Nov. 30 on the Chicago
campus, Student Center East.
I will be at each session along with
the campus chancellor, and we look forward to robust and thoughtful
discussions about the future of our three University campuses. As I said
at the outset of this initiative, our vision will be far-reaching and
its foundation will be wholly student-centered.
The town hall
meetings will be augmented by smaller group discussions intended to gain
insights and perspective from University constituencies with common
interests, such as units devoted to student affairs or the same academic
disciplines. And there will be some open-door sessions at which people
can drop by and say what’s on their mind in an audience-free zone.
The
goal continues to be a concise and highly impactful plan for the
University’s future to be recommended for Board of Trustees approval
next spring. Guiding our work is a 22-member steering committee of
students, faculty and staff from across the U of I system. A strategic planning website
has been established. On the website is a list of steering committee
members, a process timeline, summaries of planning retreats held this
past summer, and background materials that make for some stimulating
reading.
And there is my favorite feature of the website: “Your
Input-Your Story.” It is a clever exercise to tell an insightful story
in six words. You are invited to share with the steering committee your
six-word story about the vibrant future you’d like to see for the
University of Illinois.
I encourage you to be involved in the strategic planning initiative, and I look forward to seeing you next month.
Sincerely,
Tim