Madison Future Commission Strategic Planning Process
Why?
There are many reasons that now is the right time to create a new JMU Strategic Plan.
- JMU’s new president, Mr. Jonathan Alger, must be given the opportunity to develop and cast his vision, setting the best new course for JMU.
- The higher education marketplace is undergoing significant change. To be on the leading edge, the institution should take a fresh approach to planning and create a new strategic plan that anticipates change for the university’s best success.
- The work of the 2006 Madison Commission is coming to its conclusion.
- The university is required by the Code of Virginia to maintain a continually-updated 6-year plan.
- Each division head expects the university to establish its strategic plan to guide them as they set the respective courses of their divisions.
What?
A task force of key university leaders (and those with experience in the previous planning efforts) met in May 2012 and suggested the following parameters for any new strategic planning effort:
- Rather than a simple update of previous planning efforts, it should start fresh, with a very future-focused approach.
- It should reflect and result in alignment between the university’s mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives.
- It should involve all major university stakeholders - faculty, staff, students, community leaders, and alumni.
- The resulting plan should be characterized by a sense of involvement in and ownership by faculty and staff.
- It should have complete and vocal support from the president, division heads, AVP’s and deans.
- It should provide students an opportunity for involvement.
- It should be more focused on the breadth and quality of the work rather than speed.
- The resulting strategic plan should be a living, organic concept, the focus of continual updating, change, and adaptation. It should not be a static, “once-now-forever” approach.
- The resulting strategic plan should be communicated frequently and clearly, the subject of a running dialogue.
- The resulting strategic plan should be understood by applicable stakeholders.
How? and When?
The Strategic Planning Process, 2014-2020 proposal represents a suggested roadmap for creating the university’s new strategic plan for 2014-2020. The Madison Future Commission (MFC) is the the primary vehicle for creating the new strategic plan under the guidance of a new University Planning Team (UPT).