Colorado State University’s new strategic plan is starting to come together with the drafting of a range of aspirational goals, but there are still plenty of opportunities for CSU community members to engage and contribute to the Courageous Strategic Transformation.
The groups charged with drafting goals for the Courageous Strategic Transformation plan, or CST, have released some preliminary ideas and are hosting forums starting this week to gather feedback.
In addition, the deadline for CSU community members to submit “Inspiration Proposals” has been pushed back to Oct. 31, and a generous donor has contributed funding that will provide up to $5,000 in seed funding to start implementing those that are chosen. Both large and small proposals will be considered; all should impact multiple units and include an implementation plan.
About the CST
The CST, which CSU President Joyce McConnell and her leadership team outlined for the Board of Governors in June, is a comprehensive strategic planning process that will focus on “a sustainable, thriving planet and a flourishing humanity.” It will be completed by the end of the calendar year and presented to the board in February 2022.
The times and dates of the virtual forums are posted on the CST website and appear at right, with links to join. All will be recorded. Below are some of the draft goals identified by the 15 Leadership Drafting Groups.
- Sustainability: Establish CSU as the leading university in sustainability, using the university as a living lab to apply an environmental, economic and social justice approach.
- Inclusive excellence: Develop, fund and implement sustainable initiatives to eliminate equity gaps in student success and satisfaction.
- Marketing: Further the University’s commitment to advancing CSU across all communities within the state of Colorado and the world.
- Engagement: Co-create transformative learning experiences, delivered in a variety of innovative and engaging formats to empower, cultivate and equip learners of all ages to live their best holistic lives and do their best work.
- Enrollment: Establish a financial aid strategy that supports financial accessibility for Colorado students and meets the fiscal needs of the institution.
- HR: Develop an HR and financial support system that encourages institutional agility rather than institutional inertia.
- Athletics: Foster a championship culture that propagates winning and academic achievement.
Upcoming CST forums
- Individual & Institutional Accountability – Tuesday Oct. 12 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Academic Master Plan – Thursday, Oct. 14 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Sustainability – Thursday, Oct. 14 – noon – Click here to join the meeting
- Inclusive Excellence – Tuesday, Oct. 19 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Academic Master Plan – Tuesday, Oct. 26 – noon – Click here to join the meeting
- Health – Tuesday, Oct. 26 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Facilities, Spaces & Places – Tuesday, Nov. 2 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Individual & Institutional Accountability – Thursday, Nov. 4 – noon – Click here to join the meeting
- Athletics – Thursday, Nov. 4 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
- Principled Philanthropy – Tuesday, Nov. 9 – 11 a.m. – Click here to join the meeting
The times and dates of the virtual forums are also posted on the CST website.
A visual representation of the various elements of the Courageous Strategic Transformation
In reviewing the draft goals, Vice President for Strategy Jenelle Beavers and Presidential Leadership Fellows Andrea Duffy and Scott Shrake said they have been excited to see patterns and synergies emerge. Duffy noted that inclusivity was a prominent theme, as was sustainability – in all senses of the word.
“The drafting groups have also consistently identified the opportunity to streamline some of our operational structures, creating a more agile institution,” Shrake said.
In addition, leadership drafting groups emphasized the value of transparent and inclusive communication and the need for accountability in implementing the plan.
For the drafting groups, an overarching question was and remains: “Who do we want to be, internally and externally, as an institution?” The finalized plan will leverage input from drafting groups, open forums, inspiration proposals and other community engagements to address this question.
More information on the effort is available on an FAQs page on the CST website.
