Report to Faculty Senate
Institutional Planning Committee
September 22, 2004
Present: Joan Futch, Michael Holland, Kurt Keppler, Marsha Krotseng, Michael Noll, Blake Pearce, Ruth Salter, Richard Schmertzing, and Fred Ware.
Meeting was called to order at 4:05 P.M.
The IPC met for the first time in the academic year 2004-2005. The committee welcomed its new members: Dr. Joan Futch (CON), Dr. Michael Holland (COB), and Dr. Richard Schmertzing (COE / Chair-elect).
As its first point of discussion, the meeting shortly touched upon the topic of the Concise Mission Statement and whether or not it had been successfully publicized in the months following its adoption by the Senate. Believing that this is not the case, the IPC again would like to encourage the VSU community to use any of the methods of dissemination for the Concise Mission Statement as outlined in our report to the Senate on April 12, 2004. Eventually we will want to revise this first version of our Concise Mission Statement, and any such revision will depend on the input of the VSU community.
As a second point of discussion, the IPC focused on the need to improve the communication of the process (and progress!) of both the Master Plan and the Strategic Planning at VSU. On one hand, it appears that the VSU community as a whole does not have sufficient access to the short term successes and long term goals of the Master Plan and the Strategic Planning. On the other hand, a certain fatigue concerning the issues seems to have surfaced within the VSU community, as we have been in the midst of all these changes for quite some time.
Thus, and particularly in the light of the fact that VSU has received both statewide and national recognition for its planning strategies, it seems that we need to find better ways to communicate the successes of our joint efforts. Consequently, the IPC would like to make the following suggestions:
A room in Odum Library could be made available for a "Past, Present & Future" exhibit of VSU’s evolutionary growth over the years, with a particular focus on ongoing and future projects. Such an exhibit should present blueprints, clear timelines, and accomplished action steps, so that the community as a whole can better appreciate and understand VSU’s development. For such an exhibit, one could also utilize and modify the 3D VSU model currently located in the library.
Moreover, the creation of a web based "virtual tour" of VSU’s growth over time, particularly with its envisioned development for the coming years, might significantly enhance the understanding of the planning strategies at VSU. Such a virtual tour might not only be more accessible than an exhibit in Odum Library, it also might enable the VSU community to directly reflect on and respond to any concerns or questions raised during the tour via e-mail.
In addition to these measures, concise regular reports on the progress being made should be made available via the President’s messages, in faculty meetings, in newspapers, or any other appropriate venues to inform the VSU community and the general public on the progress being made and the work still to be done.
Finally, as a third point of discussion, it was suggested that the IPC consider updating its bylaws to more accurately reflect the dynamic atmosphere created by VSU’s strategic planning initiatives. The IPC currently is charged to "review policies and make recommendations" which often translates into slow, eventual examination of existing rules and regulations. At a time when the university faces immediate budget constraints, it is recommended that the IPC become more involved in initiating ideas for expeditious implementation. In such a fashion, the IPC could become another pipeline for individual faculty members to submit suggestions with the goal to move these ideas forward as quickly as possible. Since the existing bylaws do not constrain the expediting of recommendations, such action could even be taken without modifying the bylaws. To make sure, it is not the intent of the IPC to duplicate or overlap existing strategic planning committee activities, but rather to move ideas forward more quickly and to help expedite recommendations.
Meeting was adjourned at 5:05 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael G. Noll, Chair.