President asks input on plan and progress

A “mid-cycle review” of Waterloo’s plans for the next five years, and beyond, was introduced in a campus-wide memo yesterday from president Feridun Hamdullahpur.

“We have reached a stage in our existence,” he told students, faculty and staff members, “that requires a thorough review of where we have been and where we are going as a research intensive university of global stature. Social, political, and economic pressures have once again put post-secondary education in to the spotlight, intensifying the scrutiny of scholarship, teaching, access, outcomes, and relevance. The time has come to assess our place in higher learning and improve our position as a globally recognized and respected institution.”

The mid-cycle review of the 2006 Sixth Decade Plan will consider its “ambitious goals”, he said, as well as “reflect on our progress, realign our plan for the next five years, and introduce an accountability framework to help us better monitor our success.

“Our work will be built on our foundational pillars: academic excellence, research excellence and impact, co-operative education, graduate studies, internationalization, and entrepreneurship.

“Most importantly, the results from this process will guide the development and integration of Faculty, Academic Support Unit and Administrative Support Unit plans, their implementation plans, and their accountability frameworks.”

Said the president: “Our university plan belongs to all of us and requires the attention and the input of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. During the fall term, a series of face-to-face consultations will be held to help us confirm the goals for the next five years. Beginning in January, focus group discussions will be held to deepen our understanding for each of the goals and to develop clear objectives. By the end of March 2012, a report will be produced that includes documentation of our process and action plans with annual progress measures.

“The results will be approved by Senate and will inform other campus-wide initiatives such as student success, strategic workforce planning, multi-year integrated resource planning, and internal communications.

“I look forward to our conversations over the next several months as we realign our strategic plan through trust, transparency, and our shared passion to make the University of Waterloo a greater place to study, work, discover, and innovate.”

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Details of ‘mid-cycle review’ are online

There are some background documents online, on a “Mid-cycle Review” web site. It says in part: “In 2006, our Sixth Decade Plan set out a series of ambitious goals — some achievable, some aspirational — and next year will mark the mid-point of this plan. We have enjoyed many accomplishments; at the same time, much has changed both here and around the world. These changes bring new challenges and opportunities as we continue to build our reputation as a globally recognized and respected university.

“This fall we begin the mid-cycle review . . . this document will be revised to reflect our learning as we make progress and engage members of the university community.”

During the fall of 2011, it says, consultations will be held to gather input from as many stakeholder groups as possible, as well as the university community at large. “The objectives of the consultations are to provide an opportunity to hear the views and aspirations of members of the university community; bring the Sixth Decade Plan to life for students, faculty, staff, and alumni, connecting it with their work and local plans; seek input and create shared commitment to implementation of actions resulting from the mid-cycle review.”

The first stage of the consultations, it says, will consider the following questions: “What would you see for the University of Waterloo as one of the globally recognized and respected universities? What might hold us back from getting there? What recommendations do you have? What priorities do we need to focus on?”

Those questions will be addressed through a series of scheduled meetings in which the president will sit down with with various groups across the campus. There will also be an online survey, “an open call for the university community to provide input”, aimed at “those who are located on satellite campuses, who may miss the face-to-face meetings, and anyone else who wants to share their contribution in an anonymous way.”

In addition, there will be an opportunity for input for anyone who wants to share it in writing by sending e-mail or a written message.

Then during the winter term, a series of focus group discussions will build on the first stage of consultations “and will be developed in collaboration with the leads of various existing initiatives that may intersect with these goals.”

The web site says the topics of the focus groups “may include, but are not limited to”, some of the issues that have already surfaced in the university’s planning: academic excellence, student “success, development, engagement, and retention”, teaching excellence, the student/faculty ratio, co-operative education, research excellence and impact, entrepreneurship, stakeholder communications, strategic workforce planning and leadership development, resource diversification, and space planning and management.

Focus group discussions “will develop specific, measurable, and actionable objectives and design preliminary action plans. The outcome will inform our planning and budgeting process.

“A report will be prepared that synthesizes the consultation findings and the key priority goals that emerge from the process. The November Town Hall meeting will be one opportunity for the President and Provost to provide an update on the consultations and inform the university stakeholders of the next steps.”

Says the web site: “We are introducing an open yet disciplined process to engage the University of Waterloo community and to deliver a set of concrete goals with clear activities, outcome measures, and accountabilities. Key to this effort is the convergence and integration of Faculty and Administrative Unit plans with the institutional plan. This mid-cycle review will lay the foundation for our next cycle of strategic planning. Each stage will be documented and communicated broadly.”

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A few other notes on a summery Tuesday

There's good news for anybody still trying to locate classes that are scheduled for "EV3" and "M3" buildings. As I mentioned in this space yesterday, those brand-new structures — Environment 3 and Mathematics 3 — aren't marked on most campus maps. Well, the online map has been updated and does show them both, as well as Engineering 6. And Brittany Stacey here in communications and public affairs tells me that a shipment of 40,000 newly printed hard-copy maps has just arrived, also with the new buildings right where they should be.

Speaking of Engineering 6, Don Haffner of plant operations reports that work is scheduled to start today on the roadway on the E6 and East Campus Hall side of parking lot B, off Phillip Street. "Steed and Evans will begin curb and asphalt removal and replacement," he says. "The work is estimated to take one week, weather dependent. Next week, line painting is scheduled." The work will mean a reduction in the amount of parking available adjacent to E6 over the next few days.

If you think “mindfulness” might help you cut your stress, well, here’s the perfect opportunity: a workshop for staff and faculty members and one for students, both starting later this month and both led by Marilyn Perdue of counselling services. “Mindfulness based stress reduction skills,” she says, “are effective in enhancing our innate ability to choose creative responses in challenging times. Learn and practise mind-body awareness skills designed to maximise personal, interpersonal and academic coping skills; enhance concentration, focus and creativity; cultivate inner resources for greater emotional balance, health and well-being.” Both versions of the workshop will take place in the Village I great hall and will run for eight weeks — staff and faculty from 4:30 to 6:30 each Wednesday, students from 4:00 to 6:00 each Tuesday. Registration is online, or people are welcome to visit counselling services in Needles Hall to sign up. There’s a $20 fee.

And . . . Kathryn Fedy, marketing coordinator for the retail services department sends word of "a cool demo station that's now available for use. Campus Tech in the Student Life Centre has a printing station in store from Hewlett Packard. Students can check their course schedule using the HP Envy Notebook or print an assignment from the notebook, their own computer or mobile device to the wireless inkjet printer, at no charge. Stop by the store today to check out the HP Envy and wireless printer."

CAR

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