Faculty and Staff Meeting Invites Feedback on BU Strategic Plan Framework

Boston University Associate Provost and Chair of the BU Strategic Planning Task Force Doug Sears and BUMC Provost Dr. Karen Antman joined BUSDM for the Faculty and Staff Meeting February 7 to discuss "One BU: A Connected University, Framework of a Strategic Plan."

Sears presented the 12 commitments developed by the Strategic Planning Task Force with Task Force Member Dr. Raul Garcia, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research. These commitments include supporting the undergraduate curricula to build prestige for the whole university; strengthening global commitments; improving school facilities; engaging alumni; and enriching quality of life for students, staff, and faculty, among other goals.

"You don’t see [commitments] much in strategic plans," says Sears. "You see visions, a mission, but we liked that we would unite around commitments and they would drive the [university’s] priorities." The committee drew from BUSDM’s Strategic Plan (password: advance) and those of other BU schools and colleges to build the framework.

Dr. Jeffrey Hutter, associate dean for academic affairs, reviewed the BUSDM strategic planning process and the short- and long-term priorities of the school’s plan at Wednesday’s meeting. The process began in November 2005 when Dean Spencer Frankl presented his vision for the school’s future. BUSDM’s Strategic Planning Committee later reviewed the short- and long-term goals of each BUSDM department and Dean Frankl met BU President Robert Brown in March and September 2006 to review the school’s Strategic Plan.

Dr. Michelle Henshaw, BUSDM assistant dean for community partnerships and extramural affairs, presented "Community Engagement: Foundation for Excellence," which discussed BUSDM’s short-term priority to cultivate service learning in the curriculum. Dr. Thomas Kilgore, associate dean for advanced education, discussed the potential for international collaboration in "Dubai and Dubai Healthcare City."

Attendees expressed their interest in maintaining a positive environment for students, staff, and faculty, and considering the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the BU community. The task force will use the group’s comments to edit the current framework of the strategic planning report.