Internal News

UWF Strategic Plan 2012-2017

This summer the University of West Florida Board of Trustees adopted the new UWF 2012-17 Strategic Plan. The plan is the culmination of much research, dialogue, and academic visioning processes. Nearly 2,000 faculty, staff, students, and community members played a role in the development by participating in focus groups, retreats, surveys, and visioning meetings. The plan outlines a bold vision for UWF's future. It includes four strategic directions which are each further enhanced and defined by three descriptive priorities, for a total of 12. The four strategic directions are:

This summer the University of West Florida Board of Trustees adopted the new UWF 2012-17 Strategic Plan. The plan is the culmination of much research, dialogue, and academic visioning processes. Nearly 2,000 faculty, staff, students, and community members played a role in the development by participating in focus groups, retreats, surveys, and visioning meetings. The plan outlines a bold vision for UWF’s future. It includes four strategic directions which are each further enhanced and defined by three descriptive priorities, for a total of 12. The four strategic directions are:

— Enhanced student access, progression, and learning and development

— Distinctive teaching, scholarship, research, and professional contributions

— Valued partnerships: community engagement and service

— Sustainable institutional excellence

We have much work to do together to achieve these priorities. Yet, everything can’t be done at once. The plan spans a five year period. There are priorities that have external measures, accountability, and deadlines that must be near the top of our list.

First and foremost our highest priority is listed first in the sequence: Enhanced student access, progression, and learning and development. This is our hallmark, it is what provides a transformational experience for our students. For that reason we must center our immediate efforts to specific student learning outcomes. This means you will see a renewed focus on academic learning compacts, general education review and revision, and efforts to increase experiential education for students (internships, captstone courses, etc).

Second, our campus is growing, our student body is growing. We must have a comprehensive plan to manage our enrollment growth to ensure we meet the needs of our region and that we can continue to provide the quality education for which we are known. You will soon see an enrollment planning team being created for this purpose.

Next, student persistence and timely progression to degree attainment is on the minds of everyone. We can and must do a better job retaining our students, this requires a university wide effort. We have a new retention plan and now it is incumbent upon us all to participate.

Finally, we must have a culture that focuses on strategic planning, evidence-based practice, and a continuous improvement philosophy. We must improve our data accuracy and availability, ensure SACS/COC reaffirmation in 2015 and fully integrate planning and budgeting throughout the university. Much effort is already under way in these areas, and more is to follow. For instance, next week you will see a survey come out about community engagement endeavors. Please take the time to complete it as it is important in cataloging the data we will need to move forward with our SACS/COC reaffirmation and prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement designation.

Finally, I want to remind you that each and every one of us play an integral and unique role in UWF’s success. Since the adoption of the plan the Vice Presidents were each charged to develop divisional goals that directly tie to the plan. The divisional goals are expected to be supported by departmental goals and ultimately individual goals. Please get involved in this process, our success depends on it. Start right now by reviewing the UWF Strategic Plan 2012-2017, if you haven’t already, at http://uwf.edu/academic/strategicplanning/.