Stragetic Planning Town Hall Meetings for Colleges Scheduled

Dr. David McFarland, a consultant with Penson Associates Inc., will return to UCA to conduct SPARC stakeholders and Town Hall meetings and review the progress of UCA’s strategic planning initiative. More information will be forthcoming as the meeting dates approach. Town Hall meeting dates are:

College-Specific Meetings, Fall 2010

College of Business
Mon., Oct. 4, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Student Center 215

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Mon., Oct. 11, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Student Center 223/224

College of Liberal Arts
Mon., Oct. 18, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Student Center 215

College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Mon., Oct. 25, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Student Center 215

College of Fine Arts and Communication
Tues., Oct. 26, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., Baum Gallery

Campus-Wide Meeting, November 22

University Meeting
Mon., Nov. 22, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., McCastlain Ballroom

Various groups began meeting in early February to develop a strategic plan that will examine the university’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

A Strategic Planning and Resources Council has been charged with the development of the strategic plan. The council consists of representatives from the staff, faculty, students, alumni, UCA board of trustees and the community. Mike Schaefer, a professor of English, is the chairman of the Strategic Planning and Resources Council. Four tasks forces have developed preliminary documents on planning assumptions, driving forces, values, and distinctiveness of the university.

The goal of strategic planning is to:

•Identify the various forces acting on the university as a whole–including finances, public perceptions and expectations, demographics, and technology.

•Assess the resources of various types the university has at its disposal for carrying out its planning.

•Examine and articulate the mission and vision of the university–our sense of our purpose and our aspirations for the future–which will be informed by the core shared values of the university community.

•Identify particular attributes of the university that set us apart from our sister institutions and that thus constitute our distinctive strengths.