April 17, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues,
There is some confusion about the handoff of the work on our strategic plan from the Strategic Planning Council to the Implementation Planning Group. I write to provide clarification on the concerns that have been brought to my attention.
First, the draft plan that is on the website is the final draft. I misused the word penultimate. Second, the individuals who are serving on the IPG were appointed by me with the benefit of recommendations from the co-chairs of the SPC and the Vice Presidents. This is an operational group and people were selected with two criteria in mind: to provide some overlap with the SPC and to bring particular operational expertise to the discussion.
The goal of the IPG is to recommend strategies we might consider in order to achieve the goals in the strategic plan. These are high level recommendations. For example, one strategy to address the objective of creating an integrated academic and co-curricular plan might be to recommend a process. They are not designing the plan.
As part of the process of creating and recommending strategies to achieve the goals in the strategic plan, the IPG plans to hold several focus groups to share the drafts of their recommendations and solicit your feedback. The Vice Presidents and other leaders on campus will also meet with groups to get a better sense of what we are already doing to support the plan and to identify what may still be needed. This information will be shared with the IPG to inform their recommendations.
At the beginning of the ‘15-‘16 academic year there will be another opportunity for the campus to review the implementation strategies. I will create a Strategic Plan Oversight Committee in the fall, which will be a representational committee whose membership will be decided in the same manner we used for the SPC. This will ensure that we feel a sense of broad ownership of the plan, that we hold ourselves accountable for executing the plan and that we honor our shared commitment to ongoing transparency and good shared governance.
As we move through the next five-year period and execute this plan, we will adhere to our governance processes. This will include being attentive to those items that appropriately reside within the responsibilities of the College Senate as well as any changes that would impact the agreed upon terms in the Collective Bargaining Agreements. It also means effective communication and interaction with the operating, professional and technical staff.
The plan that has emerged is bold and aspirational. It builds on the many successes and good work already ongoing at the college. Building on what is already successful, identifying our gaps, and focusing our efforts to bridge those gaps will ensure ongoing sustainability, competitiveness, resiliency, and, ultimately, excellence in all we do.
Thank you for all that you do every day–particularly your efforts during this very busy time of year.
Respectfully,
Anne
March 12, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Just one last reminder to complete the Strategic Planning survey, and we are hoping for nearly 100% participation! In just over 24 hours, we will close the survey and Keeling & Associates will begin to tabulate the information that has been provided by our faculty, staff, and students. YOUR VOICE MATTERS! Through the many meetings and conversations that we have had, we are looking to create our Strategic Plan around our collective best thinking on which priorities to pursue first. Your thoughts will be most appreciated. The survey will take only about 20 minutes and will be available until midnight on Friday, March 13.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/keenesurvey
For all those who have taken the time to complete the survey, many thanks!
Respectfully,
Anne
March 11, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues:
Many members of the Keene State community have already taken a few minutes to complete the Strategic Planning survey. If you have completed the survey, please accept my sincere thanks. But if you are one of the few who have not yet shared your thoughts on the future of Keene State College, please take a few minutes right now to share your ideas with the Strategic Planning Council. It is critical that everyone participate to ensure that the Strategic Plan we create reflects our collective best thinking on which priorities we will pursue first. Please click on the URL below to access the survey. The survey will take only about 20 minutes and will be available until midnight on Friday, March 13. Many thanks!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/keenesurvey
Respectfully,
Anne
March 9, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues:
I’m writing to request your help in completing a brief survey as an important part of our strategic planning process. So far, many members of the Keene State community have taken the time to complete the survey, but it is critical that everyone participate in the spirit of shared stewardship and to make sure that the strategic plan we create reflects our collective best thinking on which priorities we will pursue first. By adding your voice, you will play a significant role not only in designing the plan, but in resourcing it and implementing it. If you have already completed the survey, please accept my sincere thanks. If you have not yet participated, please click on the URL below to access it. The survey will take only about 20 minutes and will be available until midnight on Friday, March 13. Thanks again!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/keenesurvey
Respectfully,
Anne
March 3, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues:
I am pleased to invite you to participate in a survey developed by our strategic planning consultants, Keeling & Associates, in conjunction with the College’s Strategic Planning Council and based on input gathered at numerous meetings with internal and external stakeholders over the last three months. As you know, our strategic planning process will enable us to realize a vision to ensure that we are a relevant, sustainable public liberal arts college in the 21st century. The plan we develop will define the College’s priorities and goals and guide decision-making for the coming five years. Your participation in this survey is vital to our ability to shape the strategic themes that have emerged to this point and, ultimately, the plan itself. The survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/keenesurvey.
Please take the time to complete this survey so that we continue in the spirit of shared stewardship and make sure that the plan reflects our collective best thinking on which priorities we will pursue first. By adding your voice, you will play a significant role in not only designing the plan but resourcing it and implementing it.
Completing the survey should take no more than 20 minutes, and responses will be kept confidential. The survey will be administered by our consultants, Keeling & Associates, and no member of the faculty, staff, or administration at Keene State will see individual responses. The report of survey results will contain aggregated data only, without any identification of individual respondents or responses.
I sincerely appreciate your efforts and thank you in advance for your participation.
Respectfully,
Anne
March 2, 2015
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues:
As you know, we are immersed in our strategic planning process to realize a vision that will ensure that we are a relevant, sustainable public liberal arts college in the 21st century. The plan that emerges will define the College’s priorities and goals and guide decision-making for the coming five years. Tomorrow you will receive a request to participate in a survey allowing members of the Keene State community to share their views on the themes that have emerged. I am writing to encourage you to participate in this survey. In the spirit of shared stewardship it is essential that this plan reflect our collective best thinking on which priorities we will pursue first. Your voice and your participation are an important component of our ultimate success in not only designing the plan but importantly resourcing it and implementing it. Completing the survey should take no more than 20 minutes, and responses will be kept confidential. The survey will be administered by our consultants, Keeling & Associates, and no member of the faculty, staff, or administration at Keene State will see individual responses. The report of survey results will contain aggregated data only, without any identification of individual respondents or responses.
I sincerely appreciate your efforts and thank you in advance for your participation. Interested persons can find regular updates on the strategic planning process on the college website, at http://www.keene.edu/featured/spc/.
Respectfully,
Anne
October 29, 2014
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues,
The events that we experienced over the weekend of October 18 had the potential to deflect our attention from our core mission and interrupt the strategies that are critical to the success of our short- and long-term future. However, the strength of our institution leading up to these events provides us with an alternative scenario. It is my sincere belief that there is no better time than the present for us to focus our efforts on a major objective for this academic year: to develop a strategic plan that reflects our common vision and values. In particular, we should aspire to a plan that continues to drive us forward on the path of excellence with regard to academic culture and student life. While we continue to assess the impact of recent events and forge a thoughtful response that engages our students, faculty, and staff, we are offered an opportunity to use the strategic planning process as a vehicle that allows us to promote sustainable and meaningful change related to the climate and culture of our campus.
This process reached an important milestone last week with the appointment of all members of the Strategic Planning Council. These individuals represent faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, and were named through a combination of administrative actions and campus governance processes. I want to thank these individuals for their willingness to take on this hard work in the spirit of shared stewardship. All members of the Council understand how important it is that this process be conducted in an open and transparent manner, and that a primary role they will play is to serve as a conduit to the constituent group they represent.
The campus will receive regular updates as the strategic planning process moves forward, and there will be frequent opportunities for all constituents to provide input, and review and respond to the Council’s thinking and actions. Key to those objectives will be the development of a designated website to strategic planning which will contain a link allowing interested persons to provide input and feedback. In addition, a small working group led by Council co-chairs Pru Cuper and Paul Striffolino has selected a facilitator who will help in the development of the plan.
The process we embark on to create this plan matters as much as developing a sharply focused plan. With the guidance of the Strategic Planning Council under Pru and Paul’s leadership, I am confident we will conduct a participatory and inclusive process that ultimately brings us the focus we need for success and excellence for the next fifteen years. But, none of this can happen without your engagement and active input. Please join with us in shaping the College’s future.
Strategic Planning Council membership is as follows:
- Dean Beaman, Manager Customs Compliance, Smiths Medical ASD, Inc.
- Christine Burke, Director, Center for Health and Wellness
- James Couch, Lecturer, Communication and Philosophy
- Pru Cuper, Professor, Education (Co-chair)
- Tim Garland, Supervisor-Electrical Shop
- William Holden, Student
- Robert Kostick, Associate Professor, Art/Honors Program
- Julia Lagace, Student
- Donna Paley, Associate Professor, Architecture
- Ellen Proshansky, Senior Information Support Assistant, Admissions
- Peter Stevenson, Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
- Paul Striffolino, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs (Co-chair)
- Lindsay Ware, KSC Alumni Board
- Michael Welsh, Professor, Political Science
- Liane Wiley, Accounting and Banking Coordinator, Business Office
- Kathleen Williams, Director of Marketing and Communications
With regards,
Anne
Anne E. Huot, PhD
President
September 24, 2014
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues,
As I indicated in my previous communication regarding the College’s upcoming strategic planning year, we are actively laying the groundwork for a successful, vigorous, participatory and meaningful process that will yield a focused strategic plan to take our College forward. To that end, I am delighted to announce that Professor Prudence Cuper and Mr. Paul Striffolino have accepted my invitation to co-chair the Strategic Planning Council. Each brings significant institutional history to the table as well as a deep commitment to our College and the education of our students. Their insights and leadership add significant value to this effort. I know that they will honor my commitment to you that we will work to conduct this process in an open, transparent and collaborative manner.
We are actively working on filling out the Council with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members. I will be meeting with Pru and Paul shortly to discuss the selection of the external facilitator and the charge to the Council.
This is an exciting time for the College!
Best wishes,
Anne
Anne E. Huot, PhD President
September 4, 2014
To all faculty and staff
Colleagues:
I am pleased to announce that today marks the official launch date of our strategic planning process. As I stated at our opening meeting on August 18, this academic year will be a time for us to set our sights on a vision for Keene State College for the next 15 years, and I believe we are ready to chart the first five-year course to advance us toward that vision.
We will do so through creation and implementation of a strategic plan that takes us even further on a pathway of excellence as a liberal arts college for the 21st century. This process begins with articulating our vision and stating our values, followed by serious deliberations regarding the specific strategies and activities that will help us actualize our goals and objectives. The plan we develop will allow us to hone our brand and enhance our competitive edge, demonstrating that we provide a distinctive, relevant, and engaging liberal arts education.
None of this can happen without your input and participation. Keene State College is uniquely excellent because of your dedication, commitment, and hard work. You are its primary stewards, and it is your passion for our students’ education, their welfare, and their personal development that make our college so special. With the launching and subsequent development and implementation of the strategic plan, I call on you once more to become engaged in the spirit of shared stewardship.
Because the strategic planning process itself is as important as its outcomes, I have attached a set of principles intended to guide that process at Keene State College. In the next few weeks, we will also be selecting an external facilitator; naming co-chairs of the Steering Committee which will guide the process; and forming the Steering Committee, which will be comprised primarily of Keene State College faculty and staff members and students. Throughout the process, there will be ample opportunity for members of the campus community to provide input and serve on work groups. I will be back in contact with how you can get engaged in the process.
This is an exciting time for the College, and I very much look forward to working with you to shape its future and determine how we will get there.
Respectfully,
Anne
Anne E Huot, PhD
President