The Planning Process

On October 31, 2003, President Norman Fainstein announced the formal beginning a strategic planning process, which he called “the single most important initiative we have yet undertaken.” He convened the Strategic Planning Steering Committee (SPSC), comprised of twenty-four representative members of the College community, each chosen by its particular constituency, students, faculty, or staff. Coordinated by Helen Regan, Special Assistant to the President, former Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Education, the Committee set to work charged to “clarify the image of the College, refresh its mission, and chart a course towards a widely shared vision of the College”.

In keeping with the strong tradition of shared governance at the College, the Committee conducted its work throughout the year-long planning process iteratively, building on successive consultations with the College community. A survey conducted in November and presented to the Board of Trustees at a special December meeting and to the campus community at the first of four campus open forums helped the Committee to begin drafting the plan bolstered by a strong understanding of the College’s strengths, issues and aspirations.

Building on discussions of the results of the survey with the trustees and the campus community, the Committee constructed the Framework for Planning, which included a first draft of a new mission statement, a vision for the College in 2011, and a set of goals pointing toward the envisioned future for the College. The Framework was discussed with the trustees at its February 2004 meeting and with the campus community in the second open forum. A web based survey followed in March, through which the Committee received hundreds of suggestions for concrete actions through which to achieve the proposed goals. In April, the Committee formed into task forces around each goal, and using the many suggestions, created the first set of specific initiatives for each goal.

The separate task force reports were integrated into an initial draft of the plan that was presented to the trustees and campus community in May. Called affectionately the “kitchen sink” version of the plan, this initial version was condensed into a more succinct and sharp version as the result of the May feedback. Using a forced choice exercise, the Committee selected the most salient initiatives, and aggregated related suggestions, to produce a shorter and tighter version of the plan. Cost estimates for each initiative were then assembled to produce a reasonableness test, assuring that the recommended activities could be undertaken within projected budget growth over the life of the plan and within a comprehensive campaign to come. This version, complete with cost estimates, was shared with the College community at the final open forum in September. In early October, the Committee forwarded its final recommended plan to the President, who accepted it essentially as presented to him.

The final stage of the planning processes involved seeking and receiving endorsements from the faculty, students, and staff, each of whom approved the plan by wide margins. On October 22, 2004, President Fainstein presented the newly endorsed mission statement and plan to the Board of Trustees who approved both unanimously.