Last week, the University Council approved its strategic plan for the year 2020, and after University president Michael Adams approves the final draft, the document will be submitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a part of the University’s reaccreditation.

Most of the plan was drafted between May and October of last year, so the newest budget cuts were not reflected in the plan, said William Vencill, professor of agricultural and environmental sciences and chair of the committee.

“In the last 10 years, what we’ve painfully realized is that there are limits,” Vencill said. “And even though [the plan] doesn’t have the current budget bear, there are limits, and we’ll have to prioritize.”

The goals of the plan include enhancing undergraduate education; further developing graduate and professional programs; expanding research; enhancing faculty recruitment, retention and development; improving facilities and infrastructure; and advancing campus sustainability.

“What I like about the 2010-2020 Strategic Plan is that it is a consensus document that has been vetted by faculty, staff and students,” said Alison Alexander, senior associate dean for Grady College and committee member. “It sets broad goals for the future and includes priorities and benchmarks for achieving these goals.” 

Some of these benchmarks call for lowering the faculty-to-student ratio, hiring research faculty and increasing total graduate and professional student enrollment — but with the budget reductions, nothing is sure. 

“It’s going to be a challenge, no doubt about it,” Vencill said. “We’ll have to find some innovative funding mechanisms to really grow in the next 10 years. It’s probably going to be unlikely that we’ll get them from the state.” 

Vencill said some schools have done well despite the recession. 

“A lot of our aspirational schools have managed to grow and prosper under very limited state resources,” Vencill said. “They’re looking for new ways of getting resources to develop their programs, and the University of Georgia is going to have to do the same thing.” 

After the plan was drafted, the committee asked for input from students, faculty and staff through open forums and electronic means. 

“At the open student forum, there were many suggestions and ideas from students about how we could include more in the strategic plan on campus sustainability,” said Jessica Seagraves, Franklin College senator and committee member. “It was very obvious that this was an important issue for many students that should be addressed in the strategic plan.” 

Reflecting on the last 10 years, Vencill said though the University fell short in some areas such as research, it did very well in diversifying the campus and encouraging students to study abroad.  

“The plan goes far beyond any one- or two-year budget mess,” he said. “This is what we want the institution to look like in 10 years, so I’m very happy with it.”

Strategic Priorities Outlined in the University’s 2010-2020 Strategic Plan

Undergraduate Education

—Provide a meaningful first-year experience for all incoming freshmen through programs such as the mandatory first-year seminar.

—Offer opportunities to engage with the community through service-learning programs.

Graduate and Professional Programs

—Increase graduate students’ research productivity in part by building research partnerships with prestigious universities abroad.

—Maintain competitiveness for graduate and professional student recruitment by increasing financial support and other benefits.

Research

—Establish a stand-alone school of engineering to support the University’s research mission.

—Focus on interdisciplinary research, such as environmental programs.

Faculty

—Increase opportunities for faculty and staff retention, such as endowed chairs and professorships.

—Provide opportunities for staff enrichment and salary and benefits packages.

Facilities

—Provide infrastructure that allows for instruction in “global classrooms,” such as learning environments that link students and faculty in different countries synchronously.

—Enhance classroom and instructional laboratory space needed to meet future growth.

Sustainability

—Encourage the further development and use of mass transportation to and on campus.

—Demonstrate and promote leadership in sustainable living and learning, contextualizing the local as part of the global in sustainability.