Planning
In collaboration with Blue Beyond Consulting, Commonwealth University's (CU's) President’s Cabinet, Strategic Planning Committee, and OIE co-led a highly consultative process to develop the inaugural CU Strategic Plan during 2022-23. The formal plan endorsement occurred at the CU Senate on September 14, 2023, and Council of Trustees on October 6, 2023. CU's supporting plans, budgeting and allocation processes, assessments, and continuous improvement efforts operationalize the Strategic Plan to advance CU and realize its mission, vision, values, priorities, and commitments.
Several fundamental documents informed the development of the Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Plan. Among those seminal inputs are the following:
- The State System's enabling legislation, Act 188
- The State System Mission
- 2025 State System Priorities and Goals
- State System Board-Affirmed Metrics
- Northeast Integration Plan Goals, Objectives, and Measurements
- MSCHE Standards and Criteria
- American Association of College and Universities Essential Learning Outcomes & High-Impact Practices
- Institutional data from Institutional Research Dashboards and Surveys
- Engagement strategies as described in the Strategic Planning Process Section of the Strategic Plan web page
CU planning efforts to operationalize the Strategic Plan include the following:
- Divisional and unit planning: Each summer, CU's six divisions and more than 60 units conduct operational planning, aligning their goals, initiatives, and measures to the Strategic Plan. These plans are entered into Nuventive Solutions Premier where goals are mapped to the Strategic Plan priorities/initiatives and core commitments to demonstrate alignment and adequate coverage of each Strategic Plan area.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Plan: The DEI Strategic Plan specifies four priorities around diversifying the student body and employee complement, improving URM retention and graduation rates, enhancing the campus climate, and ensuring DEI perspectives are emphasized. The more recent climate and NSSE survey results and participation in AASCU's Transformation Accelerator Cohort (TAC) provided data and information to refresh DEI strategies.
- Comprehensive Planning Process (CPP): The CPP is a high-level, multi-year planning process that integrates academic program planning, university goals and the strategies to achieve them, and the financial and budget projections to support programs, goals, and sustainability. The CPP serves as a high-level budgeting tool while CU's budgeting and allocation processes ensure appropriate funding for the divisions and units.
- Key Resource Plans: Supporting plans in facilities, information technology, personnel, and institutional aid ensure resources are allocated to the SP priorities and vital operational needs.
CU's institutional effectiveness plan describes the systematic and sustainable practices for planning, assessment, and continuous improvement and how they are integrated to advance the institution.
