On Jan. 31, Anne Massey and MJ Peterson, co-chairs of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, sent the following update on Imagining 2034, the ongoing strategic planning process. For more information about Imagining 2034, or to become involved in the strategic planning process, visit https://www.umass.edu/planning/.
 

Dear Campus Community,

This spring we begin the next phase of the strategic planning process, which asks us to imagine UMass Amherst in 2034. It asks us to reflect on what is unique about UMass Amherst and define our goals. It asks us to consider our impact in the community — locally, nationally, and globally. It asks us what success looks like, how we can best apply our resources to attaining our goals, and how we will know if we are making progress toward them. As co-chairs of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee we are pleased to share an update on where we are in this process and how you can be involved.

Thematic Areas

As Chancellor Javier Reyes explained in his previous campus communications, over the fall semester we held listening sessions with each of our schools and colleges, the Student Government Association, Graduate Student Senate, and major administrative units. Through these sessions we learned about the mission and vision of each area, their strategic goals, their biggest challenges, and their perspectives on UMass Amherst’s most promising opportunities. There was a lot of synergy in what community members presented and discussed. From these sessions six thematic areas emerged:

• Education, including pedagogical innovation
• Research and Creative Activity
• Translation and Knowledge Transfer
• Engagement, including local, regional, national, and global partnerships
• Inclusivity and Wellness
• Financial and Operational Viability

Working Groups

Working groups have been formed to explore each thematic area in more detail. We are very grateful to the more than 70 community members who have volunteered to serve on these working groups and for their commitment to this process. Overall, the working groups will include faculty, students, and staff from a range of disciplines and departments. The list of members, including co-chairs, and the charge for each group is available on our newly launched strategic planning website. Please note that early in the spring semester we will be working with the Student Government Association and the Graduate Student Senate to add student members to the working groups. We will update the membership lists when this information is available.

Engagement

The working groups will begin their work in February and complete it by April. They will be able to utilize a variety of resources to help jump-start their thinking throughout this process, including Be Revolutionary: A Vision for the Future 2018-2023 Campus Strategic Plan; NECHE 2023 Interim 5 Year Report; strategic plans for schools, colleges, vice chancellors, and non-academic units; Diversity Strategic Plan; and materials from the fall 2023 listening sessions. They will also solicit ideas from the community.

Your first opportunity to engage in this phase of the process is through the “share your ideas” surveys that can be found on the strategic planning website in the “learn more” section of each thematic working group. Please note that you will need your UMass NetID and password to access the surveys.

The surveys will remain open until March 1. You will be able to access them more than once, but you will need to log in each time, so the discussion remains within the campus community.

At the end of this process the working groups will provide a thematic report with their findings and recommendations for UMass Amherst. These reports will be made available to the community for review and additional feedback through the strategic planning website in May.

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

The eight-member Strategic Planning Steering Committee composed of faculty and administrators will be responsible for integrating the thematic reports into a strategic plan. A co-chair from each of the six working groups will also join in this effort. The full list of steering committee members can be found on the strategic planning website. This phase of the process will begin in June and go through August. Our goal is to submit a comprehensive ten-year strategic plan to Chancellor Reyes by September 1, 2024.

Get Involved!

There is a U in UMass — and we want to hear from you! All members of our community are invited to participate in this process. The strategic planning website will be regularly updated with our progress and ways that you can engage.

We look forward to working with the community as we Imagine 2034, and the next chapter of UMass Amherst.

Sincerely,

Anne Massey
Dean, Isenberg School of Management
Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Steering Committee

MJ Peterson
Professor, Department of Political Science
Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Steering Committee