Empire State University Strategic Planning Process Recap 2022-2023
1. BACKGROUND
In August 2022, one month after President Vollendorf took office, SUNY Empire launched a strategic planning process. The goal of the process was to create a strategic framework to guide future institutional efforts and resource allocation.
As a first step, we created a Strategic Planning Task Force comprised of faculty, staff, professional employees, administrative leadership, student representation, alumni, donors, and board members. Co-chaired by Professor Dana Gliserman Kopans and Interim Vice Provost Seana Logsdon, the task force was charged with creating an inclusive process that would result in articulation of strategic priorities for SUNY Empire. Trends in regional and national higher education and the labor landscape were considered throughout the process in addition to all feedback gathered throughout the process.
While the process was underway, significant changes took place in our broader environment. SUNY Empire State College received approval to change to university status. In addition, SUNY Online—a systemwide approach to online programs—was discontinued, a move that positioned SUNY Empire as SUNY’s leading online institution and New York state’s only public online institution.
2. PROCESS
The strategic planning process had the following structure:
- LAUNCH: A Town Hall attended by 363 people was held on September 19, 2022. The event set the stage by delineating institutional, regional, and national trends regarding student demographics and enrollments, academic program demand, and the workforce. It also identified future opportunities for SUNY Empire.
- SURVEY: A survey was sent to students, alumni, employees, board members, donors, and community members in September 2022 asking for feedback on what we do well at the institution, what we could do better, what we should stop doing, and what opportunities people see for the next 5-10 years.
2,621 people responded (including 1,422 students and alumni and 1,199 employees, donors, partners, board members, and College Council members).
- WORLD CAFÉS: From the survey responses, the taskforce identified several themes to take back out to the community in a world café (e.g., group dialogue and feedback) setting. The themes were: students and their success; access; organizational clarity and effectiveness; reputational enhancement; and growth and expansion.
More than 400 people—including students, faculty, staff, professional employees, administrative leadership, board members, donors, and supporters—gave feedback through the world cafés in October and November 2022.
- DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN: Feedback gathered through the survey and world cafés was used to refine the themes. It also was used to revise the institutional mission, vision, and values to align with the forthcoming strategic plan and the change to university status. The draft strategic framework—complete with updated drafts of our mission, vision, and values statements—was shared with the community once again for feedback in January and February 2023. People were invited to provide feedback via a survey as well as during virtual participation sessions.
Feedback sessions were attended by 738 individuals, while 69 individuals responded to the survey. - FINALIZATION OF PLAN: The task force provided feedback on iterative drafts of the framework, which was complete in time for the March 1, 2023 phase one deadline. The timeline for phase two—to include development of division-based objectives and measurable goals in support of the framework—was announced to the campus community, as was the five-year timeline of the plan (2023-28).
3. SUMMARY OF PARTICIPATION
Over the six months of framework development and feedback, we had more than 4,190 inputs, including:
- Attendance of 363 individuals at the Town Hall launch event
- 1,422 students and alumni survey responses
- 1,199 employees, donors, partners, board members, and College Council member survey responses
- 400+ world café participants
- 738 feedback session participants
- 69 draft strategic plan survey responses
4. STRATEGIC PLANNING TASKFORCE AND SUPPORT TEAM
Our strategic planning process would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of those who volunteered to serve on the Strategic Planning Task Force and all who supported their work. Moreover, everyone who participated in the launch event, surveys, world cafés, and feedback sessions made it possible for this phase one process to be inclusive, meaningful, and collaborative.
5. SUMMARY OF PHASE ONE AND OUTLINE OF PHASE TWO AND BEYOND
Phase one of the 2022-23 strategic planning process resulted in a revised mission, vision, values, and priorities statement that positions the institution to move into the next level of input and refinement. The task force completed its work in a timely fashion, enabling the institution to be well-positioned for its name change to Empire State University on March 22, 2023.
Phase two of the planning process has been scheduled for April 1 to July 1, 2023, during which time objectives and measurable goals will be identified in each division.
By the end of 2022-23, Empire State University will have a comprehensive strategic plan and will be positioned to implement, measure, assess, and refine our efforts for the life of the plan: 2023-2028.