Officials on Thursday debuted initiatives outlining the development process for the University’s first strategic plan since 2020.
Since the beginning of her term in July 2023, University President Ellen Granberg and other University officials have held faculty and student discussion sessions to inform the strategic plan and released a report last April subject to community feedback on the plan. The updates were announced in an email signed by Granberg and Provost Chris Bracey and outline themes the University wants to focus on when shaping the plan like advancing interdisciplinary research and increasing global perspectives among students at the University as well as a timeline for the implementation of the strategic plan.
“As we embark on this important journey together, we are filled with optimism and excitement for GW’s future,” The email states. “This strategic framework will be our roadmap to amplifying our impact and solidifying our position as a preeminent global research university known for delivering a world-class education.”
The University has lacked a strategic plan since 2020 following officials calling former University President Thomas LeBlanc’s plan “obsolete” due to the COVID-19 pandemic after critics of the plan said it lacked community input. LeBlanc’s plan included a 20/30 initiative to cut undergraduate enrollment by 20 percent while increasing the University’s portion STEM majors to 30 percent, faculty members said the plan violated principles of shared governance and could lead to “major” cuts in funding to humanities departments.
The website lists four “areas of focus” for the University over the next five to ten years including expanding interdisciplinary research through methods like developing new applications for artificial intelligence to various areas of research. Another focus area is improving broad skills among students like increasing their global perspectives and increasing knowledge of data analytics and AI.
Other areas revolve around prioritizing professional development to train students to be “leaders” in their future careers through experiential learning opportunities. The last theme is utilizing the University’s role as a “global convener” to engage with government agencies and other organizations to enhance public policy.
The email said the University is aware that work surrounding IT, community engagement, research infrastructure and physical facilities still needs to be targeted in addition to the thematic areas specifically addressed in the strategic plan.
The updates also outline a timeline for the implementation of the plan, with fall 2024 having the Innovation Committee, made up of mostly faculty, review research to develop the plan — and officials also holding town hall meetings to draft a report of recommendations for the plan. The timeline states the Steering Committee will have a final report to be approved by the Board of Trustees before beginning implementation in spring and summer 2025, but does not state who will be on the committee.
Faculty said in 2021 that they hoped the next university president would value faculty input in major decision making. They said administrators should focus on pressing issues — like the understaffed IT department and layoffs — before reinstating an official strategic framework plan. The University has been without such a plan since 2020.
When Granberg’s presidency began, faculty said last January they were “optimistic” because her background as the former provost of Rochester Institute of Technology makes her qualified to create a strategic plan that promotes shared governance, also known as the involvement of community members in large, school-wide decisions.
