Envision - Charge to Envisionto Envision

As Implemented: September 2001 — May 2002

I. Introduction

The University has undergone substantial changes in its senior leadership over the past year (2001). Deans in several schools, Vice Presidents in the Health System and in Student Affairs, the Chancellor at the University’s College at Wise, and perhaps most importantly, the Provost, have departed and many of their successors have recently assumed their posts. Because of these leadership changes, the Provost is especially interested in gathering the University’s most thoughtful leaders for a program of internal visioning.

II. University Envision - Proposal

a.	Purpose/Goal
		Gene Block, the Vice President and Provost, along with Bob Sweeney, Senior Vice President for Development and Public Affairs, propose a program to be called "University Envision." The purpose of University Envision is to provide a forum for University deans and their most engaged faculty members and administrators to discuss the defining elements of each school, as well as their expectations for each school and for the institution. As it is conducted in each school, the program will be called "Envision [school name]" (for example, "Envision McIntire") to emphasize the school or unit-based nature of the program.
		University Envision will allow specific school-based groups to comment broadly on the direction of their individual schools and how the schools might influence and support a vision for the whole institution. Once individual school sessions have been held, the deans will meet with the Provost to conduct a similar session. This will allow the deans, Provost and other University leaders to better understand how the individual schools’ aspirations differ or dovetail, and to apply these aspirations to the University as a whole.
b.	Planning Processes
		The University Envision program will also serve the additional purpose of preparing the schools to address the three-year planning process, announced by the President in his April 2001 State of the University address. The three-year planning process is proposed to begin in January 2002, with school plans to be developed tentatively by December of that year. This visioning program will help set the stage for the deans in formulating specific strategic goals for their schools.
c.	Design
		In order to achieve the goal of a productive visioning process, it is critical that the deans and others in each school have an opportunity to think about the schools’ future in an open, reflective, high trust and low risk environment. The emphasis in the sessions will be on open discussion among the faculty, administrators and deans, with the Provost in a listening position. The following format is proposed to create this environment.

III. Format

a.	Pre-session preparation
		A brief information packet will be prepared and sent to participants before each session, in order to provide a set of planning assumptions as a common understanding and starting point for the discussions.
		The packet may have information relative both to the University as a whole and to the individual school, including data on enrollment, budget, facilities, fund-raising, demographics, etc.
		While participants may wish to comment on the data or to introduce additional information to supplement or respond to the data packet, the session is not meant to be an opportunity to showcase at length the strengths/weaknesses of the school, although this may be one topic of discussion.
b.	Session
		The dean will convene a group of 15-20 of the school’s most thoughtful and influential faculty members and administrators to discuss the school’s goals and aspirations for the future. It is proposed that the chief communication officer and the chief development officer from that school also be present as stakeholders in the discussion.
		Because the purpose of the sessions will be to understand the thoughts and opinions of the participants, and not to dictate a predetermined school or institutional vision, the deans are asked to listen and contribute as they choose.
		The session will run approximately three hours (i.e., a morning or an afternoon), and will be facilitated by an independent professional who is well-acquainted with the University.
		The Provost will be present in each session, primarily to listen and learn, but also to offer comments, as needed, on overall University direction.
		Other institutional stakeholders also may be present in a listening role: the Senior Vice President for Development and Public Affairs, and his chief communication officer (for development purposes); and the Chief Planning Officer.
		Others who will be invited to sit in as observers include: the Vice President for Research and Public Service, and the deans of each school.
		While a fundamental set of questions will be used to stimulate the visioning process in each school (see below), each dean will have the opportunity to suggest questions appropriate to a specific school.
c.	Proposed Questions
		Questions for the sessions might fall under the following headings: defining elements; challenges; visioning. These questions are suggested as preliminary questions; it is expected that the issues will vary from school to school, and that certain topics will be probed more deeply as appropriate in each session.
		1.	Defining elements
				When you hear others describe the strengths of the School, what do they say?
				How would a new faculty member describe the culture of the School? How do you describe it?
				What are the most important issues facing the School now (or in the next 3-5 years)?
				What is at the "core" of the School that is so essential to its mission or identity that it should always be protected? And, what should always be open to change?
		2.	Visioning
				What are the "headlines" (accomplishments) you would like to see regarding the School in the next 3-5 years?
				What’s going on in the School’s environment that could help the School achieve those?
				What are the challenges/threats to the School that could make it difficult to achieve them?
				Does the School have specific goals for the next 3-5 years? For the coming year? If yes, what are they?
		3.	Other Issues
				Looking down the road, what is your greatest concern regarding the School? The University?
				What are the key strategies for moving the School toward your hopes (and avoiding the major threats)?
				What haven’t we asked that we should be asking?
d.	Post-session follow-up
		A scribe will be used to make a record of the discussion in each session. The discussion notes will be reviewed by the participants after the session, for accuracy and the "sense" of the group.
		The information from the school sessions will be distributed to all the deans for use in a session to be held with the Provost on overall institutional direction.
		The feedback from all the University Envision sessions will be used to:
			help modify the proposed Virginia 2020 short-term goals and actions;
			shape institutional direction in areas that are not covered under the four Virginia 2020 areas;
			begin preparations for the three-year planning process;
			provide a common understanding about school aspirations in order to better communicate with external constituencies.