Potential strategic planning projects will be presented at mini-summit on Aug. 31

The final strategic planning mini-summit will be held Aug. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the first-floor gallery space at 2455 Presidential Drive.

During the final mini-summit, the strategic initiative working groups will present their final projects plans. The session will provide a great opportunity for Wright State University community members to learn about the projects that could make up our strategic plan.

The mini-summit will be held Friday, Aug. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the first-floor gallery space at 2455 Presidential Drive.

RSVP through the strategic planning website.

Supervisors and managers are encouraged to provide employees with the time to attend the mini-summit as business conditions allow. Participants are encouraged to wear green and gold to show your Wright State spirit.

In the final phase of the strategic planning process, the university’s leadership team will work collaboratively to prioritize projects to accomplish during the coming year. As Wright State continues to implement the strategic plan, the university will periodically refocus its efforts by closing out completed projects, activating later projects or adding new projects.

Since May, hundreds of staff, faculty, students, alumni and community partners have gathered for five mini-summit sessions to develop project proposals to include in the strategic plan and shape the university’s future. They started by brainstorming their most important goal for Wright State, then volunteered to join one of 15 strategic initiative working groups tasked with developing proposed project ideas.

During mini-summit 4, on July 13, the working groups presented roughly 75 project ideas, designed to have high impact on Wright State University. They have since refined their best ideas, based on feedback from mini-summit participants and university leaders.

The projects plans will include actions to carry out the ideas, milestones, metrics to measure success, a timeline and resources. Project ideas are available for review on the strategic planning website.

Proposed project ideas are organized around the themes of collaborative delivery of services; research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; strategic relationships and partnerships; teaching, learning, and programming; and the Wright State experience.

Some of the project ideas under consideration include creating new spaces for student engagement, eliminating paper forms on campus, offering core courses online and providing every student with an experiential learning opportunity.

Academic-focused ideas include implementing inter-collegiate undergraduate degree programs from diverse disciplines; developing a combined dining commons, kitchen, farm and food curriculum; and creating an entrepreneurship center to encourage a culture of innovation.

Some ideas focus on university operations, including providing time for employees for training, mentoring and community service; creating an environment of trust, transparency; and holding university summits.

Other working groups have proposed projects with an external focus, including establishing an office of community/corporate engagement; attracting more military personnel to enroll in classes; and opening a university welcome center.

Through the strategic planning process, the university is creating an ongoing dialogue that encourages continuous reflection and revision of the community’s hopes and priorities. The planning process is designed to help faculty, staff and students engage and reconnect with others across the university and with partners in the broader community in meaningful ways. Over time, this process will help the Wright State community shape both its culture and future.

The new strategic plan will guide Wright State University by creating a vision and focus that directly aligns resources with the community’s values, strengths and the strategy built around them. The planning process will put the institution in a position to thrive in higher education’s changing environment, help the university achieve financial sustainability, and foster a campus atmosphere that provides graduates with opportunities to excel in fields that define the future.

The university expects to deliver the strategic plan to the Board of Trustees in October for its approval.