Strategic Planning News as of September 21, 2003

from David Cox (dwcox@astate.edu) 

• On Friday, September 12 the invitation to become involved in the strategic planning process went out to the ASU community (http://asunews.astate.edu/StrategicPlanning01.htm)
   
• As I write this on Sunday (Sept 21) afternoon, 58 persons have contacted either Lynita Cooksey or me offering their services. We now have a roster of 92 students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community representatives projected to be involved at various levels of the strategic planning process. Please keep letting us know of your interest. We want to hear your perceptions and ideas.
   
• It is now not and will never be too late to become involved. Please contact me (dwcox@astate.edu) as soon as possible and express an interest in one of the task forces: (1) Environmental/Institutional Scanning and Driving Forces, (2) Governing Ideas, (3) Institutional Distinctiveness, (4) Graduate Education and Research Initiatives, and (5) Governance (Shared). Or give us a blank check and say, “Use me where you need me.” We want to communicate with you and get your ideas, input, and feedback. The success of this whole enterprise will very much depend on extensive involvement of as many people as possible.
   
• Lynita and I are in the process of putting together the task force membership and the Strategic Planning Council membership. Invitations to the Strategic Planning Council are going out from the President’s Office. I will let the ASU community know who is on what as soon as invitations are extended and accepted. This next week will focus on getting the task forces up and running.
   
• The number of people involved in the Strategic Planning Council and on the task forces will force us to pick some meeting times and hope that people can adjust their schedules to make the meetings. We realize some simply will not be able to attend. We will do our best to keep the lines of communication open to those unable to participate in face-to-face conversations. With the sizes of the groups involved, it’s impossible to find a common meeting time. We hope all of you who have volunteered understand this limitation and will stay engaged in the process.
   
• The first meeting of the Strategic Planning Council is projected for Tuesday, Sept 30. One of the agenda items will be “planning assumptions.” If you have thoughts along these lines, please forward your assumptions to lcooksey@atate.edu.