A. Context for Planning

Strategic Planning is defined "as a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what it does, and why it does it. At its best, strategic planning requires broad scale information gathering, an explanation of alternatives and an emphasis on the future implications of present decisions" (Bryson, 1988, p.5). Strategic planning is intended to strengthen an organization and enhance its ability to understand its situation more clearly in order to respond more effectively to changing circumstances. As a future-oriented activity, strategic planning allows institutions to anticipate and analyze future developments so that appropriate decisions about the university's policies, programs, and services may occur in order to manage the institution more efficiently.

Many external and internal factors influence planning activities. Changes in enrollment, the number of tenured faculty, energy costs, collective bargaining, increased pressures for cost effectiveness and accountability, technology and the roles of state and federal governments are examples. Together, all of these factors constitute a context for planning. To develop a planning process that improves decision making, the context for planning (external and internal factors) must be identified and described.

Two projects are necessary to describe the context for planning: (1) conducting institutional studies and (2) developing a strategic plan. Conducting institutional studies allows the university to examine current programs and resources (internal factors) and external influences that affect its operations. Information about such factors, embodied in institutional studies, are used to project the significant trends the university must consider as it formulates its plans. The strategic plan describes the major institutional direction and goals for the next five to ten years and provides the criteria for evaluating proposed plans.

B.Strategic Planning and Chicago State University

Strategic planning at Chicago State University has been an ongoing process for the last decade. In 1989, the first strategic planning process was initiated with the purpose of providing background and planning issues for the new president. Although the new president (Dr. Dolores Cross) requested an additional refining of the process, several recommendations relating to student retention and faculty development were implemented through budget reallocation. Retention initiatives were expanded to include the early warning program, academic support counselors and academic skills courses (CSU 090 and Natural Sciences 097). Likewise, a faculty development program with a coordinator was created and about $150,000 was allocated for faculty to develop student retention initiatives and for faculty research and enrichment grants. In 1994, Dr. Dolores Cross, initiated a second planning process that identified six core goals around which each unit within the university would center its planning activities. This document, containing outcomes, strategies, and success indicators, was expected to shape the direction of the university into the 21st century.

C. Current Chicago State University Planning

The current president of the university, Dr. Elnora Daniel, has requested that two areas of emphasis: strategic planning and long-range planning, be reflected in future planning cycles. Dr. Daniel has also stressed the need for the university to focus on quality and increasing academic standards by improving academic programs and administrative services. Strategic planning will assist the university in moving in this direction through an exhaustive self-study of the university's programs and services from which strategic goals, outcomes and strategies will be created. Three fundamental questions are being asked and answered as this process unfolds.

2) What do we want to be and do in the future?3) How do we plan to get from here to there? Answering these questions will result in identifying the three essential functions that will enable the university to accomplish its quality-focused purpose. These functions include: (1) describing an institutional mission that portrays who we are and identifies the individuals and programs to which the university is committed, (2) creating a vision that details what the institution desires to become and (3) establishing overarching goals, outcomes and strategies that will generate a plan to assist in achieving the vision in all areas of the university.