UND unveils working draft of its new strategic plan
Oct. 14—GRAND FORKS — The UND Strategic Planning Committee unveiled a draft of its 2022 strategic plan, outlining the university's goals and visions for the upcoming year, before an audience at Memorial Union's on Thursday.
The draft, which will be revised following a weeklong public feedback ending on Oct. 20, was the result of unprecedented collaboration between students, faculty, staff and alumni, according to Meloney Linder, UND's vice president of marketing and communications.
"The effort in drafting this strategic plan was one of the most collaborative I've ever seen," said Linder. "There was a deep commitment to drawing broad input. While the process was time consuming, it was extremely rewarding."
The draft consists of five initiatives:
* Sense of Wonder;
* Love of Discovery;
* Commitment to Serve;
* Inclusive Excellence;
* and Equity and a Culture of Belonging.
Seven working groups were tasked with conducting research and surveying the university population, to determine the ideal direction UND should take in addressing these initiatives.
According to Linder, the working groups consisted of approximately 200 students, staff, faculty and alumni who volunteered their efforts. Participation was not limited to those physically present on UND's campus.
"The response to participate was overwhelmingly positive," said Linder. "We had alumni participate via Zoom from all across the country."
A panel of leaders from the working groups presented their vision, along with examples of success from each initiative, in the draft.
"Sense of Wonder" refers to the ability of UND's students to not only think critically and innovatively, but also to apply their knowledge to real-world applications.
"We want our students to be inspired by what they learn, and perhaps more importantly, what their UND education will enable them to do," said Ryan Zier, who presented on the initiative.
Anna Kinney, coordinator of UND's writing program and member of the committee tasked with the Sense of Wonder segment, cited examples of experiential learning, such as abundant internships and externships for students, and a newly implemented program to help Native American students succeed in nursing school.
Patrick Henry, assistant professor of English, said a hallmark of UND is its commitment to a liberal arts education, one that emphasizes critical thinking, research and freedom of expression. He also said that his committee's theme, Love of Discovery, is evident in the collaboration between departments such as the College of Engineering and Mines, John D. Odergard School of Aerospace Science and the Nistler College of Business.
Speaking on the topic of Commitment to Serve, Angie Carpenter, director of special student populations at UND, said UND is committed to serving both its students and the community. This is evidenced by UND's Energy and Environmental Research Center's stewardship in energy research and development, an initiative titled "partnering for hope" which assists veterans and LGBTQ populations in western North Dakota with suicide prevention. According to Carpenter, UND also remains steadfast in its commitment to the military, through programs such as Vets to Wings, a $2.5 million grant from the FAA to help fund flight training for veterans and alleviate the growing pilot shortage.
Inclusive Excellence and Equity, and a Culture of Belonging assert that all UND employees and students should feel welcome, and have access to the same tools to succeed.
"Because we know it is our people who are our true drivers of excellence, UND will seek to create an environment for its students, employees and alumni of equal opportunity," said Aaron Flynn, assistant director of memorial union facilities and operations.
Flynn cited ongoing programs such as UND's "Alice Clark mentoring program," which brings newly hired faculty together to discuss topics including pedagogy and diversity and inclusion, according to the program's website, as commitments to creating an inclusive work and learning environment. UND's inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference on Oct. 5-6 was cited as an example of UND's commitment to recruit and retain a diverse workforce and student body.
UND's strategic planning committee will be accepting feedback, which can be submitted via the university's website, until Oct. 20. After that, the committee will reconvene to incorporate this feedback into the final draft, with the hope of submitting it to UND President Andrew Armacost by December.
The final version of UND's strategic plan will be unveiled on Jan. 20.
