Strategic Planning Updates

In July, 2011, WKU embarked on a year-long, institution-wide strategic planning process. This undertaking was predicated upon several factors:

• The 2010 retirement of WKU's previous strategic plan, Challenging the Spirit;
• The impending retirement of WKU's current Strategic Guide for 2010-12;
• A September 2011 approval by the Council on Postsecondary Education of a 2011-15 statewide strategic agenda, Stronger by Degrees, and associated institutional performance targets;
• An institutional desire to return to a more specific and aggressive strategic planning model as we enter the 2012-14 biennium; and
• The opportunity to reflect on WKU's past, present and future at this critical juncture in the university's history.

The strategic plan which results from this process will guide the university's next phase of growth, from 2012 through 2017 and beyond. It will reinforce the priorities and progress that have undergirded WKU's transformation as an institution over the past 14 years, while accommodating emerging trends, opportunities and responsibilities that continually reshape the higher education landscape.

We invite all members of the WKU community to review the attached documents on the right, and share your thoughts on the development of the plan to date. In particular, we are interested in any constructive suggestions you might have to address the emerging goals and priorities. Please submit your ideas using the discussion board (note that this is a moderated discussion; submissions will be screened for appropriateness prior to being posted).