Building the Foundation,then the Bridges:Stories from Strategic Plan to Symphony

• Jason Laker, Ph.D., Associate Vice-Principal & Dean of Student Affairs

• Marija Linjacki, Coordinator, Community Outreach

• Shelley Aylesworth-Spink, Director, Communications & Planning

• Bob Burge, Director, John Deutsch University Centre

• Roxy Denniston-Stewart, Associate Dean, Student Affairs

Today’s session

• Stars aligned at Queen’s, in Student Affairs

• Talking planning; making changes• The nuts and bolts of our strategic

planning• Important elements in our planning• Using a model to facilitate change• Reflections for our future – and yours

Our stars aligned at Queen’s,Student Affairs

• Many changes since summer 2006• New Principal & Vice-Chancellor• New senior team• New Associate VP & Dean of Student Affairs • University strategic plan under development

(final plan released December 2006)

• High expectations for change by new AVP/Dean

• Sense of urgency for short-term, long-term solutions - Aberdeen Street riots, Henry Report, Principal’s Task Force on Community Relations

• Our context in Student Affairs - began in 1995

• 14 distinct, somewhat autonomous units; about 170 staff

Our stars aligned at Queen’s,Student Affairs

Talking planning; making changes

• Leveraged momentum with new initiatives to drive strategic planning in Student Affairs

• Community Service Learning partnership - innovative model

• Assessment, Evaluation & Outreach position created – focus on imbedding feedback in our work and future

• Student Affairs Identity Project – a metaphor for change

• Community Outreach Coordinator position– high profile activities

• New position – October 2006• Role extends Residence model - to create

relationships between off-campus students and the Kingston community

• Examples of initiatives: Speaker series “Queen’s and the

Community” - environmental engagement, health, gender and social action

Commuter and Parents Lunches First “Our Town” event “Exam Visits” to students at home - exam

care package in November/December and March/April 2007

Talking planning; making changes

Talking planning; making changes

• Biggest initiative – bought the last family home on Aberdeen

• Queen’s Community Centre – open this fall during Homecoming weekend

11 Aberdeen Street

Talking planning; making changes

• Objectives: Provide programming

and resources for increased student involvement

Broader awareness of Queen’s University services

Greater connections between the Queen’s community and the local Kingston and area communities11 Aberdeen Street

The nuts and bolts of our strategic planning

• Town Hall meetings began, solicited 150 questions among Student Affairs staff from Principal’s discussion paper

• Created draft values for feedback

• Completed Strategic Operating Plan for VP Academic by all directors

• Partnered with Marketing & Communications, launched identity discussion with all staff & students

Aug-Nov 2006

March 2007

Dec 2006-Feb 2007

Feb-March 2007

The nuts and bolts of our strategic planning

• Focus groups with students to test draft values• Input from all Student Affairs staff on draft

Strategic Plan• Small natural working group sessions with 100

staff in Residence - identify strategies through strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

• Identity project creative concepts presented for discussion among directors and staff during Town Halls

• Plan to be completed for communications to the University community

Feb-March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

May 2007

June-Sept. 2007

The nuts and bolts of our strategic planning

• Social identities as our planning context “Identities matter”

• What we heard from staff & students that informs our planning: The need to unify Build community – only we can do it Strong principles of equity, inclusion, difference Reflect on meaning and purpose Create leaders, good citizens Help students, staff find balance Be efficient; how do we know our programs &

services work?

Important elements in our planning

• At the same time, increased participation in institutional activities:Board of Trustees theme session September

2006: “Undergraduate Student Life and Learning at Queen’s”

Multi-Year Accountability Agreement submission February 2007

Annual operating objectives submitted and approved March 2007

University Council May 2007: “Engaging a Diverse World: The Student Experience at Queen's”

A Model for Change

• Strategic Planning is about change• Using a model may help in planning

and managing the process• Many different change models• Provides guidance and gentle

reminders on what to do and what not to do

A Model for Change

John Kotter:The Eight Step Process to Successful

Change

1. Establish a Sense of Urgency 2. Form a Powerful Guiding Coalition 3. Create a Vision 4. Communicate the Vision 5. Empower Others to Act on the Vision 6. Plan for and Create Short-Term Wins 7. Consolidate Improvements and

Produce Still More Change 8. Institutionalize New Approaches

Reflections for our future – and yours

• Engage in reflection as you plan• Questions we asked ourselves:

– In what ways does Student Affairs contribute to excellence?

– Who are our primary partners and how do we develop relationships with them?

– What are our greatest risks?– How can you best calculate risks – always for

the benefit of students?– How will your organization deal with change

as opportunities to enhance our role as co-educators; not as threats?

– How do you want others in your institution to view you? How would they describe you now?

Student Affairs Identity

student affairs

Annual Report cover

student affairs

The new Student Affairs identity:One Tartan – Many Threads

Career Services brochure cover

Inside content spread

Career Services spread

Student Affairs main web site

Questions & Reflections

student affairs