Starting with the Strategic Plan: People, Place, Potential, a number of institutional plans have been announced over the course of the Fall semester. We thought we would break down how all the plans will work together to fulfill the commitments of the new Strategic Plan.
What has happened so far:
1. October 2021: Strategic Plan: People, Place, Potential is launched.
The 15-page document sets an aspirational new vision for VIU, supported by core values, a clear ambition, and six high-level commitments. These were articulated by VIU stakeholders over the course of almost two years of engagement and review activities. The Strategic Plan also announced the development of six Foundation Plans that will provide more details on the work we will do as a community to fulfil the six core commitments of our over-arching plan. These plans are:
- The Academic Plan
- The Student Affairs Plan
- The Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity Plan
- The People Plan
- The Community Partnerships Plan
- The Operations Plan
Woven throughout all the plans are four key considerations:
- Advance VIU’s Indigenous commitments;
- Deepen equity, diversity, and inclusion;
- Broaden cultural competencies in a global world; and
- Support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Fall 2021: The engagement process for the new Academic Plan is completed.
Throughout the fall semester, opportunities for input into iterative drafts of the Academic Plan were held. Online reviewing and commenting, in-person and Zoom roundtable sessions with the Advisory Committee, as well as small-group conversations facilitated by a Conversation Kit, were used to reach as many community members as possible. The last of these sessions was held with the Advisory Committee on Wednesday, December 8. The official adoption of the new Academic Plan is projected to be in Spring 2022.
3. Fall 2021: The engagement process for VIU’s 2022-27 Foundation Plan for Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity (SRCA) is completed.
This process launched after the announcement of the Strategic Plan. It used many of the same engagement strategies that were used during the Academic Plan process, and included a survey to faculty members. The information gained through this process will be used to fully develop the SRCA Plan, which will be adopted in Spring 2022.
4. December 2, 2021: The 2021-2026 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan is launched.
Consultation on this plan began in 2019 and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) were woven into the Strategic Plan, as well as highlighted in one of the six commitments:
“Become a more inclusive and healthier place for work and study. We believe that well-being in all its aspects depends on how we treat each other. We will therefore prioritize our work to advance equity, celebrate diversity, and practice inclusion, and we will do more to promote better mental health and more work, study, and life balance for all our learners and employees.”
As the title suggests, this plan is action-oriented with four guiding principles, six goals, 17 measurable objectives, and a host of concrete strategies that are designed to produce results.
5. December 8, 2021: The consultation process for VIU’s 2022-27 Foundation Plan for Community Engagement begins.
This process is being guided by a framework for community engagement. There are a variety of opportunities to have your say on this plan starting early in January 2022. Read the website and the VIU Digest for more information.
6. December 16, 2021: The President’s Task Force on Climate Action and Sustainability is announced.
This Task Force will be instrumental in ensuring VIU is helping to address the impacts of climate change and is being guided by sustainable decisions. It will also support one of the cross-cutting considerations in the Strategic Plan of “supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” Expressions of Interest (EOI) are currently being accepted for the Task Force as well as the working groups that will report to it. All EOIs must be submitted to sustainability@viu.ca by January 14, 2021. Find more information on the Task Force webpage.
What’s to come:
In early 2022, the engagement process for the Student Affairs Foundation Plan will be announced, as will the process for the Operations Foundation Plan. In some ways, the engagement process for the next People Plan has already begun with the 2021 VIU Employee Experience survey, which will be one of the tools used to inform the development of the next official VIU People Plan. Over time, you can expect to see more Action Plans.
Structure:
As you may have noticed, there are three types of institutional plans – the Strategic Plan, the Foundation Plans, and the Action Plans. The Foundation Plans and Actions Plans all outline the work we will undertake to support the six commitments in the Strategic Plan. Reporting will be done annually on each plan which will ensure transparency and help all VIU community members – students, employees, members of the public – know what we do, what we stand for, who we are, and where we are heading.
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