FROM PRESIDENT BRIAN MURPHY

Strategic Planning Update: Implementation

By the end of the fall quarter, De Anza faculty and staff had devoted considerable energy and imagination to the development of commitments to action (CTAs) serving the four Transformational Initiatives that anchored our initial strategic planning. On December 8, I met with the leadership of the Academic and Classified Senates and the vice presidents to review those commitments and to search for common threads and connections among them. There were more than 700 CTAs--both commitments that departments could implement without additional resources and those that require both coordination and financial support.

You will recall that there were 12 "areas of focus" defining the four Transformational Initiatives (TIs). While every department and program worked to craft commitments in all 12 areas, there were several areas that drew the most attention and considerable symmetry among proposals in different areas. As we are all aware, despite the welcome infusion of one-time funding, it is not possible to fund initiatives in all 12 areas. We therefore sought to combine some of the areas into major initiatives that would simultaneously reflect the work already done and provide a process for crafting actual budgets and personnel proposals.

We propose, then, the following Institutional Initiatives:

• Outreach
• Individualized Attention to Student Retention and Success
• Cultural Competence
• Community Collaborations

In addition, there are several Foundational areas of institutional development that were clearly identified through the planning process as critical for the on-going life of the college and for the successful implementation of any Institutional Initiatives. These are:

• Professional Development (for staff and faculty)
• Curriculum
• Communication
• Facilities
• Technology

In all areas we face the obvious: There are many more good ideas than there is funding. I will ask that our deans and directors begin conversations in their divisions, departments and programs to identify priorities among the many commitments in the areas of outreach, individualized attention to students, cultural competence and community collaborations. At the same time, we need to have a conversation across the boundaries of departments and divisions in the development of comprehensive written plans for the Institutional Initiatives, including the development of budget requests.

To that end, we propose to create Initiative Planning Teams, each team led by faculty, staff and administrator representatives. These teams will draw on the expertise and commitment of many colleagues who led the planning process last summer and fall, joined by others who have expertise in particular areas. These teams will be charged with responsibility to work with deans, directors, and faculty and staff leadership to craft concrete program and budget proposals that fund as many of the commitments to action as we can, in as creative and cross-institutional manner as possible.

Invited Institutional Initiative Team Leaders
Outreach: Jean Miller, Rob Mieso, Kathleen Moberg
Individualized Attention to Student Retention and Success: Lydia Hearn, Shirley Kawazoe, Howard Irvin
Cultural Competence: Sal Breiter, Marion Winters, Virginia Marquez, Carolyn Wilkins-Greene
Community Collaborations: Mayra Cruz, Rowena Tomaneng, Carleen Bruins, Letha Jeanpierre

In addition, Margaret Michaelis will provide budget development support for all groups, while Andrew LaManque's skills will be crucial in analyzing data and integrating metrics for the cross-functional Institutional Initiatives.

I ask that these teams develop program proposals and budgets over the next several weeks. They will call on those among you who proposed CTAs in an effort to coordinate initiatives, foster collaboration rather than duplication, and seek greater clarity regarding the resources required to bring projects to fruition. They will work with the deans and directors to craft projects that meet real program needs, and they will then bring their proposals back into the shared governance process for approval.

Process and Timeline
Jan. 22 to March 14

• Team meetings to analyze CTAs; meetings with faculty and staff with relevant CTAs
• Senates to establish review processes to keep constituency groups informed
• Crafting of specific, concrete Institutional Initiative plans integrating CTAs and including budgets, timelines and outcomes

March 15: Comprehensive Institutional Initiative plans due to president's office

March 16-April 20: Review byAcademic and Classified Senates, administrators and supervisors, DASB

April 20: Joint Planning & Budget (PBT) Teams meeting (plans will span all administrative divisions of the campus)

April 26: College Council review and vote

We will compile and distribute the four Institutional Initiative plans as a unified, comprehensive strategic planning document for the college. This strategic plan will establish goals and the metrics according to which we will judge our progress, and will animate our budget and staffing proposals for the coming year. It will also serve as the basis of the annual State of the College report.

I have been deeply impressed by the dedication and commitment of the De Anza community to the planning process, and by the intelligence and creativity of the proposed commitments. Thank you.

--Brian Murphy