STRATEGIC PLANNING
COMMITTEE
November 12, 2004
MINUTES
Present: Chris Bailey, Jim Chase, Carolyn Denard,
Muriel Godbout, Karen Green, Michael Groth, Diane Hutchinson, Frank Lacomb,
Nicole Pellegrino, Ann Rollo, Amy Staples, Susan Talbot, Lisa Marsh Ryerson,
Meredith VanDuyne, Patricia Wahlen (Phone), Steve Zabriskie.
10:30 am –Carolyn Denard called the meeting to order.
C. Denard suggested members check the subcommittee lists for their sign up committees and suggest additions or deletions. She is waiting for input from all the meetings to add goals and initiatives to the list. It then would be time to think about the next steps.
o F. Lacomb reported that the first Staff meeting scheduled on November 8. The meeting went fairly well with lots of ideas. He had to work to keep the meeting on track but staff was happy to be connected to the process and that their ideas were going to be listened to.
o D. Hutchinson reported that the November 10 Staff meeting was the same. It was necessary to bring the discussion back to ideas not solutions.
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o The faculty meetings were changed from Thursday November 18, to Tuesday, November 16 at 4:40 pm and Friday November 19 in the AER at 12:30 pm. C. Denard will send out an email to faculty to let them know. She stated a staff member mentioned that they did not feel part of the college until the information on the meetings were sent out to them.
o Beverages and cookies will be served at the faculty meetings.
o C. Denard passed around a new Priority sheet to all members. A new list of goals was prepared. Once lists are compiled on the meetings, these will be posted and the community can review and add suggestions. They will be posted in central locations, put in mail boxes for students. Discussion on concern from staff that not everyone is heard from. Also, there is not time at meetings to do all the priorities. A timeline must be established for them. It is hard to absorb everything in one hour. Asking more staff to get involved and what they feel is important would help.
o Discussion on opening up Strategic planning to wider community. C. Denard asked if contacting all Alumnae and the Aurora Community was something that should be done. The question is how to balance broad input and thoughts. Is there something we can give out that they can respond to. A 10% rate of response from Alumnae would be 650 responses. The last time something was requested from Alumnae it was at 20% response. This is an enormous amount to compile. Perhaps do electronic with the request to come to a web site, ask if they agree or disagree to the information and add a space for responses. Give the present background information on goals and highlight five or six important things. There is the issue on anonymity. How will they be handled. If electronic the committee would know who they are. Also, how many responses would be expected, how to tabulate, and will those who do not respond be contacted. A question was raised about the web site. Would it be an individual website for the Strategic Planning process? Maybe it should be both. Some community members do not have electronic ability. Mailings would have to be sent out to them. A question was asked inquiring what was the purpose of this process. Is this so there is no confusion about the raw data compiled and so that the community is aware it is not a final decision. Alumnae would feel they should have a chance for input. Suggestion about using the Express to contact Alumnae. The Express does go to a wider audience. Getting everything prepared for the Board April- May meeting may be a problem. Suggestion about using the next Alum to Alum newsletter. This would give Alumnae a heads up. Douglas college had an Alumnae Strategic Plan Committee which worked as a sub-committee. This should be addressed. Another opinion was that it is best to send to the entire group. Put information in the newsletter about the process stages and planning, and then after re-working priorities etc. send to Alumnae, using the Association Board for paring down the information and feedback. Suggestion to indicate the make up of the committees in the newsletter. A question was raised if the committee really wanted to let alumnae know about the planning process. Opinion was yes. Suggestion the committee make sure there are no false expectations on the vote. Alumnae may have ideas as former students, and Alumnae may also be funding some of this. The committee still makes final decisions on the goals etc. Soliciting input is critical from reviews of other colleges who have done this process. Alumnae will feel they have added to the process without surprises. Work would also be divided 10 different ways on the sub-committees.
o C. Denard asked about the Aurora Community and how to handle giving them input and information. Discussion was that it would be helpful from the business community. Include the Merchants Association and Village Board. Also when there is a concrete plan, let them know what is going on. There is a small window where they can contribute. Suggestion on working with town officials. The Village newsletter asked if the community supported the decision made by Wells to go co-ed. Suggestion about getting on the meeting agenda in the future. What about parents of Wells students. Question asked if the Dean of Students office have a parent’s newsletter going out soon. It would be going out in early January. A. good idea to add this to the newsletter. It was noted that many board members in the village are college people and that this information will not necessarily get to other people in town. The boards review their agendas as village business not as college employees. Perhaps merchants can send out a query on input. Suggestion on a town/gown punch and cookies event. The village board could put on their agenda that the college has asked for input. It was asked where the visioning process for the village was. It is still being worked on. Suggestion on sessions in the winter with the village community. After the first or second draft would be good. The superintendent of the schools comes to the village board meetings and this may be a good idea for Wells. It would be best to go through the Village Board and then the community. Wells should realize that the media will become aware of this. Anything written will be noted by newspapers.
o C. Denard passed around a Connecticut College Plan and suggested the committee look at it. Look up the visioning statement on their website.
o A. Staples asked that the minute taker for Friday’s meeting on the 19th be confirmed. C. Denard said she would be sure to do that.
Meeting ended 11:30am
Minutes recorded and respectfully submitted by Verna I Dugan