For the first time, Northwestern administrators will present a structured version of the draft Strategic Plan to the Board of Trustees when the group meets in Evanston on Friday.
But the staffers handling the printing will have to be careful to make sure they print the latest copy, as the draft is changing every day, University President Morton Schapiro said in an interview with The Daily on Wednesday.
“What number draft is this? This has got to be 75 or more,” Schapiro said of the latest iteration. “I’ve never seen a better example of a living document because every single day I get a new version.”
Administrators have discussed vague priorities with the board, but have not yet presented a structured draft of the plan, which will shape NU’s upcoming multi-billion dollar capital campaign and affect University policy for decades to come. The draft-making process began in July 2009, and a final version is not expected until next fall.
The 76-member board, which has broad oversight over all University policy, will get final approval of the plan and decide when to ask administrators to begin to solicit donations to meet priorities.
“I know the trustees are going to have a lot to say,” Schapiro said. “When you have a large and committed board, they’re going to have a lot of strong opinions.”
The trustees received a draft of the plan in their meeting preparation materials, sent last week, but that draft is now “three versions behind,” Schapiro said.
In the past week alone, University Provost Daniel Linzer – who is leading the effort to draft the plan – has added in sections that emphasize creating more programs for entrepreneurship and innovation, treating NU staff members as full members of the community and taking advantage of Evanston.
The administration has received valuable input at each step of the way, including at two “community forums” held last month, Schapiro said.
Student input has been especially important, although not quite as abundant as administrators would like, University spokesman Al Cubbage said.
“It’s tough to engage students because they’re so busy being students,” Cubbage said. “Part of the challenge is it’s long range. Students by their nature probably aren’t thinking five or 10 years out.”
At a midday Wednesday forum on the plan, more than 100 NU staff and faculty packed into a Norris meeting room to hear a presentation from Linzer and voice their input.
Linzer outlined the University’s overall goals and view of itself. He then detailed the four sections of the draft plan – innovating the learning environment, differentiating NU as a research institution and creative enterprise, empowering the University community and engaging the world. Among other priorities, he stressed the importance of experiential learning, community and diversity.
Audience members quizzed the provost about the University’s funding strategy, how the administration plans to handle international opportunities and the challenge of getting all of the undergraduate and graduate schools to sign on to the plan.
The input gathered at the forum will be folded into a new draft the plan that will be crafted Thursday, Schapiro said. That’s the version the trustees will discuss.
Although the goal for producing a final draft is still about a year away, administrators are scrambling to finish a complete formal draft by Winter Break.
“It keeps getting better and better, but it’s still got a long way to go,” Schapiro said. “We’re going to have something really nice in five weeks.”
