YOU. US. INDY.

MARCH 30-APRIL 2

CELEBRATING90 YEARS!

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Reinventing by Dreaming Big: Strategic Planning at

UC BerkeleyPresented by Stephen C. Sutton, Ed.D.Assistant Vice ChancellorUniversity of California at Berkeley@ssuttonacpa

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Learning Objectives

1. Program session participants will have the opportunity to learn about the strategic planning process followed by a large student affairs division.

2. Program session participants will have the opportunity to learn what student and staff identify as key themes in this process.

3. Program session participants will be able to discuss how to launch a similar process on their respective campus.

 

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Agenda

1. Purpose of the session – why we are here?2. Context3. Theoretical framework4. Strategic Planning Initiative (SPI)5. Where We Landed6. Next Steps7. Wrap Up

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The Context (i.e., Case for Change)

• Dramatically decreased state investment in higher education

• 2009 Goal: reduce expenses by $75M annually through “Operational Excellence”– Staff cuts– Centralization of services– Improved student support (e.g., advising, one-stop shop)

• Need to be more nimble and efficient!!• Student Affairs wanting to control its own destiny

– “Dream Big:” Where do we want to be in 10 to 30 years?

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The Transition Model (1991, William Bridges)

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Another version…..

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And one more…

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The Stages

• Phase I– Destiny– Define Approach– Data Collection– Data Analysis

• Phase II– Design Strategies (Fall 2013)– Develop Plan (Spring 2014)

• Phase III– Deploy Changes (Summer 2014)

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SPI PROJECT APPROACH

#ACPA14DREAM BIG GOALS

STUDENT GOAL:The #1 reason students select, value and remain

connected to Berkeley is for the incomparable out-of-the-classroom experience.

STAFF GOAL:

Student Affairs (at Berkeley) attracts, develops, and advances the best talent in the world by 2025.

     

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#ACPA14SPI PROJECT APPROACH

     

The Pieces of the Process

• Objective – Set direction, Prepare to Launch, Understanding Our Key Stakeholders

• Framing Questions– Where do we want to be in 10-30 years?– What is our process, approach and plan to accomplish both

student and staff strategic planning?– What are the challenges and opportunities to enhance the student

and staff experience?• Key Activities

– Define long term vision and goals for student and staff– Define high level planning process and phases– Define planning steps and activities– Define how/when to involve key stakeholders from project team and

sponsors

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DESTINY DEFINE APPROACH

DATA COLLECTION

DATA ANALYSIS

DESIGN STRATEGIES

DEVELOP PLAN

DEPLOY CHANGES

FRAMING QUESTION:

What is our process, approach and plan to accomplish both student and staff strategic planning?

Where do we want to be in 10-30 years?

What are the challenges and opportunities to enhance the student and staff experience?

Where should we focus our efforts based on our findings? Where are we starting from and how big are the gaps?

What strategies and initiatives should we deploy to address our critical priorities and gaps?

How will we execute our strategic plan and measure our progress?

PREPARE TO LAUNCH

OBJECTIVE: SET DIRECTION UNDERSTAND OUR STAKEHOLDER NEEDS

PERFORM GAP ANALYSIS

DESIGN PORTFOLIO OF STRATEGIES

ARCHITECT AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

KEY ACTIVITIES:

Define long term vision and goals for student and staff

Collect student data: focus groups

Collect staff data: focus groups

Collect internal data Collect external data including benchmark and partner input

Synthesize findings into themes

Define high level planning process and phases

Define planning steps and activities

Define how/when to involve key stakeholders from project team and sponsors

Define timeline for both student and staff plans

Define future state –i.e. “narrative”

Conduct current state assessment

Perform gap analysis

Identify low hanging fruit

• Set strategic priorities

• Design strategies to address priorities

• Estimate costs• Define initiatives• Assemble

strategic plan

• Create implementation plan

• Define resourcing requirements

• Define measurement process

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

SPI PROJECT APPROACH Phase II

How will we involve the division in executing the planned changes?

MOBILIZE OTHERS AND BEGIN EXECUTION

• Staff initiatives• Define milestones

and approach• Track progress

and measures• Report progress

and course correct

• Celebrate wins!

FALL, ‘13 SPRING, ‘14 SUMMER, ‘14

Phase III

FALL, ‘12

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Interim Steps• State of the Division - announced 20 findings (eight staff priorities

and 12 student priorities) based on our pre-work (internal and external research, and the focus groups and surveys)  

• Validated findings with student and staff focus groups; feedback to prioritize them. Based on the items students and staff ranked as highest importance, the core team narrowed the list to six staff and six student priorities.

• Student Affairs Cabinet – further reduced to three staff and three student priorities– Cabinet members used the research done to date and their individual and

collective expertise to vote on these priorities.• Cabinet formed sub-teams to research six priorities to

– feasibility, scalability, and resource needs of each idea.

#ACPA14STUDENT KEY FINDINGS

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FINDING DESCRIPTION1. Access to Personalized

InformationStudents want easy access to integrated and personalized information to help them make choices (including curricular, social, and career) and navigate the campus experience.

2. Ease of Transactions Students want simplified processes and technologies to aid in completing administrative and enrollment transactions.

3. Orchestrated Advising Students want increased access to “holistic,” individualized, high-touch and coordinated advising support to aid their personal, academic, and professional development

4. Belonging/ Community Students want to feel an emotional sense of connection to, and affiliation with, the Cal community both at the individual/intimate level with peers and more broadly with the entire campus.

5. Career Success- Pathways, Roadmaps, Ladders

Students want Cal to help them discover and capitalize on a career pathway by providing access to experiences and resources that will further their career development and help them leverage their Cal experience.

6. Inviting Living/Learning Spaces

Students want physical spaces to promote an effective, connected and safe environment while at Cal

7. Staff Service Students desire a higher touch and more personalized level of service from Cal staff

8. Wellness Students want access to services, support, resources and facilities that address their holistic needs – mental, physical, and emotional health – as well as their basic need to feel safe and secure in their physical environment

9. Dining Students want more, better and flexible on-campus dining options that allow them to exercise choice and control over their nutritional needs

10. Affordability Students want to feel less burdened by the total costs of their Cal experience and feel a sense of choice around how they spend their money.

11. Academics Students want an enhanced experience characterized by greater access to classes and a high quality learning experience

12. Diversity/Inclusion Students want a greater degree of interaction, tolerance and inclusion on campus

#ACPA14STAFF KEY FINDINGS

FINDING DESCRIPTION

1. Systems and technology

Staff want a stronger, more efficient, effective and accessible infrastructure to get their work done, along with 21st century tools, systems, and technology to make their jobs easier and less cumbersome.

2. Consistent and meaningful rewards

Staff want to feel recognized and rewarded for their efforts from competitive market rate pay, to perks and benefits, and visible recognition.

3. Cohesive and supportive culture

Staff wants to feel a deeper and more engaging sense of connection to the people, leaders and ultimately the core purpose and values (collaboration, wellness, creativity and care of each other) of their work in Student Affairs.

4. Improved processes and practices

Staff want an increase of transparent and intentional communication across all levels in the Division that would provide more efficiencies and productivity throughout the entire organization of Student Affairs.

5. Engagement practices

Staff want training, community/networking events, cross departmental/faculty meetings, intentional communication strategies for division-wide messaging would assist in staff engagement and connections.

6. Collaborative and integrated structure

Staff want more clarity regarding each department’s roles and flatter organizational structures in order to lessen the silos and bureaucracy.

7. Attract and retain strong talent

Staff want Cal to attract new Student Affairs graduates, have one consistent onboarding for all staff, and the ability to move staff within the division based on project needs and individual strengths.

8. Professional development opportunities

Staff want the university and the Division to invest in them as professionals to ensure growth and development. Examples include: tuition discounts, increase in funding, international work exchange, career development and mentorship opportunities.

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Student Validation• Of 12 findings, number of students who responded to Item in Top 3 of

importance/meaning• Academics (249 students)• Career Success (232 students)• Affordability (174 Students)• Belonging/Community (155 students)• Diversity/Inclusion (95 students)• Inviting Living/Learning Spaces (91 students)•  • These were rated lowest• Access to Personalized Information (36 students)• Staff Service (29 students)• Ease of Transactions (29 Students)

• Based on a ranked point system (1=3 pts, 2=2pts, 3=1pt), these scored the highest:

• Academics (569 points) • Career Success (477 points)• Affordability (348 points)• Belonging/Community (310 points)• Diversity/Inclusion (182 points)• Inviting Living/Learning Spaces (169 points)•  

Student validation shed light on the relative “importance” of our findings and points out areas that may have the most impact on student perception….

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Staff Validation

Of 8 Findings, number of Staff Who Responded to Item in Top 3 of Importance/Meaning:• Professional Development (55 people) • Systems and Technology (54 people) • Attract and retain strong talent (51 people) •NOTE: The following also scored high in the Top 3• Improved processes and practices (50 people) • Cohesive and supportive culture (49 people) • Consistent and meaningful rewards•These were rated lowest:• Collaborative and integrated structure (19 people)• Engaged practices (5 people) •Based on a ranked point system (1=3 pts, 2=2 pts, 3=1 pt), these scored the highest:• Systems and technology (75 points)• Improved processes and practices (73 points)• Professional development (71 points)

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ASSESSMENT OF FINDINGS

Staff validation shed light on the relative “importance” of our findings and points out areas that may have the most impact on staff perception….

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Final Outcome – Six Themes

• Student Themes– Belonging/Sense of Community– Career Services– Academics/Learning Experience

• Staff Themes– Cohesive/Supportive Culture– Systems & Technology– Professional Development

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Next Steps

• By June - settle on 1-3 priorities to pursue in the first 18-24 months as we build towards the Dream Big goals.

• Implementation of Dream Big priorities begins in Fall 2014.

• Quick Win - Coffee with Colleagues and the free lunch passes - early results from our Dream Big Strategic Planning Initiative

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