Strategic Plan Big Ideas Generation Process

Dear Colleagues,

I want to thank everyone who joined us Monday morning for the Strategic Big Ideas and Initiatives presentation. An on-demand recording and slide deck is now available here. This virtual session by Dr. Fleming Puckett of EAB showed us how other successful institutions have aligned major strategic planning initiatives and fundraising.

Research indicates that donors of principal and transformational gifts increasingly want to support Big Ideas: concrete projects that encourage interdisciplinary thinking and drive large-scale impact both on and beyond campus. As we build our next strategic plan, we want to identify and build upon opportunities that will differentiate us and inspire support among donors and funders.

Between now and May 31 we invite you to join us in the Strategic Plan Big Ideas generation process. We seek your proposals: please find more information and a submission template here on our website.

On April 18, from 2–4 p.m., we’ll be holding an in-person workshop on Big Ideas and Initiatives. 

Please RSVP by filling out the following form: https://forms.gle/eUdTRHQ83a9oUfn99

This workshop with Dr. Puckett and Executive Council is for faculty and staff who’ve begun formulating new plans, or thinking about the enhancement of existing activities. This will be an opportunity to work on translating ideas into strategic proposals. This would be an excellent time to learn more and to make progress on your idea or proposal, wherever you are in the process.

Successful proposals will align with our Strategic Plan’s draft themes, which we’ve updated based on community feedback; generate donor interest; and demonstrate distinctiveness that differentiates us from peers. Preference will be given too to proposals that demonstrate cross-school collaboration.

Big Ideas draft proposals will ultimately be reviewed by Executive Council. We anticipate that most successful proposals will be related to projects or ideas that community members are already working on in some way or that have already been discussed with deans or supervisors. But blue-sky ideas will be considered too. Those proposals chosen for further development will receive institutional support to build out a business plan and case.

If you are interested, please visit the strategic planning website to learn more. If you’re wondering whether or not this is right for you and your role, we’d encourage you to speak with your dean or manager.

Thank you for taking the time to be a part of this important effort. The more we work together, the stronger Lewis & Clark will become.

Sincerely,

Robin H. Holmes-Sullivan, PhD
President