Posted on Feb. 17: Work groups present reports to steering committee, strategic planning process moves forward

McMaster's strategic planning process continues to move forward with the submission last week of reports from six working groups to the steering committee overseeing the process. Called “Refining Directions,” the planning exercise was begun in the fall and is intended to further refine the University's strategic plan (“Directions”) introduced seven years ago.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Refining Directions Steering Committee, chaired by University provost Ken Norrie, received reports from six working groups on aspects of University activities. The groups, each consisting of anywhere from 10 to 15 people from various areas of campus, have been meeting since last fall to study six main areas: research and graduate education, undergraduate education, external activities, internal community, planning and managing, and branding. To view the complete list of work group members, click here
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“I'm delighted with the work group reports and with the excellent themes and topics that are being discussed and addressed,” says Norrie.

“This planning exercise is extremely important for the future of McMaster. The work of these six groups will help to inform all of us at McMaster as we begin our planning for the years beyond the double cohort. We know that this is a busy time for everyone and so we are especially grateful for the efforts made by each member of the six Work Groups to this planning process. Your commitment and service to McMaster is greatly appreciated,” says University President Peter George.

Themes and recommendations contained in the groups' reports will be synthesized by the steering committee and incorporated into a draft planning report.

Susan Denburg, associate dean academic, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Fred Hall, associate vice-president academic, are co-chairing the work group that has submitted a report on undergraduate education. Their group is composed of people with a keen interest in undergraduate education, some of whom had already declared themselves through actions as innovators and change agents. “To that extent, it is a biased group wanting to pursue an agenda of change. But this is compatible with the charge we were given by the provost who said he was looking for the next generation of ideas.”

In conducting their work, Denburg and Hall's group reviewed the previous “Directions” documents and “Academic Plan” to see if the principles and recommendations were compatible with a new way of thinking about undergraduate education. “We were actually pleased to see that was the case. These documents provide a good springboard for innovation and change as we move forward in addressing the challenges that face us: student numbers, space issues, all of the pressures that are at the same time plaguing and challenging us.” Denburg says the group set out to determine why, given these documents, there hasn't been more change, more excitement and more innovation in undergraduate education.

One of the key things that has come out of this work group, which served as a microcosm for what the group would like to see happening at the university, is dialogue. “So our primary recommendation is  the necessity for dialogue at all levels of the institution and the need for setting out processes that allow for people to talk about what is good education,” says Denburg.

Next month, Norrie and University President Peter George will hold three open meetings to present key ideas and themes from the work group reports, and to invite comments from members of the University community.

“What we will come out with is a vision for the University and how it translates into the academic mission and academic support mission for the next 10 years,” says Norrie.

Members of the University community are invited to attend one of the open meetings, scheduled as follows:

7March 4, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Downtown Centre, Room 216

7March 12, 8:30 to 10 a.m., McMaster University Student Centre, Room 319

7March 13, 2-4 p.m., Health Sciences Centre 2J36-ABCD

The steering committee will incorporate comments from those sessions into a preliminary report to be discussed by the University Planning Committee, Senate and the Board of Governors during March and April. That report will also be shared for comment with external groups, principally alumni and friends of the University.

After final amendments, the completed report will be presented for official approval by May or June.

A view of “life after the double cohort” for McMaster is what the provost expects to see becoming clearer through the University's strategic planning exercise.