Update on University Strategic Planning
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Last October, at President Brown’s request, I announced the launch of a University-wide strategic planning effort, led by the Strategic Planning Task Force.
Over the last six months, the Task Force has received an extraordinary amount of input from every corner of our community, as you’ve shared your ideas, assessments, and aspirations for the continued growth and development of BU over the next 10 years. A total of 42 community-wide listening sessions have been held, with over 1,000 faculty, staff, and students attending and providing valuable input. Thank you to all who participated in these sessions or shared feedback in other ways; your engagement in this planning process is vitally important.
Two subcommittees are now working to examine a couple of important areas that require careful thinking: digital learning and the University Libraries. The Subcommittee on Digital Learning & Resources is being co-chaired by Professor Chris Dellarocas, Associate Provost for Digital Learning & Innovation, and Professor Tanya Zlateva, Dean of Metropolitan College. The Subcommittee on Scholarly Resources & Services Libraries is being chaired by University Librarian K. Matthew Dames. Additional information on these efforts can be found below.
Simultaneously, the Task Force has turned to the hard work of synthesizing the information gathered through the listening sessions and other forums and identifying strategic priorities. This intensive review process will be our focus for the next few months. I anticipate that by early fall 2019, the Task Force will arrive at a consensus on the emerging strategic priorities, informed by final reports from the subcommittees. Throughout the fall, there will be opportunities for you to provide feedback on a draft strategic plan as we work toward ratification by the Board of Trustees in April 2020.
I want to extend my gratitude to the members of these subcommittees for their time, commitment, and expertise and to give special thanks to Professors Dellarocas and Zlateva and Dr. Dames for their leadership in this work. I also offer thanks to the Strategic Planning Task Force for their continued dedication and to all members of the BU community who have participated so far in this important work.
Subcommittee on Digital Learning & Resources
The Subcommittee on Digital Learning & Resources will help to envision how digital learning can further the education of all Boston University students. The subcommittee will provide guidance on a range of questions including:
- What should be the role of digital learning in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs at BU?
- What are the biggest strategic opportunities and threats from digital learning?
- What should we aim to accomplish in digital learning by 2030?
- How do we best organize BU’s digital learning resources to ensure that we meet our goals and priorities for 2030?
Co-Chairs:
Chris Dellarocas, Associate Provost for Digital Learning & Innovation; and Richard C. Shipley Professor of Management, Questrom School of Business
Tanya Zlateva, Dean; and Professor of the Practice of Computer Science and Education, Metropolitan College
Members:
Paul Carlile, Associate Professor of Information Systems; and Senior Associate Dean, Online Learning, Questrom School of Business
David Cotter, Assistant Provost for Graduate Enrollment Management
Mena daSilva-Clark, Assistant Dean for Off-Campus and Online Programs, School of Social Work
Karen Jacobs, Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy; and Program Director, Post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
Thomas Little, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Systems Engineering; and Associate Dean of Educational Initiatives, College of Engineering
Molly Monet-Viera, Senior Lecturer in Spanish, College of Arts & Sciences
Deborah Vaughan, Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology; and Assistant Dean for Admissions, School of Medicine
Subcommittee on Scholarly Resources & Services – Libraries
The Subcommittee on Scholarly Resources & Services – Libraries will guide the University in envisioning how our Libraries can support faculty and students in a digital, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environment. Among the questions this subcommittee will explore are:
- What should be the role of the Libraries in managing and curating research data, capturing and displaying scholarly activities, and organizing and preserving contributions to the scholarly record?
- In what ways can the Libraries’ physical and virtual space be reconfigured to allow for new forms of collaboration and experiential learning?
Chair:
K. Matthew Dames, University Librarian
Members:
Daniel Abramson, Professor of American & European Architecture, College of Arts & Sciences
Andrew Duffy, Master Lecturer in Physics, College of Arts & Sciences
Wayne Gilmore, Director of Research Computing, Information Services & Technology
Jordana Muroff, Associate Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work
Carrie Preston, Director, Kilachand Honors College; and Professor of English and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, College of Arts & Sciences