As you may know, one of my main priorities over the coming year is to work closely with the entire university community to develop a new vision and strategic plan for UBC.
In my previous message on this topic, I indicated that we would be engaging a team with experience in this area, to be selected by an advisory committee comprising faculty, staff, students, and alumni from Vancouver and the Okanagan. I am pleased to report that the advisory committee is in place and that it is in the process of vetting suitable candidates with the goal of selecting the team by the end of October.
In addition to this, I recently held a strategic planning session with members of the UBC Executive to review the main goals of each of their portfolios and discuss and identify university-wide priorities for the year ahead. I also had the opportunity to meet with the Committee of Deans where we reviewed each Faculty’s goals for the coming year. I have asked that every Faculty have an updated strategic plan in place in order to inform our discussions on the new university strategic plan.
If we are to be successful, we will need input from all quarters of our institution and from the broader community. Over the next few months, we will be seeking your views on UBC’s strategic direction, and how you think we can help meet the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve. As a first step, we will send out a survey in the next few weeks to get your initial advice and feedback. We will also publish a timeline and program outlining the various stages of the strategic planning process, including the opportunities for you to provide input.
This is a great opportunity for you to help shape the future of our university and, whatever your role at UBC, I hope you will take part. In the meantime, please feel free to share your views with me at presidents.office@ubc.ca
Professor Santa J. Ono
President and Vice-Chancellor