Compact planning aids in development
In a presentation given last September, President Kermit L. Hall said compact planning will provide strategic direction to Utah State University and make the university more competitive at the state level.
In his presentation, which can be accessed through the USU Web site at www.usu.edu/about/president/compactplanning/, President Hall described compact planning as an effort to assess the development of the university over the next five years.
President Hall presented the idea after having seen it implemented at North Carolina State.
According to Craig Petersen, president’s chief of staff, the term compact planning can be confusing if the word compact is understood as downsized or small. He said in this situation compact is used in terms of an agreement between different groups.
“Compact planning will require every element of the university to come up with a set of initiatives, strategies and deadlines,” he said. “This will allow the university to examine its needs for the future.”
Vice President for Student Services Pat Terrell said she admits she didn’t know anything about compact planning and was somewhat of a “doubting Thomas” when she first heard about it.
“However, my experience has turned me into a believer in the value of this process and the outcomes we have identified and which will be achievable,” she said. “We now have clear initiatives for the future, many of which will be implemented in the upcoming academic year,” she said.
Petersen said each unit, whether an administrative unit or academic department, is required to develop a plan for the future with initiatives clearly described and determine how those initiatives will be funded. For example, an academic department’s faculty would need to meet with the department head to present their plan. If approved, this plan would then be presented to the dean of the college and negotiated again until agreed upon. The plan would eventually reach the provost and then President Hall.
Petersen said, “Each plan will generally see several rounds of development.”
Petersen said the process by which a department or program comes up with their individual plan is difficult and time consuming but extremely useful in the end. He said some units have found compact planning to be helpful because it forces them to see what their programs need.
In the case of student services, Terrel said, “President Hall reminded us that we serve married, graduate, non-traditional, off-campus and commuter students. As a result, we expanded our initiatives to encompass these students.”
Petersen said one issue they have had to face is budget cuts.
“The fact that we are doing compact planning this year is important in a year of budget cuts because it has allowed us to identify the areas where USU should use is limited resources and where it should cut back,” he said.
When asked if students can expect student employment to be affected by compact planning, Terrel said, “We are currently the largest employer of students. If anything, we hope to employ more students in student services.”
Petersen said, “Compact planning will affect the entire university. However, we hope to leave instructional programs harmless,” he said.
Petersen said compact planning will hopefully be initiated sometime this summer and revisions will take place each year.
“It is a continuing process,” he said.
President Hall said the compacts will be published but not until after the negotiating process. He said when finalized, they will be placed online.
Individuals can learn more about compact planning by accessing USU’s home page at www.usu.edu.