Strategic Plan: Background

Background on the Strategic Planning Process
Over the past several months, we have worked to develop a vision and plan for the future of Rutgers University-Newark. We are pleased to announce that the Strategic Plan has been published, and we encourage all members of the RU-N community to read the plan.

The process of strategic planning at RU-N was democratic and participatory, with productive discussion of ways to build on our excellence as a research university and leader in higher education for the 21st century.  Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external supporters and partners participated throughout, with the following activites:

Listening Tour

The Listening Tour was conducted in coordination with the leaders of schools and colleges, academic and instructional units, centers and institutes, student leaders and organizations, and other divisions of the university, with those leaders helping schedule and frame the context for listening sessions. Sessions ran 90 minutes, with multiple sessions scheduled to accommodate larger audiences and every attempt made to schedule sessions during the university’s free (non-class) periods.

Charrette Groups
The charrette concept comes from the design disciplines: bring a small, diverse
group together over a series of meetings to:

• Define Challenges
• Propose means to address them

The Spring 2014 Strategic Planning Dialogues included almost 20 days of listening tours with all current students (undergraduate and graduate), faculty and staff; input gathered through electronic communications with all current students, faculty, staff, and alumni; 4 town hall meetings; engagement with leadership bodies such as the RU-N Advisory Board and Newark Faculty Council; Essex County Legislators, Newark Municipal Council, community education advocates and nonprofit leaders, and feedback from strategic visioning charrettes that brought together 172 faculty, staff, and students in 11 representative groups. These engagements will continue in the fall with listening tours with alumni and conversations with public and private sector leaders and advocates.

Strategic Planning
Oversight Committee

Previous Community Meetings
and Town Hall Meetings

- March 31, 2014
   Second Meeting to Discuss Obstacles
- March 27, 2014
   Charrette Feedback Meeting
- February 7, 2014
   Charrette kick-off meeting
- January 28, 2014
   view presentation
- December 12, 2013
   view presentation
- November 7, 2013
   view presentation