Strategic Planning Update

Dec. 4, 2017

Thank you for your tremendous outpouring of interest since I announced our plans to launch the University’s strategic planning initiative at the Arizona Board of Regents meeting last month. As I mentioned then, an inclusive and transparent process involving our students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders will be important to the success of our planning efforts. I look forward to engaging and communicating with you on a regular basis.

A project of this magnitude needs outstanding leadership, and that is why I am pleased to announce that Dr. Elliott Cheu, Associate Dean of the College of Science, and Dr. Lisa Ordóñez, Vice Dean of the Eller College of Management, will serve as Co-Chairs of the strategic plan process.

Dr. Ordóñez is a highly respected authority on judgment, statistical analyses, and decision-making whose work has been published in numerous top journals and funded by the National Science Foundation. She has used this expertise to transform the operations of the Eller College of Management and the University in a variety of ways. You can read more about Lisa here.

Dr. Cheu’s research focuses on searching for the most fundamental particles in the Universe, and his work has garnered the most citations of any UA faculty member. He is a fierce advocate for students, focusing on academic performance that will in turn lead to improved retention and graduation rates. You can read more about Elliott here.

Beyond their impressive professional credentials, Dr. Ordóñez and Dr. Cheu have a number of things in common which make them ideally suited to lead this significant effort. Both have deep relationships and longstanding ties to our community, which have been cultivated over their more than 20-year careers with the University. They understand the significance of our assets and the challenges that we face. Importantly, they are both strong collaborators and are known for inviting diverse input. The strategic plan process is a chance to clearly articulate our identity and aspirations.

We will take the next 11 months to craft a compelling plan that offers a bold roadmap to distinguish us from our peers. My next message will describe how we will engage the University community in envisioning our future together.