Augusta University’s new strategic plan in final stages

As announced in June 2021, Augusta University is developing the next iteration of its strategic plan. This new outline for the future will replace the university’s current strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries, which has guided the institution since its debut in October 2017.

The new plan focuses on five strategic priorities (learning, discovery, student success, stewardship and community) as well as three interwoven priorities (innovation; engagement; and diversity, equity and inclusion), for a total of eight priorities.

Development is being led by the Core Team, a group of 21 university leaders tasked with drafting the new plan. The Core Team consists of faculty, staff, students and administrators from across the institution.

Their efforts have been supported by CRANE | Atlanta, an educational planning, strategy and communications firm. CRANE conducted initial interviews and focus group sessions with university stakeholders in spring 2021; the Core Team then analyzed those findings and other recent stakeholder input to create an initial draft.

The plan is now in its finalization stage, and the executive sponsors have the following updates to share:

• The Core Team has reviewed all current feedback, including CRANE’s findings and the survey responses from the university community.
• The Core Team has developed an initial high-level draft.
• The draft has been reviewed by the President’s Executive Cabinet, which serves as an advisory and steering team for the project.
• The Core Team is preparing to edit the draft based on the cabinet’s feedback.

“I and the rest of executive and project leadership cannot thank the Core Team enough for the work they’ve put in over these last few months,” said Dr. Neil MacKinnon, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“Once completed, this project will have been a yearlong commitment for them, and I know how much time and effort it took. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”

MacKinnon serves as a project sponsor for the strategic planning process beside Dr. Russell Keen, executive vice president for administration. Keen believes the new plan honors the mission of Beyond Boundaries while also striving toward bigger, transformative ideas.

“Beyond Boundaries served this institution well, and many of its goals related to education, research and scholarship, clinical care, outreach and economic development have been realized,” said Keen. “But now, in this new era of the university, it’s time to expand upon the ideas of community, discovery and innovation, among other things.”

Although the plan is in its final stages, project leadership says it’s not too late to give feedback.

“We want to reassure the campus community that it’s not too late to share their thoughts via the stakeholder engagement form,” said Keen. “We want to keep the lines of communication open during this process.”

In the coming months, the university will evaluate and report on the overarching achievements of Beyond Boundaries, now that it is formally retired. The new strategic plan is slated to launch late spring 2022.

Contact Institutional Effectiveness with questions about the planning process.