TO: The University Community
FROM: Dr. David M. La Guardia, Academic Vice President
Chair, University Planning Group
SUBJECT: Summary of UPG Meeting, August 31, 2007
Following is a summary of the discussion items and action taken by the University Planning Group at it meeting of August 31, 2007.
D. La Guardia called the meeting to order at 8:37 a.m. in the Jardine Room. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved without objection. He then introduced and welcomed the new members to the group: Peggy Finucane; Mariana Ortega; Fr. Jim Prehn; Doreen Riley; and Jessica Landis.
Fr. Niehoff told the group that he sees three major things on the agenda for the year ahead. The Sasaki campus master plan will come to the UPG eventually. He noted that it may be a while yet before that happens; the twenty-year plan gets complicated. We may spend a couple of visits with the Sasaki plan. We must be realistic in being able to fund any changes but still end up with a great campus environment. The UPG will need to clear the plan before it goes to the community. We must also continue to work on enrollment, mission and identity, diversity and fiscal management. We will also work on developing some fund raising priorities. In the recent past we have focused on financial aid, mission and identity and academic programs. Until we develop more detailed plans, we will continue to concentrate on these. Each academic department has been asked to develop a proposal for a funded chair; the deans have developed ones for interdisciplinary areas. He noted that it will take $2.5 million for a funded chair.
Kris Willis then gave the group a master plan update. She gave a fairly detailed listing of all the meetings that have taken place between Sasaki and various segments of the university since February. There have been numerous meetings in February, April, May, July and August. Some of these have been on campus with groups of departments, the president’s cabinet, and other constituencies. Some have been conference calls. There will be a meeting on September 11 with the president’s cabinet and with three Board committees. There is a hope that Sasaki can make a draft presentation to the full Board at the October 9 meeting. There may have to be some follow-ups to do after that, as necessary, possibly via web cast, with the UPG in late October and/or faculty chairs in late October. Other meetings include one with the university community and one with University Heights. There may also be another review by the UPG via web cast inDecember before a Board review that month. The goal is to have a presentation in March or May to the Board in order to adopt the plan.
Fr. Niehoff said that we are waiting for a study on asbestos abatement for Bohannon. The plan is to tear it down, but the building will need to be empty so that work can begin in May. It may take many months. K. Willis noted that the building is safe for occupancy now; it is only a problem when demolition starts. We are looking for space for those who need to be vacated. According to Sasaki it would take $16 million to bring Bohannon up to today’s standards and $20 million for a new building. A new academic building on that site is in the five to ten year range of the plan. So for a period of time, we will be tighter in space rather than better. We want to start this next summer. We are therefore only able to host things that are “on the books” now for next summer.
N. Santilli noted that one of the issues that came out of the June retreat last year was the need for a consistent identity. He then introduced D. Riley to talk about the work that has been going on in the University Marketing and Communications area to address the university’s identity. She said that they had been planning to launch a new web site and that the time line for that was moved up because of the US News article and the anticipation that we would get more web exposure from it. This turned out to be the case. We had been averaging 2500 hits per day. With the announced launch of the new web site, this increased to 5200 hits per day which were mainly internal. Once the US News article was published, this increased to 10,000 hits per day.
She also updated the group on the graphic standards that University Marketing presented last fall. While those have not been updated yet, they will be. The university has engaged the services of Breehl, Traynor and Zehe to help us with brand development and messaging. They met with the vice presidents, deans and others in May, and then presented back to us what they found. They helped develop the piece that presents the Vision, Mission, Core Values document. They have given us a tactical plan to roll out this messaging. She showed some pieces that were developed as concepts and asked for the group’s reaction. All of the pieces emphasized a close-up picture of one or two individuals and a personalized goal or attainment: “I shall;” “We must;” “We can;” etc. The group questioned the use of persons of color and also suggested that some of the pieces were too individualized. Fr. Niehoff noted that B T & Z also provided a tactical plan using our limited resources for rolling out this messaging with print ads and ads at the Cleveland airport, etc. He also noted that a board member is paying for this effort. B T & Z was also asked how to graphically represent JCU with a logo, etc. UPG members then looked at four new logos and provided their input on them. L. Eisenmann asked about the possibility of also getting some better lapel pins once the logo has been established. All agreed that would be a good idea and a welcome item.
N. Santilli reminded the group that he sent them the final report on the planning initiatives for 2006-07. He also informed the group that the budget committee is working on developing a key performance indicators web site that would be password protected and could be used to show progress made on our initiatives. R. Niehoff said that there will probably be another planning retreat in the spring. There will also be two more faculty members joining the group that are being selected by a special faculty election.
The meeting adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
