Identifying and setting your strategic objectives:

Example department strategic action plan 1

In this information sheet you will find the ‘key aims’ from the example strategic plan featured in this section of themain course. We will be returning to this example and building up this strategic plan as you progress through the module.

Example strategic plan: Key aims and SMART objectives

Key aim / Planning reference / Key actions – SMART objectives / Lead [O = Other] / Follow-up and progress / Key performance indicator (KPI)
What do we need to do to realize our departmental vision? / How does the aim link to the university’s strategic plan? / How are we going to get there? / Who will do it? / How will we know we are doing it? / How will we know when we have achieved our aim?
1. To establish an academic portfolio of programs of the highest possible quality and standards to meet individual, regional and national needs and internationally-recognized standards / By developing and agreeing new program criteria by the end of this academic year (e.g. centrality to mission; quality of the student experience; contribution to scholarship; market demand; comparative advantage; cost-effectiveness)
By modifying, merging and discontinuing those programs which do not excel according to the agreed criteria
By planning and developing new programs which do excel in terms of these criteria with immediate effect on agreement
2. To establish new staff support mechanisms in order to promote pedagogical expertise, innovation and dissemination / By appointing an e-learning champion in each subject area to work with individual program leaders to establish an e-learning infrastructure – comprising information board, discussion forum and formative assessment opportunities – for their program for the next academic year
By initiating, developing and agreeing by the end of the year the establishment of a research program for learning and teaching grounded in an inquiry-based learning approach aimed at:
  • Improving our understanding of the student experience
  • Supporting research-informed instruction in disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary study as a means of enhancing the student experience
  • Fostering collaboration with other departments and external partners
  • Disseminating good practice in research-led activity
By reviewing and evaluating the peer-observation teaching process as an aid to staff development planning and a means of sharing and disseminating good practice in instruction – review to be completed in the next six months
3. To establish new support mechanisms in order to develop our capacity to improve student retention and completion and graduate employment rates / By appointing one member in each program team to be the Research Data Analyst on student retention to disseminate and evaluate student progression data to support the development of a departmental approach to student retention
By initiating, developing and establishing an employer mentoring program for all students with an initial pilot for black and ethnic minority students – 12 mentor/mentee partnerships to be arranged by end of the year
By establishing a working group to review and evaluate the student orientation and Year 1 experience to make recommendations as appropriate – to allow for implementation for the start of the next academic year
4. To internationalize all our activities to prepare our students as global citizens to play a full and active role in the workplace and their community / By establishing a working group to develop and articulate the concept of internationalization and secure agreement on practical guiding principles by the end of this year
By reviewing all our programs to ensure that internationalization is valued and assessed in line with these principles
By reviewing our existing international partnerships with regard to generating new knowledge, facilitating student and staff exchange and the recruitment of new students and establishing three new international partnerships by the end of next year
5. To enhance the staff experience by establishing a Framework of CARE – Communication, Appraisal, Responsiveness, Evaluation / By appointing a credible independent external to conduct a new survey of the staff experience in the next six months – through questionnaire and focus groups – that ensures confidentiality
By establishing a cycle of regular staff forums each term, starting next semester
By initiating a program of 360 degree feedback for senior staffas a means of enhancing leadership and management effectiveness

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