Vision 2020 is underway ….combining the essential, historically grounded work of reaccreditation and the future oriented, visioning of strategic planning.

We seek your help in developing well informed, campus wide priorities that will answer this important question: ‘What will the University of Michigan-Dearborn look like in the year 2020?’

We know that the answers to this question must be informed by the perspectives, insights and experiences of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners.

Winter semester 2011 was a time of broad outreach and data gathering:

• Almost 500 faculty and staff members responded to a comprehensive survey that addressed teaching, learning research tools and resources, governance, leadership, culture and more. Review results here.
• Forty three students from all four academic units and all levels of study shared ideas in sessions designed to capture ideas on continuous improvement as well as to share their creative visions for UM-Dearborn in 2020.
• Freshmen and seniors have participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) with results coming in August 2011.
• More than 100 faculty and staff participated in small group, facilitated dialogue sessions, focused on articulating key elements of a vibrant, preferred future.
• Many busy and committed faculty and staff members have supported the work of our five Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation teams, securing information and evidence from their areas of expertise and their academic and service units as part of this self study.

Armed with a better understanding of our strengths and accomplishments, as well as limitations draft strategic and continuous improvement goals have been drafted. Fall 2011 is a time of testing and refining those goals with many staff and faculty governing bodies. This work will culminate in campus-wide forums in January 2012.

Through this shared work, our mission and metropolitan vision goals will be further developed, focused and leveraged in service to the university’s commitment to academic excellence.