Looking toward the future: testing university’s vision plan.

Refining the plan with help from inside the community

Our client is a prestigious private university about to roll out their future vision plan. They wanted to get a sense of how the plan would be received and where improvements could be made. Specifically, our client wanted to engage major stakeholders at the university in refining the plan and thus earn their commitment to its vision. The key groups including students & parents, donors & alumni, faculty & staff, and community influencers answered important strategic questions, including:

• Imagine you are reading a headline about the University’s major achievement in a newspaper 10 years from today, what does the headline say?

• What one thing would be different at the University 10 years from today?

• What words describe how you feel about this vision for the University?

Bringing the community’s input to the surface

Our study discovered interesting insights that helped our client refine their vision and address specific feedback by the community. Alumni and donors were most enthusiastic about what the plan conveyed about the future, while some community influencers worried about the rising cost of the education. The vast majority of current students also believed that the plan would have a positive impact on their future alma mater’s brand, but they also emphasized the need for more “Access and Inclusion” and “Engaged Scholarship.” Employers of the school’s graduates suggested that the university would improve their access to network with students for future job opportunities and highlight more the soft skills that set apart the university’s students in the market place.