DePaul University Strategic Plan

DePaul University is a higher education institution whose transformative educational programs are based on Catholic and Vincentian values. The institution is committed to providing unequaled education that ensures the success of a diverse community of learners (DePaul University, 2019). By providing unequaled education, DePaul University seeks to transform individuals and communities. To achieve its vision and mission, the institution develops strategic plans that focus on different aspects of its operations. DePaul University utilizes strategic plans to not only transform its educational environment but to enhance the quality of its academic programs and offerings. Through this, the institution ensures that its strategic plans create an educational setting that helps students to thrive in their personal and professional lives. This paper critically examines one of the recent strategic plans for DePaul University in terms of its engagement of stakeholders, content, and format.

DePaul Universitys Grounded in Mission Strategic Plan

Strategic planning is an important part of the operations of DePaul University as it influences its educational programs and activities. As noted by Esteban (2019), DePaul University has used strategic plans in recent years to transform its educational environment and enhance the education of students to thrive in their personal and professional lives. In essence, strategic plans help to shape the institutions present. When developing its strategic plans, DePaul University examines where it has come from and charts the way forward while remaining committed to its values.

DePaul University recently developed the Grounded in Mission Plan for 2024, which focuses on its collective effort to promote the success of a diverse community of learners. The plan recognizes that the institution is operating in a changing world and challenges DePaul to provide a unique educational experience to students. The plan reflects DePauls commitment to invest in areas of academic excellence and creating opportunities for students to develop competencies and skills required for success in a multicultural society. Grounded in Mission comprises six strategic priorities and goals that guide DePauls evolution as a mission-driven institution committed to continuous improvements.

The first strategic priority in this plan is to strengthen DePauls commitment to Catholic, Vincentian, and urban mission. Under this strategic goal, DePaul seeks to support teaching based on Catholic, Vincentian identity and assumes responsibility for advancing its mission. The second strategic priority is to establish an engaging, welcoming, inclusive, and diverse campus environment. In this regard, DePaul seeks to establish an inclusive and engaging learning environment for all students, create a respectful and inclusive workplace for all staff, and increase the diversity in its part-time and full-time faculty (Esteban, 2019). DePaul University also seeks to succeed in preparing all students for global citizenship and success. In this regard, the institution will focus on preparing students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners, enhance first-year academic success, improve student career readiness and outcomes, and expand commitment to experiential learning. The other strategic priorities include increasing access to a set of high-quality affordable education and improving academic excellence. Additionally, the plan seeks to ensure DePaul adopts bold approaches to ensure its continued financial strengths for future generations.

Critique of DePaul Universitys Strategic Plan

DePauls Grounded in Mission Strategic Plan outlines its vision for the future in relation to its vision and mission. The plan is based on a comprehensive assessment of the institutions recent past, changing circumstances in its surrounding world, and probable future outlook. The six strategic priorities included in the plan reflect what the institution would like to achieve by 2024. However, a review of the plan is essential to identify how it aligns with its mission and values, best practice, and community and family engagement.

Content and Format

Grounded in Mission is a comprehensive strategic plan that outlines DePauls vision for the short-term future i.e. 2024. The plan incorporates six strategic priorities and...…key strategic objectives are specified in the plan. In addition, the plan is broken down into different sections that clearly stipulate the targeted goals and implementation ideas. Therefore, this strategic plan reflects best practices in strategic planning for academic units though it lacks measures on how to engage the local geographical community.

Role of the Plan in Shaping Budget Priorities and Guiding Financial Decisions

Goldman & Salem (2015) contends that learning institutions may have difficulties creating strategies that are feasible within their financial resources. However, the strategic planning process involves aligning resources to key strategic priorities that help to accomplish the overall mission. The implementation of a strategic plan requires allocating financial resources and expenditures within the objectives or priorities of the plan. To achieve the six strategic priorities or objectives, DePaul University will allocate budgets and expenditures to the plan. Therefore, the institutions financial decisions and budget priorities will be shaped by the strategic plan. The strategic plan shapes financial decisions and budget priorities by determining financial goals and metrics created by the institution (Kono & Barnes, 2010). The institution not only determines how to generate financial resources based on the plan but also utilizes the plan as the premise for establishing its financial goals and metrics.

In conclusion, the strategic planning process is an important part of the achievement of organizational or institutional goals and objectives. Strategic plans help to determine what an organization would focus on within a spcific period of time and in line with its overall mission and mission. As evident in the case of DePaul University, strategic planning shapes an institutions focus and its key strategic objectives and priorities. The institutions strategic plan for 2024 is well aligned with its mission and values and includes the relevant sections of an academic institutions strategic plan. However, this plan does not specify measures for community and family engagement, which are critical components of…