Radford Board reviews draft six‑year strategic plan, seeks feedback before December vote

Radford University trustees received a progress update on the university'wide six‑year strategic plan, titled "Shaping Tomorrow Together," and were asked to submit feedback by Sept. 26 so the board can consider final approval at its December meeting.

The plan, presented by Dr. Angela Joyner and Dr. Sharon Rodger, reduces the universitywide strategies to a shorter, more focused set and organizes work around six themes: a culture of care; academic achievement and intellectual discovery; student success and experiential learning; strategic partnerships and community engagement; communication and collaboration; and organizational excellence and continuous improvement. The presentation also identified six "bold commitments" the university will prioritize, including guaranteeing experiential learning opportunities, building a culture of care, becoming a regional hub for health‑care education, modernizing technology and business processes, expanding economic development partnerships, and strengthening the Radford brand.

Why it matters: trustees and university leaders said a shorter, clearer plan will better guide budget alignment and annual operational planning. The presenters described a process that will link the plan to the university's budget cycle and to division‑level operational plans beginning in October.

University leaders said the draft is intentionally concise. "When you saw it last, it was a 121. Now it's 52," Dr. Joyner said, describing cuts to redundancies and a focus on university‑level priorities. The plan includes objectives and strategies for each theme and proposes scorecards and dashboards to track progress. An external dashboard for the plan and an internal dashboard for operational use are planned so the university and the public can monitor progress on key initiatives.

The presenters outlined next steps and timing: final visual design and editorial edits through late September, division and operational planning starting in October, budget alignment conversations during the university's annual budget development cycle, and a request that board members forward comments to the plan coordinator by Sept. 26 so staff can incorporate them before the December meeting when the board will consider final approval. "We would ask for your feedback, questions, considerations, and if you could forward those through to Karen by September 26, we would greatly appreciate it," Dr. Joyner said.

Board members and staff emphasized accountability measures. The implementation planning committee has proposed responsible/accountable/consult/ inform (RACI) assignments and candidate metrics for strategies that will be refined as divisions develop operational plans. Presenters said the plan assumes working within the current budget and that any initiatives requiring new funds would be identified through the budget process and may be funded by reallocation, external grants, or philanthropic support.

The presentation included repeated statements that the draft remains a work in progress: images and layout were presented for review and some wording remained subject to revision. Presenters also said certain strategies deemed divisional will be handled by division leaders in their operational plans.

Ending: Trustees did not vote to adopt the six‑year plan at this meeting; they were asked to provide feedback for incorporation into the final draft and to expect the plan for a vote at the December board meeting.