The WKU Strategic Planning Committee held an open form today to present a draft of the Strategic Plan.

Committee members Paula Potter and Bruce Schulte led the meeting, discussing various aspects of the draft and answering questions from the audience.

“We understand the WKU community is in the process of change,” Potter said. “Keep in mind the plan presented is more open than closed, and the reason is understanding that we are all here for student success. It’s apparent in the input we see, and the reason WKU is so loved because it is at our very core.”

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Potter said the strategic plan is still open “in the sense that there are many paths to success for students and units across campus.”

The draft, which is available to download on the Strategic Planning website, breaks down the Strategic Plan into three categories: students, people and community.

In the draft, there were nine goals under three areas for both students and people, as well as seven goals under three areas for community. Correlating strategies are listed under each goal.

“It’s aspirational and something we want to look forward towards, something that drives us forward in the future,” Schulte said.

A major goal listed in the draft was for WKU to “become a top five southern regional public institution within five years and within 10 years be a top five private or public southern regional university.”

Barbara Burch, regent emerita, said she was curious about the importance of achieving such a ranking, and if it would have an effect on WKU.

“Ultimately it’s a question of prioritization,” Burch said. “We could give thoughts on how [the ranking] would translate into action, but if the target is ranking—we know it’s superficial. I hope they come up with something more meaningful than ranking.”

Klaus Ernst, faculty regent asked what made the strategic plan unique to WKU as opposed to other plans by other universities.

“It’s in the doing that you’ll see more of the Hilltopper spirit come out,” Schulte said.

News reporter Emily DeLetter can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyDeLetter.