Faculty Handbook            Section I

E.   Strategic Planning

The University of North Texas has a long history of institutional planning. The current process is described as an "integrated community approach with several opportunities for faculty input." First, faculty participate in examining strengths and potentials at the department, division or program level. Second, faculty work with department/division chairs to formulate department missions and plans. Third, faculty are involved with planning at the college/school level according to the model adopted by the individual dean. Fourth, selected faculty are appointed by the Faculty Senate to participate on the University Planning Council, which serves as the institutional group that synthesizes input from all areas of the university and makes recommendations to the President about priorities and long-range plans.

The Council gathers input from faculty as it performs its duties. Specific responsibilities of the Council are as follows: to review the university's mission; to recommend positions about the institution's vision for the future; to adopt assumptions about the external environment and the university's internal strengths and potential for planning purposes; to recommend institutional planning goals and objectives; to monitor the results of evaluation and assessment and to use results in recommending priorities; to review and make recommendations about the use of space at the university, including new construction; and to evaluate the university's planning processes. The Planning Council reports directly to the President.

The UNT strategic plan consists of goals and objectives to set the direction of the institution. Academic units will use these goals and objectives, and the planning priorities derived from them (see UNT Policy Manual, Vol. III, #13.11) approved by the Board of Regents, to mold department and college/school plans. Progress toward meeting goals will be reported in unit annual reports that are submitted to deans and then to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In each odd-numbered year, the university also submits a strategic plan to state officials to demonstrate long- and short-term needs, including major facility needs. Funding requests must closely follow this plan, referred to as the "agency plan," and provide an opportunity for the university to describe its needs.  The following is the planning priorities for the current biennium.

GOALS, VALUES, DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS AND PLANNING INITIATIVES
(13.11)

The University's Long Term Institutional Goal, Institutional Values, Distinguishing Characteristics, and Planning Initiatives can be found (see UNT Policy Manual, Vol. III, #13.11).

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