Continuous Planning Process

The Office for Strategic Affairs and committees efforts began gathering knowledge and educating themselves about the university (how it works), including the Beyond Boundaries vision.

In January, February, and March, the Office for Strategic Affairs hosted three full day retreats dedicated to learning the academic, research and administrative units at the university. Nine colleges, eight institutes, and several administrative units presented to the committee about their respective areas.

Information discovery from the retreats and discussions led to the committee recognizing the importance of creating the metrics and rankings and research subcommittees. The subcommittees were charged with understanding areas of metrics, rankings, and research at the univesrity in more depth to assist in forming clear objectives and goals.

Once formed, the subcommittees began their work and understanding of metrics and rankings as it related to the university, Beyond Boundaries, and President Sands' vision. This included several sessions to discuss and understand the Partnership for an Incentive-Based Budget (PIBB), research rankings, past strategic plans, etc.

In April and May, the Office for Strategic Affairs hosted town halls, engaged with more than 18 commissions, committees, associations, and alumni groups, to share the initial draft vision, mission, core values, and strategic objectives, and to hear feedback from the campus community. The feedback was valuable and led to additional sessions to capture the Virginia Tech's community voice in the process. The Office for Strategic Affairs scheduled round table sessions for a summer engagement.

The Office for Strategic Affairs facilitated round table events with over 250 experts offering input and valuable discussions on strategic objectives. The team synthesized the Beyond Boundaries vision, current goals, and key emerging themes from the feedback and discussions; presented to President Sands, Provost Clarke, and the Board of Visitors the work to date; and began conversations at the Diversity Summit on the Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) Difference.  

The Office for Strategic Affairs and committee members re-connected and engaged with the university to hold several campus conversations on the Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) Difference in Blacksburg, Roanoke and the greater Washington, D.C., metro area. The office also worked on the development of meaningful metrics, refined the vision and mission statements, and prepared to present to the Board of Visitors.

The Office for Strategic Affairs finalized the strategic framework and collaborated with leadership within the Office for Inclusion and Diversity to ensure alignment between inclusion and diversity strategic planning efforts and the integration of the university's diversity plan within the university's strategic planning framework.

The university strategic plan, The Virginia Tech Difference: Advancing Beyond Boundaries, was unanimously approved by the Board of Visitors in June 2019. Following its approval, Virginia Tech moved into the continuous planning process. The Office for Strategic Affairs continued to collaborate and partner with colleges, institutes, offices, and units across the university in the development of unit-level plans as part of the continuous planning process.

The strategic planning leadership team and committee members worked with the University units to assist with their strategic plans.

Beginning as a Summer Conversation Series and continuing through the fall semester, the Office for Strategic Affairs faciliated several Diversity and Innovation Think Tanks, bringing together faculty, staff, and students from a variety of departments, colleges, units, and administrative levels. These Think Tanks were created as a place for conversation among diverse thought leaders to share ideas, perspectives, and strategies to accelerate Virginia Tech’s vision for its future. Individuals discussed the future of higher education and looked to explore how Virginia Tech might actualize its potential within the rapidly-evolving higher education landscape and within the context of Virginia Tech's Beyond Boundaries vision, key initiatives, and the university strategic plan.

In support of the continuous planning process, in Fall 2022, university-level milestones were evaluated and updated in light of achievement/completion and alignment with university initiatives and the university’s academic and investment priorities set by the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost.