February 25, 2005

President Wilson convened the fifth SPSC meeting of the Spring 2005 semester at 3 p.m. Teams of Committee members had prepared and distributed draft goals statements before the meeting. Because of the number of people involved in this task, the drafts varied as to length, format, and specificity. Thus, before tackling the substance of any statement, the group identified structural traits that they considered desirable and for which revised drafts should aim. Committee members agreed that the biggest challenge at this stage is to make it clear to readers what is intended by a goal without defining it so narrowly that it precludes meaningful input from the larger University community.

The Committee then spent about an hour and a half discussing several draft statements, suggesting changes to each in both format and substance and remanding them to their authors for revision before the next meeting, scheduled for March 4. Although there was a brief discussion of what particular goals to propose to the campus, no decisions were made.

The Committee spent the final few minutes of the meeting discussing next steps in the planning process. Among the questions raised were: Would having a work group to suggest strategies for each goal proliferate committees unnecessarily? Can established structures handle some of the intended tasks of work groups? If we have work groups apart from established committees, how would members be selected? Should the SPSC itself divide into work groups and be charged with consulting as widely and broadly as possible before recommending strategies to achieve each goal? The Committee did not reach consensus on the answers to any of these questions. Just before adjournment, the Committee discussed a potential timeline for completing the plan, including the possibility of summer work. Some members suggested targeting the October Board of Trustees meeting for a completed planning document, while others argued that such a schedule might be too rushed. The Committee agreed to continue discussion of the schedule in upcoming meetings.

Distributed to all faculty and staff: March 5, 2005