Project Charter

Strategic Planning

University of Michigan-Flint Strategic Planning Project Charter

1. Purpose & Objectives

The purpose of this project is to lead the University of Michigan-Flint community through a collaborative process to develop a clear, campus-owned five-year strategic plan.

Objectives: 

• Articulate a clear vision and direction for the university, ensuring that strategic priorities and long-term goals are broadly understood and actionable.
• Foster inclusive engagement of campus and community stakeholders throughout the planning process to incorporate diverse perspectives and build broad-based support.
• Align university aspirations and strategies in the context of changing demographics, evolving funding landscapes and the shifting needs and expectations of students.

2. Scope

In Scope:

• Train and orient the Strategic Planning Steering Committee.
• Develop a communication plan to be transparent with stakeholder groups.
• Define what data will be collected during the environmental scan.
• Facilitate broad input (faculty, staff, students and external stakeholders).
• Guide stakeholder review of mission and vision statements.
• Articulate institutional values based on stakeholder input. 
• Identify important themes within which to set goals based on stakeholder input.
• Develop SMART goals within each theme aligned with the finalized mission, vision and values based on stakeholder input.

Out of Scope:

• Writing the entire strategic plan without broader input.
• Implementing operational strategies or specific policies at this stage.

3. Deliverables

The key deliverables of this project include:

• Regular communications with stakeholders during the planning process.
• A campus feedback summary report.
• A five-year strategic plan that includes:
  • Mission and vision statements
  • Institutional values
  • Finalized themes consistent with mission, vision and values to focus strategic efforts. 
  • A set of SMART goals in each thematic area that are aligned with the finalized mission, vision and values.

4. Committee Members and Role

• See the Committees page

Role: Guide process development, guide process integrity, ensure transparency, facilitate engagement of stakeholders, synthesize input, disseminate information and champion the process.

5. Timeline & Milestones 

• Have a five-year strategic plan by the end of the academic year, ready to implement for fall 2026.
  • By the end of December 2025: Finalize values and complete environmental scan.
  • By the end of January 2026: Finalize mission, vision and themes.
  • By mid-April 2026: Finalize institutional goals.

6. Resources 

Resources to support the project include:

• Training materials and facilitation guides.
• Michael Boyd – 12 hours
  • Two hours of committee training 
  • Four hours of committee flex time
  • Six hours of stakeholder engagement 
• The committee will define the desired institutional data and work with Institutional Analysis and others to gather. 
• Nationwide trends and higher education context from WICHE, Hanover Research, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, UM-Flint peer institutions. 
• Administrative support for committee scheduling and communication.
• Marketing and communication support for communication plan development and implementation. 

7. Guiding Principles

The following principles will guide the process:

• Student-centered: Keep student success and well-being at the core.
• Inclusivity: Ensure representation from diverse voices and groups.
• Transparency: Communicate clearly and frequently with the campus community.
• Evidence-informed: Use data and research to guide decision-making.

8. Glossary of Key Terms:

• Values:  The fundamental principles and ethics that guide UM-Flint’s actions, decisions and culture.
• SMART Goals:  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound objectives.
• Mission Statement: UM-Flint’s purpose is stated in simple and concise terms.
• Vision Statement:  A brief future-focused declaration of what UM-Flint aspires to be and achieve.