Where We’re Going

So, we’re done, right? Uh, no. Laurie Patton has said that Envisioning Middlebury “guides us rather than tells us.” That guidance is just beginning and will be continuing into the future.

The plan is not a set of tasks laid out for the institution to tackle. Rather, it is an active framework, through which all strategic decisions will be filtered. Those decisions will be informed by two parallel processes that will articulate broad, transformational goals for all of Middlebury, and more specific goals for programs, departments and offices, as well as self-organized interest groups that cross programmatic or departmental lines.

Transformational goals: High-level goals that, when reached, will have a significant reputational or institutional impact on Middlebury; typically require fundraising and Board involvement; will be achieved via multiple initiatives and coordinated efforts

At its meeting on January 27, 2018, the Board of Trustees, upon the recommendation of its Strategy Committee, endorsed three transformational goals, derived from the strategic framework adopted last October.

Programmatic goals: More specific goals that involve curricular, academic, programmatic, or operational changes that may or may not require additional resources

Departmental Goals: Very localized goals that may be realized within a given office or department without additional resources.

More specific programmatic and departmental goals will be generated from across the institution, as we work together to align ourselves with the framework.

Purpose

To engage the entire community in implementing the Middlebury Strategic Framework, and to invite programs, departments, offices, and self-organized groups to identify “first moves” that they would like to implement during the next academic year.

Process

Middlebury departments, programs, and offices identified over 100 possible first moves to better align their work with the Envisioning Middlebury Strategic Framework. The Provost’s Academic Council will review those submissions to determine the next steps on each of them.