Published: Oct. 4, 2019

CU President Mark Kennedy discussed the new strategic planning process, “Leaning Into the Future,” with the Boulder Faculty Assembly during his first visit to the group at its Oct. 3 meeting. He was introduced to the audience by Chancellor Philip DiStefano.

In Kennedy’s presentation, which followed a strategic planning kickoff event earlier in the day at CU South Denver, he discussed progress on the systemwide . The work has been in a three-month listening phase involving meetings around the CU system with faculty, staff and student governance groups, campus chancellors and administrators, the Board of Regents and CU Foundation trustees.

Kennedy described where the university is in the planning process and where it is going, discussing an approach of embracing the unique characteristics of each of the system campuses as the project moves forward. The strategic planning co-chairs are Sharon Matusik, dean of the Leeds School of Business, and Todd Saliman, CU system vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

Kennedy, as well as Saliman and Michael Lightner, CU vice president for academic affairs, took questions from the audience of faculty members. Themes in the questions included the importance of accounting for external and environmental stressors, divestment from fossil fuels, faculty autonomy and control over curricula, imparting the knowledge of retired faculty and more.

Kennedy, who plans to provide regular updates to the CU Faculty Council in the coming year, also offered continued discussion with BFA when needed and invited the faculty to provide input throughout the strategic planning process.