The following message was distributed to all students, faculty, and staff.
The University of Waterloo’s new Strategic Plan, A Distinguished Past; A Distinctive Future, is now available online in accessible formats.
Our mission, as outlined in the plan, is clear: the University of Waterloo will be one of the world’s top innovation universities.
With the plan now solidified, it is time to make it real by implementing it across the institution.
The Steering Committee, as outlined in the September 5 issue of the Daily Bulletin, will drive the implementation actions across Waterloo’s key areas. As you know, the plan calls on the University of Waterloo to differentiate itself through experiential education, entrepreneurship, and transformational research; our foundational strengths are academic programming, internationalization, student experience, employer-staff relationship, and promoting a sound value system.
Each of these key goals, or “themes”, has its own Implementation Theme Lead who will be working with content experts to develop action plans and progress measures for the next five years. Our Board of Governors will review and approve this accountability plan at its February meeting.
The importance of implementation and measurement cannot be overstated. To secure the objectives laid out in our plan, and to demonstrate genuine progress over time, it is essential that we make our Strategic Plan not merely an aspirational statement, but our operational compass.
Thanks to each and every one of you who has contributed to the Strategic Plan process over the last two years, whether through participating in consultations, and even just by reading the document to become familiar with Waterloo’s goals.
Developing the plan was a matter of vision, teamwork, and commitment, and the implementation process will call for equal amounts of the same.
I look forward to keeping you update on our progress through Town Halls and other channels throughout the fall and winter months.
With every best wish for success this term,
Feridun Hamdullahpur
President and Vice-chancellor