Suggestions and opinions
roll in for university strategy

When asked for input, students, faculty members and staff respond. Suggestions and views on the near-final draft of NAU's 2007-2011 strategic plan continue to roll in to help shape the university's future.

The draft plan outlines six institutional goals for NAU, along with strategies and initiatives that reinforce them.

In addition to sessions planned to collect feedback from various campus councils, a series of campuswide roundtable sessions are giving the university community an opportunity to address each of the goals in detail. Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate. The next roundtable is Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the du Bois Center Ballroom.

You also can share your own comments or read others at www.nau.edu/getinvolved.

Here are some samples comments about the 2007-2011 strategic plan draft:

• The word that brought me in is the word "stewardship." One of my questions is whether stewardship is the right term. After all, we are talking about two specific strategies: internationalization of campus and collaboration between campus and the surrounding communities.
• Some of the strategies and initiatives are very broad; some are very specific. Should they all share the same level of specificity?
• Increase visits to Indian reservations by representatives of the university administration, faculty and staff to learn more about tribal governments, history, traditions, language and culture to enhance mutual respect, understanding and strengthening of tribal relationships.
• The plan is too focused on traditional students and not enough on those who may have families and different challenges because of that.
• To be sure, I want NAU to be a force for economic change and growth. I am happy we are a leader in distance education. I am proud to see a continuing commitment to inclusion and diversity. However, I would like to have our commitment to the arts centrally highlighted, rather than subordinated to a word or two under a subgoal.
• As a division (EMSA) we are very well represented in this draft.
• Goal 4 talks about inclusion and there is nothing about international students. I would like to see more language about including international diversity in goal four.
• I would like to see more focus on programming for international students rather than just on recruiting as many of them as possible. The environment has to also create a positive experience for them.
• Access is represented very well in the goal 3. There is less verbiage in regards to affordability.

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