The Advisory Committee discussed the logistics behind Carolina Next: Innovations for Public Good, an eight-step strategic plan for the University, at its Monday meeting in South Building.
The meeting was led by interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. He said that there will be a captain for each of the plan’s eight strategic initiatives, and small teams will be put together that will help meet the strategic plan’s objectives.
Guskiewicz said the teams would most likely range from 5 to 10 people, depending on the initiative the team is focusing on. He said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Bob Blouin has a working group that will eventually determine who will comprise each team.
“I want to be careful not to say ‘yes’ to everything, because I just don’t know,” Guskiewicz said. “With some of these teams, it may make more sense to pick predominantly staff. Others, perhaps, it’s going to be more weighted toward faculty.”
Guskiewicz then addressed specific aspects of some of the initiatives of the plan, such as promoting career development. He emphasized that this initiative is not just about the career development of students, but also making certain that there is a plan in place for faculty and staff aspiring to move up in their various departments or acquire leadership roles.
Mark Katz, representing the Department of Music, expressed his approval of the approach the University is taking toward this initiative.
“I really like 'Promote career development,' particularly for faculty and staff,” Katz said. “I think, generally, faculty don’t have conversations about that unless it's a retention issue, and for staff it’s often just not a conversation that can even be had.”
Vin Steponaitis, the secretary of the faculty, asked about the timeline of the strategic plan. Guskiewicz said the plan's implementation will most likely span across four years, and will be reevaluated every six months.
“This is an ambitious plan, and we’re identifying the metrics by which we will measure success for it,” Guskiewicz said.
