Strategic Plan Speaker Series Kicks Off With Two National Experts
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 13, 2014) — Two nationally renowned higher education experts — one on the UK campus and another who helps lead a major consultancy — will kick off the "see tomorrow Speaker Series" in January.
"An instrumental component of any strategic plan should involve taking a step back to form a broader perspective about where your organization or institution fits within a national context," said Christine Riordan, UK's provost. "We are fortunate at UK to have experts acclaimed in their fields as well as access to others across the country who can provide an in-depth examination of what is happening in higher education in America today."
The "see tomorrow" speaker series is being co-sponsored by the University Senate and the Office of the Provost and will feature:
- John Thelin, professor of educational policy studies at UK, will kick off the speaker series at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Room 230 of the Student Center. Thelin, whose speech is titled "Higher Education’s New Deal in the 21st Century," is considered one of the country's pre-eminent historians of higher education.
- David Attis, a practice manager with the Education Advisory Board, will speak to the UK community twice on Tuesday, Jan. 28. He will discuss research in American higher education at 9 a.m. in Room 206 of the Student Center. He will speak again at 3 p.m. on major trends in education, also in Room 206 of the Student Center.
The author of several books and a frequent contributor to publications such as The New York Times, Thelin's "A History of Higher Education in America" is considered a seminal work in examining the development of American higher education. His most recent book, published last year, is "The Rising Costs of Higher Education."
"We’ve reached the end of an era — for the past quarter century most universities have relied largely on increased funding to carry out their activities," Thelin said in discussing his upcoming talk and UK's development of a new strategic plan. "That strategy will not suffice in the 21st century. The call is for thoughtful balancing of resources and missions. The primary question facing colleges and universities is not money — but clarity of educational purpose and mission."
"The process of developing a strategic plan offers an important opportunity for the university community to engage in a discussion about higher education, UK's mission and our future," said Lee Blonder, chair of the Senate Council. "A speaker series, exploring different aspects of the strategic plan, will allow us to extend that dialogue throughout the campus community in a collaborative fashion. In John Thelin, we have someone to begin this discussion who understands better than anyone higher education's history and the vital role the faculty play in honoring both the values of our university and in leading its future growth and development."
Attis, who received his Ph.D. from Princeton and his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, has conducted studies on managing large-scale multidisciplinary research, internationalization strategies in higher education, maximizing space utilization on campus, and the future of doctoral education.
In his role with Education Advisory Board, he recently spoke to the UK Board of Trustees at its two-day retreat last October. He discussed several of the most prominent trends — both the challenges and the opportunities — confronting higher education in America today.
At that retreat, the board adopted six guiding principles for the Strategic Plan. Work groups — comprised of more than 100 faculty, staff and students from across the campus — have been formed to delve into issues surrounding each of those principles.
From that process, the "see tomorrow" plan will be taken to the Board of Trustees for its consideration at its June meeting.
The Education Advisory Board provides best practice research and practical advice to leaders of academic affairs, business affairs, student affairs, continuing, online, and professional education, and community colleges across North America.
Its parent company — The Advisory Board Company — was established in Washington D.C., in 1979 to conduct research on any question for any organization, though the firm early on migrated to a membership model. Starting in 1983 with a single membership program for hospital CEOs, the Advisory Board now offers 14 best practice programs serving different executives across its 3,100+ health care and higher education member institutions.
"We couldn't have two better speakers to kick off this important series," Riordan said. "John and David are known and respected nationally for their work in higher education. Their discussions provide the perfect jumping off point to understand both the historical context of where we've come from and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we work across the campus on a strategic plan that helps UK realize its promise."
Speakers will discuss different aspects of the strategic plan each month. It's a process that Riordan says she wants to continue even after the adoption of the Strategic Plan in June.
"President Capilouto and I strongly believe that "see tomorrow: The University of Kentucky Strategic Plan" cannot be a document that simply sits on a shelf. It must inform what we value as an institution, how we bring those values to life and how we fund those aspirations," Riordan said. "An ongoing speaker series provides an avenue to continually remind us all that the strategic plan is never complete. It is an ongoing process of continuous improvement and aspiring to do more on behalf of the Commonwealth we serve."
This is part of an ongoing series of articles and stories about "see tomorrow: The University of Kentucky Strategic Plan." Check out the strategic plan website —(http://www.uky.edu/strategic-plan/) — for the latest information about the compelling vision for UK's future. You can also provide feedback and ask questions at seetomorrow@uky.edu.